Mz Mechanic Read online

She handed her ticket to the attendant and entered the gala area. Dimmed lights and soft jazz music surrounded her. Snippets of conversation flowed toward her as she walked further into the room. Just as it had been over fifteen years ago, people still formed small cliques in the room. A few brave ones twirled around on the dance floor with their partners under the glistening ball. There was an open bar on either side of the room, and as she expected the area around it was crowded. The hors devours line in an adjoining room also seemed to be the area of interest.

  Alexia picked up a program as she passed the DJ’s table. As she scanned the list of events, the music faded and the host made his introduction into the microphone. The welcome speech was a bit long, but allowed others to arrive and fill into the ballroom. She recognized many familiar faces already, but not many people she could call best of buddies. One of her best friends was overseas on an assignment for her job. Another friend that she went to law school with didn’t plan to attend at all due to family issues. Alexia wasn’t even supposed to be here, but she’d gain nothing by hiding in her shop day in and day out. Maybe if she learned about all the achievements from her classmates that would somehow motivate her more to accomplish her own goals.

  The crowd erupted in laughter and she realized that she’d missed the joke. She moved a bit closer to the front where she could see a little better.

  “Hi, Alexia.”

  She turned to her right to find the guy who she’d come to know as Junior. He grinned at her. At nearly six foot four with nothing but lean muscle, Junior was high school running back the entire four years. There wasn’t anything junior about him.

  “Hi, Junior.”

  “I can see you haven’t changed since the last time we met,” he said. “Still deliciously stunning.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Quite a change from fifteen years ago. I remember when you were as shy as a mouse and always kept your head down.” He nodded and took a sip of his drink. “I can see you’ve opened up.” He made a show of glancing at her behind. “Made some improvements in all the right places. Lookin’ good.”

  Her smile disappeared. “We’ve all changed.” Being referred to as a mouse didn’t seem all that flattering to her. Neither did she feel like being on display for the pervert of the event. “Some for better. Some for worse. And sadly some didn’t change at all. Excuse me, if you don’t mind.”

  This time she stood beside a lady. One thing she didn’t come here to be was harassed.

  “The first speaker of the night is someone very special…” the host announced “…I’ve come to know him as a confidant and business partner for a number of years. Many of you know him as president of his junior and senior class. Please welcome Shawn Morgan.”

  Alexia’s stomach dipped at the mention of his name. She shouldn’t have been surprised. She knew good and well that Shawn would be in attendance tonight. It was easier for her to tell herself that his presence in her shop didn’t somehow influence her change of heart to come here tonight.

  Shawn walked onto the small platform after shaking hands with a few folks along the way. There was no doubt that he was always the center of attention in a crowd. It was how he’d won over the student body when he ran for office. That, and his ability to persuade.

  The room fell silent as Shawn welcomed everyone and addressed the attendees. He recognized a number of individuals and stressed the important and giving back and getting involved in the community. Alexia wondered if he followed his own advice. Fifteen years ago, the only thing he’d ever been known to give was heartaches to the girls who were unfortunate enough to fall for him.

  When his speech was over, the crowd broke up and people once again split off into their own little groups. Not forgetting the main reason why she was in attendance tonight, Alexia started off toward the ice sculpture near the center of the room. The cerulean-colored punch cascaded over it like a water fall. She held a cup under a spout to collect some of the beverage.

  Theresa, who worked at the local library, fell in step beside her wearing a cheeky grin. “Hi, Alexia. I haven’t seen you in a while. What have you been up to?”

  “Hi.” She smiled. “Nothing much. Just working…mostly on the expansion of Reilly’s. What about yourself?”

  “That’s right. You did mention that last time. I bet that’s been keeping you busy.” Theresa ran her fingers through her mane of curly red hair. “Me. Just hanging in there. Carl will be home in a month from his tour of duty in Iraq. I can’t wait. I haven’t seen him in ten months.”

  Alexia rested her hand on the woman’s shoulder. “That must be hard, Theresa. Listen, I’m a bit of a loner in my shop, so if you ever want to go out to lunch or anything…speaking of lunch, I haven’t received any notices about the reading fest.”

  Last year, she’d been invited to talk about her career and read to a group of children. She’d enjoyed doing it, and got some fulfillment out of somebody thinking her work was just as important as any other job or career.

  Theresa grinned. “The kids are quite busy with school, but they’ll be out next month. I’ll certainly give you a call in a couple weeks. That program has been real popular with the kids and parents.”

  “Nice to hear.”

  “Ladies…”

  The voice behind Alexia was unmistakable. She didn’t turn around to confirm, as she was speechless. How strange that Shawn could trigger this reaction in her. She’d turned from ready to open up to inhibited in a matter of seconds.

  Theresa didn’t have any problems acknowledging him. “Hi Shawn!” They hugged briefly. “Oh, my. You look so…professional.”

  They laughed.

  “Hey,” Shawn said. “What does that mean? Don’t I always look professional?”

  “We both know how you do it.” Theresa teased, and then nudged at Alexia. “Do you remember that, Alexia? The guy who wore jeans to his very first prom.”

  Alexia had heard of this, but she’d never witnessed it. She’d never been to any of the proms. Finally she turned, gaze still glued to the marble floor, and laughed nervously. “Yeah.”

  “It was so funny. They took pictures and everything. Hilarious.” Theresa laughed. “I bet your date didn’t care though. She got to ride in that nice ass Lamborghini that was the talk of the event.”

  When Alexia looked up, she met Shawn’s eyes as he laughed along with Theresa.

  “Alexia,” he said, softly.

  “Shawn.”

  Aside from his professional demeanor, it seemed that he hadn’t aged a bit. Tonight, his olive-toned face was clean-shaven and his dark brown hair combed back away from his face. The dark grey of his suit contrasted with the cool gray color of his eyes. His gaze swept across her as well, and evidently held her in a trance. Everything and everyone around them was forgotten.

  It wasn’t until Theresa spoke that she remembered where she was.

  “Oh, I see Tasha.” Theresa waved as she walked away. “See you two later.”

  “I like your hair. It’s…different from yesterday.”

  “Thank you. It took a couple hours to straighten it.” She usually wore her curly mane out and free. The one thing she could never get rid of was her big hair. Most everything else about her had changed once she’d graduated from high school. Cutting it was out of the question. Her late mother had dutifully brushed her hair at least every other night before bed time. Those mother-daughter talks were something she would always remember.

  He placed his cup under the fountain and collected some punch. “So, is it spiked?”

  “Not that I know of,” she smiled. “I have a low tolerance, so I’ll let you know in about ten minutes.”

  Shawn took a sip. “I’ll need something stronger soon. I was nervous making that speech.”

  “I couldn’t tell. You did well.”

  “I was on the fence about coming anyway, and then when I got here I was talked into giving a speech.”

  As more people crowded around the fountain, they moved away from
it.

  “I can tolerate the heat now while riding around,” he said. “Thanks.”

  She smiled. “Don’t mention it. It was business.”

  “Yeah, business.” He seemed to look at something beyond her shoulder just before he asked, “How did you go from being a lawyer to a mechanic?”

  His knowledge literally surprised her. She didn’t remember telling him anything, especially since he didn’t know her in the first place. “How do you know that I was once a lawyer?”

  “After I left your shop, I was curious.” He took his wallet out and opened it up. “I looked you up in an old yearbook…” he placed a cut-out square into her palm “…and found you.”

  Alexia dreaded looking at any past pictures of herself, but she looked anyway. The picture on the torn paper was her alright. Thick-rimmed glasses. Unruly hair pulled back tightly in a bun. And a crooked smile on her face. The shy girl in the picture was an instant reminder of her mother. They were the spitting image of each other. But, the image also brought back memories of the days when she was a proud member of the un-crowd. She’d never fit in, and that was okay with her. Being the center of attention was not something she coveted.

  She shrugged. “Yeah, that’s me.”

  “You’ve changed, Alexia.” He smiled. “You used to tutor at the local library.”

  “Yes.” She nodded.

  “You loaned me your calculator one day. I remember because that was the week right before finals and I literally camped out at that library studying for exams,” he said. “The next night when I came back to return it, you weren’t there. I returned two more days and asked about you. The lady at the reference desk told me you had stopped working there.”

  Alexia swallowed. It had been hard for her following the death of her parents. She’d been outsider then, and after they were gone she became even more of a recluse.

  Shawn moved closer and cupped her elbow. “I remember you now. Forgive me, but you’ve really…”

  “Changed.” Alexia smiled. “I know.”

  “Then came finals week and next was graduation. Things really moved fast after that, but I wanted to return your calculator…really.”

  “You didn’t even know my name back then. You were just glad you found a calculator to use.”

  “That’s not true.” He shook his head. “Why’d you just stop working at the library?”

  “That same evening, my parents were in a really bad car accident. Both died.” A sudden chill raced up Alexia’s spine, and she lowered her head. Years and years had passed but she couldn’t help to think what their lives would be now if they’d made it out of the crash alive.

  “I’m so sorry.”

  “Don’t be.”

  Shawn frowned. “I won’t say I can relate, and pretend what it’s like to lose someone so close, let alone a parent.”

  “It was a difficult time for me.” After her tragedy, she’d moved away as an attempt to relieve the stress. Unfortunately, it took years to realize that running wasn’t the answer.

  “What happened to you after that?”

  “I—.”

  The DJ chose that second to turn up the music and a crowd of people rushed toward the dance floor when they recognized the song as an old favorite.

  “There’s a quieter spot outside. On the balcony. If you care to join me…?”

  She nodded and allowed him to lead the way.

  The fresh night breeze was a breath of fresh air. The doors closed behind them, but the base from the speakers could still be heard on the outside. With only a few people loitering outside, it allowed for some much needed elbow room.

  She rested her cup on the railing and turned to face Shawn. “After that, I not only wanted to start my life over but I also wanted to pursue my dreams. I knew that was important to my parents.” Several moments of complete silence passed, and he seemed to look to her for more explanation. “My education had already been paid for with the proceeds of a trust fund that had been set up years prior to their passing. He asked me once what I wanted to do with my life, and back then the answer was become a lawyer.”

  “Big dreams and aspirations.” Shawn smiled. “We all had them, but you had the brains for it.”

  “The brains, yes. But later I found it wasn’t truly what I wanted out of my life.” She glanced down at the wood grain patterns on the balcony. “But I wanted to follow through. I would have never let my father down, dead or alive.”

  He arched both eyebrows. “You were really a lawyer?”

  She chuckled. “I still have my license to practice, and a few clients still require consulting here and there.”

  “You didn’t like the work? The climate? What happened? Why’d you decide to work as a mechanic?”

  “This business is my true passion. All the things that come with being an entrepreneur are just the right amount of challenge for me. I’m my own boss. I set my own hours, and I make my business what I want it to be. In five years, I see Reilly’s expanding into more than just an auto body repair shop. I’ve already been meeting with investors and a potential partner to expand the Reilly’s brand to include the acquisition of a dealership and auto brokerage company.”

  “You’ve got your work cut out for you, but looks like you’re really on top of things based on my observations at your shop.”

  Alexia smiled. She was glad that someone saw some type of potential. “So, what troubles have you gotten yourself into over the years?”

  He winked. “Trouble was my middle name. Not anymore. After a while, I got pretty serious when I realized that I needed to take control of my life.”

  “You used to have no problems with attracting a crowd. Let me guess…are you in sales?”

  “Pretty darned close.” He laughed. “I majored in finance in college and have been working in that industry ever since. I’m a financial advisor.”

  “Really?” She stepped back a couple feet with her hands going to her hips on instinct. “I’ve been in the market for one of those. I’m not that savvy when it comes to investments.”

  He held his arms open in emphasis. “Well, I am your guy.”

  Alexia smiled. “This is great.” Who better to trust for financial advice than someone she knew if only just a tad.

  “I…ummm…actually that’s why I ventured out to your car shop in the first place.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You filled out some paper work and I was assigned to your account. Do you remember contacting an Edward Jacobs branch about financial investments?”

  “Yes, as a matter of fact, I did.”

  “I’m glad I stopped by the shop, Alexia,” he said. “I would have never known who you actually were.”

  “I’m glad you did, too.”

  Shawn leaned over the balcony and rested his elbows on the railings. Alexia did the same. In high school, they’d exchanged no more than four sentences, but tonight it felt like she’d known Shawn for ages. She needed a friend like that. One that she could talk to easily. Not that she was on his level or anything. She was still the smart little poor girl living on the other side of town whose dad had big dreams for his daughter. Alexia had big dreams for the Reilly business and she wanted to see them become reality.

  “So, besides your business, what else have you been up to?”

  “Just the business. I’m operating it and working there, basically. That’s all I have time for right now until I can hire more folks and we start the expansion.”

  “Oh, come one…you don’t take time out to play?” he teased.

  She shook her head. “Nah…never heard of it.”

  “I hear ya. I’m working the sixty hour work week, so I’m no stranger to all work and very little play.”

  “It’s rewarding though. To see your business take off so quickly.”

  He turned, facing her again. “What about home life? I’m pretty sure your boyfriend misses you a lot.”

  She grinned. “Are you asking me if I have a boyfriend or just
assuming?”

  “I’m asking,” he said, slowly.

  “I’m not attached…to anyone.”

  “Then you’re basically free with no one telling you when to come home or that you work too much.”

  She glanced down at his left ring finger. There was nothing there. Not a mark, impression of a ring…nothing. “Sounds like you’re talking from experience. Disagreements with your significant other, maybe?”

  “I’m not married.” He shook his head. “Never have been. Not attached either at the moment. But there have been others. Sixty hour work weeks and a love life just don’t mix.”

  “And that I will agree with you on, Mr. Morgan.” Alexia knew this all too well. Even as a lawyer, her dating life was non-existence. She preferred it that way. There was no one to answer to and she wouldn’t ever have to worry about becoming too attached.

  “Which reminds me…I have an event to go to tomorrow night. A chance to network with some business owners which may generate some leads for me and my firm.” He shrugged. “You know…one of those bring your spouse along events. I’d go, but—”

  “Let me guess…” She pressed a pointer finger to her lip, pretending to be in deep thought. “You don’t have a date.”

  Shawn threw his head back and laughed loudly. “Geez, you’ve turned into shy and timid to direct and feisty.”

  “It’s the only way to be in this dog eat dog world. I learned along the way that if you let people run over you, they will.”

  “You’re definitely right about that.” He nodded. “But look, I’m not trying to run over you…”

  She lifted an eyebrow at him. “It’s better to be direct with me.”

  “Alright.” He shrugged. “I’ll start over. I’d like to invite you with me to an event. A lot of business owners and industry professionals will be there.”

  “I’ll have to think about it.”

  His posture and surprised facial expression told Alexia that he wasn’t expecting that answer. “I’ll give you a moment, but I’ll need an answer by tonight.”

  “I already have plans. I need to make sure that breaking them will be worth my time.”

  “Oh,” he said, curtly. “I can assure you that attending with me will be well worth your time.”