Scarred: A New Adult Romance (The Anderson Brothers Series Book 1) (2 page)

By one thirty I arrive at Frank’s, and by the somber looks
on my coworkers’ faces, I know Samuel’s already gone. There’s only four of us
now—me, Paul, Larry, and Nate—and there’s a ton of shit to do on the cars we
have.

Damn, we need help.

Some of the guys in my motorcycle club are looking for jobs.
Matt, the club’s VP, got laid off from stocking shelves.

A towel plops over my head. I tug the towel off, my nose
wrinkling from the odor of oil and old gasoline.

Larry stands in front of me with a smug look on his face.
Besides Frank, Larry’s the oldest out of all of us in both age and experience,
so he usually has no problem with ordering us college kids around. He’s cool,
though. Pretty laid-back in most cases. Always keeps us busy with small
projects and helps us when we need it. “Hey, you ready or what?” He asks.

“Yeah, sure, man,” I say, approaching the whiteboard where
our daily assignments are posted. Today I have to change brake pads on an old
pickup truck, repair struts on a car, and do three scheduled oil changes. Only
easy projects today, and that’s likely Larry’s doing. His present to me heading
into the weekend. God, I love that man. Frank, on the other hand, doesn’t give
two shits and fills our names in anywhere.

I retrieve a spare toolbox and a dolly hanging on the wall
of one of the occupied bays and go outside to where the wheelless truck sits on
some blocks. The sky is overcast and a light drizzle is just enough to keep the
ground damp. I fish through the toolbox for a wrench and a flashlight, lay back
on the dolly, and roll myself under the front of the truck. My mind wanders
while I’m under here, unscrewing bolts, and I feel at peace. There’s no one to
bother me. Just me and my thoughts. Most of the time, that’s more of a curse
than a blessing. If I let my mind go idle for too long, those
other
thoughts start to take hold.

Thoughts I would rather forget.

I try planning my weekend. No new movies coming out, and I
damn sure don’t want to stay home with Chris. He’ll most likely have all of
Seattle’s women in our apartment. Maybe I’ll ride up to the Cascades, or the
Cougar Mountain trail. I need to clear my head somehow. Or maybe I can go see
my uncle. But then I remember that he’s still taking care of Mama.

A bitter taste forms in my mouth.

She cried when I called her sometime last year. Cried over
him.
That son of a bitch. And I still
don’t know why. He did nothing for our family. So many times I’d wished my
Uncle Adam was my father instead. I’d stopped talking to Mama since then, and
ignored her calls.

I’m tired of her damn crying.

A bolt hits me in the forehead. I curse and rub the painful
spot, then start unscrewing the next bolt.

“So careless. So
careless.”

I grit my teeth. I hate that voice.

“Know what I do with
careless little boys like you?”

I suddenly release my grip on the wrench, which somehow
still stays in place on the bolt.

“Come here, Dominick.
Let me show you.”

“No,” I mutter softly.

My phone vibrates, startling me, and I barely miss whacking
my head on the chassis. I roll out from under the truck, and check the name on
my phone before answering, “What’s up, Chris?”

“’Sup, dude. Sorry to call you while you’re at work, but, uh
… You think you can get a box of condoms on your way home?”

“
What
?”

“Yeah, I only got two left.
Definitely
not going to last me the rest of the day.”

“Didn’t your girlfriends come prepared?”

“Nope. They thought they were gonna get a free ride, saying
they’re on the pill and all that, but I didn’t buy it. I’ve heard the horror
stories. That’s baby mama drama just waiting to happen.”

“Why don’t you go out your own damn self and get some? Who
the fuck do you think I am, your mother?”

“Dude, I would if I could, but I can’t be leaving these chicks
unattended while I run out to the store. Besides, my license is still revoked.”

I grit my teeth. “That’s your own fault for not paying that
parking ticket.”

“No, that fucking cop was being an asshole. Look, man, I
swear, I’ll pay you back. This is so embarrassing, but—”

“When the hell did I become your personal errand boy?”
Closing my eyes, I let out a sigh. “If you need some so bad, then use mine.
There’s a box under my bed.”

Silence. “Um … I already used those.”

My eyes go wide. “
What
?
That was a 12-count box!”

“I’ve been using them since last week since I knew you
weren’t.”

That motherfucker!
“You’ve
been sneaking into my room without my permission?”

“Dude, I only went to get condoms. I swear. I kept forgetting
all week to go to the store after work, and now I have these two anxious chicks
here, and … Damn! I need to introduce you to Melanie. She’s got
amazing
legs!”

The left side of my mouth twitches. “I don’t want to know
who the fuck they are. Keep them out of my room. And you stay the hell out,
too.”

“Noted. So, you gonna run by the store for me, or what?”

I exhale and abruptly hang up. Of course I’m going to get
more condoms—for me. I swear, this time I’m not going to break down like a
little pansy and give him any. Sometimes I hate being the nice guy.

My phone vibrates again. This time I get a text.

THX MAN URE DA BEST

He’s already on to me, damn it.

Attempting to fight down a smile, I reply:

Fuck u

I stick my phone in my side pocket and slide back under the
truck. Not even five minutes pass before the phone vibrates again. Grumbling, I
snatch it out.

Another text from Chris.

O btw, got tickets 2 ur
bro’s gig 2nite. Wanna go?

Cringing, I shove the phone back into my pocket and return
to my work. I never particularly care to go anywhere with Chris, because it
usually means I’ll be spending my time watching him pick up every girl around. Maybe
I’ll go to the club, if only to see Kevin.

* * *

Finished with all my work, I pick up
the toolbox and dolly and return them to the shop.

Larry, who is fixing a radiator, stops and wipes his hands
on a towel. “All done?”

“Yup.” I hang the dolly back on the wall.

“All right. Five minutes till quittin’ time. You have a good
weekend.”

The way he says that sounds like he wants me to leave early,
have fun. I take that cue without hesitation and head out.

On the way back home, I stop at a convenience
store. It’s rush-hour traffic, and the place is near the interstate, so it’s
pretty busy inside with tons of people packed into the tiny store. I stand on
line with a box of condoms tucked under one arm and stare idly at the nine
people ahead of me. Of course, an old man at the head of the line decides to
pay with plastic and takes forever to punch in his information on the card
reader. I sigh heavily and watch customers enter and mill about the store.

I just want to go
home.

After what seems like forever, I’m finally the second person
in line. The bell over the door jingles, followed by the sounds of hurried
footsteps. A girl comes running up to the counter in a panic. Several customers
in line give her dirty looks. The girl appears slightly younger than
me—nineteen, maybe twenty.

“Excuse me, is there a working pay phone anywhere? It’s an
emergency and my cell’s dead!” She says frantically.

While punching buttons on the register with one hand, the
clerk points to the entrance with the other and says, “Outside around the
corner.”

“Thanks.” She spins on her heel and rushes out.

The troubled look on her face makes me curious.
Is she alone?

When it’s finally my turn, I quickly pay and leave, hoping
the girl hasn’t left yet. Why am I even worried about her, anyway? I don’t know
her. With my luck, she probably has some jealous boyfriend waiting in the car
for her. He could be waiting to beat the living shit out of a stupid punk like
me for nosing around in her business.

I discover the girl around the side of the building at the
pay phone, which looks like it’s been out of commission for years. She wipes
sweat from her forehead, adjusts the dark blue headband she’s wearing over her
cornrowed hair, then fishes through her purse and jeans pockets, probably
looking for change. After stuffing the box of condoms in my backpack on my
bike, I walk over to her. She looks up at me briefly before resuming her
search.

I pull a quarter from my pocket and hand it to her. “Here.”

She looks back at me with raised eyebrows, then at the
quarter, but doesn’t take it.

“Or you can use my cell, if you like,” I say. I glance over
my shoulder, anticipating her jealous brute of a boyfriend—because a beautiful
girl like her couldn’t
possibly
be
single— grabbing me from behind and slamming me against his car, but all I find
are people going in and out of the convenience store, not paying either of us
any mind. I turn back to the girl.

She looks at me hesitantly. “I …"

“I’m just trying to help here. That’s all. You said it was
an emergency, right?”

“Yes.” She takes the quarter meekly. “Thank you.” She turns
away from me and picks up the receiver.

Of course, I want to ask her what the emergency is, but
that’s none of my business. Maybe if I wait long enough, I’ll get an
opportunity. This girl looks different from the ones Chris brings home every
night. Hell, she looks different from some of the college girls I’ve seen in
the past couple of semesters. She actually covers her assets rather than
advertise them.

Again, I look over my shoulder for some rough-looking guy
heading in my direction, but cars go by, and random people continue entering
and leaving the convenience store. I hear the clicking sound of the coin being
inserted into the phone, and I whip my head back around.

“Hi, I need a tow truck right away …"

My concern for this girl gets a little deeper.

“Yes, I have roadside service under my dad’s name,” she
says. “I’m uh … She pauses and looks around briefly, then returns to her
conversation. “I’m at the shopmart on Fifteenth, but my car is further away …
Denise—Denise Ramsey … All right, thank you.” She hangs up the phone and
spins around, casting me a thankful look.

I try not to smile. Denise Ramsey, I assume, is her name.
And she apparently has car problems.

“Thank you so much,” Denise says. “I’m very sorry. I wish I
had some change to pay you back.”

“Naw, don’t worry about it,” I say, waving my hand dismissively.
“So what happened to your car?”

Denise shrugs. “I don’t know. I was driving along and
suddenly everything just cuts off without warning. I coasted to a stop and the
car wouldn’t start any more.”

My mechanic mode kicks in. “Sounds like a bad battery. Or
the alternator.”

Denise’s eyes dull. “Oh. How expensive is something like
that to fix, you think?”

“It depends on the seriousness of the problem.”

She sighs. “I guess I’ll be without a car for a while. I
don’t get paid for another week.”

I chew my bottom lip. I know I could fix whatever was wrong
with it—though, depending on her car, an alternator might be a bit of a pain.
Denise seems like a sensible girl I might like to get to know. “Denise, was it?
My name is Dominick. I’m a mechanic at Frank’s Garage, over on Mercer Street.”

“You’re a mechanic?” Denise blinks, then gives a short
laugh. “That’s convenient. But there’s no way I’ll be able to afford any car
repairs right now.”

Frank certainly won’t approve, but Larry never minds
whenever I bring my bike over there to service after-hours. So long as I don’t
use the shop’s parts, Larry is usually cool with it. I figure I will probably
have to explain about Denise’s car, though. “I think I might be able to make it
all work out if you bring it by the shop. I just need to talk to a coworker
about it.”

Her eyes light up, but that excitement quickly fades. “No, I
should probably get it towed back to my house until I can afford the repairs.”

Smart girl. Never trust strangers. “All right. I completely
understand. You don’t know me, and I don’t know you. That’s smart. But please
know that I’m just trying to help. You are always welcome to stop by the shop
and see for yourself whenever you like.”

“Thank you.” She nods.

“Mind if I wait on the tow truck with you? I’d rather not
see you waiting out here all by yourself like this.”

She arches an eyebrow at me. “I happen to be a grown woman.
I don’t need adult supervision.”

Ouch.

“But I don’t mind the company, and you
did
loan me a quarter.” She smiles reassuringly, perhaps realizing
she sounded harsh.

I exhale. I barely know this girl, but she’s got me curious.
I step aside to give her some space, and then lean against the wall of the
building, stuffing my hands in my pockets. “I hope you don’t find it creepy or
something for me to want to ensure that an attractive woman like you is safe.”
I mentally kick myself.
Did I really just
say that?

Thankfully, she doesn’t appear put-off by the comment. Her
expression, however, turns coyer. “I don’t really find it
creepy
. Though, I can only wonder what is going on in that mind of
yours that you would take time out of your busy schedule to wait on a tow truck
with me.”

My smile slowly returns. “Have you never heard of chivalry?”

She laughs. “Yeah, I heard it’s dead.”

“Eh, well, there are still a few of us guys out there trying
to keep it alive.” My phone vibrates in my pocket, and I pull it out. Chris’s
number blinks on the screen
.
I ignore
the call and send him a text message saying that I won’t be coming home anytime
soon. If he’s that desperate for a quick fuck, he’ll find a way. I stuff the
phone back into my pocket.