Bikes and Boys

It had taken all day to put the engine back together just to figure out that it still wasn’t going to work for her. Taking a deep breath she contemplated pulling another all nighter and rebuilding it again, but finally threw her wrench back into her tool box and rolled her neck. Liquid sapphire eyes surveyed the mess of grease on her hands and knew that some of it had had to end up on her face as well. Another deep breath before she unzipped her coveralls and tied them around her waist moving through her tiny little shop and into the closet she called her office. Her phone announced seven missed calls and several messages, both voice and text.1

“What the hell do you want?” She sang to herself, deleting the missed calls and ignoring her text messages.2

“You know, normally I wouldn’t just barge in because I know you’re working, but this sight is totally worth it.”’3

Brooklyn glared at her ex-husband, “What the hell do you want?”4

“Nothing much, just looking for a good mechanic to work on my most recent purchase and someone recommended this pretty little genius, saying you gave good deals and sported a tank top and coveralls…guess they weren’t lying. How are you, Brooks?”5

“Don’t call me that, Dick. And there’s no way you came here to let me work on your bike, the stick up your ass is too far up for that, so what’s up?” Pulling her hair out of its messy ponytail she sat at her desk and put her feet up.6

He continued to lean against the door jam, ignoring the sarcastic tone and smiling at her defensive body language. Able to read her like a book he thought about his next sentence carefully, “So, how’s your little shop doing?”7

“Fine, better than fine. Why do you ask?”8

His eyes slid down her body, twisted little fantasies playing in his head, the one thing he had liked about being married to her was the night life. “Are you sure?”9

Brooklyn glared at him, knowing all too well what was going on in his head. To think that he had once been the person she wanted to spend the rest of her life with made her stomach turn and a shiver run up her spine, but at least she had been able to get out of it before he had done too much damage. She sat up and started shifting through her mail, “I still don’t see your point. Dick, what do you want?”10

“I actually do need you to work on something for me. I have a new bike, I need it to go faster and be better than everyone else’s. I have a job for you.” He replied, still smiling like nothing was wrong.11

There were no words to explain how angry she was all of the sudden, “Go fuck yourself. I’m not going to gladly waltz back into your world of shit. Go find someone else.”12

“Brooks, I don’t trust anyone else with this. You’re an amazing mechanic; otherwise you know I wouldn’t be standing here asking. I need you to do this for me.”13

“There is no reason for me to even think about it. Get out, now.” She demanded, throwing a piece of paper in the garbage.14

He nodded slowly, “I’m only going to say this once. Ask once, will you help me with my bike?”15

“No.”16

Instead of arguing like she thought he would Richard left. Straight out the door and to his car. Sitting and staring out her front window completely amazed and slightly scared as to what was going to happen when Richard decided he couldn’t do it without her. He had been playing with her head since high school and it hadn’t stopped once they were divorced. Her shop was the only thing that was really hers, the small apartment above the garage was too small for one person, but she didn’t need much.17

Picking up her phone she called her old best friend Henry.18

“Hello?”19

“Hey, babe. Did you know Dick was racing again?”20

The man on the other end groaned, “Yeah, didn’t want you finding out.”21

“The dick came over himself to tell me and ask me if I would be on his crew. I said no, but I think he’s going to find a way to get me to-”22

“Be on my crew.”23

I laughed out loud, “I can’t. I have the shop and-”24

“Then just be on my list. Don’t let him find a way around you saying no, just do me this favor and be on my list before he puts you in another tangle.”25

“Okay, fine. I’ll be on your stupid list.”26