My writing professor had once talked about the theory of windows and mirrors. A lot of people wanted to see themselves reflected in literary works, he said, but just as often they liked a window into another world. My friendships with the Lost Boys had always felt like windows into a world I’d never truly know.
Now I wondered if my friends had actually been mirrors this whole time.
CHAPTER10
ozzie
I rolled into the tire repair shop feeling like a world-class idiot. I blamed Walker, because the way he’d looked at me this weekend had turned me into the kind of person who saw a piece of metal in the road and aimed for it.
Had I mentioned how much I loved my car?
But I hadn’t thought about the paint job or the rims or anything. I’d just pointed my tires right at the twisted hunk of debris and then headed toward the shop, not even knowing if Walker would be there.
I needed to meet Joel at the restaurant this morning to prepare for an inspection, with a full shift at the bar after. But instead of finding a more mature, sexy way to flirt with Walker, I’d given myself a ridiculous side quest.
Mom would call me a foofool, a foolish person, and she’d be right.
By the time I came to a stop in front of the service bay, I could tell I’d done a number on the tire. Hell, I was a return-on-investment guy—why didn’t I just ask Walk out for coffee? Even the fancy stuff wouldn’t be this expensive.
The moment I spotted Walker in those terrible coveralls, though, everything else went out the window. A smile lit his gorgeous face, like he was his own personal sun. A shot of tequila and cocaine all at once.
Actually, that was a lie. I’d done all the party drugs in my college years, and not a single one of them could compare to the way I felt when Walker smiled at me.
I slid down the window, returning his smile. “Hey, Walk.”
“Hey, uh. Ozzie.” Walker flushed and fumbled his clipboard as he approached my car. After retrieving the clipboard, he huffed nervously and leaned against my car’s window frame. “Your neighborhood’s roads get you again?”
I gripped my steering wheel for dear life, completely undone by his nearness and his nerves. I needed to avoid doing something really stupid, like stepping out of this vehicle and then pinning him to the hood while I rocked his world.
One look into his jewellike eyes reminded me that my cousin in Jamaica had said she’d carry a baby for me when the time was right. It was ridiculous that my brain went there, especially now that I was picturing a baby girl with light brown skin, stunning blue eyes, and pretty coils that bleached out in the sun.
Super, super ridiculous.
Ridic.
Ulous.
“Oz?” Walker asked, like maybe it wasn’t the first time he’d said my name.
Would our kids have his country-boy accent? God, that’d be adorable with the patois they’d definitely pick up from their granni.
Focus, Oz.
“Huh?”
“Your tire,” Walker said with a gesture and a distracting grin. “It’s lookin’ awful flat.”
“Oh, yeah,” I mumbled, not sure why it was suddenly so hard to breathe. “Came up on a piece of metal. Couldn’t avoid it.”
“No problem. Let me in, and I’ll see if I can repair it for you.”
I’ll let you in, Walk. No problem.
As my mind strolled once more down the path of carnal pleasures, I wondered if Walker would let me introduce him to the joys of flip-fucking.
Not helpful, Oz.
I stepped out of the car and paused to enjoy looking at his short stature and strong hands, wishing I could peek at the goods under those damned coveralls.
