Wow.
“Um… okay. I won’t take it to them again. I had no idea about any of that. My knowledge of cars is limited to making it look pretty.”
Avery snorted. “Yeah, I’m sure that’s what they were banking on, taking advantage of people who don’t know about cars. I don’t like that shit.”
There was a short period of awkward silence where neither of us knew what to say. He began gathering his tools to put away, and I suddenly felt an overwhelming need to keep the conversation going. Hooking my thumbs into my belt loops, I broke the ice.
“The question you asked me earlier, about if I’d ever matched myself with a client… the answer was actually yes.”
He looked up, with a little smile that told me my words weren’t a surprise. “Yeah… I figured, from the way you responded. What ended up happening?”
I shrugged, pressing my lips together in a tight smile. “It ended up being a huge mistake. Rafael was an actor who got his ‘big break’ shortly after we got married, and he started doing what men with that kind of money, and access and power do.”
“Big break… are you talking about Rafael Oliveira?”
“One in the same,” I said, chuckling at the recognition. “It was so stupid. I mean, he had a playboy reputation before he was big name. Being a married man wouldn’t look good for his ‘brand’, so we couldn’t be seen together, which meant we couldn’t do anything together, except argue and have sex. Eventually, once I realized he was cheating, the sex stopped, so all we did was fight, and…. well, here I am, divorced.”
His eyes widened. “Damn.”
“Damn is right. So, I learned my lesson, no more matching myself with clients, under any circumstances.” I locked eyes with him, hoping the full meaning of my words connected. There was no way I was imagining the subtle vibe between us, but it wasn’t something we would be acting on. I needed that to be clear. He gave me a slight nod of recognition, which relieved me, but at the same time, made me feel a little empty. I gave myself a few seconds, then brushed it off, asking him what I owed for the repair of the car.
“Are you serious, Tori? That took like five minutes, of course you don’t owe me anything.” He glanced at his watch. “But… if you’re hungry, do you wanna join me for an early dinner?”
I shook my head. “I appreciate the offer, but I’m actually due at my parents’ for dinner. My step mom always cooks a bunch of stuff, and my dad is on the grill today.”
“I mean… I like barbecues.” Avery leaned against the door of my car, locking in on me with those damn eyes, and a grin that made my knees feel a little weak.
“I know some good restaurants I can recommend,” I responded, pretending I didn’t realize he was fishing for an invitation.
He chuckled, grabbing my hand before I could step away. “Come on, Tori. I fixed your car, and probably saved you a bunch of money from your wack-ass mechanic. You’re gonna deprive me of a home-cooked meal after you stood in my face and bragged about it?”
Crap.
He was laying it on thick, and I was falling for it, because a twinge of guilt crept up my shoulders, nagging me until I gave in. “Fine,” I said. “Why not?”
I discovered exactly ‘why not’ shortly after we arrived at my parent’s home. After greeting him, Lynne sent Avery outside with my dad and uncle to help with the grill. When he was out of earshot, she turned to me with a huge grin.
“Lynne… please, he’s a client. He helped me out with my car, so I invited him to eat with us to return the favor. It’s nothing. Ask Mel, she knows.”