by Jaime Reese
He followed the little spitfire as she guided him through the bays, barely able to keep up with her zipping through each space. 'Lightning fast' tour would have been more appropriate. He wanted to stop, look, ask questions, but he thought it best to just keep up for the moment.
The first bay, as he had suspected the night before, was for mechanical work. According to Stacie, all work was scheduled beforehand and completed by ASE Certified techs with specialized workshop training for the luxury lines and high-end imports. Cole noticed the employees draped blankets over the work area—everything careful, everything clean.
Just the way he liked to work.
"This is Mr. Calloway's office." Stacie signaled to the space between the first two bays.
Cole couldn't see much into the office with the blinds drawn. The room was larger than the traditional shop offices, which seemed odd, but he didn't want to be too nosey. At least not so soon. "Where is Mr. Calloway?" he asked, emphasizing the name.
Stacie turned to face him. Cole abruptly stopped to avoid running into her small frame, not realizing how closely he was following.
"Sorry," he said and took a step back.
The smile, permanently etched on her face, didn't falter with the near crash. "He should be in shortly," she said and turned again to resume her speed tour. The second bay was also for traditional service but segmented for exotics and special collections. That morning, they had two mechanics in the shop, one working on the Lamborghini, the other on the Bugatti he had seen the night before.
Lucky bastards.
Cole tried to keep pace with Stacie going into the next bay. The restoration bay was relatively empty with the Yenko still off to the side.
"Why isn't anyone in here working on her," he said, pointing to the rusted metal.
"Mr. Calloway leads all restoration projects so he works on them when he can. This is the first restoration he's worked on in a while," she said, continuing her tour.
The next bay was the customization area. Along the walls, Cole saw stacks of boxes of car parts, audio equipment, and more. He looked up and smiled when he spotted the Ferrari 458 on a lift getting a custom body kit installed by two workers. Cole didn't understand why some people paid so much for a car then chose to change its appearance, but he had to admit, the 458's wide body looked damn good with the extra curves they were adding. He pointed to the row of plaques and awards hung across the bays. "Did he win all these awards?"
Stacie stopped and followed his line of sight. Her smile softened to something resembling admiration. "Yes. Each is an award for one of his customization or restoration projects at various shows around the world."
Cole cocked his head. "You said the Yenko was the first restoration in a while?"
Stacie nodded. "C'mon," she said, coaxing him to continue the tour.
In the next bay, Cole counted two sanding rooms with extractor fans and three paint booths at the back end. There was one worker in the painting booth and a station setup that looked like a custom fender had been shaped and waited to be prepped for sanding.
"Does he usually get this much work?" Cole asked in awe, still staring at his surroundings.
"He's always busy and we subcontract out some of the space to workers for special projects," Stacie answered, pushing open the door to exit the bay.
They had managed to work their way to the end of the aisle of warehouse bays and were now standing outside. "That's the door where I came in from earlier, right?" Cole asked, trying to get his bearings.
"Yes, you came in through there," she said, pointing to the door that appeared far off on his left. "Let's jump over to the other side."
"He owns this too?" Cole asked, trying to keep up with the tour guide from hell.
"Yes," she said, unlocking the door. "Hold on a sec, let me get the lights." Cole stood still in the darkness and heard the click-clack of her shoes as she took a few steps then stopped. Cole blinked rapidly when all the lights flickered on at once and illuminated the huge open space.
"Oh my God," he said on a whisper. He tried to grip the doorframe when his knees weakened. This was obviously the showroom. A row of—Cole quickly counted—fourteen cars were lined up, all parked at forty-five degree angles, sorted by color. Yeah, seemed this Calloway had a dash of OCD mixed in. Each graceful in their own right, whether luxury classics or sinfully fast elegance. He could easily label this a multi-million dollar alley. "Are these his?"
Stacie giggled. Cole looked over to her and snorted a laugh. With her petite frame, it was actually cute as hell. "No. He has clients who often ask him to store their cars while they go away on a trip. So he stores them here along with completed projects. It helps to showcase some of the shop work for potential clients and models we work with. Come, follow me over here."
Cole followed Stacie to a separate area off to the far end of the showroom space.
"This is our detailing area," she said, zipping past a large bay as if it were a small bedroom. "Here, Mr. Calloway wanted to make sure I showed you this." She unlocked another door and flipped the lights on. There, locked away safely on its own, was his car. Well, it would be his in four months if he was able to fulfill the agreement Hunter had left for him.
"It's nicer than I remember," he whispered, ghosting his fingers along the edge of the fender.
"Mr. Calloway detailed it before storing it away. He thought she needed to be beautiful for you," she said, a tone of reverence evident to anyone in earshot.
This would make being good so worth it. His own version of a sleeper. To the average person, it would look like a traditional black on black Cadillac coupe available to everyone and their grandmother. The custom, matte black accent stripes and chrome five-spoke rims hinted at something different. But it was the tiny CTS-V badge that identified the undercover powerhouse street-legal car with the supercharged V8 engine. "Beautiful for me?" Cole asked absently, a slight tightness in his chest surfaced.
"Yes, he said you were working on a difficult project and this was your compensation for finishing. He said it was your motivator so he wanted to make sure she was spectacular should you need to spend some time with her while meditating."
Cole's gaze snapped to Stacie. "Um, meditating? Difficult project?"
Stacie smiled wider. "That's what Mr. Calloway calls it. When deadlines and projects get a little overwhelming, he meditates. He sneaks into the showroom and just sits on the floor and stares at the cars." She neared him, her entire body language went from bubbly and happy to firm and menacing. "And if you tell anyone I said that, you will have to deal with me. Got it?" she said, pointing a finger at him.
Cole nodded and held back a laugh. The little spitfire had a temper and it looked like she wasn't afraid to use it. "What else did he say about the difficult project?"
Stacie eased back into her prior happy nature. "Not much, but that's expected. We only disclose the bare minimums here since most clients prefer their privacy."
Cole nodded. If Stacie didn't know he was an ex-con, chances were, the others wouldn't know either. He inhaled a shaky breath as his throat tightened. He was starting with a clean slate.
It was completely on him if he screwed this up.
Ty arrived at the shop and spotted Stacie.
"Hi, Stacie," he said, walking over to her.
"Good morning, Mr. Calloway," she said with her usual smile and vibrant personality.
"Did Cole show up today?" he asked. He knew his brother well enough to know he had probably threatened Cole at some point. Maybe the guy decided it wasn't worth the trouble.
She neared him to whisper, "He arrived early."
"That's good," he said.
"He looks as if he's a boxer," she said absently, making a note on one of the pages on her clipboard.
Ty had noticed Cole had a compact physique. Standing up, the top of Cole's head was about eye-level with Ty, but he was much broader and his arms were thickly muscled.
"It looked like the bruises were pretty new," she
said, skimming the pages. "Here, I need you to sign this." She turned the clipboard around and pointed to the block requiring his signature. "It's the authorization for Thompson's Ford GT."
Ty scribbled his signature. "Bruises?"
Stacie nodded, took the clipboard, and re-sorted the sheets of paper.
Ty scowled. Aidan. "Did you give him the tour?"
Stacie smiled. "Yes, sir. I gave him the tour of both sides and I showed him his car as you requested. He's all set and is probably by the lockers still trying on coveralls. I already gave Jeff notice that he would be working with him today on the engine rebuild he's doing."
Ty thought it best to pair Cole up with his shop's senior tech. Jeff had worked under Ty's father and seemed to have the patience of a saint. "Still trying on coveralls?"
Stacie hid a smile. She looked around and neared Ty. "They don't fit but he's a stubborn one," she whispered.
For some reason, he imagined Cole pitching a fit because the coveralls were too long. A hint of a smile tugged at the edges of his mouth. "Too big?"
Stacie snickered. "I know it's wrong to laugh but he looked adorable with the rolled up sleeves and legs."
He'd read enough in Cole's file to get a handle on his smart mouth and sense of humor. He imagined Cole was probably cursing up a storm trying to find something that fit. "It'll probably be more comfortable to just go with the slacks and shirt for him. He's not as tall as the other guys but he's broader."
"Exactly what I suggested. He's too stocky for the coveralls."
"Thank you, Stacie. What would I ever do without you?"
She patted his arm and leaned in. "How about we never find out," she said with a smile.
He seriously would not have survived these past few months without Stacie's enduring positive spirit and relentless level of energy. "I agree. Thank you." He turned and headed toward the lockers. He quickly scanned over his workers' area as he passed the mechanic bays to ensure all was progressing without issue.
He arrived to the employee locker room, poked his head in the door, and spotted Cole with his back turned.
"So Stacie gave you the speed tour?"
Cole jumped, backed into the lockers, flattening one hand against the metal door, the other across his chest. "Give a guy a heart attack, why don't you," he said, gasping for air.
Ty couldn't contain the chuckle that bubbled to the surface. "Sorry, I thought you heard me walk in."
Cole looked as though he was trying to level his breathing. "Shit, you've got stealth moves just like your brother," he said, with his hand still on his chest.
Ty's smile faded when he saw the large bruise that had bloomed on the side of Cole's face and the red that colored part of the white of his eye. He leaned against the doorway and crossed his arms then did a chin up gesture toward Cole. "Did my brother do that to you?"
Cole nodded. "Added yet another color to my eyes. As if two wasn't enough."
Ty felt the edge of his mouth twitch upward again. Cole's mismatched eyes were actually quite striking. One iris was brown and the other a bright hazel leaning more toward the green tones. "I like your heterochromia."
"I'm not hetero anything," Cole responded, trying to do the button on his shirt.
Ty chuckled. Duly noted. "Heterochromia, it's an eye color anomaly. It means you have two different color irises or one iris that has two distinct colors."
Cole stopped fidgeting with the buttons and looked up. "I just figured I came defective from factory. I didn't realize it had an actual name to it."
"You're not defective. You're different. That makes you special."
Cole stood still and blinked without saying a word. "Do I call you Mr. Calloway?"
"That was my father's name. I prefer Ty."
"Your assistant refers to you as Mr. Calloway," Cole said with a smirk.
"She refuses to call me Ty. She helps me run a tight ship here so she can call me whatever she wants."
"She's very…um…happy," Cole said and looked at him with a cautious expression.
"She's a great employee. I like happy."
Cole chuckled and resumed buttoning his shirt.
Ty uncrossed his arms and shoved his hands in the front pockets of his jeans. "What's so funny?"
Cole looked up and had a devilish grin on his face. "Then you'll love me. I'm told I'm a fucking riot."
Ty ducked his head and smiled. He sensed Cole was going to be a handful. He looked up and made eye contact again. "I have the completed paperwork for Matt. Come to my office for a minute, please."
Cole closed his locker and followed silently.
Ty glanced over as they walked to his office and saw Cole worrying his lip. The sudden shifts in mood were jarring. "You okay?"
Cole flattened his hands on his new work pants. He tugged on his beanie then crossed his arms, as if he didn't know what to do with his hands.
They finally arrived at Ty's office, and Cole still had not said a word in response.
Cole shifted his weight from one foot to the next and kept biting his lip. "I'm sorry," he finally said, and reached up to scratch his head through the knit cap. "For what I said last night. I didn't mean to hurt or offend you."
"You didn't offend me."
"I know I upset you."
"You didn't upset me," Ty said. For some reason, he needed to reassure Cole that he hadn't offended him. Damn you, Aidan. Who knew what the hell his brother had said to Cole to unsettle him this much. He didn't know Cole well, but he had seen enough to know this cautiousness was not the norm.
"I saw it in your face. For a split second, but I saw it. You don't have to lie to me. I know I fucked up last night. My mouth gets me in trouble sometimes," Cole said in a flood of words. He glanced at Ty and his mouth flattened into a thin line as if he was biting his lips shut.
"I know. It was in your file."
That seemed to catch Cole off guard. "What was?"
Ty smiled, hoping to lighten the mood. "Matt left a sticky note about your mouth."
Cole scowled. "You're kidding?" he asked and stared at Ty.
Ty reached into the file on his desk and held up the sticky note for Cole to read.
Cole leaned forward toward the tiny square note. "Oh, shit. You weren't kidding." He slumped in the seat opposite Ty's desk and buried his head in his hands. "I don't do it on purpose," he mumbled into his hands, barely audible.
"I know, it says that too."
Cole looked up. Ty turned the note around with Matt's additional messaged scribbled with a happy face.
Cole groaned.
Ty's mouth twitched. Yeah, he's going to be handful. "Do you have any questions for me?"
"I'm still recovering from the speed tour, so can I save the questions for later?"
Ty nodded.
"Your shop's really nice and your showroom…it's like church. Definitely a place of worship."
Ty looked at Cole appraisingly. "Thank you."
Cole turned away and tugged at his beanie. "Thanks for not broadcasting I just got out. Stacie mentioned you told her I was working on a special project or something."
"I didn't want you walking in and being judged on your past. I want my guys to focus on your abilities here."
Cole snorted and looked down as he fidgeted with his hands in his lap. "Well, I've already got a few of your guys wondering what I did to get my ass kicked."
"I'm sorry about that. Aidan was out of line."
"Not really. I—"
"He was out of line. And as far as my guys, don't worry about them. I've got you paired up with Jeff Williams. He's one of my senior techs and has worked here for years. As far as he's concerned, your specialty is vehicle and parts procurement."
Cole barked a laugh. "Well, technically, that's accurate. Just a nice name for car thief."
"It works since we often do restorations. All my guys care about are your talents with cars."
"Just so you know, I've got some mad skills," Cole said, finally looking up with a h
alf smile.
Ty chuckled. "And you're incredibly modest."
"I know I might not be able to pass all those fancy tests they've taken, but I know I'm really good with cars. I won't disappoint you."
Ty smiled.
Cole rubbed his hands in his lap as his legs bounced repeatedly. It seemed as if he had this endless fountain of energy flowing through his body forcing him to constantly move. "Um, do you have any questions for me? Probably not since it looks like Matt went note crazy in my file," Cole said, his eyes partially squinted as if he expected another blow.
"Do you always wear that beanie knit cap thing?"
Cole nodded. "Please don't make me take it off."
"May I ask why?"
"Can I ask you a question?" Cole asked, gripping the chair's armrest.
Cole was…quirky. He had his moments where he was cocky and other times he seemed hesitant to speak. Fucking Aidan probably put the fear of Calloway in him.
"I asked you first," Ty said playfully, clasping his hands on his desk and leaning forward.
"It keeps my hair under control and out of the way. I can't shave it because it itches like hell when it grows back. Can I ask you a question now?"
Ty was about to answer when a knock at the door interrupted him. "Come in." He withdrew the signed forms from Cole's file and handed them over to his new hire.
Jeff, the senior shop mechanic, poked his head in the door. "Sorry to interrupt, but I'm ready for you," he said, directing his attention to Cole. "I'll be in the service bay when you're finished here." The older man then exited the office, closing the door again.
Cole immediately stood, took the sheets Ty offered, and excused himself before walking toward the door.
"You want to know why I stutter," Ty said, stopping Cole mid-step before exiting his office.
Cole turned to face him and nodded, folding the papers and stuffing them into his back pocket. He worried his lip again. "You don't have to tell me if it upsets you."
Ty grabbed a random pen and spun it on the desk, trying to think of what exactly he wanted to say. "It hadn't happened in a while. There's no medical reason why and I don't know what triggers it. And that's what bothers me the most."