Chapter 5
The hum of the radio fills the garage as I work on my truck. It’s a 1979 Chevy Silverado and my pride and joy. I can’t wait for her to run and look her best. I just installed a new carburetor and now I need to make sure she’s working.
Using a compression tester on each spark plug hole, I watch intently as the gauge on the tester climbs, measuring the pressure within the cylinder. My eyes narrow in concentration, fingers tightening around the tool. Once the gauge stabilizes, I release the pressure and move on to the next cylinder.
Frustrated, I slap my towel on the open engine. “Fuck!” I have a weak intake and exhaust valves.
I’m sure I’ve got a fuel delivery problem like a clogged fuel filter, fuel pump, or the fuel pickup strainer in the tank. Tomorrow I’ll have to check the fuel pressure and volume.
“You look good working on your truck, Atlas,” a familiar voice calls.
Turning around, I see Jenna leaning against the door of the garage with her arms crossed.
“What are you doing here, Jenna?” I ask, wiping my hand on a shop rag.
It’s not like her to just stop by unannounced, and if she asked or gave me a heads-up, I would have told her that now isn’t a good time. We went to high school together and while she’s tried her damnedest to get in my bed, she’s not been successful and won’t ever be.
We may be friends, but I remember how she treated Sloane when she went to school with us. Jenna acted like she was gum on the bottom of her shoe. I warned her a few times to knock it off and was going to end our friendship, but then Sloane left and it didn’t seem necessary.
“I had the most interesting day at work and thought you’d like to hear about it.”
I roll my eyes and huff in annoyance. Jenna knows I don’t like gossip, but she always has ‘the tea’ to spill and somehow I’m the one she tells.
“So I was at work today doing some filing and we had quite a few back-to-back appointments. Which is unusual, and they were all women. Women who didn’t all look like they’d fit our normal clientele. Anyway, I asked the head nurse what was going on and she told me that some fancy rich guy was sending in all these women to be screened for an auction.”
An auction? She can’t mean the same one Dad and I are going to, right? But how many more people auctions can there be in town?
“An auction?” I ask, playing stupid because I don’t want her to know our business. If Jenna knows, the whole town will know within the week.
“Yeah. Apparently, all these women and a few men are selling themselves this coming weekend for sex. Obviously not legal, and all of us in the office had to sign an NDA.”
I shake my head at her and narrow my eyes. “You know that by telling me you’re breaking the NDA, right?”
She laughs. “It’s you silly. Are you going to turn me in? But more importantly, what kind of woman would willingly do that?” She sticks a finger in her mouth and feigns a gag.
“I don’t know Jenna. I’m sure they have their reasons.”
“And who would go and buy sex? Sure, we screened them all for STDs, pregnancy, and shit, but still. No self-respecting person would pay for sex. Better yet, I snooped on the billing codes, and all the appointments got billed to the same place. Club Lust.”
“Jenna, you better be careful. You’re going to get fired. You can’t just snoop around people’s medical files and billing. There’s a thing called HIPAA, you know.”
I can’t believe I have to tell her this. It’s her job, for fuck’s sake, but Jenna has always had one downfall and it’s gossip. She is the epitome of a town crier if that was still a thing in today’s world.
“You don’t need to worry about me, Atlas.” She steps closer and runs a polished nail down my chest. “I’m a big girl, but I love that you care.”
I grab her finger and remove it from my shirt. “Don’t read too much into it. I just don’t think you deserve to go to jail for being nosey. Now it’s time to go. I got things to do.”
“You don’t wanna do something together? I thought we could grab a bite and a movie or something?”
“No, Jenna. You know the answer is always no. Going alone somewhere with you sends the message that we’re more than friends and we are not.”
“But we could be.”
“I have no interest in that, and you know it. Now don’t push this and ruin our friendship.”
She glares at me before stomping her foot. “This is about her, isn’t it? You’re still thinking she’ll waltz back into your life, and what? Be your girl? She’s your fucking step-sister, Atlas. That’s disgusting.”
“Our parents are divorced, so she’s not anything to me anymore. She’s none of your business, Jenna. Leave it,” I snap at her.
“Don’t you think that if she felt anything toward you she’d have come by? We’ve been adults for six years. I think it’s time to move on.”
I’m done. Jenna is about to burn her bridge with me. She doesn’t get to tell me what I should and shouldn’t be doing or having feelings for.
“Jenna, I think it’s time for you to go.” My dad’s voice comes from the overhead door behind us, where he’s standing.
She rolls her eyes but turns and heads my dad’s way. When she gets to him, she turns around and spits her last venom. “Oh, and it might be time to move out of Daddy’s house. You live, work, and go out together. People are gonna start to think things.”
“Jenna!” my dad barks. “Get the fuck out of my garage and don’t come back.”
She storms down the drive and gets in her white Cavalier, tires spinning as she pulls away.
“Thanks, Dad,” I sigh.
“No problem. I came out here to ask if you wanted to order pizza. And that I got an email from the auction. Had to sign an NDA and they want me to go get an STD test. Figured since you’re going as my guest, you need to go get one too.”
“Pizza is fine. Let me come in and wash up and I’ll sign the NDA. I’m not going to the clinic Jenna works at, though. She’s already snooping through the billing and files, looking at all the shit. That’s what she came over here for, to tell me about an auction and all the trash that’s come in for checks so far.”
“Well, maybe I’ll email this Edward guy who sent me the NDA and tell him that the clinic he recommended is compromised.”
I laugh, knowing he’s serious. My dad can be a petty bitch when he wants to be.
Hitting the overhead door button, I watch as the door slides shut and lock the walk-in before following my dad to the house.
“I’ll order the pie. You go clean up,” Dad tells me as we walk inside, heading toward the kitchen drawer where we keep our takeout menus.
“Get some Dr Pepper, would ya?” I call, jogging up the stairs.
When I get to my room, I grab a pair of sweats and a T-shirt from my dresser and head to the connected bathroom.
Peeling my shirt and jeans off that smell like rust and oil, I toss them into the hamper and turn the shower on.
While I wait for the water to get hot, I take a piss and flip on the exhaust fan, because if our housekeeper has to clean smudges from the mirror, she’ll smack me.
Stepping into the shower, I sigh as the scalding water hits my back. Hurriedly, I grab the soap and wash my body. I love it when the suds disappear, taking the dirt and grime with them, revealing my tattoos once more. Grabbing the shampoo, I lather up my dark brown hair and beard.
I can’t believe I’m going to this auction with my dad. I signed him up, but it’s still strange that these women, and I’d assume men, are selling themselves. I’m eager to see what they look like and if they give reasons.
Coming to the stage is Lilac. She wants to pay for nursing school. Her hobbies include anal and blowjobs. She hates kissing and nipple play.
Chuckling, I rinse the shampoo out, turn the water off, and step onto the cold tile floor. I grab a towel and dry myself quickly before getting dressed.
My stomach is growling, telling me it”s time to eat.