Timothy cocked his head, eyes turning into slits. “You’re not qualified to advise her on a car?”
“I am, sir, but—”
“Excellent.” Timothy jotted an address on a slip of paper and handed it to me. “I suggest Abraham’s Auto Sales. They have good, affordable cars and they’re close by. At Weatherly, go south and it’s right on the corner.” He swiveled to his left and looked past me. “May I help you?”
A woman to my right bellied up to the counter.
Reluctantly facing Zack, I said, “You ready to go?”
“Can we take mine as opposed to…” He eyed my car.
“If we take mine, maybe I can trade it in.”
“Or sell it privately and get more for it,” Zack countered.
“Okay. I just need to lock it up.” I headed toward the Taurus.
“Yeah, because there’s someone out there who’s dying to steal that car.”
I turned and glared.
He gave me a sheepish smile. “Sorry. Couldn’t resist.”
I gave him a look that said I wasn’t amused, then forged on. Inside my car, I rolled up the windows, then got out and closed the driver’s side. Something didn’t sound right. The door hung off kilter, so I bumped it with my hip and it closed fully. I backed up and stared at the indentation my thigh had made. Great. Like my car wasn’t unsightly enough.
Willing myself to relax, I jumped into the Jeep and strapped on the seatbelt. The vehicle began to move.
“Want the radio on?” he asked.
Would Zack bond with me over a favorite song? Not likely. But the music might keep my mind off the awkwardness of being stuck with him. “Sure,” I said.
He fiddled with the radio until he found a station with The White Stripes and their beats pounded from the speakers.
The ratty soft-top wasn’t airtight and the windows were down. Tendrils of hair escaped and whipped me in the face. I gathered most of it into a ponytail with one hand while my other hand stayed busy trying to capture the rebels.
“Would you like the window up?” Zack asked.
I spared him a quick glance. “Uhm, sure.”
Without hesitation, he rolled it up. “Want the air on?”
“Why are you being so accommodating?” My eyes narrowed.
“We’re not at school, Autumn. This is work. Timothy needs to hear I was courteous and professional.” He sighed. “I need this job. I have to save enough money, so I’m okay when…” His words trailed off.
My stomach tightened as I remembered what Maya told me about his mom and how she was dying. The thought of him being left parentless made me wonder what were the right words to say.
“Anyway...” Zack shifted in his seat. “Was that a yes on the A/C?”
I quickly averted my gaze. “Yes, please.”
He reached over to adjust the air and my eyes drifted to his well-defined forearms. Who knew arms could be so sexy? And he had confidence — the most powerful aphrodisiac known to womankind. He was decent too, always there when I needed him, even if he was a bit reluctant about it. When he was polite, I actually liked him. How would he act if he didn’t dislike me? That would be interesting.
Oh, God, no! Contemplating being with Zack in any other way than as my mechanic or classmate would lead to disappointment, since he thought I was a snob and all. I couldn’t allow myself to crush on him. But wasn’t I already doing that? I’d switched from a twisted pervert who loved me too much to an ill-mannered oaf who didn’t like me at all.
What was wrong with me? The super-powers had given me some sort of dementia or something. Panic swept through me and I panted, almost hyperventilating. In horror at my physical reaction, I ripped my gaze from him, stared out the window and tried to stay calm.
Zack was so right. I had lousy taste in guys.
I felt his eyes on me. “Are you okay? Do I need to pull over?” he asked.
“I’m fine.” My heart pounded and a rush of heat spread through me. “A little nervous about car shopping.”
He chuckled. “Driving a new car instead of that deathtrap is cause for anxiety?”
I fanned myself with my hand. “I need to find something that fits my parent’s criteria or they might retract their offer.”
“What’s the criteria?”
“It needs to be reliable without lagging when it should be moving. It has to be good on gas with low miles. Most important, it needs a thumbs-up by Timothy for under fifteen grand.”
“Shouldn’t be too hard.” He turned into a driveway of a super-sized used car lot. “Any idea what I should keep an eye out for? Sedan? SUV? Something sporty maybe?”
“Uhm.” I blinked. “I don’t know.”