He slapped my arm. “Cheers, Trent.”
The lads were impressed, I could tell. I was more interested in making sure Ruby got to see it, maybe even give her a spin with the roof down. Needed to test drive the thing anyway. She’d love that.
The next job was a fucking nightmare, had to get Petey to give me a hand with the hoist, taking the whole bastard engine out of a Mercedes. I was covered in oil in no time, black with the fucking stuff before Petey had made the next round of tea.
I heard another car pull onto the yard, turned my head in recognition. No fucking way. My heart beat faster, my stomach doing this daft sappy flip.
Jodie looked great. Her hair was glossy and straight, her smile bright. She was wearing tight black jeans with her old sandals, a floaty blouse with a beaded necklace that made her look like she was from one of those holiday brochures.
She got a box from the backseat and I met her by the doors.
I’d never have known she was nervous if I didn’t know her so well, hadn’t noticed the flush on her neck.
The lads gave her a wave but laid off the whistling. Just as well.
“You alright?” I said. “Girls alright?”
She nodded. “I was just…” She didn’t look at me. “Nanna wanted a bacon and egg sandwich, so I went to the shop, on a mission…” Her eyes crept up. “I was going to go to ladies who lunch, but Nanna hasn’t asked for breakfast in ages… and I thought… I thought I may as well…” The smell hit me as she lifted the top of the box. Five sandwiches, wrapped up nice in foil. “For you, and the guys.”
“Thanks,” I said. “That’s really nice, Jo.”
I took the box from her and handed it to Buck to dish out, and she smiled as the guys called thanks. Then she hovered.
“…It was no trouble, I was cooking anyway. I mean I have Monday mornings off… usually… it’s my free time…” She cleared her throat. Looked really shifty. “Are you… busy?”
“Mondays always are,” I said.
She nodded. “Sorry, yeah… of course… I’d, um… I’d better leave you to it.”
She wouldn’t look at me.
I noticed her lipstick, the way she was so made up. I caught a whiff of perfume, the expensive shit she gets from her mum every Christmas. She had her best earrings in, the set Nanna bought for her 21st birthday, I could see them sparkling through her hair. Her nails were the same bronze colour as the beads around her neck.
She pointed to the Audi. “Ruby would go crazy for that.”
“I’ll take her out for a spin in it later.”
“She’ll love you forever.”
I gave her a nod, a smile. Still she didn’t move. She brushed her hair behind her ear, jangled her car keys in her hand, but didn’t move.
“What you really doing here?” I asked, my voice low. “This isn’t just about bacon sandwiches, Jo, is it?”
She sighed, and her cheeks were pink. She smiled to herself and shook her head, then stepped away, heading back to her car with quick little steps. “I’d better leave you to it,” she said.
I headed her off before she could get in, and I felt as awkward as she looked, my mouth dry at the thought of reading this shit wrong.
But no. There’s plenty of shit I get wrong, but knowing when a woman’s after my dick isn’t ever on that list.
“Jo…” I began. “Let’s call a spanner a fucking spanner a second, shall we?” I looked her up and down. “If I didn’t know better, I’d almost think you were trying to bag yourself a bit of rough on a Monday morning.” My eyes met hers and locked there. Her pupils were big and dark, her breath shallow. “There wouldn’t be any truth in that, would there?”
She looked so fucking embarrassed, and so fucking pretty for it.
“Enjoy your breakfast, Darren,” she said. She made to sidestep me, but there was no fucking way.
I moved between her and the car door, and we collided. She recoiled with a smile, but I leaned into her. I could smell her perfume so strong, her shampoo too. Her hair was soft against my cheek.
Uneasiness in my gut. A sense of sadness as the prospect dawned.
I whispered, right into her ear. “What’s this about, Jo? You wanting to jump the queue or what?” I felt her stiffen, shoulders tense. “If this is about a Bang Gang special…”
She was shaking her head before I finished. She pulled away enough to meet my eyes. “Jesus, Darren. No! This isn’t about a bloody gangbang! I didn’t even…” She sighed. “This was stupid. Sorry.” She reached for the handle. “I don’t know what’s come over me this morning. Ridiculous.”
Me. I’ll come over you this morning.