I want to check out the establishment. Is that okay?”
He beckoned. “Sure, come on back.”
We walked around the counter, and Jim opened a door leading to the work area. The beautiful racket of air guns and pneumatic drills filled my ears. The garage was a mechanic’s dream come true. Everything was top of the line. It was enough to make a girl salivate.
Three out of the four lifts were full, with mechanics working on some tricked-out cars. Jim walked us past the cars to the far corner of the building, to an area separated by Plexiglas. Inside, a man was bent over, inspecting the paint on a cherry red 1965 Mustang convertible. Jim knocked on the glass, and the man straightened and looked in our direction.
Bruce Smith was a mountain of a man. He had his brother’s blue eyes, but there’s where the similarities ended. His arms were big enough to bench press a small truck. While he wiped his hands with a rag, I noticed a multi-star tattoo on his inner arm. He walked through the door and came over to where we were standing.
“Bruce, this is Kate and Jason. They’re looking for some body work on his truck.”
“Nice to meet you. What type of truck?”
I left them alone to talk about the specifics. Wandering over to a 1969 Camaro, I glanced surreptitiously at the men working in the bays. None of them matched the composite Misha showed us. I turned my attention to the engine. The rework confused me a bit.
“You look like you have a question.”
I glanced up. Bruce was standing next to me, and Jason joined him a second later.
“Why would you put the original parts on this? Isn’t there a better aftermarket intake for these types of motors?”
He grinned at me. “There’s nothing sexier than a woman who knows cars.” He glanced at Jason. “No offense, man.”
“None taken. I agree.”
He steered me around the engine and pointed to the intake. “This is going to be a racer. This car is set up for a stock class, so we have to use the original factory intake. What else do you want to know?”
I stared hard at him to make sure he wasn’t patronizing me. He seemed to be sincere, so I launched into a series of questions about the engine. After a few minutes, I was satisfied.
“You have a smart woman, here.”
Jason grinned like the cat that had swallowed the canary before he put his arm around my shoulder and hugged me against his side. “I know that for sure.”
“Why don’t you bring in your truck tomorrow morning so I can take a look at it, give you an estimate,” Bruce added.
I smiled. “Great. Just to let you know, Jase and I will be getting several estimates, and then we’ll decide who to go with.”
“That’s smart.” Bruce shook Jason’s hand, then mine. “Of course, I think we do the best work, but you’ll have to make up your own minds.”
We walked out of the building, and Jason leaned over and kissed me lightly. Then he whispered in my ear, “Jim is watching us through the window.”
I leaned back into him until he let me go and we settled into the truck. I turned to him and smiled in case they were still watching us. “You might want to give me a warning next time, you almost got gut-punched.”
Misha’s laughter blasted my ear.
Chapter 10
I had been summoned to the Royal House of Griffin. Or at least it felt like a summons. When Jason and I had returned to the office, Dolly was there hovering.
“What’s up, Dolly?”
“Griffin called.”
I frowned. “Is something wrong?”
“No, he wants you to come to the house tonight.”
“Did he say why?”
Dolly’s eyes widened. “I didn’t ask why. You need to go see him.”
I bristled. “Griffin is not my fearless leader. I don’t have to go see him.”
To my surprise, Dolly looked scared. She stuttered, “He…he might not be your leader, but he’s mine. I don’t want him to think I didn’t give you the message.”
I sighed. “Fine, I’ll go see him.”
Her face changed immediately, and she smiled and
He beckoned. “Sure, come on back.”
We walked around the counter, and Jim opened a door leading to the work area. The beautiful racket of air guns and pneumatic drills filled my ears. The garage was a mechanic’s dream come true. Everything was top of the line. It was enough to make a girl salivate.
Three out of the four lifts were full, with mechanics working on some tricked-out cars. Jim walked us past the cars to the far corner of the building, to an area separated by Plexiglas. Inside, a man was bent over, inspecting the paint on a cherry red 1965 Mustang convertible. Jim knocked on the glass, and the man straightened and looked in our direction.
Bruce Smith was a mountain of a man. He had his brother’s blue eyes, but there’s where the similarities ended. His arms were big enough to bench press a small truck. While he wiped his hands with a rag, I noticed a multi-star tattoo on his inner arm. He walked through the door and came over to where we were standing.
“Bruce, this is Kate and Jason. They’re looking for some body work on his truck.”
“Nice to meet you. What type of truck?”
I left them alone to talk about the specifics. Wandering over to a 1969 Camaro, I glanced surreptitiously at the men working in the bays. None of them matched the composite Misha showed us. I turned my attention to the engine. The rework confused me a bit.
“You look like you have a question.”
I glanced up. Bruce was standing next to me, and Jason joined him a second later.
“Why would you put the original parts on this? Isn’t there a better aftermarket intake for these types of motors?”
He grinned at me. “There’s nothing sexier than a woman who knows cars.” He glanced at Jason. “No offense, man.”
“None taken. I agree.”
He steered me around the engine and pointed to the intake. “This is going to be a racer. This car is set up for a stock class, so we have to use the original factory intake. What else do you want to know?”
I stared hard at him to make sure he wasn’t patronizing me. He seemed to be sincere, so I launched into a series of questions about the engine. After a few minutes, I was satisfied.
“You have a smart woman, here.”
Jason grinned like the cat that had swallowed the canary before he put his arm around my shoulder and hugged me against his side. “I know that for sure.”
“Why don’t you bring in your truck tomorrow morning so I can take a look at it, give you an estimate,” Bruce added.
I smiled. “Great. Just to let you know, Jase and I will be getting several estimates, and then we’ll decide who to go with.”
“That’s smart.” Bruce shook Jason’s hand, then mine. “Of course, I think we do the best work, but you’ll have to make up your own minds.”
We walked out of the building, and Jason leaned over and kissed me lightly. Then he whispered in my ear, “Jim is watching us through the window.”
I leaned back into him until he let me go and we settled into the truck. I turned to him and smiled in case they were still watching us. “You might want to give me a warning next time, you almost got gut-punched.”
Misha’s laughter blasted my ear.
Chapter 10
I had been summoned to the Royal House of Griffin. Or at least it felt like a summons. When Jason and I had returned to the office, Dolly was there hovering.
“What’s up, Dolly?”
“Griffin called.”
I frowned. “Is something wrong?”
“No, he wants you to come to the house tonight.”
“Did he say why?”
Dolly’s eyes widened. “I didn’t ask why. You need to go see him.”
I bristled. “Griffin is not my fearless leader. I don’t have to go see him.”
To my surprise, Dolly looked scared. She stuttered, “He…he might not be your leader, but he’s mine. I don’t want him to think I didn’t give you the message.”
I sighed. “Fine, I’ll go see him.”
Her face changed immediately, and she smiled and
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