Chapter 15
Iam standing in front of my rusty girl, ready for a test drive. Three years of work, acquiring parts, with long days and nights are all worth it for this moment. Though she still has some cosmetic work to do, she’s ready to feel the ocean breeze through every curve of her body.
Leland suggested finding a hobby to focus on, and this 70’s Chevelle was my project. I bought this car as a frame with a dream in mind during a dark part of my life. I watched Lawson give his heart away to someone he thought to be his forever. Teenage love can concur all. At least that’s what he thought. She, however, didn’t feel the same way. Their break up shattered his loving heart. Lawson ended up on a party binge. Drinking from sunup to sundown.
Leland and I took turns picking him up from party after party. One night, he was so bad off that he ended up passing out and wouldn’t wake up. His “friends” freaked out, dropped him at the ER, and left. They literally rolled him out of the car at the bay doors and left.
Leland and I showed up as soon as they called us, and we walked into the ER at the same time they were pumping his stomach. They admitted him for alcohol poisoning because he drank way too much. After a couple of days of being sober in the hospital, we gave him an ultimatum. If he didn’t handle this, we wouldn’t show up. Since that day, it’s taken a long time to get my brother out of that hole. He feels more than the normal person, so healing wasn’t the easiest.
After years of heartache, I’m finally feeling… good. Victor shows up all the time, especially when I think he should be at the office. “It’s local research.” He keeps teasing, but he just hangs around me while I fix cars. He stands close, giving me sweet kisses and laughing with my brothers. Lawson is still keeping him at an arm’s length but hasn’t given me any more trouble. I can’t help the massive grin on my face when Leland and Victor talk. Leland makes everything seem so easy, unless they are talking about cars. Victor is trying to get better, but make no mistake, he is still awful.
Victor has fallen into my daily routine as if it was nothing. He splits his time at the office and with me. If we aren’t at the shop, then we are surfing or at my house. He says it feels like being on the TV show Naked and Afraid. It’s nothing like that. We have takeout. We just don’t wear any clothes.
Victor comes up behind me, resting his hands on my hips. I follow his lead as he sways us back and forth, with his chin resting on my shoulder.
“You ready?” he asks.
I nod enthusiastically, biting my bottom lip. He presses his mouth against my cheek, then shoves me forward.
“What are we waiting for?” He hums.
I watch him rush to the driver’s door and swing it open. With an open palm, he waves me to him. I prance toward him and slide my body into the brand-new leather seats. My lips press together, trying to hold in my squeals of excitement. A simple flick of my wrist. Turning the key, my girl rumbles to life. Her powerful purring speaks to my soul, and it’s like our own secret language. The seats vibrate with anticipation and I can’t help the goofy grin on my face. It’s almost too much to handle.
“That smile looks good on you.” Victor caresses my cheek.
I look over at him warmly. “Yeah?”
“Yeah, it does. I’d like to think it was me. Which it is …” he teases.
“Calm down, peacock.” I shake my head. His smile with big puppy dog eyes, pleading for the truth. “You are a small part of it.”
“Big part.”
“Itty bitty part.” I squint and press my fingers small showing him a tiny measurement.
He grabs my hands, pulling them wide. “Woman! It’s bigger than a pebble, we all know!”
Ok, I’ll admit to myself he’s a big part of how I’m feeling today. We’ve been inseparable since the disastrous double date. He’s even made time to come with me when I visit my mom.
And, another first for me this last time, when we left, I didn’t get upset. We had a great visit. She still doesn’t acknowledge or recognize me, but any moment is time spent with someone who means everything to me.
“Hey, tonight I have a fancy work dinner to go to. Will you come?” Victor asks. His voice dips with what I can only describe as hesitance.
“What level of fancy are you talking about? Heels, nice dress, and makeup?”
“You look better without.” His words make me swoon. He likes me as I am.
“Smooth, okay, I’ll do it. I can be fancy Collins for you.” My smile widens at his toothy grin. There’s a small part of me swelling with pride. I can feel the change in myself. I’m growing and the weight of the world doesn’t seem so heavy.
“Ready to take off?” I ask.
Victor nods, throwing his arm out the window. I put my girl in drive and press on the gas. As we drive, I feel this heavy girl’s traction to the road, gripping the turns, and rumbling with an almost deafening sound.
“I get it now.” Victor’s voice carries straight to my heart.
“What do you mean?”
“The way you talk sweet about her. I get it.” His hand swirls around the car.
I throw my free hand in the air, feeling validated. “Finally!”
He laughs and rests his hand on my leg as we continue to drive around. Out of the corner of my eye, Victor’s shoulders have dropped and his hair brushes through the wind. He rubs his thumb in small circles. He looks so relaxed. I bite my lip and decide to pull over. Victor looks over at me, confused.
“What’s up, baby?” Victor’s head snaps toward me with the most confused look.
“Want to drive?” I sigh.
“Are you serious?” He bounces in his seat, looking like he could explode at any moment. “Don’t toy with me, Collins.”
“I’m serious. So, do you?”
“Hell yes!”
We jump out and run around the car. He slides into the driver’s seat softly with such respect for what this car means to me. I explain some shifters that are different and to be easy on her at the start.
He listens and does exactly what I tell him. His smile is etched in my memory. We get to a good straight stretch of road and I tell him to give her a little power. He screams in the girliest way possible, making me burst into laughter.
“What was that?” I am wiping my eyes from laughing so hard.
“I don’t even know what that sound was!” He laughs along with me. “That was incredible.”
“I told ya.”
“You are once again… correct.” He points his finger toward me, ticking it back and forth.
“Alright, let’s head back to the shop. If I have to be a fancy girl tonight, then I need some time to get ready.”
“I’ll pick you up at seven.” Victor turns the car around and we ride back to the shop in a comforting silence.
I give Leland a rundown of what I need for the car before Victor and I rush off in opposite directions. Thankfully, my car just needs minor adjustments.
As I rush back to my house, I give Massey a call to come to help me with dresses and makeup. Thank God she is a girly girl and can morph me into a classy look. Massey arrives just as I put my truck in park.
“Can I do this?” My shoulders tense the more the minutes pass. “Massey, what do I talk to these people about?”
“If I can navigate these dinners, you can conquer them effortlessly. Honestly, the partners or primary clients don’t talk to their significant others much. Spouses talk to spouses or girlfriends. Think of it as a power play dinner. Victor will probably do all the talking.”
Massey lets me ramble on while she zips up the rest of my dress. She’s effortlessly transformed me into a fancy woman. I almost don’t recognize myself in this dress and with the make-up.
“Good… Great!” Trying to boost my own spirits, I say. “I can do this. I can do this.”
“Collins, you drop in on an eight-foot plus wave with no hesitation,” Massey reminds me. She’s standing behind me as we face the full-length mirror. “This is similar. It’s just a wave for you to tackle.”
“Right.” I bounce my shoulders, trying to soak in what she says. “But, Massey, this isn’t a wave.”
“Oh look, Victor is here.” She ignores me.
“You’re a jerk.” I bite my lip, trying to find the confidence and push down this bitch of anxiety.
“You will be fine.” She rolls her eyes at me.
I can hear Victor as he walks right through the door. A sense of normalcy hits me at how comfortable it is to have him in my space.
“Baby, are you … whoa.” His jaw drops as he rounds the corner. His lip turns up on one side and his eyes track up and down my body.
Massey brought several dresses to choose from but ultimately, we picked a full-length, off-the-shoulder dress with a corset top and mermaid bottom. The dark forest green makes my tan skin pop and my eyes shine bright, although I don’t think it’s the dress. There is a slit up the leg that comes to mid-thigh, and Massey insisted on red heels.
“Is this suitable?” I ask. Victor continues to trace every single inch of my body but still does not answer. “Is this okay? Or do I need to change?”
“What?” His eyes finally find mine.
“How do I look?” Maybe the question needed to be rephrased?
“Fucking perfect, Collins! You are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen,” He huffs. He takes my hand, kissing the top of my knuckles, then wraps it around his forearm. “Come on, I want to show you off.”
“Okay,” I turn back toward Massey, “Thanks.”
She looks at me like a mom watching her daughter going to prom. That’s how it feels at least.
“Always.” She mouths back to me.
Victor drives us in his corporate car to the most expensive restaurant on the Island. Approaching a place I’d never thought I’d be a guest at, I feel quite jittery. Victor gets out, handing the keys to the valet, whom I’ve seen around the community before. Victor comes to my side and helps me out. The valet’s mouth drops before a loud whistle grabs our attention. He mocks a bow as he dips into the car and drives away.
“What was that? Should I be worried?” Victor utters sternly.
Shaking my head in disbelief, I try to convince him, “I will be on my best behavior!”
“Don’t try to be someone else, just be yourself. It’s my favorite part.”
He again takes my hand and, wrapping it around his forearm, guides me inside. The hostess perks up at our arrival. Excitedly, she welcomes Victor by his first name and promptly escorts us to a table with a few couples. We take our seats and I breathe a sigh of relief when he sits next to me. The table seems to be broken up to Victor’s side with the firm coworkers and their wives or girlfriends on the other side. I’m so glad he didn’t let me fend for myself, even if he directs his attention to his end of the table.
Food and wine are plentiful across the table while Victor is in deep talks with his clients. His work jargon is something I’m not familiar with, so I try to focus on the women talking. But it’s also out of my league.
“Oh God! The manicurist totally tried to get me into a new color and I was like, no honey, red is my color!” Angel squeaks. I still don’t know who belongs to which coworker. “Red nails, red dress, red shoes, red is my power color!”
“She sounds incompetent. Was it your regular girl?” Bells asks.
“Yes!” Angel responds with a huff.
“Then she should’ve known better!” Bells insists.
I look down at my nails. No color, and you can still see some grease under them. I did a piss-poor job for this minor aspect of my look tonight. I bite my lower lip and internally curse for not even thinking of my nails to complete this whole get-up. Suddenly, it’s the conversation the guys have, causing me to snap my head up.
“I tried talking to Massey’s boyfriend, that mechanic, about that classic car that’s being restored.” One client says.
“Yeah, me too. Didn’t budge on it.” The other leans back in his chair, sipping on his Borbon.
I smile to myself. They are talking about my girl, and Lawson defended me. Proud doesn’t even describe the feelings I have.
“Massey is dating a mechanic?” Angel gags.
“She can do so much better,” Bells adds.
I’m trying to keep myself in check. This is Victor’s career, but she’s my best friend.
“Oh?” I say innocently. “Why is that?”
“I don’t know, the mechanic has the in with the other mechanic who is restoring that car. Fully done, can be close to what?” The guys look at each other.
“Thirty-five to forty-five thousand dollars,” I finish their sentence.
Victor’s head snaps toward me with a wicked grin. Reaching below the table, he runs his hand along my bare thigh. He loves it when I talk shop.
“You know your classic car numbers?” One guy seems impressed.
“I know my classic car,” I proudly confirm.
The entire table collectively gasps, “You?”
I nod, placing my hand over Victor’s that is on my thigh. I pull it higher on my thigh and cross my legs over, trapping his hand between my thighs.
“It’s yours?” Angel asks with distaste.
“It is. My brothers and I are all mechanics. I restored her myself,” I kindly remark. I hope Victor knows how hard it is for me to be so nice.
“Damn, that’s hot.” The older man stares me down.
“A girl that knows cars.” The other client leans forward, resting his forearms on the edge of the table.
“Three years of work, and it’s almost complete. All it needs is a new paint job. She is … she is beautiful.” My chest puffs out with pride.
“Close second.” Victor gives my leg a squeeze and winks, causing me to blush.
The guys lean closer toward me as if they are interested. “Will you sell?
“No,” I quickly shut him down.
“If you do, call me.”
“No, call me. Seriously. You name your price.”
They try to outdo each other.
“That’s very kind of you, but it’s not for sale. Please excuse me, I need to use the ladies’ room. It seems that I still have grease under my nails. The manicurist didn’t tell me about it.” I can’t even hold a straight face.
I head to the bathroom solo, trying to calm down from a couple of takers in this world. You can literally see the women using the men for their money and the men looking for the next score. These are the people who easily take what they want. I take a moment in the bathroom to sort myself out and look at what I look like. A harsh reminder that this is a world that I don’t belong in. I shake my nerves off and walk out of the bathroom.
A hand grabs me and pushes me against the wall. I fight until I see it’s him.
“God! You were so sexy just now!” Victor pushes his body closer to mine. I can feel his erection pressing against my stomach.
“What?” I say innocently.
“The way those guys want you.”
“Their girlfriends hate me.”
“Who gives a shit about them,” Victor says between the peppered kisses along my neck. “I love when you are confident Collins, putting people in their place. I love when people don’t know how to take you.” He kisses my shoulder. The back of his hand is playing with my exposed leg, teasing the slit of my dress. “Those guys want you, and you are all mine.”
Love.
“Well, they have more money than you, ’cause you know, that’s important,” I tease.
“They’ve got nothing on me, baby.” His lips find my ear and I shiver.
I smile, knowing he loves this. He pulls me in for a deep kiss, and for a moment, I forget where we are. I pull at his hair and his hand moves more inside of my skirt.
A hoarse, fake cough brings us out of our moment.
Victor doesn’t break apart or move away. We just look over at the rude individual who is interrupting us.
“Um, gross, keep it in your pants, Victor.” She gives a disappointed look.
“I don’t know. It’s pretty amazing.” I run my hand over the front of his pants while giggling at Angel.
Angel eyes me and then focuses her attention on Victor. “A mechanic? Come on, Victor, you can do better. I gave you two girls on a plate when you came here. They were perfect for you.”
“Clearly not good enough.” Victor turns his attention toward me. With the biggest smile, he holds his arm up. “Collins, are you ready to go?”
I nod and push off the wall. All the words that I wish to say are stuck in my throat. Walking arm in arm, he doesn’t look back, but I do.
“Don’t do that. She’s not worth a second look.” He whispers.
We stand waiting for the valet to show up with his car. His hand is resting on my lower hip, gently gripping my side. His lips are resting on my temple, ever so slightly leaving kiss after kiss.
“By far, the best dinner ever,” he whispers. “You have made those women jealous and the men envious. I’m so turned on right now.”
“Oh? Wait till we get home.”
I watch his eyes grow by three sizes and the smile that encompasses his face is priceless.
“Yours or mine?” I ask, already knowing the answer.
“Yours! Definitely yours!”