Where is She

Chapter 7: Living Life

"Hey April, you got a minute?" her boss, Caden, asked.

Wiping her hands on the rag, "Sure boss, what's up?"

"We're getting some imports delivered in two days. Brand new cars, I'm talking one of one cars! You know what that means right?" he asked excitedly.

"Well, no not really? I'm not really a car person," April says a bit confused. Honestly, the term sounds familiar, but she can't remember where she heard it or what it means.

"But you work here...at the Tuner Shop...well we'll just have to give you a crash course sometime, but that's not the point right now," he says. "The point is that these are brand new! And we're going to have a big reveal followed by an auction."

"Nice! That's exciting! What kind of cars are coming?"

"Some old school style muscle cars, an R34 GTR, an NSX and a few others. Oh! And a new Lexus, modeled after the LC500. Recognize any?" He asked her.

"Nope, no clue!" That's a lie, Randy had an LC500. At least, that's what she thinks it was called.

Chuckling he says, "No worries, all you need to know is that we're getting a new shipment in. So, I'm going to need you to be ready to inspect them with the rest of the crew as they come in."

"Me?!" She asked pointing to herself incredulously, "Didn't we just say I don't know anything about the cars? "

"Well, yeah."

"Then how am I going to help?"

"You don't really need to know about cars to be able to inspect them. You're checking the same things you'd check if a customer came in for a performance read, which you've been doing well at now. Plus, you've been here what 3 months now? I trust you, so don't worry too much about it," he says trying to reassure her.

"Well, I guess when you put it that way, then yeah, I don't mind helping. Just don't expect me to be able to talk about the cars other than the color," she jokes.

"Ha ha, very funny. Get back to work, Red," he says rolling his eyes.

"You got it, boss!"

As she gets back to work, she thinks about what he just said.

Has it really been three months? Three months since she moved here and started working at the Tuner Shop. Absolutely wild to think about. Who knew this was where she'd be right now, at this exact moment?

Clutching a wrench as she tightens the last bolt on the engine, her mind starts to wander, wondering how everyone else is doing – Is Ray still grinding and selling weed? Did Randy and Curtis make their racing crew? Who's leading DNF now? How's he doing?

No, snap yourself out of it April. You can't keep thinking about them. Can't keep wallowing in the past because that won't change anything anyways. She's already been in her feelings, but now is definitely not the time to rehash. She dabs her eyes because she doesn't feel like crying, not today.

"Hey guys!" calls out Caden. "We've got a big day tomorrow prepping for the delivery, we're going to be very busy. Let's go out tonight to celebrate while we have time. Who's in?"

"I'm in!"

"Whoo!!"

"Drinks on you, right boss?" one of her coworkers, Drew, asked cheekily.

"Yeah, yeah one round, then you're on your own. Don't think I don't know you," Caden answers back. "What about you, Red? You in?"

"Um, I don't know..." she trails off.