Chapter 3 #2
“Yeah, girl, you need dick, and you need it hard and fast. You just need to get laid,” Megan pipes in, sipping her drink.
“You think? The last time was months before meeting the masked guy. And even with him, I didn’t get what I wanted.
I needed dick, and I needed it hard, fast, and no questions asked.
But apparently that didn’t go to plan, although I’m not complaining because the orgasm was worth it.
I will say this, though, if my mystery man had dragged me into the bathroom and told me to get on my knees that night, I would have done it.
If he had told me to bend over—no problem. ”
The girls are right. I need to get laid.
You know what they say about not mixing business with pleasure; that you shouldn’t do it.
However, I feel like I could compartmentalise with the guys.
From what I’ve heard and witnessed today, I feel like they’d get some enjoyment out of having someone fight back.
Someone who will joke with them. Talk back to them and put them in their place when they test boundaries a little bit.
And if I can make Jake break? Well, that’ll be even better.
“You’ve got that look on your face,” Megan points out.
“What look?” I ask curiously.
“The one that says you’re plotting out what you’re going to wear tomorrow. Maybe your tight skirt, white tank top, black heels, green glasses.”
“Why that outfit?”
“Because your tits look fantastic in that top. That skirt makes your arse look good, and those heels—nobody can ignore those.”
“What about if I wear the heels from that night?” I can see the outfit coming together in my head. Doc’s is the kind of place I could wear jeans and sneakers, but where’s the fun in that?
“Perfect idea. Definitely do that. See what happens.”
Emily looks at me with mischief in her eyes. “What are you planning, Em?”
“I think you should have tomorrow off.”
“Why?”
“Maybe you should surprise them and show up for a full day’s work on Tuesday when they’re only expecting you for half a day.”
I toy with the idea, wondering whether Arden would be up for it.
“Are you sure you’d be okay at the coffee shop?”
“Yeah, of course. We’ve got Bree coming in, and I’m training a new girl as well, so we’ll be fine.”
“I’ll call Arden in the car on my way home and see if it’s okay if I pick up some extra hours. Just tell him it’s a mess and see whether he’ll approve the overtime.”
“Girl, he’s paying you forty-five dollars an hour. He’s got the money to pay you. I don’t think it’ll be a problem,” Megan says.
“Yeah, I think you’re right.”
Logan comes back over to take our food orders, and the rest of the evening passes in our usual girlfriend chit-chat.
I tell the girls goodbye and get in my car. Connecting to the Bluetooth, I call Arden.
“Please do not tell me you’re calling to quit,” he says when he answers.
“Hi, Arden. Rest easy, I’m not calling to quit.”
“Oh, thank God. I didn’t want to have to find someone else for that place. It has so much potential, right?”
“Yes, it does... That’s one reason why I’m calling. I have a few things I’d like to ask for.”
“Anything. Name it, it’s yours.”
“I was just talking with Emily and catching the girls up on the day, and just so you know, the other reason I called is that the office looks like a tornado swept through it. The paperwork is in disarray. There are clients that haven’t been billed for months—I don’t even know if some have ever been billed.
There’s a long list of bills to be paid, too.
I don’t know how that shop has remained open. ”
“Yeah, you’re telling me. I’ve been trying to fix it, but...”
“You’re busy. You’re still at uni. You’ve got other stuff going on.”
“Yeah, something like that,” he says. “So, what is it you need?”
“Is it okay if I work all day tomorrow instead of just half a day?”
“Yes, of course. You can work as many hours as you like. Overtime’s all yours—happy to pay it. You tell me what you want, what you need. It’s all good.”
The thoughts tick over in my head. Is he really offering to pay me this much money just to fix this place?
“Why are you so invested in the shop?” I ask, wondering.
“Chase and I have been best friends for years. He’s always wanted to work in an auto restoration shop, and it was his dream come true when Doc offered him the apprenticeship.
But once he started, we realised the shop was going downhill—that certain things had started to slip.
We realised we needed to make some changes, which is when my business manager and I decided to buy the shop and do an overhaul.
Unfortunately, we’ve been playing catch-up ever since. ”
He pauses. “One thing you’ll learn about me is that I love my friends dearly.
I’ll do anything for them. I’m also invested in this because I enjoy the automotive design side of things.
I’m not one to get my hands dirty, but I like coming up with concepts and helping them brainstorm.
So I’m invested—I want to see my friends succeed.
I want to see a future for Doc’s, and I want to be able to continue the legacy that shop has built. ”
“Okay, fair enough. You do realise it’s going to cost money?”
“Money’s not an issue. That’s not what this is about. I’ll set you up as an account holder so you can pay the bills. That’s one less thing off my list, and you can get it all sorted. Is that okay?”
“Yeah, absolutely.” I indicate and turn into my driveway, waiting in the car while we finish this conversation.
“My other request.”
“Yes?”
“We need a coffee machine.”
He chuckles. “Okay.”
“We need a good coffee machine. An expensive coffee machine.”
“You do realise you’d be the only person who knows how to use it?”
“Yep, that’s the point. I am a barista, and I want real coffee. Those guys need real coffee because whatever that sludge is they’re drinking, it is disgusting.”
“Oh, I know. I don’t drink the coffee from the workshop.”
“Smart move. So can I get a coffee machine?”
“Yeah, go for it. You’ll be able to do it with the account details I send you. Just let me know if there are any issues or if you need me to transfer more money across.”
“Are you sure?”
“Absolutely. Please just don’t quit, and please help me get this shop back to where we want it. We want to expand, bring in new people, but we can’t do that until we have some processes in place.”
“Okay, got it.”
“Hey, Stella?” Arden says before we hang up.
“Yeah?”
“Thank you, again.”
“You’re welcome.”
I press end on the call and get out of my car, heading inside, and replay the way Jake looked at me—those dark eyes roaming my body.
Me pretending I didn’t notice his gaze was setting my skin on fire.
When he stepped close, it took everything in me not to drag him closer and just kiss the fuck out of him.
Because if he’s the same guy from that night, he can kiss.
Heading inside, I shower and get ready for bed. But my mind keeps repeating “Come for me, darl.” Knowing that sleep isn’t going to come easily unless I take care of the throb between my legs.
I reach into my nightstand, take out my vibrator, and I come harder than I have since he got me off, and I do it with his face flashing behind my eyelids, and his name on my lips.