Miss Mechanic
I shoved the mug at her then snatched my boxers from the floor. “No, I was stark naked.”
“You weren’t.”
“No, I had the towel. But I did excuse myself to put on some pants before we continued our introduction, and she told me she’d seen “a lot worse wearing a lot less” and now I think I need therapy.”
Jamie slumped back against the counter that held her sink. “No, no, no. This is not happening. This is so embarrassing.”
“You’re embarrassed? Your mother just saw me half-naked!”
She looked up at me. “There are worse things to see than you naked.”
“Jamie, I’m never going to be able to look your mother in the eye.”
“Neither am I. She’s here because she knows we kissed last night and your truck is—Jesus, your truck! She did it deliberately!” Her jaw dropped. “It’s parked right out front. She knew I wasn’t alone. Of all the—”
“You said you locked the door!”
She put down the mug and clapped her hands against her cheek. “I did lock the door. She has a spare key. Oh, the violation.”
“Can we remember that I’m the one she walked in on?”
Jamie blinked at me for a moment. “But I’m the one who’ll get the grilling. Starting with, “So, darling, why was your boss and the man you insist you hate standing naked in your kitchen this morning?””
“Well, to be fair, that is a very good question.”
“You’re giving me whiplash!” She pointed at me and stalked into her room.
I followed her in there and shut the door. “Do I need to barricade that door with a chair, or are we safe up here?”
“I don’t even know.” She yanked some items out of the top drawer of her dresser. “Dex, help. I don’t know what to do.”
“Neither do I. Can I hide up here while you deal with it?”
“Oh, sure.” She quickly dried herself with the towel before tossing it aside and grabbing her panties off the bed. “You, the big alpha male, sit up here, and I’ll go and deal with the big scary mommy.”
“You’re no wimp. You’re pretty alpha yourself. And it’s your mom.”
She yanked her bra straps up her arm and clasped it. A quick, rough adjustment of her boobs, and she pointed a finger at me. “You’re the one who made me go out with you last night. You’re the one who brought me upstairs and stayed over. You are the one who is taking the fall for this with me.”
“I already took it. That was the most awkward moment of my life, and I was once a teenage boy.” I pulled my jeans up my legs and buttoned them. “This is unfair.”
“Your penis partially got us into this,” Jamie continued, buttoning her shorts.
“And we’re all very lucky it didn’t make an appearance this morning.”
She tugged her shirt over her head. “So, you have to deal with getting us both of it. Tough shit. If you ever want to consider walking around my house in a towel again, you will get your butt downstairs.”
“Trust me,” I said, putting my white shirt back on and buttoning it. “I will never walk around your house in a towel again. Sex or no sex.”
She paused. “That’s probably for the best.”
***
Twenty minutes later, we both made our way downstairs. Since Jamie had jumped out of the shower without washing the conditioner out of her hair in her panic, she had to stick her head back under the water to get it out, then finish getting ready for work. I planned to stick there just long enough to get through the embarrassment, then go home to change before opening the garage.
I hovered a few feet behind Jamie. We walked into the kitchen to find her mom sitting at the table, flicking through a glossy magazine, and sipping coffee.
“Mom,” Jamie started. “What are you doing here?”
“I can’t stop in on my daughter before she goes to work?”
Jamie blinked at her. “Sure, you can, but this is the first time you’ve ever done it.”
Her mom glanced at me. “Don’t be silly, darling. I don’t do it often, but I do it.”
“No, you don’t. Now, tell me what you’re doing.”
“Fine.” She sighed. “Your father wanted to know who the truck belonged to. I have to say, I’m surprised.”
“Join the club,” I muttered, reaching for what was once my coffee. It already looked like it was congealing, so I tipped it straight into the sink, then turned to Jamie. “Look—I have to run home and change, all right?”
She glared daggers at me.
I hesitated before I kissed the side of her head. “I’ll see you in an hour?”
She continued to glare at me.
“Mrs. Bell, it was a pleasure.” I gave her an awkward wave and made sure I grabbed my keys out of my pocket before I’d even left the house.
That didn’t stop me hearing Jamie’s mom demand to know everything.