He had no idea what he was talking about.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Brett
Monday, I was at the garage early. Not long afterward, Kelly showed up with Charly, heading straight to the little kitchen.
“Always make coffee first,” Charly said with a laugh. “The boys make tar, and you’ll be stuck drinking it.”
Then she sat with Kelly, showing her the system and going through the basics.
I concentrated on the schedule, sipping the coffee Charly kindly brought me, half listening to their conversation. I tried not to notice the way the jeans Kelly wore hugged her rounded ass, or how her T-shirt stretched tightly over her pert breasts.
I failed.
She’d had her hair cut, the short cap hugging her head once again, dark and gleaming in the bright lights. It suited her, setting off the row of freckles across the bridge of her nose and her unusual light-blue eyes. They were almost silver in this light. She was still too thin, but I found her incredibly sexy, regardless. She moved with an innate sense of grace, and I enjoyed watching her. I had always enjoyed it, especially when she was naked.
I shook my head to clear it. Those days were past, and now we were simply forced coworkers.
I headed to the office and rapped on the door. “Everything good, ladies?”
They glanced up, and Charly smiled. “Kelly remembers most of it. I’m just showing her the new banking and payment processing stuff.”
“Great. If you need anything, I’m either in the office or on the floor. I don’t leave without letting someone know.”
Kelly offered me a tight smile. “Okay.”
“Anyone gives you a problem, get me.”
“You expect that to happen?” Kelly asked.
“No. Just saying.” I shrugged. “New, pretty face… Sometimes the customers push the envelope.”
Charly looked away, a grin tugging on her lips. She muttered something that sounded strangely like “Holy moly, here we go.”
“What was that, Charly?” I asked, folding my arms across my chest.
“Nothing,” she lied, her eyes dancing. “Just our customers are usually pretty nice. Kelly will figure out everything. Easy peasy. I wouldn’t have asked her if I didn’t think so.”
“Of course not. Anyway, I’ll leave you to it. If you need me…” I trailed off.
“I’ll find you,” Kelly finished.
I walked away, refusing to turn around when I heard Charly’s low laughter. She said something to Kelly, who made a strange noise, but I kept walking. I knew whatever Charly said was about me, and I wanted no part of it.
I managed to maintain my polite, dismissive veneer the entire week. Kelly kept her word, and our interactions were professional and brief. She was a hard worker, her few questions intelligent and easily answered. She got along well with the other mechanics and customers. I chose to ignore the few who lingered longer than necessary at her desk, although some may have felt my glare and left quicker than they planned. I made a point of keeping the door between the two offices open most of the time. Kelly never questioned it, although Charly chortled a few times when she came in and noticed it. I ignored her.
Friday afternoon, Kelly disappeared to head to the bank. I finished the engine rebuild I had been working on, then headed to the office to check the payroll and other items that needed my approval before going to Maxx for final confirmation.
Once I was done, I sat with Maxx, who checked everything quickly, signing off on it all. When he was done, he tapped the file I’d given him earlier in the week.
“Big undertaking.”
“Necessary. Unless you want a second location or to start turning business away.”
He frowned. “I don’t like either of the last two options.”
“The build will be fast, Maxx. We’ll add it to the left, blow out the side for access, and be in business. Most of the work can happen without disturbing this part of the garage. It doesn’t affect the paint bays or the production area. Just two simple stalls. Two more mechanics. Or we can do four part-timers if you want.”
He ran a hand over his head. “Our custom work is getting busier all the time.”
“So we add another artist to the works too.”
He chuckled. “If my dad could see this place now, he’d be blown away.”
“All thanks to the vision Charly had.”
He smiled, his eyes straying to a picture that hung on the wall. Charly and his kids, all dressed in garage uniforms, sitting on his prized Indian motorcycle, smiling at the camera. “My Red is a force,” he said quietly.
“One for good,” I acknowledged.
“She changed my life.”
I had to chuckle. “Holy moly, Maxx. That’s an understatement.”
He threw back his head in laughter. “You got that right.” He tapped the folder. “Okay, let’s do this. I assume we’ll use Crayton’s again?”
“Yep. He gave me the best quote, and he did a great job on the other expansion. Stuck to the timeline and came in on budget.” I smirked. “Having Charly ride his ass helped. I’ll put her in charge again.”