The Driving Force to Love (MXM) ✔

Chapter 11

Antonio Angel Hernandez Sanchez

They rolled the last bike off the truck. Dean wasn't finished with all the bikes yet, but most of them had now been returned. I estimated he would be finished by the second week of February. Finally I could stop making it a business relationship only. It was difficult to maintain a professional atmosphere. I found myself going overboard in an effort to not seem too friendly. I just hoped when all this was over we could be friends. Maybe more than that. Maybe we could go on a date for Valentine's day. I was getting ahead of myself. I wanted him in my life even if it was just as friends.

I walked back into my office. Jeff followed me in.

"I've been looking over the work your outside mechanic has done," he said as he sat across from me at my desk.

"And? What do you think? Is he any good?"

"Very good. Some of it was just simple fixes that anyone could do, but he has done the more complicated fixes expertly."

"That's good to hear," I said.

"I'd approve if you wanted to hire him here as a permanent mechanic. I don't think it looks good to take the bikes elsewhere though. If you were to hire him, he would need to work here."

I smiled because that was a huge compliment to Dean coming from Jeff. "No. I think I'm done hiring him for outside work. He has his own shop and he is content running it."

"Alright then," Jeff said. "He doesn't have much left to do, does he?"

"No," I said. "I think he'll be done in the next week or two." My being lightened at the thought. It was almost time.

"Well, I should get back to work," Jeff said.

I did a little bit of work on the computer and then went out and walked through the store. I greeted customers warmly, straightened items on the shelves, and spoke a little to my employees. When it was time to close the store, I let my manager handle the details of the store while I went and shut down my computer.

My madre had asked me to stop by on my way home. I pulled up and parked on the street. My mom was at the door saying goodbye to one of the girls that attended her home day care. The girl's dad held her hand as they said goodbye to my mom.

The dad greeted me as we passed each other on the sidewalk. A wide smile touched my madre's lips as she watched me approach.

"Mi hijo," she greeted and hugged me.

"Mama," I said as I squeezed her back. I followed her inside. Most of the children had left already. A few of her daycare workers were attending the last of the children in the playroom.

"We made churros today with the children," my madre said as she led me into the kitchen. "Take some home for you and Elizabeth."

"Thank you, mama," I said.

My padre sat at the kitchen table. He quickly stuffed the last of the churro he was eating into his mouth and turned away from my madre hoping she wouldn't catch him. Her pinched frown said it all though. He looked over his shoulder at her, saw her expression and quickly turned away again. Little grains of sugar were still on his lips.

"I told you those were for Antonio," she scolded.

"It's fine, mama," I said.

"Ever since he retired he just hangs around and sneaks food," my madre said. "Go make friends," she said to him.

"I have friends," my padre said.

"Good. Go golfing with them or something. Stop hanging around here all day."