“Yeah?” My shoulders slumped, and I sighed.
“Well, unfortunately it’s totaled.” Poor guy looked like he seriously hated to have to tell me that.No more than I hate hearing it, buddy.
“Are you sure?” It was a dumb question, but I was at a loss. I had no idea what to say or do. I had no doubt he was right, but damn.
“Yes, ma’am. The airbags deployed. In a car that, um, year, it costs more than the car is worth to replace them.” He was trying his damnedest to be diplomatic about my car being a piece of shit, and I had to fight off hysterical laughter.
My head dropped. I had nothing else. My mind was in tatters, and I wondered what else could possibly go wrong.
“Hang on a minute, okay?” He held up a finger and went into the back. I heard him yell for someone, and then he and another guy came back out front. My mouth had to be hanging open, because this guy was even hotter but in a darker, grittier way.
The sleeves were ripped off of his shop shirt, and his name tag read Reaper, which didn’t surprise me. He had a quiet but dangerous aura about him. Ice-blue eyes held me entranced, and I said, “Huh?” when I realized he’d said something to me.
The blond was covering a smirk with his hand, and the dark-haired guy had a raised brow, waiting for my answer. “I’m sorry?” I asked as my cheeks burned with embarrassment.
“I said that I have a truck I’m supposed to show you.”
“But I can’t….” I trailed off, because it was too much to talk. Tears were threatening. I nodded, figuring I’d look at the damn truck I’d never be able to afford, then go home to cry.
Fuck. My. Life.
Resigned, I followed him into the bays of the shop. Rock music blared from the speakers mounted on the walls, and a few guys glanced my way as I followed along behind Reaper. Most went right back to what they were working on, but a couple followed our progress through the shop and out the back door.
There was another shop behind that one with several closed bay doors. He walked over to one and rolled it up. There was a smaller four-wheel drive Toyota truck parked in there. Though it was easily from the nineties, its condition was impressive.
Reaper opened the door, flipped down the visor, and a set of keys dropped out that he caught and reached out to hand me. They dangled there for a minute before I gingerly took them from him.
He chuckled. “Won’t bite, darlin’. Go ahead and start it up.”
Humoring him, I slid the keys in the ignition and started it up. It wasn’t a roaring beast by any means, but it seemed to run smooth. Blinking like an idiot, I sat there a minute, then shut it off. Reluctantly, I slid out of the seat and handed him the keys.
“You want it?” he asked.
“I, uh, I don’t think, I mean, I’ll have to look at my finances. How much do you want for it?”
When he rattled off almost exactly what I had in my savings, I narrowed my eyes at the coincidence. Surely they couldn’t see what was in my bank account. Shaking off the ridiculous thought, I bit my lip.
“Can I think about it?” I’d been saving that money for a new fridge and stove, but I could get by with the old almond-colored one a little longer. They worked fine, they were just cheap and ugly.
“Sure thing,” his deep voice drawled. “Now, just so you know, that price includes taking in your car for parts,” he added. Like I cared. The car was absolutely no good to me, and they would be doing me a favor, because I wouldn’t know what to do with it.
“Okay,” I murmured before I nervously shoved my hands in my back pockets. “I’ll call in the next few days.”
He nodded, then showed me out.
I drove my borrowed SUV home and sat in my driveway chewing on my lip.
My entire life had shown me that if something seemed too good to be true, it likely was.