“Replacing the transmission. Woman said she was coming down a country road at the speed limit and there was a blind dip. Bunch of scaffolding planks in the road and she hit them at full speed.” He shook his head. “She stopped and got the company’s name, but it’s fucked her gearbox, her suspension, her wheel arches…It won’t be cheap.”
“Is she sending them the bill?”
“No. I told her I can’t do the work without payment because of the cost of parts. She’s paying for it, then making a claim to the company.”
“Well, that sucks.” I sat on a stack of breeze blocks, nursing my cup. “Hey, hasn’t this been out in the lot for a few days?”
Dex nodded and removed the transmission mount. I leaned forward and took it from him, placing it out of his way. There was a huge crack in it.
She must have really hit those planks.
“Thanks,” he said. “Yeah, it has been. She brought it in last week to get it checked over just in case of damage. She wasn’t happy she had to leave it.”
I wouldn’t be either. “What did her insurance company say?”
“They leased her a car, but it took them two days. That’s what she told me when I called and told her the parts had arrived.”
“Oh, there was a delivery?”
“No wiper blades. Or wipers, for that matter. Don’t get your hopes up. I think I’ll just call Carmella and start getting them to supply the damn things.”
I snorted. “Don’t get your hopes up. Carmella is only there when she loses a bet with her family. Jack will be happy to do it though.”
He glanced at me, the safety glasses dulling his eyes a little. “I only said Carmella because I thought she worked there.”
“Sure you did.” I rolled my eyes. “Is there anything else booked in today?”
“Nope.” He shot me a devilish smile. “Which means you get to be my glamorous assistant for the day.”
I looked down at my clothes. “I’m not exactly Jessica Rabbit over here. My bra might even have an oil stain on. Not so glamorous.”
“Might have? Do you need to check?”
“I doubt I care about finding out half as much as you do, Romeo.”
Dex laughed. “Worth a try. The idea I might break you down one day is entertaining.”
“To you, perhaps.”
He turned to face me with a smirk twisting his lips. “Could you do me a favor and get me a drink? I’ve been under here forever.”
“When you said assistant, I didn’t think you meant slave,” I said as I got up and walked to the staff area.
“I didn’t. And if I did mean slave, running around and doing my bidding isn’t the one I’d have in mind!”
I took a deep breath as I poured him water from the filter in the fridge.
What? He didn’t specify what he wanted to drink.
I took it back out and crouched again, this time at the front of the car. “Here. Your drink.”
He slid out from under it, bringing himself to a stop when he saw what I was holding. “I was about to say that was the quickest anyone’s ever made me a coffee, but instead I’m going to say: well played, darlin’. Well played.”
I smiled as he sat up and took the glass.
“You know,” he said when I stood up, “With that outfit and those braids, all you need is a pair of long socks, and you could be Pippy Long Stocking.”
“You know,” I said, grabbing my coffee and hitting him with a death glare. “All I’d need is a pair of long socks and you to sit still long enough to make you choke on those words.”
A rasping laugh came from the doorway. I turned to see an older man, presumably in his seventies, standing there, using a walking stick to keep himself upright. His trousers were perfectly pressed, his shoes perfectly shined, and his tan-brown cardigan covered a white-shirt that looked creaseless from where I was standing.
And he bore a very strong resemblance to the man I’d just threatened to choke with a pair of socks.
“You told me she was mouthy,” he chuckled, “But you didn’t tell me she was owning your ass every time she spoke! No wonder you didn’t want to hire her.”
I bit the inside of my cheek and looked at Dex for an explanation.
He looked like he’d just walked into the set of a horror movie.
Chapter Eleven – Dex
I was an idiot for thinking that my grandpa would never meet Jamie. It’d been wishful thinking—them meeting was the last thing I needed. They would, no doubt, become firm friends.
As his reaction to her had already proven.
What had I done to deserve this hell?
“Pops, this is Jamie. Jamie, this is my grandfather.” I waved a hand between them and chugged my water.
Pops glared at me. “Is that how you’re gonna introduce me to this lovely young lady? I don’t know where I went wrong with you.”