26. Fuel Injection
TWENTY-SIX
FUEL INJECTION
Jackie
We read through all of Audrey Cole’s sex scenes. In all eight of her books. By the time we’re done, I feel flushed and need to take a cold shower.
“Audrey Cole is a genius,” Rose declares, fanning herself.
I nod. “Agreed.”
Trish shakes her head with a smile and pours herself another cup of coffee. She’d been suspiciously quiet as Rose and I made our way through all of Cole’s novels, but had looked pleased all the same.
When the coffee is gone and the books put away, Trish takes Rose and me home in her pickup truck.
“This is a pretty cool truck,” Rose says, appreciating the classic Ford model.
“I like the older trucks. Before they got all boxy and boring.” She’s perched on my lap in the passenger seat.
Though the truck has a bench seat, the long-handled stick shift makes it impossible to sit in the middle.
Rose had insisted, since she’s shorter than me, that she had to be on top.
I’d tried explaining how mass density and weight don’t have anything to do with height, but it had been a lost cause.
“You should take it to Flynn’s shop. He could fix it up like new. He’d love to get his hands on a vintage truck.”
I still at the mention of Flynn. I see Trish cut her eyes to me as she shifts gears.
“Uh, I mean...”
I awkwardly pat Rose’s shoulder. “It’s okay.” I clear my throat. “Trish should take it to West Auto. I’ve seen what he can do with vintage cars. It’s amazing.”
There’s a beat of silence before Trish speaks. “Maybe I will, but I’m kind of used to it all rusted.”
Rose snorts. “Why do my new besties think driving rust buckets is cool? You guys are just weird.”
A few minutes later we pull into my apartment complex.
The first thing I notice is the car in my spot.
It is not mine.
My first thought is that someone stole my car. But, seeing as that’s improbable, my second, more logical thought is that my car finally imploded with rust and my landlord hadn’t wasted any time selling my parking space to someone else.
But then I really look at the car.
“Stop. Stop the truck,” I yell.
“Sweetie, we are stopped,” Trish says to me.
“Oh.”
Rose murmurs under her breath, “About time, you fucker.”
“What? About time, what?” I glance back and forth between the back of her strawberry blond head and the shiny white 1962 Corvette parked in my space. “Did you do this?”
“Me? Oh, no.” She laughs. “But I may have to quit giving my brother the cold shoulder. First, he decks that prick and now?—”
“Wait. What prick?” I ask.
“Uh...”
“Sweetie, don’t you want to go see your new car?
” Trish interrupts. Without waiting for my answer, she opens her door.
Rose quickly wiggles off my lap, crawls over the stick and follows Trish out.
I sit in the truck for a few more seconds trying to comprehend this new turn of events while also waiting for my legs to regain feeling.
Once circulation in my thighs resumes, though still without an answer to the car’s presence, I get out of the truck.
“There you are, chica . Finally.”
I turn to see Paulie leaning against the carport, his usual wife beater and low slung pants in place.
“What? Were you waiting for me, Paulie?”
He nods and tosses something at me. Without much thought I catch it. I open my fist to see a car key attached to a NASA emblem keychain resting in my palm.
Paulie gives me a two-finger wave. “And thanks for the clunker, chica . Amy will be able to get to more classes without having to use the bus.”
“Wait, I?—”
“Two guys dropped it off last night. Your guy said he’d already fixed it up so I wouldn’t have to. Plus, he gave me a job.” He looks at the ground, shaking his head in disbelief.
“Flynn hired you?” I look back at the keychain. “That’s great, Paulie.”
“Thanks, chica .” He turns to go, but stops.
“Not sure what kind of name Flynn is, but any man who gives a car like this to his woman and a man like me a chance can’t be all bad.
” Paulie walks away but calls over his shoulder, “But if he turns out to be a pendejo , you let Paulie know. Boss or not, I’ll fuck him up. ”
Rose laughs.
“Um, yes. I will. Thanks, Paulie,” I call out. But he’s already turned the corner out of sight.
“Dude, you know some interesting people,” Rose says, stepping up beside me, staring off to where Paulie disappeared.
Slowly, I maneuver around Rose and walk to the front of the Corvette. I realize now why it looks so familiar. It’s an exact replica of the car General Motors gave Alan Shepard after he’d become the first American in space. It even has altimeter gauges.
Flynn built me an astronaut car.
“Holy Mercury,” I breathe, still looking at the car. I reach out to touch it, but stop just short of the hood, afraid to mar the shiny paint. I glance at Rose, then back to the car. “I don’t understand.”
“What’s there to understand?” She shrugs. “My brother loves cars. He loves you. Figured he’d get around to getting his head out of his ass and both his loves together sooner or later.”
“Wait— what?” I spin to face her. “He doesn’t love me… he said he couldn’t be with me if I became an astronaut.”
Rose’s eyes narrow. “I’d like it on record that I do think my brother can be a bit of a dick.”
“Uh, okay,” Trish says, giggling at the end.
“However, seeing as our parents died in a car crash, I can see where he would freak out over you going into space.”
“Statistically speaking, flying into space is much safer than driving a car.”
“Sugar, I know you’re super smart, and we all love that about you,” Trish says.
“Especially Flynn,” Rose adds.
Trish nods and continues, “But sometimes statistics and logic aren’t enough to overcome fears and emotions. At least not at first.”
“Oh.” Suddenly, Flynn’s pathos-based reaction to my interview makes more sense.
“Plus Flynn took the time to punch out a famous baseball-playing asshat who happened to try and manhandle his lady love.”
“Rose, sweetie. You can’t make fun of Jackie and me for our romance novels anymore if you’re going to use phrases like ‘lady love.’”
“Please. I bet it’s because we just read all those romances that I’m talking like an eighteenth century lord.”
“Wait, hold up,” I say. “Flynn punched Brian?”
Rose rocks back on her heels. “Yeppers.”
“When? Why?”
“I think it was the day after he tried pushing you around in that restaurant.” She gives me a look. “And I think you know why.”
“But… he said…” I trail off, lost in my thoughts, and my reflection in the high gloss paint.
“Well, whatever my stupid-ass brother said, he did manage to drop Brian with one punch,” Rose says with disgust. “You’d think a professional athlete would be tougher than that.”
Trish walks up to me and places her hand on my arm, giving me a gentle squeeze. “Maybe you should go talk to him, sugar.”
I blink and look away from the car. “I’m an astronaut. He said?—”
“Okay.” Rose butts in, hands out. “I think we can all agree that my brother has said a lot of stupid shit. But he did start working on this car before making his stupid line in the sand, and he did keep working on it after.” She shrugs. “So actions speak louder than words and all that, right?”
“Wait. You knew about this?” I ask, pointing to the car, my voice high-pitched and squeaky.
Trish stomps her foot. “And you didn’t tell me ?”
“Shit.” Rose shoots a pleading look to both of us. “I, ah, well it was supposed to be a surprise.” She steps back toward the truck.
Trish follows after her, mumbling, “ I didn’t need to be surprised.”
“Okay, I’ll make it up to you, Trish-the-Dish.” Rose hops into the truck, smiling at Trish’s scowl. “Come on, let’s go to Cavender’s and I’ll get you some new boots.”
“Hold on. Now we’re going to Cavender’s?” I ask.
Rose shakes her head, blond hair bouncing.
“Not you, honey. You have to stay here and figure out what to do about my idiot brother. Lord knows I don’t need to be around if you guys start going at it.
” She mimes gagging. “And if you knee him in the nuts, I don’t want to feel obligated to step between you guys to keep the peace.
” She nods to herself. “Yep, you two are on your own.” She leans out the window and thumbs over in Trish’s direction.
“But apparently I owe this girl a new pair of boots. Buy back her friendship and all that.”
Trish scoffs and opens the driver side door. “You don’t buy back friendship, Rose. And you don’t have to buy me boots.”
“Oh yeah? So you haven’t been drooling over those ridiculous red-fringed boots? Or was that some other Southern midget?”
“Ooo, you mean the Liberty Black ones—” Trish cuts herself off. “Hey, wait a minute. I am not a midget!”
“Well you aren’t?—”
“Where’s Flynn?” I yell, bringing their attention back to me.
Rose smiles one of her devious grins and I have a feeling my life is going to be a lot of fun with her in it. Exhausting, but fun.
“He’s having a big old manly cry fest at the ranch.”
“Ranch?”
“Yep. Holt texted me last night.” She gestures for Trish to get in.
With a smile Trish hops in the truck, turns over the engine and turns around in the small lot. Before she takes off, she rolls down her window and Rose leans across her lap.
“The West Ranch is on the northwest side of town.” She rattles off the address, then blows me a kiss.
“Good luck, sugar,” Trish sings before she and Rose drive off.
I stand there watching the truck disappear down NASA Road 1, not blinking. Slowly, everything starts sinking in. Making sense. Giving me hope. Jumpstarting my legs.
I run back to the Corvette, unlock the door, and jump behind the wheel.
Flynn had rebuilt this car with love, that much is obvious.
Everything looks right off the assembly line, but I know he must’ve had to overhaul it.
The altimeter gauges alone are custom made.
This took time. He had to have still been working on it since his ultimatum.
And if that’s true, maybe Rose is right.
Maybe we aren’t over. Maybe my dream of having the career I’ve worked so hard for can also involve a sexy mechanic waiting at home for me when I come back from orbit.
I run my hands over the black leather seats and then curl them around the wheel before focusing on the problem at hand.
I don’t know how to drive stick.