Elusive Love (10 page)

Her face was round, her skin blemish-free. Her nose was cute, upturned at the very end. Her green eyes shone brightly, especially when she was excited. Her lips were full, almost too full to be real. I had caught myself staring at them more times than I could count. Her brown hair was smooth and hung around her shoulders, shielding her face a lot of the time, almost as if she were afraid of someone really seeing her.

By the time Andrea had been finished with me, I’d considered Caley a friend. I’d expected her to continue to be my friend even though we no longer sat together at lunch, laughing and joking. Instead, she’d all but ignored me. The only time she would even glance in my direction was when we passed by each other in the halls. She’d give me a tiny smile but would never stop to speak with me. I’d assumed she no longer wanted anything to do with me, so I hadn’t bothered with trying to keep our friendship going.

So, imagine my surprise when she’d randomly messaged me one night, years after the last time we’d spoken. In only a few texts, I’d realized the girl I’d once known was no longer there. The new Caley was broken and just plain sad. There was no joy left in her. Joey had taken that and so much more from her.

I’d never expected her to keep talking to me or that we’d once again become friends, and I’d certainly never thought I’d start to feel the way I did about her now.

I’d never cared about any woman. Hell, I wasn’t old enough to care about any of them, but I cared for Caley in a way that scared me. I wanted to put the smile back on her face. I wanted to be the one who gave her a reason to be happy again.

It didn’t help that time had only increased my attraction to her. Now, she was more beautiful than ever before. Her body had filled out in places that drove me crazy at times. I knew she thought she was fat after having Amelia, but I disagreed. Curves were beautiful on a woman, especially one who looked like her.

I forced my mind away from Caley’s curves as I pulled up in front of her dad’s shop. I knew there was no other way to put it than to say I was screwed.

I climbed out of my car and stared at the building across the lot. It was simple enough—a gray block building with a regular-sized front door on the right side. Display windows were on each side of the door, showcasing tires and rims. Next to the left window were two large garage doors.

I liked it already. It wasn’t flashy. It seemed that some shops tried to make their store pretty instead of actually doing what they were supposed to do—repair vehicles. I preferred a less flashy entrance myself, but that was just my opinion. What did I know about business? Nothing.

I walked to the front door and stepped inside to the small showroom. They had displays of oils, filters, wiper blades, and several other basic items. A counter was set off to the right with a computer sitting on top of it.

“I’ll be right with you!” a voice called from a doorway behind the counter.

Instantly, I knew it was Caley. I’d know her voice anywhere. I had all of two seconds to wipe any and all emotion off my face before she suddenly appeared from the doorway and stood behind the counter.

“Oh, hey!” she greeted me.

“Hey. Sorry I’m a few minutes late,” I said.

“I didn’t even realize it was time for you to show up yet. Come on back. I’ll take you to my dad’s office.”

She lifted a portion of the counter, so I could walk through, and then she shut it behind me. I followed her through the doorway and into a parts room. I looked around, taking note of everything they had, as she led me to a doorway in the back. She knocked once before opening the door and stepping inside. I followed her into what was apparently her father’s office.

The room was on the smallish side. A row of filing cabinets sat against the wall to my left. To the right was a table covered in mail and other papers. A wooden desk sat a few feet away from us. It was also covered in papers along with a computer.

Caley’s father sat behind the desk. I could tell he was a tall man even though he was sitting down. He was built like an ox. His hair had started to turn gray, but otherwise, he looked fairly young for someone who had a grown daughter of his own.

“Dad, Ethan’s here to see you,” Caley said. “Ethan, this is my dad, Ben.”

I walked over to the desk and held out my hand. He took it in his.

“It’s nice to meet you, sir.”

“You, too, Ethan. Why don’t you have a seat?”

I sat down in one of the chairs in front of his desk.

“I’ll leave you guys to it then. If you need me, just give me a shout,” Caley said. She gave me a reassuring smile and patted my shoulder before turning and leaving the office.

Once the door closed behind her, Ben spoke, “I need you to fill out these forms. Bring them back with you tomorrow when you start your first shift.”

“I’m starting tomorrow?” I asked, surprised.

I had assumed I wouldn’t start for a few days. After all, Caley had just asked him yesterday about giving me a job.

“Of course. That won’t be a problem, will it?” he asked.

“No, not at all.” I took the file folder out of his hand and rested it on my lap.

Ben studied me for a few moments, sizing me up. I stayed still even though I wanted to shift in my seat, uncomfortable with his attention.

“I’ll have the guys show you the ropes tomorrow when you come in. Ted is our lead tech, and he’s in charge of the shop. If you have any questions or problems, talk to him. If he can’t help you, come see me.”

“Okay.”

“We’ll start you out with simple repairs and tune-ups. It’ll take some of the work off of my guys and show me what you’re capable of.” He paused. “I know you’re friends with Caley, but I want to be clear on one thing. If you’re unable to do your part, I can’t keep you on board. It’s nothing personal, but we have too much to do as it is without trying to teach a new guy basic mechanical skills. I’m giving you a chance because you’re a friend of hers, but the special treatment ends there.”

I grinned, unable to stop myself. Ben seemed surprised at my reaction. He raised an eyebrow in question.

“I assure you, I can do basic repairs and tune-ups with no problems at all. And I don’t expect special treatment. I’m just glad you’re giving me this chance. You won’t regret it,” I said. “And I admire your bluntness. I prefer people to be up front with me rather than tiptoe around stuff.”

He smiled. “Good. Then, it’s settled. I’ll see you tomorrow, Ethan.”

I stood and shook his hand again. “I’ll see you then.”

I left his office and walked back through the parts room. Caley was standing behind the counter, waiting patiently as the printer spit out paper after paper.

“Your dad seems like a decent guy. If the shop guys are the same, I think I’ll like it here,” I said as I stopped behind her.

Instead of answering, she shrieked in surprise. The papers she was holding in her hands flew through the air and rained down around us.

“Holy shit, you scared me to death,” she managed to gasp out.

I laughed as I knelt down and scooped up the dropped papers. “I gathered that.”

“Thanks.” She took the papers from me and started sorting them. “I take it that your meeting with my dad went well?”

I nodded. “Like I said, he seems like a decent guy. I start work tomorrow.”

“That’s awesome. You’ll be busy. I can promise you that. We have so much to do.”

“Good. I’d rather be busy than stand around, doing nothing. It makes the time go by faster.” I hesitated for a second. “You okay today? About Joey leaving, I mean.”

She sighed. “Yeah, I’m fine. He’ll be gone by the time I get home, so there won’t be any time to fight over it anymore. I’m just going to have to accept the fact that I’m basically a single mother until his job decides to bring him back or until he finds someplace else to work. I doubt if the latter will happen since he seems content with where he’s at.”

“Maybe space and time apart will help you guys,” I said cautiously.

“I doubt that, but who knows?” She shrugged. “Anyway, I’d better get back to work.”

“Yeah. Right. I’ll see you tomorrow then,” I said. “If you need something tonight, text me, okay?”

“You won’t be busy?” she asked, her voice so soft.

I almost hadn’t heard her words. “What do you mean?”

“I just thought you might be hanging out with that girl again, the one who had texted you last night.” She laughed. It sounded high-pitched. “I don’t even know her name.”

“It’s Danielle,” I said, wishing we were discussing anything but this.

“Danielle—that’s a pretty name,” Caley said. “Anyway, I just assumed you would be hanging out with her tonight.”

“I’m not. I didn’t hang out with her last night either.”

She seemed surprised. “Why not? I left so that you could.”

I shrugged. “I was busy the rest of last night. I forgot to even text her back until it was too late to do anything.”

I had texted Danielle back later that night, but it wasn’t because I’d forgotten. I was simply avoiding the girl. It wasn’t because I didn’t like her, but I knew bringing her deeper into my life would only cause more problems for myself. Danielle wanted more than I could give her at the moment. I was too wrapped up in Caley and the thoroughly fucked-up feelings I had for her to even consider bringing someone else into the equation.

“Well, text her now, and see if she’s free tonight,” Caley said, making it sound like the most obvious thing in the world.

“Why would I do that?” I asked, annoyed that she had even suggested it.

For someone who was so smart, Caley could be blind about things that were right in front of her face.

She rolled her eyes. “Nothing will happen if you don’t try, Ethan. Don’t you want to find out if she’s someone you’re interested in beyond friendship? Clearly, you like her, or you wouldn’t be texting with her. Take a chance, and see what happens.”

“Why are you so concerned about my love life?” I asked. My words had sounded harsher than I’d meant, but I couldn’t help it.

Caley had no idea how she’d thrown my life into complete turmoil, and now, she was trying to add more drama to the mix. Plus, it hurt me that she’d suggested that I get closer to Danielle. Clearly, Caley had no idea how I felt about her, and she certainly didn’t care about me the way I cared for her. If she did, she wouldn’t be sending me to another woman without blinking an eye.

“I just…I don’t know,” she said softly.

“Maybe I will get ahold of her,” I said, ignoring her words. “I could use a night of fun before I start working constantly.” I glanced down at my phone. “I need to go. I’ll see you later, Caley.”

“Bye,” she said as I walked away.

I didn’t look back at her as I left. Anger flooded my veins, and I found myself pulling my phone out of my pocket as soon as I reached my car.

Hey, I’m free tonight. Want to hang out?

I sent the text and started my car. I knew without a doubt that Danielle would respond with a yes. If Caley wanted me to give Danielle a chance, then fine, I would. And I’d push every wrong feeling I had about Caley from my mind.

Easier said than done
, a voice whispered in my head.

But I ignored it.

I had to stop dwelling on impossible things. Caley was out of my grasp, and she always would be. I needed to pull my head out of my ass and accept that. I had to. There was no other choice. If I couldn’t find a way to get past what I felt, I would end up losing Caley altogether. That thought was physically painful. No, I’d much rather have her as a friend instead of losing her completely. Now that I had her back in my life, I wasn’t willing to let her go.

When I pulled into my driveway, I saw that Danielle had already texted me back.

Sure. Just let me know when and where.

I closed my eyes for a brief moment before responding back, instructing her to meet me at a local restaurant at seven.

There you go, Caley. I’m giving Danielle a chance.

I just hoped it wouldn’t all blow up in my face.