Thanks for getting naked for me so I can capture your incredible body on camera! And could you also rock my world between the sheets so I can see what all the fuss is about? Great, thanks!
It’s all mortifying.
Since Zack is busy, I go in the back to say hi to everyone else. Jim waves as I pass by but doesn’t stop what he’s working on. When I cross the garage one of
the mechanics, Reed Harris, waves me over. Zack told me once Reed was in their class in high school but I don’t remember him from back then. He’s got a laid back beach bum kind of vibe with messy blond hair that always looks like it needs a trim.
“Hey, girl. Where have you been lately? Haven’t seen you for a while.” He pulls me into a quick hug.
I shrug but I can feel the heat climbing to my cheeks. If you’d told me last week that my absence would be such a big deal, I wouldn’t have believed it. It’s nice to be missed though.
“Just busy. Had family in town and working on something new. What about you?” I deflect back to him, hoping he doesn’t notice how shaky my voice is.
“It’s been the same old thing around here. We’re all working overtime while Gabe’s out.”
“Yeah. I know he misses you guys. He hates not being able to work.”
“That was pretty messed up what happened to him.”
No one outside of the family knows the real story behind Gabe’s attack. Everyone else thinks he was mugged at random.
“It was. I’ll be sure to tell him you asked about him. Once he’s feeling better I’m sure he’d appreciate a visit.”
He grins. “Sasha’s with him so I won’t go just yet. I’m sure he’s enjoying being taken care of.”
“Hey, Jo. Sorry about that.”
We both turn at the sound of Zack’s voice. He’s still wearing the coveralls with his name stitched in the right corner and his dark hair has started to grow in on the sides a bit. Without the spikes and the tattoos on display, he almost looks… normal.
“Hey. It’s okay.”
Reed looks back and forth between us. “Cool, I have to get back to work. But I’ll see you around.”
Zack leads me to the other side of the garage where a black motorcycle is waiting in one of the bays.
“Nice bike. What kind is it?”
“This is a Harley Softail.”
“Who does it belong to?”
“One of our longtime customers, Helen Chisholm. She’s a great lady and she’s been coming here for a long time. Reed just finished this one. I wanted to take it for a spin and make sure it’s good to go. I figured that would be an adventure.”
I gape at him. “You want me to ride that?”
“Not by yourself. With me. Have you ever ridden before?”
“No. Gabe never takes his bike when we go out. I only asked him once and he said that he didn’t want to risk it. That he’s not used to having anyone ride with him.”
“He was lying. I’ve ridden behind him before and we were fine. You have to understand that Gabe has more old-fashioned ideas than I do. He thinks that women should be protected. He hasn’t taken Sasha on his bike either.”
“You don’t think women need to be protected?”
He shrugs. “Sometimes I do. But there’s a difference between being protected and being put on a shelf. What’s the point of living life from the backseat?”
Zack reaches behind me and picks up a helmet. It’s black with these cool blue designs running down the sides. “You’ll need this.”
I hand him my bag which he stashes in a drawer. I finally lose my grip on my excitement and let out a little squeal.