“Yeah, that’s true. I regret that now.”
“Why?” I didn’t like the way this conversation was going.
“Well, because I don’t want to see you getting hurt. You already had a guy hurting you, and you’re too nice of a person for me to want to see that happen again. And I know we’ve only just met, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t want to see you with a nice man. The last thing I want to do is to see you get so hurt again.”
“But why would Gunner hurt me? Do you know something about him that I don’t?”
She shook her head. “No, I don’t know anything about him. But, I’m just worried about him being a part of that club. I’ve heard some crazy stories about those guys. And I know he seems nice, but what if he’s really some crazy dude? Or another abusive guy?”
“Thanks for worrying about me, Mae. It’s been a while since anyone has done that. But, I really don’t think he’s abusive. I know that I’ve only just met him, but I don’t get that feeling from him at all. He’s nothing like Raymond.”
“I know. But you didn’t think Raymond would be like that, either.”
“True.”
The two of us didn’t say anything for a while. We just sat there drinking our coffee in silence. She had a point, and I couldn’t deny it. I’d been fooled once before.
“So,” I finally said. “Just how bad are these guys? Because they seemed pretty nice at the fundraiser to me. You even said so yourself. And they were raising money for some lady who has cancer. That doesn’t exactly scream crazy or abusive.”
“They did actually seem nice,” Mae admitted. “But I’ve heard bad stories in the past. But who knows, they might just be stories and nothing else. I don’t know, though. I’m just always so wary of people like that. Will you just promise me that you’ll be careful?”
“Of course I will. Trust me, after what happened with Raymond, I’m going to be the most cautious person in the world. Anyway, there’s nothing going on, so there’s nothing to even worry about. I didn’t even kiss the guy.” On the cheek, but that didn’t count.
“Well, that’s good to hear. But are you seeing him again?”
“I honestly have no idea, Mae. I’m not looking for a guy right now, so I’m not thinking about him at all.” That wasn’t exactly true. I wasn’t looking for a guy at the moment, that part was true. But I couldn’t say that I wasn’t thinking about him. Gunner was hard to forget. But Mae didn’t need to know that. And there was nothing wrong with having someone to think about. At least it took my mind off Raymond.
“So, what do you want to do first today?” she asked, clearly keen to change the subject.
“Food first. Always food first. Then apartment shopping. Will you come with me?”
“Of course I will!”
Mae and I spent the rest of the day apartment hunting. I didn’t think I’d find anything that day. I knew how saturated the market was in California, and I wasn’t exactly rolling in money. But, as it turned out, luck was on my side that day. Either that, or things in Arizona were different than what I was used to. But I managed to find an apartment the very first day I started looking. It was small but airy, and it made me feel instantly at home.
“This is the one,” I said to the lady who was showing us around. It was a strange feeling. I’d been living with Raymond for such a long time that I didn’t know what it felt like to choose a place that I liked. I’d figured I’d find fault with everything that I saw. But the moment I saw the place, I felt a sense of freedom with it that I’d never experienced before.
She grinned. “You’re the first person I’m showing this to today. If you take this, then this will be one of my quickest rentals ever.”
“And this is the first apartment that I’m seeing today. I feel like people would tell me to look around in case I find something better, but I also don’t want to miss out on this one. It’s exactly what I’m looking for. And I just feel happy here.”
“It’s all about the way a place makes you feel,” Mae agreed. She looked around and smiled at me. “I like this place.”
“You know what? I’m going to take it!”
The woman clapped her hands in delight. “Wonderful. It’s yours! I know the owner personally, by the way. She’s great. She’ll be happy that it went so quickly. The previous tenants looked after the place, and I know she was looking for someone that would do the same. Clearly, you are the right person for it.”
“Oh, I’ll definitely look after this place.”
I took the forms, which I promised to send back by the end of the day, and made my way back to Mae’s house.
“I cannot believe you just found an apartment. I thought I was going to have you for a few more months.”
I grinned at her. “You might’ve gotten sick of me. I mean, I would’ve demanded coffee in bed every day.”
“Well, I’m glad I got you for a few days at least. I’m happy for you Eliza. This is the start of a brand new life for you.”
“New apartment, new job, new friend. Yeah, I think life is finally looking up again.”
Chapter Nine
Ian
It was another busy week in the shop. Not as busy as the previous week, thank goodness. Another week like that and I was sure my father would bring up the idea of hiring new staff again. I really wasn’t in the mood for that conversation all over again. But the steady flow of work was nice, and Chris and I were able to work at a good pace all week. Weeks like this reminded me of how lucky I was to be working in a place that I loved so much, and doing work that I enjoyed.
“I can’t believe it’s Thursday already,” Chris said.
“I know. It’s gone so fast. It always does when we’re busy, though.”
“So, have you called that girl from the fundraiser again? What was her name?”
“Eliza,” I said. Lashes, I thought. “Nah, not yet.”
“Playing hard to get or something?”
“No, I mean, it’s only Thursday. I’ll call her soon.” I shrugged and tried to make it look like it wasn’t a big deal. It was better that I didn’t tell him that I’d been thinking about her ever since I saw her on Sunday. It wasn’t like me at all.
“You’re only upset because you didn’t sleep with her.”
“It was the first date!” I insisted.
Chris laughed. “Like that’s ever stopped you before. Maybe you’re losing your touch.”
“Not a chance. I’ll get her in bed, you’ll see. I was just testing the waters. Trying to decide if I really wanted to sleep with her.”
“Yeah, a likely story. Did you at least kiss?” he asked.
“Yes! Of course we did. I told you, I’m not losing my touch.” Sure, she just gave me a peck on the cheek. But Chris didn’t need to know the details. A peck on the cheek was still classified as a kiss.
I was just about to say something more when Chris cleared his throat and gestured toward the woman that had just walked through the door. I figured she was pretty by the way he was looking at her. I stuck my head out from under the bike I was working on and tried not to gasp. It was Eliza.
“Eliza!” I said. I stood up and wiped my hands on my jeans and walked up to her. I was very aware of Chris watching me, so I tried to act cool.
“Hi,” she said shyly. “Good to see you again, Gunner.”
“You too. Oh, this is my friend Chris. He also works at the bike shop. Chris, this is Eliza.”
“Nice to meet you,” Chris said. “I’ve heard a lot about you,” he said, and I glared at him.
“Sorry to barge in on you like this, but my boss needs me to get a few signs formed regarding that party we threw for the fundraiser. So I’m actually here to see Mr. Maxwell. Is that your father?”
“It sure is. Come on; he’s in his office. I’ll take you.”
My father was face deep in paperwork and was biting the end of a pencil in concentration. He smiled when he looked up and saw Eliza. I wondered if all men had the same reaction when they saw he
r. Her bright-yellow sundress looked so completely out of place in the dark and grungy shop, and she was hard to ignore.
“Dad, this is Eliza. She’s from that party-planning place. She’s here to see you.”
My father stood up and shook her hand. “Eliza, yes, of course, we met that evening. It’s good to see you again. You did a wonderful job at the fundraiser. I’ve been talking to your boss, John, about it. Great man that guy. Sit down, sit down.”
I wasn’t sure whether I should stay or go, but I somehow found myself sitting down, too. My father gave me a strange look, but I pretended not to notice. He kept telling me that I needed to be nicer to the guests. Well, this was me being nicer.
“It was my first assignment, and it was a good one. My boss was very pleased,” Eliza was saying. Her face was all flushed from the compliments. “I’m sorry to bother you like this out of the blue, Mr. Maxwell. He just needed some forms signed. He said he’s been battling to get them through to you in email.”
My father groaned. “I know. This thing has been acting up all week. And I don’t mind you coming in at all. I’m happy to sign. Oh, and don’t call me Mr. Maxwell. I’m Paul.”
“Paul. I hear they all call you Pop.”
He laughed. “Yeah, they do. Everyone has a nickname around here.”
I tried not to look at Eliza at that comment. My father had no idea that I’d already given her a nickname.
Eliza passed him the papers and showed him where to sign, and while my father signed, he continued to talk. I watched in amazement as the two of them struck up an easy conversation with one another. How did they manage to hold a conversation like that together? I’d spoken easily with Eliza when I’d taken her out. But that was a date, and I was good when it came to flirtation. But her and my father were talking like old friends. My father was so good when it came to interacting with people he didn’t know, and clearly Eliza was good at it too. I wasn’t sure if that was something I’d ever be good at. I just sat there mute, watching them talk and smiling when I thought was an appropriate time to smile.
My father was telling Eliza all about the bikes and how he’d gotten into the business. She seemed captivated by the conversation and was leaning in to take it all in. I couldn’t stop thinking about how sexy she looked, and I had to push the thoughts away from my mind to stop myself from getting excited. Thankfully, having my father there was breaking the spell for me.
“You know,” my father was saying. “You should get Ian here to take you for a ride. He’s great with bikes. You’d love the feeling. I truly believe that it’s something that everybody should experience. What do you think Ian?”
Eliza looked at me and grinned.
“I think that’s a great idea,” I said, pretending as if I hadn’t already done that.
“Wonderful. Maybe one day you’ll be a bike rider yourself,” my father was saying.
“Who knows,” she said. “Stranger things have happened. Well, I better get going. Thank you so much for signing these papers for me. And if you’re ever in need of a party planner, you know who to call.”
My father laughed. “I don’t see myself throwing any more parties. I’m sure you can see that I’m not much of a party person. But I will let everyone else know and definitely spread the word. It was lovely seeing you again, Eliza. Ian, would you mind walking her out.”
The look my father gave me was clear, “Do not be rude,” his eyes were saying.
“Of course,” I said and smiled.
The moment we were back inside the shop, I turned to look at her.
“So, you’ve never ridden on a motorcycle, have you?”
She laughed. “Apparently not. Maybe I dreamed the other night.”
“Really? So you’re dreaming of me already?” I teased.
“Nah, I’m dreaming of amazing pizza places.”
“Speaking of which, I’m sorry I didn’t call you back. I’ve been meaning to do it all week, but it’s been sort of crazy around here. I was actually going to call you tonight.”
She shrugged. “It’s no big deal. It’s been busy for me, too.”
Wow, that was unexpected. I’d thought she’d give me grief for it, but she didn’t seem to mind at all. This could either mean she was a very cool chick, or that she hadn’t thought about me at all since the date. I hoped it wasn’t the later.
“So, can I make it up to you? How about I take you out tomorrow?”
She smiled. “Sure, that sounds good.”
“Great. I’ll call you,” I said.
Then, without thinking, I walked up to her and gave her a hug. I pulled away at her and smile.
“See you soon, Lashes.”
The hug had been incredible. I could still feel her body against mine as I stood and watched her leave. But I snapped out of my reverie when Chris started laughing.
“Did you seriously just hug her? Since when are you a hugger?”
“Whatever,” I said. “You’re just jealous.”
Then I walked over to the bike I’d been working on and stuck my head under it to continue my work. But I was really just trying to hide my face from Chris. He was right. What the hell had I been doing hugging Eliza?
“Softie,” I heard Chris say, and I ignored him.
Fuck that, I thought. The next time I’d end our date with more than just a hug.
Chapter Ten
Eliza
I left the shop feeling confused. I thought I might bump into Gunner, but I hadn’t realized how good it would be to see him again. I’d already told myself that it wasn’t a big deal if I never saw him again, but seeing him in person had changed my mind. And his father was incredible. Such a down-to-earth man, who clearly cared a lot for his son. But did I really want to see him again? I kept thinking about what Mae had told me, and I respected her enough to take what she said seriously. Those bikers were bad news, and just because Ian had a charming smile, it didn’t mean he was any different. Raymond had a charming smile, too. It was the charmers that I should be looking out for. And I didn’t want to get sucked into another relationship just yet. I needed time to be on my own. And for the first time in what felt like forever, I was actually happy. I had a great job, a wonderful apartment, and a new best friend. I didn’t need a man. So why did I feel so happy at the thought of seeing Gunner again?
I got back to work and handed the signed forms to John.
“Great. That was fast. And, what is Mr. Maxwell like? I haven’t actually met him in person.”
“He’s great. He insisted I call him Paul. He’s very cool. And he enjoyed dealing with you a lot. He said you’re a great man.”
“Oh yeah? That’s nice,” John said, clearly pleased by the compliment. “Well, thanks for going there.”
“I told him to call us if he’s ever in need of throwing another party. He said that was doubtful but that he’d be spreading the news. I think a lot of the bikers wives might be coming our way.”
“Good thinking. How are you enjoying work, by the way?”
I beamed. That was an easy question to answer. “I love it. It’s exactly what I was looking for. I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed a job so much.”
“That’s good to hear. It’s hard work at times, but when you love what you do, it really does make all the difference. We are glad to have you. You’re exactly what this company was looking for, Eliza. And Mae is beside herself with happiness.”
That was a nice thing to hear. “Mae is quite honestly the loveliest person I’ve ever met.”
“I must agree with you,” he said, and I wondered again if he liked her. He had a bit of a dreamy, faraway look when he’d mentioned her name. Either way, I was definitely going to tell Mae what he had said. “I’m glad the two of you get along so well.”
“Me too. Thanks, John,” I said and walked out.
I walked straight to Eliza’s desk and pulled her over to the coffee machine.
“What’s up?” she asked.
I told her what John had said, and
she swooned.
“Ah, he’s amazing.”
“When are you going to admit to him that you like him?” I asked while pouring us each a cup of coffee.
“Uh, like never.”
I shook my head. “You’re impossible.”
“I’ve been told that before. So, did you go to the bike shop?”
“Yep,” I said casually. “And the papers are all signed. That Mr. Maxwell, or Paul, is a very cool guy.”
“Hmm,” she said and eyed me suspiciously.
“What?”
“Did you see that Gunner guy?”
“You hate that name, don’t you?”
“Well, it’s weird.”
“Then call him Ian. That’s what his father calls him.”
She sighed. “Fine. Ian. Did you see him?”
“I did.” I took a sip of my coffee and didn’t say anything more. I was quite enjoying playing games with her, especially because I could see how annoyed she was at me. I was trying not to giggle.
“Oh for goodness’ sake, you are infuriating. Tell me what happened with Ian?”
I laughed. “He asked me out again.”
“He did? And? What did you say?”
“I said yes.”
“I knew you would.”
“You did?”
“Well, obviously. You like the guy. It’s pretty obvious. And I knew he’d ask you out again. I mean, have you looked in the mirror lately, Eliza? You’re gorgeous.”
“I like having you as a friend,” I said. “I don’t like him like that. I told you, I’m not interested in guys right now. But I get along well with him, and I don’t see why I can’t go out and have a good time.”
“You can most definitely do that,” she said.
“Oh yeah? You changed your mind?”
“Ah, I was just being paranoid. I don’t even know the guy. And you’re smart enough to know if you want to see more of him or not. I wasn’t being a very supportive friend. But be careful, and tell me everything. Okay?”
I laughed. “Okay.”
“And I might even call him Gunner if he’s nice.”
“He calls me Lashes,” I told her.
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