“So what's the word on my car?”
“ I have it out back, but the alternator won't be in until the delivery truck comes through town in a couple of days.” He chewed on an unlit cigar in the corner of his mouth he’d been chomping on for weeks in an attempt to quit smoking. “And I have another job to do before I can get to yours.” He bit down on the stale stogie. “I can have it to you by the end of the week. Will that work?”
“ Yes, that's fine,” Elle said. “Sara is being my chauffeur this week and I kind of like it.”
“ That settles it. You can pick it up Friday afternoon.”
“ Great. Thanks, Bruce.” He followed them out of the station and over to the men loading Bill's supplies.
“ I can't imagine what they do with that much oil,” Sara said.
“ Me either, especially because I don’t think it's the kind that's used in heavy equipment.” Elle counted the cases in her mind. “We'll have to ask Kole, the man who isn't interested in me.”
“ You should be ashamed of yourself.” Sara laughed. “Kole's okay. I like him. And how do you know about the different kinds of oil?”
“ I took a course in auto mechanics one year and that stuff was covered.” She frowned. “I wonder what they use that much oil on.”
“ Maybe, they use it on the huge hydraulics to move the disks around. We'll have to ask when we go out there later,” Sara said.
“ Or perhaps Kole can figure it out.”
“ Yeah, maybe.” Elle walked down the street toward the cafe trying to ignore the feelings she had for Kole. No matter how much she fought it and thought things through, it came back around to the fact she was highly attracted to him. “The man drives me crazy and I barely know him.”
“ You're awfully hard on him.” Sara snickered. “Now, I ask myself, why is that? Do you like him?”
“ No. Absolutely not. He'd be the last man on Earth I'd go out with.” She knew she was lying to herself, but her pride wouldn’t let her admit it to Sara.
“ Me thinks you protest too much.” Sara giggled.
“ Well, whether I'm attracted to him or not, it doesn't matter. He had the nerve to sit there in my styling chair and tell me he's not into me and just wants to be my friend.” She snorted. “Maybe it's me, but that was kind of harsh. I didn’t make a pass at him or anything. Talk about having an ego.”
“ Look at the positive side. He was being honest so you don't have to waste any time.”
Elle glared at her .
“ Not that you wanted to spend any time with him.” Sara tried to back pedal. “You know what I mean?”
“ I suppose.” Elle relented. “Anyway, let's get back to the diner and grab something to drink before he shows up. I wouldn't want him upset with us for being late before we leave town.”
“ Good idea. I could use a Coke and fries.”
As they entered the diner, a bell over the door started jingling, letting Dotty know someone had come into the empty cafe .
“ Hey, Dotty, it's only us,” Sara said.
Dotty came out of the back room looking flustered and straightened her blouse . “Girls, what would you like?”
Elle raised an eyebrow, but decided not to mention it . “A couple of Diet Cokes and some fries. We're waiting for a friend.” She sensed that they had interrupted something.
“ Okay, two Diet Cokes and fries coming right up,” Dotty said, filling the glasses with ice.
“ Where is everyone?” Sara asked.
“ Oh, the breakfast and lunch crowd have already been and gone. It's slow on Sunday afternoons. I like it this way.” She set the Cokes in front of them. “I heard you were going out to the High Mountain Array. That should be fun on such a nice day.”
“ Where did you hear that?” How the heck did the town grapevine work so darn fast? Elle hadn't said anything to anyone.
“ Oh, Kole has been in for meals every day since he got to town. Thanks for telling him about my place. He's a nice guy and has a
“ I have it out back, but the alternator won't be in until the delivery truck comes through town in a couple of days.” He chewed on an unlit cigar in the corner of his mouth he’d been chomping on for weeks in an attempt to quit smoking. “And I have another job to do before I can get to yours.” He bit down on the stale stogie. “I can have it to you by the end of the week. Will that work?”
“ Yes, that's fine,” Elle said. “Sara is being my chauffeur this week and I kind of like it.”
“ That settles it. You can pick it up Friday afternoon.”
“ Great. Thanks, Bruce.” He followed them out of the station and over to the men loading Bill's supplies.
“ I can't imagine what they do with that much oil,” Sara said.
“ Me either, especially because I don’t think it's the kind that's used in heavy equipment.” Elle counted the cases in her mind. “We'll have to ask Kole, the man who isn't interested in me.”
“ You should be ashamed of yourself.” Sara laughed. “Kole's okay. I like him. And how do you know about the different kinds of oil?”
“ I took a course in auto mechanics one year and that stuff was covered.” She frowned. “I wonder what they use that much oil on.”
“ Maybe, they use it on the huge hydraulics to move the disks around. We'll have to ask when we go out there later,” Sara said.
“ Or perhaps Kole can figure it out.”
“ Yeah, maybe.” Elle walked down the street toward the cafe trying to ignore the feelings she had for Kole. No matter how much she fought it and thought things through, it came back around to the fact she was highly attracted to him. “The man drives me crazy and I barely know him.”
“ You're awfully hard on him.” Sara snickered. “Now, I ask myself, why is that? Do you like him?”
“ No. Absolutely not. He'd be the last man on Earth I'd go out with.” She knew she was lying to herself, but her pride wouldn’t let her admit it to Sara.
“ Me thinks you protest too much.” Sara giggled.
“ Well, whether I'm attracted to him or not, it doesn't matter. He had the nerve to sit there in my styling chair and tell me he's not into me and just wants to be my friend.” She snorted. “Maybe it's me, but that was kind of harsh. I didn’t make a pass at him or anything. Talk about having an ego.”
“ Look at the positive side. He was being honest so you don't have to waste any time.”
Elle glared at her .
“ Not that you wanted to spend any time with him.” Sara tried to back pedal. “You know what I mean?”
“ I suppose.” Elle relented. “Anyway, let's get back to the diner and grab something to drink before he shows up. I wouldn't want him upset with us for being late before we leave town.”
“ Good idea. I could use a Coke and fries.”
As they entered the diner, a bell over the door started jingling, letting Dotty know someone had come into the empty cafe .
“ Hey, Dotty, it's only us,” Sara said.
Dotty came out of the back room looking flustered and straightened her blouse . “Girls, what would you like?”
Elle raised an eyebrow, but decided not to mention it . “A couple of Diet Cokes and some fries. We're waiting for a friend.” She sensed that they had interrupted something.
“ Okay, two Diet Cokes and fries coming right up,” Dotty said, filling the glasses with ice.
“ Where is everyone?” Sara asked.
“ Oh, the breakfast and lunch crowd have already been and gone. It's slow on Sunday afternoons. I like it this way.” She set the Cokes in front of them. “I heard you were going out to the High Mountain Array. That should be fun on such a nice day.”
“ Where did you hear that?” How the heck did the town grapevine work so darn fast? Elle hadn't said anything to anyone.
“ Oh, Kole has been in for meals every day since he got to town. Thanks for telling him about my place. He's a nice guy and has a
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