Quarter Mile Hearts(34)

“Just checking over this tidy Camaro.” I try to keep the quiver out of my voice.

“Uh-huh and …”

“I think it’s the steering.”

“I can get that booked in.” Max cuts in and stands on the other side of me, hovering at my shoulder.

“Cool, I’d appreciate that.” Kyle nods and focuses his attention back on me.

“Tomorrow suit you?” Max interrupts, gaining Kyle’s attention.

“Yeah, I’ll bring her in first thing.” Kyle nods but quickly turns back to me. I straighten, unhook the hood and slam it down before brushing my hands off on my jeans. He shifts uneasily as he looks at Max and then back at me.

“So, uh, I was, uh, wondering if you wanted to go out sometime?”

I was so not expecting that, and I’m thrown for a loop. “Ah.” For some reason, my eyes dart to Max. What I am expecting him to do is beyond me. Dark, blazing eyes stare back at me—he’s daring me, just daring me to say yes and to see what happens. Kyle seems like a nice guy, but he’s a racer, and I told Max just an hour ago that I didn’t date racers. But that obviously hasn’t bothered him, considering he’s just had lunch with Miss Blonde and Beautiful. I couldn’t have bruised his ego that much. It might be fun going out with Kyle; plus, it beats hanging out with Beth and Aaron all the time and getting nauseated by their PDA.

“Yeah, okay, that could be fun.” I shrug and although I’m not falling over myself to accept his offer, he seems happy enough that I’ve accepted. Max, on the other hand, does not. His jaw tightens and the muscle jumps furiously. Without a word, he turns on his heel and stalks back inside.

“So, would tonight be okay with you?”

“Yeah, great.”

“I’ll pick you up at, say, seven.”

“Sure, I’ll see you then, Kyle.” And I can’t fight the smile that spreads across my lips as I walk backward from the Camaro. Kyle starts the engine and pulls away, kicking up a small cloud of dust as he goes.

Beth and Aaron pull into the parking lot just as Kyle leaves and they wave to him.

“What did Kyle want?” Aaron asks getting out Beth’s Honda.

“Something wrong with the steering on his Camaro. He’s coming in tomorrow.”

Beth links her arm through mine as we walk into the garage. “Was that all he wanted?” She raises her eyebrow; she has this uncanny habit of knowing when I am hiding something. Or maybe it’s because I’m still a little flushed from him asking me out on a date.

“Well… he asked me out on a date,” I confide in a conspiratorial tone. Her loud gasp echoes around the vast space.

“And?”

“I said okay.” I shrug and jump when a wrench drops on the concrete floor with a loud clatter. My eyes swing in the direction of the noise and see Max scowling at me.

Ignoring the clanging of the wrench, Beth's eyes widen. “You're going on a date? You?”

“I take offense that you find that so unbelievable.”

“It’s the second offer she got today,” Aaron pipes up. “Max asked her out.” I swing around to face him, a murderous look on my face.

“How the fuck do you know that?”

His face reddens; with a sheepish look he averts his eyes. “I may have turned the radio down. It's hard to hear what’s going on in the office sometimes.”

“Aaron!” I groan in frustration, but Beth looks at him, impressed with his eavesdropping skills.

“That's why he was so angry when he left here. Why did you say no to Max?” I hear the incredulity in her tone.

I groan and slump against a car. “You know how we are. How could we possibly go on a date; we can't even be civil to each other.”

“But there's a chemistry there,” Aaron chips in. Why is he even still standing here; this conversation is just for us girls.

“What?” I shake my head at him. “You're worse than a woman.”

“He's right.” Beth nods her head in all seriousness.

“Oh, my god. Not you, too. Look, Max asked me out and I said no. Then he comes back after lunch with a girl looking like he just got laid-”

“And that's why you agreed to go out with Kyle,” Beth interrupts.

“What? No. But he can't have been that cut up about me turning him down.”

All three of us look over at the car Max is working on when he lets loose a string of expletives.

“Yeah, he looks real happy about it,” Aaron mutters and gives me a pointed look before walking back to carry on with his work.

“When you going out?” Beth asks in a low voice.

“Tonight.”

“Wow, he’s quick.”