Chapter Five
Lane
Jessa jumps to the ground with a thud from the seat of the asphalt roller we’re working on. She dusts her hands. “Well that was easy.”
I can’t help but chuckle. “For you maybe. It would’ve taken anyone else half a day to figure out why this thing wasn’t turning over with a new battery.”
She shrugs a shoulder, and the corner of her mouth turns down. “Any half-decent mechanic should know the neutral safety switch on these machines is one of the first things to check. Saves you hours of time if you start there.”
“Are you saying I’m not even a half-decent mechanic?” I ask with a smirk.
“If the shoe fits,” she replies completely deadpan.
I slap a hand to my chest, over my heart. “Damn woman, you’re vicious.”
“Yeah well, if I wasn’t I wouldn’t be where I am today. I would’ve been chewed up and spit out by now. Being a woman in this world means this crusty shell has become bulletproof in order for me to survive and do the work I enjoy.”
She says it matter-of-factly and without an ounce of self-pity. It pisses me off she’s had to build a way to protect herself in the first place. She’s a damn good mechanic. Knows her way around a machine like no one I’ve ever met before.
I would’ve given my right arm to have had her by my side in the army. As a former combat engineer, I don’t say that lightly.
“I’m sorry you have to do that.”
“Eh, that’s life. I tried otherwise, and it only ended in disaster. I promised myself I wouldn’t let it happen again.” She unzips the top half of her coveralls as she talks, revealing another one of those snug tank tops she likes to wear beneath them before tying the arms around her waist.
It’s all I can do to keep my gaze from dropping as it longs to do.
She points to the rolling chest we’ve been packing as we talk. “I’ll take this back to the tuck, while you check in with the bossman and let ’em know we’re done.”
“Sounds good.” My sense of chivalry has me wanting to argue with her about her hauling the heavy box around, even if it is on wheels. But after what she just shared, I certainly don’t want her to think I’m one of the assholes who doesn’t think she can hack it.
If there’s anything she’s proved over the last week of us working together, it’s that she’s more capable than half the men I’ve worked with.
I stroll toward the cluster of men near a grader and an excavator. They’re sitting on the ground and leaning against the machines as they eat their lunches.
My blood boils as I get closer and can hear what they’re saying.
“The fucking tits on her. Though they’d look even better with a pearl necklace from me.”
“Yeah, like you’d even be able to get it up Frank, but I’d let her choke on my fat cock any time she wants.”
“At least she’s something to look at while she pretends to work on the machine. Damn Masterson’s probably not getting any complaints about charging double even if we’re only getting the work of one mechanic. No one’s gonna bitch with the eye candy.”
I see fucking red as I round the grader with a growl.
“She’s a better mechanic than any of you could ever hope to be.
” My eyes narrow on Hank, the supervisor of the pricks.
Pretty sure he’s the one who said Jessa could choke on his cock.
“Roller’s done. She actually saved you several billable hours, but I’ll make sure Marnie knows to charge for the full time it would’ve taken any of the rest of us to fix the damn thing. Consider it the eye-candy tax.”
Spinning on my heel, I get out of there before I give in to the urge to knock some teeth out. As satisfying as it would be, Bill unfortunately gets a lot of work from them, and I won’t be responsible for losing it.
“Now wait a damn minute Gillman,” Hank sputters behind me. “We’ll only fucking pay for the time you were here.”
I hold my middle finger in the air over my shoulder, not slowing my march away in the slightest. “Take it up with Masterson!”
Thank God Jessa’s already sitting in the truck when I get there. I climb in and start the engine. I’d peel out of there, but the big service truck is too loaded down with tools and equipment. Instead, I put my foot down and work my way through the gears as fast as possible.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Jessa arch her brow. “Everything okay?”
“Not even a fucking little bit.”
“What happened?”
There’s no way I’m going to repeat any of the shit those fuckers said, especially to the woman they were talking about. “Nothin’. Just assholes being assholes. I feel like Steel Belly for lunch.”
She narrows her eyes at the abrupt change in topic. Her lips purse to the side as if she’s deciding to let it go. I hold my breath that she does, because I don’t fucking lie and I certainly don’t want to lie to this woman, but there’s no way I want to tell her the truth.
My shoulders slump with relief when she says, “I’m never gonna turn down Steel Belly.”
I flick on the radio, needing a distraction and a reason not to talk until I cool off a bit.
I have to admit I was having a hard time believing it was really all that bad for Jessa.
After having experienced it firsthand, I’m beyond fucking outraged that this is the shit she’s been dealing with for God knows how long.
Not any more though.
Not if I have anything to do with it, and I most certainly will, because I’m making it my business to make sure this entrancing woman is treated with the respect and courtesy she deserves.