8. A New Car

EIGHT

A New Car

ETAIN

S tep one in any project is to develop a plan. I did that and set about going through all the invoices and organizing them in numerical order and by date. Next, I made sure all suppliers’ invoices had the same filing system. Hawk and I decided earlier that day that I was going to go back twelve months and see if I could get it all to balance from that point on. I’m only into the first month before I find out he’s overpaid invoices two and three times over. Not only did he pay the original invoice, he did it again when the statement arrived.

The good news is that the company has the money. The bad news is that it should be earning interest in RR Mechanics’ bank account. There’s twenty thousand four hundred and seventy-five dollars and thirty-eight cents that’s owed to them from overpaid invoices, and that’s just from one supplier, in the first month alone.

Hawk’s going to flip his lid when he finds out. I know I would. That’s a lot of money! When I think of the Jimmy Choos I could buy with that money, ah! It’s going to be a while before Jimmy and I reconnect, and even when we do, it’ll be on sale items only, as always. Yes, I like my shoes and clothes, but I’m not the type who indulges often. And I can find some amazing deals at the retro vintage shops. I’d rather have quality over quantity. I get that from my mom. She knows how to save and how to maximize the income she and Dad make with the farm.

Hawk left me in the office. He didn’t look happy, and I could hear his muffled voice through the door. It sounded like he was giving orders. I popped my head out a couple of times, but the garage was empty except for Shooter and another older man, Eric. Eric doesn’t have the same jacket or tattoo as the other guys, so I’m assuming he’s one of the “regular” guys Hawk told me he hired on as a mechanic.

The first time I came out to take a break, Shooter came over as soon as he saw me. “What’s up, Red? You need something?” he asked. Shooter is hot, like the others, but with a more boyish look: blond, wavy hair, baby-blue eyes, and dimples. He’s handsome, but in my eyes, there’s no one better looking than Hawk.

“Just stretching my legs. Staring at a screen is making my eyes go wonky.”

“That’s not my gig. I like working with my hands and feeling the purr of an engine,” he says with a grin.

“And all I ever learned was how to change a tire. My father insisted that a girl needed to know how to change a tire in case of an emergency. I was okay with it, mainly because it meant I got to spend time with Dad. My sister, though…” I sigh. “She argued that since she has AAA, she shouldn’t waste her time.”

Shooter laughed, got me a Coke from the vending machine, and hung out for a little longer, then went back under the car he was working on.

When I check my watch now, I’m surprised to find it’s nearly four o’clock and Hawk isn’t back. It’s not that I need to see him, but I don’t want to just leave without letting him know what I’ve accomplished for the day. I believe that making a good impression on your first day of work is important, and since I know he took a chance on me, I want to prove to him that he made a good decision.

When my phone rings and Hawk’s name appears on my screen, I’m taken aback. He never gave me his number, and I don’t remember giving him mine. He must have got it off my paperwork.

“Hello?” I answer.

“Babe, are you still at the shop?” His low, sexy voice sounds so good, I forget to respond. “Babe, are you there?”

“Um, yeah. Sorry, I got distracted. With the spreadsheet, I mean.” Crap, I need to get my head together. I sound like a complete idiot.

He chuckles. “Still buried in paperwork, huh?”

“I’ve only gone through a month and a half. Only ten and a half to go, to get caught up, that is.”

“I’m on my way back. Wait for me, okay?”

“Sure. I wasn’t too sure if you’d be coming back. I was going to hang out awhile longer.”

“Great. I’ll take you home.”

“I have my car.” He knows this. My car is in the lot.

“You need a tune-up and a full check. One of the guys said it was sounding rough.”

“But I need it to get to work tomorrow,” I remind him.

“No worries. I’ll pick you up.”

“My car can wait. You guys are busy.” I see the lineup of cars waiting for service. The mechanics have been working steadily all day, and besides that, a mechanic’s bill is not what I need at the moment. “Besides, I’m just getting settled and really don’t have the money to put out at the moment.” I figure it’s best to be honest with him.

“You’re not paying. You work for RR Mechanics, you get free service. Everyone does, but they pay for the parts if it’s something major. I don’t want you driving an unsafe vehicle.” His tone changes to soft and sweet. It makes my heart beat a little faster.

“If you’re sure it’s not too much trouble,” I murmur.

“Be back soon, Ginger.”

Hawk

E tain is in deep concentration and doesn’t hear me opening the door. Her head is down and her fingers fly over the keyboard as she enters data. She’s completely oblivious to her surroundings.

“Etain, you’ve been at it for hours. Time to go home,” I tell her. Her head comes up. Her glasses have slipped down her nose, and she pushes them back up. I haven’t seen them on her all morning, but she looks cute. Really cute. “I didn’t know you wear glasses,” I comment.

“After staring at a screen and teeny tiny numbers”—her thumb and forefinger come together with the most minute space between them as she squints, which is also adorable—“I find it easier to put them on.”

I laugh. “Professional hazard, I see.”

Her melodic laughter rings out. “You could say that.”

“Come on. I’ll take you to dinner.”

Etain stands and stretches, then looks around for her purse, finding it on the chair next to her, along with a pile of files. “You don’t have to do that. You bought lunch today,” she says as she collects her things and shuts down her computer.

“It’s the least I can do. I was hoping to come back and be around if you needed me, but something came up.”

She tilts her head to one side and watches me closely. She bites her lower lip, and I know she wants to ask questions and is stopping herself from doing so. Then she quietly asks, “Are you okay?”

“Perfectly fine, Ginger. And so are you.” I lock the office as we leave. Shooter comes with us as we make sure everything else is locked up tight. Then Etain and I walk to the parking lot, where she heads for my bike. “We’re taking my truck, babe.”

“Oh. Sure.” She’s disappointed. Etain has caught the bug of riding on the back of a bike. Works for me, but not tonight. If there’s a Jackal around, I want to keep them guessing about where to find me. The truck has tinted windows, and I know this town inside and out. I like having the advantage.

I hold open the door and help her in, then move around the hood and get into the driver’s seat. As we drive down the road, I ask, “How’s the work going? You’re not going to quit on me, are you?”

She giggles. “No way. You’d be lost without me. By the time I’m done, you’re going to have enough money for a new car.”

“Say what?” I spare a glance in her direction. Her eyes are shining, she’s so excited at what she’s accomplished.

“I’ve only just started, but I’m finding that you’ve double paid and triple paid some invoices. You’re owed at least twenty thousand four hundred and seventy-five dollars and thirty-eight cents, and the number is climbing. At this rate, you may get free parts for six months,” she says happily.

“How the hell did that happen?” I know I’ve been drowning in paperwork, but I didn’t realize we were getting snowed.

“I think you forget to mark them paid, then you pay them again. It’s from one company.” She gives me the name. We only used them in case of an emergency, and since I started using Guard’s company as our supplier, I’ve noticed our expenses have lessened.

“The fuckers knew I was double paying and didn’t say shit,” I snap.

“It’s not ethical, but in all honesty, it’s kind of your fault. You don’t put what you’re paying for on any of the check stubs, and it’s up to us to keep tabs. Of course they’re going to take the money.”

Yet one more thing I like about Etain: she doesn’t hold back. She calls it as she sees it. I fucked up, and she called me on it.

“I guess I made the right decision in hiring a pro, then, huh?” I tease.

“Best decision ever, Hawk,” she agrees with the biggest shit-eating grin on her face.

“A new car, huh?” I say, and Etain bursts out laughing.