Chase Part 2: A New Adult and College Billionaire Romance (Chase Me Billionaire Romance Series)

Chase wasn’t sure what to expect on his first day at work. He had driven in with Jose, who planned to introduce him to the shop manager. He wanted to make sure Chase had a good start. The auto shop was like many others he had seen. It was in an attractive building with a five-bay garage. The sound of air tools echoed against the concrete industrial buildings across the street, and the sun beat down on Chase as he climbed out of the car. He followed Jose into the garage. Classic rock music played loudly in the back.

“David,” Jose called out, looking across the garage, past the lifts and a couple vehicles suspended in the air. “You around?”

A gray haired man, large and muscular, made his way over to Jose and Chase. He was wearing a worn blue t-shirt and work pants. “Hey, Jose! Good to see you. Is this the guy you were talking about?”

“Yep. David, meet Chase. Chase, this is David, the head mechanic and manager here. He’s the guy you’re going to have to impress.”

Immediately, David zeroed in on Chase as he wiped his hands on a clean shop towel. Jose stood by and waited.

“Good to meet you, man,” David said, shaking Chase’s hand.

“Nice to meet you too, sir.”

“Well, this is mostly a formality. The big man wants you working her no matter what. But still, what experience do you have?”

“I’ve been working on cars ever since I was old enough to hold a socket wrench.” Chase heard the confidence in his voice, and it surprised him. “My father was a mechanic until he went off sick, and he taught me some things. I worked at a shop with him after school and on weekends, and on school breaks. The rest I picked up through experience. I know my way around a car, and some bikes, well enough to be able to help you, I think.”

“Good.” David seemed to be sizing him up.

“I, uh…I don’t have a resume or anything, though.”

“That’s fine. Paper doesn’t prove much. But come on in. Let’s see what you can do.” He gestured toward the other side of the garage.

Chase followed him, and Jose hung back. When they reached the fifth bay, David pointed to a Honda that was sitting there with the hood open. Because of his experience working with his father, Chase could tell the car was a 1994 model, which meant it fell into the first generation of on-board diagnostics. He quickly assessed the situation, everything he could tell just by looking at it, and then glanced at David, wondering what he wanted him to do.

Without preamble, David said, “Give it a quick inspection, and tell me a little bit about what’s wrong with it. No need to go too crazy,” he chuckled. “I just want to get a feel for what you know.”

Chase nodded, and did as he was told without another word. He climbed into the car—which smelled of stale cigarettes—and tried to start the engine. He listened closely for the clicking of the solenoid. After a moment, when the car refused to start, Chase climbed out.

“I’d say there’s a problem with the alternator,” he announced.

David nodded, seeming pleased, but his facial expression gave nothing away.

Chase stepped around to the front of the car and reached down to inspect the belts. They were slightly loose, worn and frayed on the edges. “Alternator belt needs replacing. I would replace all the belts. I would also test the alternator, because I think it’s probably dead. And maybe—”

David raised a hand. “That’s fine. No need to continue,” he smiled warmly. “You already had the job, but you can do more than clean shop floors and oil changes. You seem to know what you’re talking about. This car is your first repair.”

Surprising himself, Chase laughed. “I can do that.” As he breathed deeply, he realized he’d forgotten how much he loved the smell of engine grease. “Thank you, David.”

The two men shook hands.

“There are lockers around back, and a few spare coveralls in the stock room. I’ll show you.”

“Thanks,” Chase said eagerly. He changed into his work gear and got to work. For almost the entire day, though, he had an eerie feeling he was being watched from the two-way styled mirrors up on the second floor.

***

Meaghan had spent the day pounding the pavement. She stopped in every open store downtown, and anywhere there was a sign indicating a job opening. It was starting to feel like a lost cause. Nowhere was hiring. Chase had told her not to worry so much about it as he had found work, but it didn’t feel right. She was intent on contributing to the monthly expenses.

She rode the bus back home, and got off several stops early to walk off some of her frustration. Walking didn’t help, so she decided to phone Jennifer.

She bit her lip to hold back her tears when her aunt answered. She desperately wanted to give her good news, but felt even with the news of Chase’s mother, she couldn’t.

“Is living on your own always this way?” she asked Jennifer.

“No, sweetie, it’s not. Not finding a job after a few days of getting into the city isn’t your fault.” There was a short silence before Jennifer let out a heavy sigh. “I wish I could be there for you, honey. But you need to cheer up and have a little faith. Has Chase found a job?”

“Oh, we didn’t get to tell you about his mother yet.”

“What? Whose mother?”

“Chase. One of his friends gave him a lead on a job at an auto shop. When his friend inquired and gave the owner Chase’s name, his wife turned out to be Marsha.”

“What!” Jennifer shouted into the phone. “So she’s living out there?”

“Apparently. Chase hasn’t seen her yet. But she sent us two brand new cars, a new Harley and over twenty thousand dollars in cash.”

“You’re kidding me, right, Meg?”

“No, Aunt Jennifer. It’s all true. Chase won’t use the cash, and I had to beg him to use one of the cars so we could go buy groceries. I think he’s just not sure how to react.”

“Wow. Well, this is news. So her husband is wealthy?”

“I guess so. He owns the apartment building we live in too. That was a total fluke as well.”

“And is she doing okay? She was such a tortured bird back then.”

“We don’t know yet. Chase is afraid to meet her. But that’s not why I called, Aunt Jennifer.”

“Talk to me, princess.”

“I feel so useless here, like you gave us the money for nothing. Chase tells me it will be fine, but I hate feeling like I dragged him away from home and now I’m not pulling my weight.”

“You didn’t drag him away from home. He went willingly. And while we’re on that topic, do you want to come back?”

“No.”

“And do you feel better off being there?”

“Well, yes. I don’t have to deal with Wanda.”

“Then suck it up, buttercup. You’re going to find a job in no time, and then things will fall into place. And you have Marsha nearby. Chase may not be ready to see her, but she is a good woman. She had her problems, but I can tell you that Marsha would never hurt either of you. Not intentionally. When Chase comes around, the two of you need to try and be there for her, like she’s trying to be there for you now.”

“Okay. Thanks for listening, Aunt Jen.”

“There’s not much I can do to help from this far away, but listening, I can do that anytime. Cheer up honey. I’ll speak with you soon, okay?”

When she hung up, she felt a little less alone. Knowing Jennifer was only a phone call away was a comfort to her. And maybe she was right. Maybe a job was around the corner. She spent the rest of her walk feeling more optimistic. The warmth and sunshine helped too.

Instead of taking her usual way home, she took a busier side-street a few blocks away. Both sides were lined with restaurants, bistros and specialty coffee shops. She had forgotten about this street during her search. She and her college friends would come down here all the time when they felt like studying in a different setting. Several of the shops offered free Wi-Fi so college kids would spend more time there. Even now in the summer, it was pretty busy in the area, as they served the office crowd in several buildings around the neighborhood.

She crossed to the side with more restaurants and noticed two ‘We’re Hiring’ signs in their windows. Her pulse quickened with excitement. Maybe she had a chance. She pulled on the first door, but it was locked. She took the phone number down. She would call later from home. The second restaurant had a closed sign on the door, so she didn’t bother trying it. As she stopped to take the phone number down, a man in a suit walked up beside her.

“Hello. Are you looking for work? I noticed you checking the store sign.”

“Um, yes,” she answered with some hesitation.

“Forgive me. I guess it must feel weird being approached by a complete stranger on the street like this. I’m the owner of Rudolfo’s. I’m opening up early today to interview a few people for the vacancies.”

“Oh! Hello,” she answered, looking over at him as he unlocked the front door. “Well, I’m Meaghan. I would love the chance to do an interview, if you have extra time. Do you mind if I ask what openings you have?”

“Right now we need two waitresses, a sous chef and a hostess to greet our patrons. Come on in. I’ve got a half hour before the first candidate arrives.”

“Sure. Thanks for the opportunity.”

She smiled and straightened up as she walked in after him. She reached into her purse for a copy of her resume in the folder she had brought along. Maybe things were looking up, just like Chase and Jennifer said.

Chapter 2

Meaghan stepped into their apartment later that day. She was alone. Chase was still at his new job at the auto shop. She kicked her shoes off, leaving them beside the door, before putting her purse, phone and keys down to get a glass of water. She unbuttoned her new work shirt, undressing as she headed into the bathroom.

She showered and changed into pajamas. Her first shift had only been two hours that afternoon; a short training and orientation session. The man she met ended up offering her the hostess job, but told her she would have to cover for the waitresses if any of them couldn’t make it in on a given night.

She was happy to have found work, especially at an upscale restaurant. She didn’t care she would have to do waitressing from time to time. The staff seemed nice enough, and the clientele looked to be rather high-class. Now that they were both employed, it felt like they had made progress.

Stepping back into the living room, she admired their new space. There was a wonderful view of the park in Hillcrest from their window. On this pleasant evening, green foliage swayed in the warm breeze. Parents and their children walked and played in the picturesque scene. Traffic slid by, and the sun had begun to set.

She glanced in the fridge, wondering what they should have for dinner. They’ had gone shopping a few days ago, but she didn’t feel much like cooking. She relaxed on the sofa, relieved. Everything was working out better than she had expected. And they were incredibly happy together.

She turned on the television and lowered the volume, leaving it on some comedy program. She needed to stop overthinking things for the fall, but knew there were a few more pressing items to resolve, and those weren’t anywhere near as easy as she had thought.

The only elephant in the room was the issue of when and how Chase would face his mother. It had been four days, and although he had started his job, he had not made any attempt to meet her. He said he needed time. In reality, she knew it was his fear, pure and simple.

Finally, he arrived home, bike helmet in one hand, shutting the door slowly behind him. He appeared tired, but seemed in good spirits. By the look on his face, she could tell he still hadn’t gone to see his mother.

“Hi,” he said, slumping against the back of the couch.

“How was work?”

“Great. It’s a busy place. Lots of cars needing servicing and oil changes.”

“Good.” She tried to gauge whether he might talk about his mom.

“I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“I didn’t call her. I couldn’t.”

“I’m sure you did your best, Chase.”

“How was your training today?”

“Pretty good. It’s a nice place. It would have been a nice place to have a fancy dinner sometime. But I guess now that I work there, maybe not.”

“I hear you. So when do you start?”

“I’ve got my first half-shift tomorrow. The day manager said she’ll train me some more then. After that, I’ll be working five days a week for eight hours a day. Once college starts, they’ll be able to fit me in part time, so I won’t have to look for another job.”

Chase smiled, sitting down next to her. He held an arm over her shoulder and kissed her cheek. “I’m so glad to hear that. Hey, do you mind if I wait a few days before making a real effort to reach out to Mom? I need some time. I don’t want to force it.”

“I don’t mind, Chase. It’s your mother. I’m sure she’ll understand.”

“Yeah, I guess she will.”

They looked at each other, and Meaghan could still see some uncertainty in his eyes, but he seemed more at peace.

“How about we have pizza for dinner? We can order in. We can celebrate your new job!”

“Pizza?”

“Yeah, why not? That way you don’t have to cook. And me neither.” He winked. “Plus, I’m really hungry.”

“We’ll still have to wait for the pizza to be delivered.”

“That’s different.”

“How is it?”

“Because I said so.”

Meaghan chuckled. “Your logic is terrible, Chase.”

“Pizza needs no logic. I’m tired, I’m hungry, and I just want to relax beside you, and eat pizza.”

She smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Good. Then get a pizza.”

Nodding, he pulled his phone from his pocket and called up. “What are we having?”

“What do we normally have?”

“We’re just going to stick with our usual?”

“Yes. Because it’s easy,” he teased. “Feel for something different?”

“Maybe.”

“Okay. You use your phone to check the menu while I’m on hold. They always put us on hold, anyway. Remember that time we were in your dorm early this year? The lady left us holding on the line for twenty minutes.”

“Oh yeah!” she answered as she perused her phone browser. “She probably had a lot of frat houses calling in at the same time.”

“You’re probably right.”

“I think I’ll have our usual. Nothing else looks good.”

“Cool,” he whispered his approval, reaching over and pulling her close.

A voice answered the line just as he moved in to kiss her.

“Hi. Yeah, I’d like to have a meat feast, with mushrooms, potato wedges, chicken strips, garlic bread, and a couple of cookies.” A moment of silence. “Thin, plain crust, large. How long will it be? Thirty minutes is great.” He rattled off the address. “Thanks.” After hanging up, he set his phone on the end table. “Done.”

“Good. So, tomorrow I’m off the job market, and we start earning the money we need to pay the rent. I am so happy.”

“I’m glad you’re happy.”

“You aren’t?”

“Well, I feel weird about that money my mom gave us. It feels like too much.”

“I know…Well, we haven’t spent any of it. So you can always give it back. We’ve driven the vehicles, though. Do you want to give those back too?”

“I think I might. We have David’s Harley. I think we can survive with it. Is that okay with you, Meaghan?”

“Definitely. Do what’s comfortable. We’ve got jobs now. We can cover our expenses. And I can walk to work. But when you see her, try not to make her feel too bad, okay? She did it out of love, nothing else.”

“I think so too.” He leaned back and shut his eyes for a moment. “I do hope you’re right. And no, I won’t intentionally try to make her feel bad. Not for the money, anyway. Although, I may have to ask her why she left me behind.”

“One step at a time, Chase.” She ran her hand along his arm, and squeezed his shoulder. She could see the emotion in his eyes. “That might be good for the second time you meet with her.”

“Maybe,” he answered, nodding and standing up. “I’m gonna have a quick shower before the pizza gets here, okay? Here, listen for my phone when they call from downstairs.”

“Sure.”

She stared at him as he left. His reunion with his mother had become a source of such anxiety, when it could be one of joy. She understood why he felt that way. He had been through so much. Sighing, she leaned back in the sofa and watched TV.

The doorbell rang when Chase was finished. Meaghan watched him answer it and pay for the food. She could tell he was still laboring over his mother.

“Dinner is served,” he announced. “Where would you like to eat? Dining table or here on the sofa?”

“Sofa. We can do normal meals at the table.”

“Sofa it is.”

He placed the box and bags down, and sat beside her to eat. The enjoyed a comfortable silence, and let the TV entertain them as they ate.

“I’m stuffed. I think we ordered too much,” Meaghan said, looking at the remaining food after they were done eating.

“They’ll be good for leftovers later or tomorrow,” he answered, carrying the remaining goodies to the fridge.

When he came back to sit beside her, he pulled her close again. “I hope you’re right, Meaghan.”

“Right about what?”

“Mom.”

“How can I not be right? Think of it this way. We’ve already been really lucky to have found this place. We now both have jobs, and look at us. We have each other now. No matter what happens when you see your mom, we’re so much farther ahead than when we left home. After the pasts we’ve had, Chase, I think it’s time we stop worrying. The future looks bright to me.”

“You’re probably right.” He still didn’t seem like he believed it, but he’d never believed her when she insisted on optimism.

“No. I
am
right. We’ll be fine, Chase. And connecting with your mom may turn out to be better than you imagined. Once you get past the discomfort at the beginning.”

“You know what? You’re right. Will you come with me when I go see her the first few times? We can try for this weekend.”

“Absolutely.”

“Good. She’d probably love to see you too.”

“As would I. She was always kind to me. I’m looking forward to it.”

“Meg?”

“Yes, hun?”

“Thanks. I’m glad things have worked out.” He planted a kiss on her forehead. “And you’re right. Things couldn’t be better.”

Meaghan nodded. They were together, sharing a home, in love, and still best friends. She leaned on his shoulder and enjoyed the moment.