Running with Scissors

Chapter 1

Paul swore under his breath as the spanner slipped on the bolt for the third time.  A simple repair he had thought, save a little money instead of paying for the work at a garage.  Well, it wasn’t working out to be as simple as he had hoped.  The half hour job had now taken him two hours and it still wasn’t done.  His hands were so cold that he could barely feel the spanner he held and he just knew it was going to start raining any second.

His mobile phone lay on the pavement beside his tool box.  He looked at it accusingly.  He had left three messages for Scott, the only person in his small circle of friends who had any knowledge about mechanics.  The phone ignored him, refusing to ring.  Paul swore again.

He heard footsteps on the pavement behind him and turned, sure it would be Scott arriving to help him out at last.  His stomach tried to summersault as he saw who it was.  The sarcastic “about time” died on his lips.

Determined not to let the opportunity to talk to her slip away, he pulled in a shaky breath.  It was now or never.

“Hi,” he said at last.  A smile settled easily on his lips. 

She looked around as though unsure that he was speaking to her.  He tried to think of something to say before she walked past. 

“Not at college today?”  Maybe not the best line in the world but the only thing he could come up with at such short notice.

She hesitated, glancing around again before stopping. 

“No.  Not today.”  She didn’t know him but saw him on an almost daily basis on her way to college each morning; One of the neighbours. 

He seemed to be quite a bit older than her.  No ‘stand out in a crowd’ looks, but not unattractive.  His mousy brown hair was carefully styled to look like it had just dried that way naturally.  

He looked at her.  The intensity of his gaze made her feel slightly uneasy although she couldn’t explain why.  Usually when he saw her he would smile.  A friendly, warm smile and a raised hand; a gesture of neighbourly recognition. 

 He smiled at her now and the unease she had felt evaporated so fast that she wasn’t sure she had ever felt it.

“I seem to be having some trouble here,” he told her glancing at his car.  “I could do with about six pairs of hands.  I don’t suppose you would help me out?”

She looked at the blue Subaru and he read the uncertainty in her eyes.  “I think it’s gonna rain soon and I really need it done before then.” He looked at her hopefully.  “Mechanic let me down.”

What harm could it do?  “Sure,” she said after a moment.  “It’ll never work again though.”

He showed her where to hold the greasy piece of metal in place while he tightened the bolts that would secure it.

“So, what do I call you?” he asked as he worked.