He gave me a comical once-over, taking in the dirt on my knees and the bedraggled state of my cape while I noted his navy trousers and matching shirt with his name embroidered on a white patch.
We couldn’t look any more different if we tried.
I was a couple of inches shorter than his six four with dark hair, hazel eyes, and a tendency to wear “science-y” T-shirts under the oxford shirt and khaki combo dress code Newton insisted upon. And yes, occasionally…a cape. Aiden, on the other hand, was a bear of a man with shaggy dark-blond hair, a short beard, and the beginnings of a beer belly, who somehow made the standard mechanic uniform look—dare I say—hot?
Nope. Not okay.
I was not allowed to lust after my rescuer.
“All right. Have it your way. So…what happened to your Willy?” Aiden held his hand up, adding, “The PG version, please.”
I was too strung out to bother rolling my eyes. “It’s been acting up lately, but it was fine when I left the lab. Then all of a sudden—boom! It started making weird noises and—”
“What kind of weird noises?” he asked in a serious tone, pulling his sunglasses off.
Wow, I’d forgotten he had such pretty eyes. They were the lightest shade of blue, like a crystal-clear pool in sunlight. Ugh…focus, Murphy.
“Like a clunk and hiss and a rattle…maybe,” I replied lamely, pushing my wavy hair behind my ears just as the wind whipped at my cape, twisting the black fabric around my legs. I stomped my boots in the dirt to shake it loose. “All bad sounds. What now? Can you take it to your shop?”
“Yeah, I can do that. Where are your keys?” He held his hand out expectantly.
“In the truck.”
Aiden squinted at me. “You left your keys in your vehicle?”
“Well, no one could steal it if they wanted to. It’s dead.”
“You should still keep your keys on your person. It’s a safety thing. What if some creep showed up, pocketed your keys, then looked up your address from your license plate? They’d have all that personal info and access to your house,” he griped, throwing his hands in the air.
“Thanks for that True Crimes visual,” I snipped.
“You’re welcome.” He gave me another once-over and huffed. “You know, if you’re dressed like that, they’ll assume you were attacked by a fellow vampire.”
“I’m not a vampire. I’m a scientist.”
“I know, I know. You’re a genius,” he griped, jiggling the door handle and sighing in disbelief. “You locked your keys in the car, genius.”
“The other door is open.”
“Good. Hop in my truck. I’ll hook you up.”
“Do you need my assistance?” I didn’t know why I asked. I was as useful as the G in lasagna and we both knew it.
Aiden pursed his lips in amusement. “Nope. I got this. The first aid kit is under the seat on the passenger side. Get some ointment on your hand, slap a bandage on it, and help yourself to some fries if you’re hungry. I just stopped by Del Taco.”
I settled in the passenger seat and almost swooned at the smell of fast-food deliciousness. I dealt with my wound and sanitized it properly, then opened the paper bag. I was about ten fries in when Aiden climbed into the driver’s seat and shook his keys meaningfully.
I rolled my eyes and chomped noisily. “Yeah, yeah. You never know when someone’s going to steal a tow truck from the side of the road.”
“Or worse, sit in the passenger seat and eat your lunch.”
“You told me to help myself,” I reminded him. “And it’s dinnertime.”
“True. I didn’t eat earlier, and I’m trying to lose my tire here.” He patted his stomach, checked his rearview mirror, and eased into traffic.
“You’re trying to lose weight by eating fries? Let me know how that goes.”
“It’s worth a shot,” he replied good-naturedly. “I can’t believe you’re still driving that piece of shit. Wasn’t that Simon’s ride in high school?”
“Yeah, and the family ride before that. I need it to hold on through summer. Do you think that’s possible?”
He shot a quick sideways glance my way. “I won’t know until we look at it. Am I taking this to my uncle’s garage, or do you have a mechanic of your own?”
“Do I look like the kind of guy who’d have a mechanic on speed dial? I know nothing about cars.”
Aiden snickered. “I forgot what a prickly little shit you are. Then again, I haven’t seen you in a while.”
I folded the to-go bag meticulously and set it on the rubber mat next to my feet. “I think it was during the holidays at Simon’s house.”
“Right. You were with the short guy with round glasses. Your boyfriend?”
“Asher? No. We’re just friends. I’m surprised you noticed. You had your hands all over your date that night.”
“Hmph. Doubtful,” he scoffed. “It wasn’t serious. Jackie didn’t really want me. She wanted someone more like Simon…money in the bank, security, better looking.”