Everything & More (Book 1 in the E.C.N Series)

Chapter 74 - Ryan

The rag in my hands was working overtime as I tried wipe as much oil off my fingers as possible. My clothes from earlier today were in the trash now. Thankfully I had a spare jumpsuit in the back causing me not to have to go back home.

I've only been here for 2 and 1/2 hours, how did I get stuck with the shit end of the stick so early in the day.

"Hello- hello are you evening listening to me man!" The customer standing in front of me has been going on and on about how we couldn't save his baby and that we were good for nothing mechanics in this shop.

"Yea I'm listening," I deadpanned. I wasn't listening, I zoned out about 2 minutes after I had explain the issue for the 10th time.

It was obvious the guy was in a fucking accident. He was either hit by a truck or had gotten into several hundred accidents. The front bumper was ripped off with the hood barely on that you could see the engine, oil constantly leaking, smoke firing out of the exhaust pipe and a screeching sound when it moved that reminded me of a cat being strangled to death. Garrett and I both wanted to cry the minute we saw it.

After putting the death trap on the car lift, I started working on the repairs. Unfortunately, the entire oil pan that was only being held together by duck tape ripped open and soaked my entire upper half. I know why I tried so hard to save the car even though I wanted to put it out of it's misery the moment I laid eyes on it. I understand the desperate feeling of needing a car to last just little bit longer because you can't bear to part with it or you can't afford a new one.

After a lot of prayers and using almost every tool in my box. We gave up. Which brings us to right now, the customer cursing me and everyone in the shop. I started zoning out so I wouldn't punch him.

"How could you not save her? Do you even know what you're doing? Who do they have working here?"

Garret was beside me and I could tell he was heated. "Look that piece of sh-"

I immediately put my hand on his shoulder, "What my partner is trying to say is, and what I have told you is that there was nothing else we could do. We honestly tried our best."

"Yea tried your best my ass." He grumbled walking away keys in hand. We had advised against leaving with it though he only ignored us. We were proven right when he only made it off the curb before the back bumper fell off and the engine completely gave out.

The man didn't apologize and I didn't expect him to. He just got out and walked away, leaving us to deal with the corpse of what he claimed was his "baby".

Some people are heartless.

******

The hot water against the aches I felt after today was just what I needed. One of my hands was in front of me against the tile as I leaned under the shower head letting it drench me from head to toe. Eyes closed and all that kept flashing behind them was my date with Martha. Her voice as as she spoke animatedly about work, her laugh, the way her eyes shined like she wasn't being weighed down by anything. Then there was the flush in her cheeks when she got nervous, the softness of her lips, the way her waist felt in my grip. How the scent of vanilla and roses consumed my very being. I needed to stop, I could feel myself getting hard at the thought of her, so I flipped the shower to cold and took deep breaths as I froze my ass off.

My phone was buzzing as I got out of the shower. The caller ID flashing read: Garrett. "Hello?"

"Ryan, sorry to call so late but we seem to be running into some issues with the new lawyers that are representing us."

"Oh, something wrong with the expansion proposition?"

"They said that was actually fine...their issue was actually with you." I felt my heart sink as he said those words.