I tear my eyes away from the tent and look at Jacobs. He’s a lonely man, I know that. And even though I want to keep a watch out for Lakelyn, I also know I can’t just ignore him. I’d feel guilty for sure.
“Yeah, I’m excited. Violet is happy... so I’m happy.”
He whistles loudly. “Well, I guess she is. She’s always smiling these days.” He nudges me in the arm. “Tell me, are you able to get Eagles tickets now since your brother-in-law is the running back?”
I laugh. “Yeah, I’ll be able to go to a few games.”
I wait for the next question because with Jacobs, there’s always a next question, but he’s staring to the side of me with his mouth wide open.
I turn and follow his gaze and I do the exact same thing as Jacobs. My mouth drops, and I know my eyes about pop out of my head. It’s her. It’s Lakelyn. But it’s not the same Lakelyn from before. This one is enough to make any man watching hard. I don’t know if I should run up to her and cover her with my T-shirt or just stand here and enjoy the show as she sways her body back and forth as she walks toward me.
I walk toward her, leaving Jacobs mumbling behind me.
“Lakelyn?” I ask her questioningly. I mean, I know it’s her, but I still stupidly ask the question.
She laughs, and it’s the same sweet sound from before. “Yes, it’s me. I’m glad you stuck around.”
Her face is made up and hair teased and lying in soft, round curls down her back. She has on a short black leather skirt and a white tank top. Big hoop rings are hanging from her ears and a matching necklace is nestled between her breasts. She’s beautiful... obviously from the big city... and obviously way out of my league.
“Yeah, uh, you’re a model?”
She tilts her head to the side, but before she can say anything I’m shaking my head. “I mean, yeah, of course you’re a model.”
She looks at the people setting up behind her and then up at me with the same flirty smile from before. “Yeah, and I need to get to work before they fire me.”
“Oh, uh, sure.”
As if I’m still grasping at straws, trying not to believe what I’m seeing, I nod my head. “Sure, I’ll see you later.”No you won’t, Tate. She’s a rich girl from the city, you won’t be seeing her later. You’re going to get the hell out of here,I tell myself.
“Come on, Lakelyn, you’ve already got us behind... quit fraternizing with the townspeople and get to work,” the man from earlier, the one that took the piece of cake from her, says from across the way. He’s eyeing me, and I can see the fear from where I’m standing.
Lakelyn rolls her eyes. “I’m sorry about him. He’s kind of an ass.”
“Yeah, he is. It’s fine. I know you’re busy... go ahead.”
I smile at her, but it’s nothing like the one before. Right now, I feel like I’m under a microscope, by Lakelyn and the rest of Whiskey Run that is no doubt gawking at the beautiful model talking to me, the town mechanic.
She looks at me hesitantly but nods her head and turns away. I watch her walk. The same body as earlier that swayed, and I couldn’t take my eyes off. I still can’t, even knowing that she’s not just an employee working on a commercial or something. She’s the main star.
I need to walk away. I need to forget ever meeting Lakelyn because there sure as hell can’t be any kind of future between us.
She’s surrounded by people and cameras, and she’s smiling, doing what she’s obviously been trained to do. I have the same feeling in my gut as when I pushed the hair away from her face earlier. It’s like I’d forgotten who I am until I saw my stained hands next to her beautiful face. We’re nothing alike, and there can never be a us.
I’m rooted to the spot as I watch her. She’s laughing, posing for pictures, flipping her hair around. She’s a fuckin’ goddess. I shift my stance because my cock is lengthening in the leg of my pants. She does this to me... just by looking at her.
I pull my gaze from her and look at the other people that are here to observe. There’s a part-timer from the Whiskey Run Co-op. There’s a rancher that I recognize from the Yates ranch who’s probably in town to just pick up supplies but found himself here to see what’s going on. They’re both standing at the temporary fencing that’s been set up, hands in their pockets, staring at my – Fuck, she’s not mine... not now or ever will be mine.
I jam my hands down into the front pockets of my jeans. Jealousy is raging inside me because I don’t want anyone else to look at her... not the way these men are looking at her now. But it doesn’t matter. I don’t have a right to feel the way I’m feeling.
With one last glance at Lakelyn, I walk away. There’s no point in me sticking around. Yeah, I could probably get her number... maybe even take her out. But as soon as she found out what I did for a living, well, she’d be gone five seconds later. Nope, it will just be wasted time, and I’m not going to put myself through it again.
I turn down Main Street and walk to the end of the block, past Sugar Glaze Bakery, past the library, and when I come to the intersection of Main and Joy Street, I turn into the parking lot of Jennings Auto Repair. My shop. It doesn’t look like much, probably like any other auto repair shop around, but to me it’s been everything.
“Wow, that’s probably the longest lunch break you’ve ever taken. Violet okay?” Jeremy, one of the mechanics, asks. He’s been with me since I opened the doors on the shop ten years ago.
“Yeah, she’s good,” I answer as I walk past him. I don’t want to talk or chat or make small talk. I need to work and try to get Lakelyn out of my head.
Chapter3