She wondered how someone in that club climbed the ladder to take one of the top spots. Did they have to claw their way up to the top, too?
The more Reilly talked, the more captivated Fallon became. It also helped pass the time while she waited for Agnes’s diagnosis.
“Kind of. Meetings and by-laws, yes. As for someone taking minutes? I doubt it. I can’t see Ozzy, the club secretary, scribbling down notes. Plus, he’d have to pull out his reading glasses to do that and he doesn’t want anyone to know he has to wear them.” She snorted and rolled her beautiful green eyes. “Men!”
Fallon agreed with that last sentiment. “You’re not a part of those meetings?”
Her lips twitched. “No woman is.”
Fallon’s eyes narrowed. “No woman is, why? Because no woman wants to be a part of it or because the men won’t allow women to hold the position of an officer?”
Reilly’s answer was interrupted when Whip stepped into the office, using a red rag to wipe off his fingers. “Wanna come out here? Wanna show you some stuff on your girl.”
“Agnes.”
Whip rolled his blue eyes to the ceiling, held them there for a second, then when they finally dropped back down to her, he repeated, “Agnes,” like it took a lot of effort.
Fallon smothered her laugh.
“I love that you named your sled Agnes,” Reilly said. “I’m going to have to name Rev’s.”
Whip’s head snapped around to her. “Think you better clear that with your ol’ man first.”
Reilly tipped her blonde head and raised her eyebrows. “Do you now?”
Oh, Fallon liked her. She was feisty. She guessed Reilly had to be to work with male mechanics. Fallon knew the difficulty.
“Yeah, Lee, I do. Rev ain’t gonna like it if you name his sled some grandma name.”
Reilly shrugged. “I’ll name her something tough, then. Like—”
Before she could finish, Whip stepped back out into the shop, yelling, “Rev, your woman’s gonna name your fuckin’ sled Pansy or somethin’. Better set her ass straight.”
Reilly fell forward over her desk, her whole body shaking and laughter spurting out of her. When she lifted her head, she had tears in her eyes. “They make it way too easy.”
Fallon hadn’t smiled this much in a long time. In fact, her cheeks were starting to ache, proving those muscles had been neglected for quite a while. “You like busting on them?” She shouldn’t even have put a question mark on the end of that. Fallon had no doubt Reilly liked to create a little ruckus just for fun.
“Oh, believe me, they can give it back two-fold. But it’s fun and, besides the convenience, it’s why I’m in no rush to move my office. I get entertained all day.”
If Fallon ever got another job or started a business, she would make sure the next time would be something she found fun. Right now, however, she was in no rush to start a new business venture, and, unless something drastically changed for her financially, she had no reason to.
She could “just be.”
Hell, once she was done with her adventure with Agnes, she might just find some hut on a tropical beach, put her feet up, drink Mai Tais and watch the world go by.
A “You comin’?” had her turning her head back toward the office door, where Whip was standing.
The man made greasy coveralls look really damn good.
Focus, Fallon!
A noise from behind the desk had her swinging her gaze back to Reilly, who had her lips rolled under as her eyes ping-ponged back and forth between her and Whip.
Shit. Was it obvious she was a little enamored with the young mechanic?
She frowned and rose from the seat to follow him out into the garage area and over to where he had Agnes up on a lift.
He had the oil pan removed and the oil drained already. He grabbed the pan and held it up. “Needs replaced. Tire, too. But already told you that. Dent we can’t do anythin’ about, but it’s just cosmetic. Dependin’ on where you’re goin’ and how long you’re travelin’ you might get a few more, so might as well wait ’til your vacation’s over and get them all repaired at once. Will save you some scratch that way.”
“Scratch?”
He glanced up from the oil pan to her. “Money.”
Of course. “I’m not worried about the cost, but that does make a lot of sense.” Should she add she wasn’t on vacation? That riding across the country was her new normal? At least for now?
No, he didn’t need to know that or her life story. And if she told him that he might want to know why and she wasn’t ready to spew her personal business to anyone right now. Giving more information than necessary opened her up to questions she wasn’t in the mood to answer.
“How soon can you replace both?”