Everything Changes

by Shey Stahl

  I wasn’t any better.

  Since Parker had arrived, I had frequent dreams of him doing the same, but Parker barely looked my direction. He never looked at anyone; he kept his head down while he worked on cars or rode his dirt bike. For a while, I thought maybe if I threw myself on his bike naked or on the hood of a car, he’d notice me. Then I thought, “There goes my dignity!” So I decided to keep my clothes and my dignity.

  “So…” I hedged, pulling myself from my dirty thoughts.

  “He and Parker are leaving in two weeks and well, I can’t go that long without seeing him and I just…” Addy sighed and became a version of her enigmatic self.

  “Does he know you want to go? Or…is this another situation like the Backstreet Boys concert last year?”

  Addy slapped the back of my head. “You promised me you would never mention that again?”

  “Sorry.”

  My apology seemed to appease her for the moment as she continued to explain herself. “He invited me…us…he invited both of us.”

  I was alarmed for a few reasons. Though Addy and I rode dirt bikes frequently, a trip to Moab was entirely out of our league. Moab, Utah was a frequent playground for some of the best riders around. We were hardly in the same league as the O’Neil boys. If it was only Justin and Parker going, why would they want two girls tagging along?

  “What do you mean he invited me?” My thoughts swirled as I tried to imagine the conversation they must have had. “Did he actually say that or did you...”

  “No...” she shook her head with wide, encouraging eyes “...he said you. His exact words were, ‘Would you and Rowan come with us?’ and then I spit my coffee all over him. It was rather mortifying.”

  “What did he say after that?”

  “You mean after I drenched him?”

  “Yeah...”

  Addy shrugged, squinting at me. “He smiled and asked for a towel.”

  “Did you tell him we’d go?”

  The mysterious glint in her eyes told me her answer.

  “Addy!” I wanted to smack her cute little face. “You didn’t think to ask me first?”

  “I had to say yes, Rowan.” Her blue eyes pleaded with me to see her side. “What if they asked someone else?”

  “Then someone else would have gone.” It didn’t seem that hard to comprehend, but I also knew Addy was an all or nothing type of girl. When she had something she wanted to do, she would stop at nothing to get it. A perfect example was when she wanted to see Backstreet Boys in concert. She basically stalked the radio stations for tickets and ended up dressing up in a chicken suit to win tickets. It wasn’t that big of a deal, but Addy would love to forget about the chicken dance she was forced to do in front of two thousand people.

  Trying to make Addy see we were in over our heads, I attempted to reason with her. “Listen, I’m not sure this is such a good idea. I mean we got stuck up in Tahuya last week. If you remember correctly, Rick had to ride your bike out. What makes you think we can bang bars with the boys in Moab?”

  Addy closed the drawer she’d been filing, and the sound echoed throughout the room. Leaning against the edge of my desk, she stared at me with her arms crossed over her chest. “Don’t you want to go?”

  Did I?

  Yes, I did. I wanted more than anything to get away from my obligations here, but with two boys we barely knew outside of stolen glances and secret stalking? Well, that might not be so great.

  I gave Addy a shy nod, and then she went into full planning mode. She tossed her head back and laughed, bouncing around and scrunching her neck into her shoulders. Addy was my exact opposite too—happy, enthusiastic, and outgoing—but for some reason we found middle ground and were best friends.

  At the time, I couldn’t wrap my mind around us going away for summer vacation because I had never been allowed to go anywhere before. From the time I was old enough to understand business, I was working every summer.

  Looking back on the decision to go, I didn’t regret it. That was the summer my life began in the dry desert of Moab, Utah.

  CHAPTER 2

  Rowan Jensen

  Qualifying

  A session, usually one hour in duration, where riders attempt to set the fastest time. The quickest riders in the qualifying section start from the best position at the starting gate.

  June 1, 1997

  It was Saturday morning, the day after Addy divulged her plan to me. All I had to do was convince Rick, my stepfather. Rick was a great guy, but granting freedom wasn’t his strong suit. He was protective of me, especially with my mom’s situation.

  Right now, talking him into letting me go was vital. How often did parental units allow underage teenagers to go twelve hundred miles away with no supervision? Aside from Justin, we were all under eighteen. Most parents wouldn’t let that fly.

  We didn’t need to worry about my mom. Hell, she wouldn’t know I was gone unless my name was Jack Daniels. Then she’d call out the search and rescue for all of Parker County.

  Addy and Justin were waiting for me once I arrived at the shop Sunday morning.

  “So you’re really coming with us?” Justin asked as I approached them.

  I almost laughed at how uncomfortable they both looked. Justin was cute, at least I thought so. A mess of thick hair was hidden under his Lucas Oil Racing hat, and he smiled brighter when Addy smiled back at him.

  Looking around the parking lot, I noticed Parker wasn’t there yet, and my heart calmed its rapid decent.

  Unlocking the door to the coffee shop, I smiled and took a deep breath. “If I can get Rick to agree...” My eyes focused on Addy as she started to bite her fingernails. She got so nervous and edgy around Justin she could hardly form words let alone breathe and act somewhat normal. “But that is a big if.”

  When I looked at Addy again, she was flustered, and I could relate.

  Last week when Parker got his usual black coffee from me in the morning, I practically choked on my own spit when I attempted to actually speak to him.

  “I’m sure I can help with that,” Justin announced, adjusting his hat confidently before walking towards the shop. Justin had the confidence thing down. I think that was why Addy liked him so much. She had a thing for the confident bad boy types, probably because confidence was something she lacked. I could also relate to that.

  When Justin disappeared, Addy seemed extra chirpy as she bounced around the coffee shop organizing flavors and cups and grinding more coffee.

  I had to stop her when she went for the straws for the second time. “Stop touching all the straws. It’s gross.” I slapped her tiny hand away. “No one wants your germs on their straw.”

  That did nothing discourage her zealous mood; it only made her fidget more. Addy was a fidgety person, always had been. Her nails were short from biting them so often, and she always picked at her nail polish.

  “Why are you so chipper?” I asked, drinking a mocha I made myself.

  Before I served anyone, I had to serve myself first. It was my rule. No one in their right mind would want to know me before coffee. Rick said this was the reason I stopped growing at five foot three, but he was always appreciative of my small frame when I could easily fit through any of the shop windows when he locked himself out.

  Addy reached around me, turning the open sign. “Justin is really excited about us going Rowan.”

  I’m sure he is.

  “What did Parker say?” I never looked up as I spoke. I didn’t want her to see me. I didn’t even want to see myself right then. I wanted to hide under a rock because of how dumb I sounded.

  Addy giggled when my cheeks flushed, and she raised her right hand to flick my cheek. “Justin didn’t say anything about him.” Her grin widened. “Ask him yourself… He’s right there.”

  I nearly jumped out of my skin when I saw him leaning against the counter, his hair sticking up in odd angles. He looked like he just rolled out of bed and came here, much like myself.

  Naturally
, Parker didn’t speak. Instead, he smiled and handed me his money.

  Every day he got a twelve ounce black coffee, and sometimes he’d come back in the afternoon for one as well, but he never spoke. I guess I just knew that was what he wanted because that was what Justin always ordered for him. After a while, I had it made before he even got to the counter.

  “Hey, Parker,” Addy smiled at him. She must have known I wouldn’t actually speak. “We’re going with you to Moab.” His dark hair covered his eyes, and he lifted his left hand to move it away. Dipping his head forward, his eyes caught mine briefly. I swear on a stack of chocolate bars, they lit up, or maybe it was just the sun shining down on him. Either way, their blue was brighter.

  “I heard,” he replied softly, looking down at his feet. A small smile graced his full lips when he looked up at me. “Have a good day.” Then he winked at me. His thick black lashes lowered in that all too sweet gesture that got me every time.

  Why does a wink have that much of an effect on me? Did I mention he winked at me?

  Addy was on the other side of the small shop, nowhere even close to me. It was definitely meant for me.

  Having never talked to me before, I wasn’t disappointed when he finally spoke. His voice was soft and shy but had that sexy rasp to it. My stalking would reach an entirely different level now that I had a voice to go with it.

  “Wipe the drool from your mouth.” Addy smiled handing me a towel. “So...” she pushed herself up on the counter, reaching for a notepad “...I’ll come over tonight and we can pack.”

  Holding my hand up, I stopped her. “Don’t get ahead of yourself, dolly. We still need to convince Rick of this.”

  “Right… Justin said he’d take care of that too.”

  I wasn’t sure if that was a good or a bad thing.

  Addy smacked my arm. “And stop calling me dolly.”

  That was my nickname for her sometimes. She reminded me of a little doll with porcelain skin, pretty blue eyes, and delicate features.

  Our usual customers arrived that morning. They were mostly people who worked for Rick since the coffee shop was right outside, but we did have the regulars that traveled down Shelton-Matlock Road: farmers, mechanics, truck drivers, and your occasional utility workers. Some were crazy, others were nice, and some were just plain scary.

  “Hey, Ro,” Sean called out as he approached the counter, his money in hand. “Rick just said you’re going to Moab next week.”

  Sean Thomas was a childhood friend of mine that now worked for my stepdad as a detailer. I wouldn’t say we were real close, but he was a friend and one of the few I tolerated. Sean was awkward and shy, not as shy as Parker though. He was smart and actually interesting if you paid attention to what he said. I never really did.

  Sometimes I felt like I was the only person who was nice to Sean. He was a year older than us and graduating this year, so it wasn’t like we had all that much in common.

  Addy was mean to him, and other than Joey, no one in the shop talked to him. I didn’t really talk to him either, but I observed him like I did everyone else and figured if given the chance to get to know him, he was probably a really nice person.

  Addy perked up, her bright eyes wide with excitement. “He said that?”

  “Yeah, he made an announcement to the guys that Mia was taking over until the end of July. What the hell are you going to do in Moab for three weeks?”

  “Ride dirt bikes?” My answer came out as a question.

  “And other things,” Addy countered, and thankfully her lewd comment went completely unnoticed by Sean.

  Glaring at her, I responded. “I don’t really know much about the trip.”

  “Who are you going with?” Sean leaned against the edge of the metal counter, his head slightly bent forward as he fidgeted with the dollar in his hand. His light brown hair looked golden in the morning light and even added a sparkle to his green eyes. Sean was cute but he was also really awkward.

  Addy started making Sean’s coffee for him while we talked. “Like I said, Sean, I don’t know much about the trip. I think it will be Justin and Parker.”

  “You mean those O’Neil boys from the shop?”

  “Yeah, those ones.”

  “Well, be careful. I hear Parker is a good rider. Don’t get in over your head.”

  I knew Parker was a good rider. Obviously. He was an American Motorcycle Association Supercross rider.

  I wasn't sure why they decided to move to the wettest place on the planet when they had sun all year long, but I heard it had something to do with their dad who died a few years ago.

  From what Addy told me, Parker and Justin were both adopted by Jack, their dad’s older brother. After I found that out, I understood why Addy found Justin so appealing. They had a similar past. Surely, there had to be more to the story about their dad and why they chose Shelton, Washington, but it was all I knew at that point.

  Sean left so he could get to work, as did Addy and I, kind of. We had the perfect view inside the shop and watched unabashedly as Justin and Parker replaced an engine in an old 1957 GMC pick-up that was brought in last week.

  I handed Addy a napkin when Justin held onto the engine as Parker scrambled around the other side to adjust the cherry picker. “Wipe the drool, dolly.”

  “Stop calling me that!”

  Rick’s Custom Repair was strictly for custom cars that needed repairs. We did everything from engine work to interior redesign and painting. Rick started the business back in the eighties. It was hard to stay afloat some years, while other years made it seem like there was never enough time to keep up with all the work. In the end, it made him happy. His dream was that shop, and though it was a struggle, he was doing what he loved.

  The customers continued to flow through the coffee shop. Mochas, black coffees, blended drinks, and lattes, all served with a smile.

  Addy and I weren’t exactly the best baristas in town, but we kept the snide comments to ourselves, or at least waited until they left.

  Around noon, Parker returned with another smile: warm, convincing, and mesmerizing. He didn’t speak, just smiled, and I did the same.

  “He must really like coffee…” I sighed, catching a glance at Parker’s ass as he strode way, his second cup of black coffee in hand. His jeans hung low on his hips, and his dark gray work shirt was unbuttoned, revealing his black T-shirt. Black work boots completed the outfit. Every day, I envisioned myself slowly stripping his clothes off just to see the rock hard body I knew he had underneath.

  Addy giggled beside me, leaning against the counter, twirling her blonde hair around her finger. “Rowan, Parker doesn’t drink coffee. For being book smart, you’re rather dumb at times.”

  “Gee, thanks.” I glanced over my shoulder at her so she could see my eye roll. “Why does he buy like four cups a day if he doesn’t drink coffee? Does he buy it for someone else?”

  Ben dumped some change from his pocket on the counter in front of us, chuckling. Picking through the lint and gum wrappers, he managed to find enough for his coffee. “Parker just wants a chance to stare at your tits for five seconds while you pour Justin’s coffee. Why do you think I drink coffee? It tastes like shit but I still get to stare at you two.” Ben winked and I scowled, reconsidering my attraction to winks in general. Ben let out a booming laugh.

  “Nice, Ben. Real classy.” Addy snorted, pushing his coffee across the counter towards him. “Have some dignity.”

  “Hey, I never claimed to be classy.” Ben took a drink of his coffee letting it dribble down his chin and goatee on purpose. “Don’t brand me with unreasonable titles.”

  “Do you ever think to yourself, ‘I’m an idiot!’?” Addy asked.

  “No, why would I do something like that?” He looked at Addy as though that was the dumbest thing she had ever said.

  There needed to be a disclaimer for the mechanics Rick had working for him. Ben was fucking stupid, not a single brain cell left. Justin was the smart one, and Parke
r was the talent. He had more ability in those two hands under a hood than any other mechanic I had seen come through that shop, but he was only there for the summer.

  Ben may have been the lead mechanic, but he still wasn’t that bright. Rick only kept him around for his brute strength.

  There were a couple other mechanics—Joey, Sean, and Taylor—but they weren’t the eye candy we looked at. We had a few detailers, Tom and Westin, and then Bobby Jensen, my Uncle, who dealt with our parts. If we needed anything, Bobby ordered it.

  It was a nice place to work, and I pictured myself working there for a while since I was seventeen and had no idea what I wanted from life. I had interests but nothing I wanted to make a career out of. Addy didn’t either, so that made me feel slightly better since I wasn’t the only one that couldn’t decide on what I wanted after high school.

  June 18, 1997

  That last week of school was chaotic as I spent most of my time finishing finals and then training Mia. That proved to be a task. Just like Addy and me, she wanted to watch the mechanics instead of doing actual work.

  Mia turned out to be perfect for the job, though, as long as we kept Ben in the shop and out of the office.

  The rest of that week was spent deciding on whether or not to grow some balls and talk to Parker...until I ran into him. I literally ran into him the day before we were set to leave. Up until that point, Addy had been doing all the speaking on my part.

  Apparently, I was taking lessons from Parker on communication.

  After locking up the office for the night, I came around the corner and ran right into him. The helmet he held fell to the ground as did my purse.

  “Oh my God! I’m so sorry,” I apologized, trying to steady my footing by resting my hands against the metal siding of the shop. That was when his smell rushed my senses. He smelled like outdoors: sunshine, dirt, and fresh air. I spent the next few seconds staring at him, having never been that close. As pathetic as it sounded, I found myself leaning in trying to breathe in his scent and closing my eyes in delight.