New Friends, Accusations, and Sleepless Nights
The buzz of power tools mixed with the rumble of engines greets me as I open the door to Clark Customs & Auto Repair, Dilynne’s garage located on a corner in The Village, a neighborhood of shops and restaurants centrally located in town. I remember walking these streets and sidewalks with my parents each summer, visiting the ice cream shop and gift shops full of souvenirs and knickknacks, but many new stores have popped up since then. Suddenly my lack of plans for the day has been solved as I plan to walk around and check out everything new after this stop.
A man behind the counter pops up from the floor, startling me and making me question if being here is okay
“Hey there. How can I help you?” Tattoos snake down his arms and gray and black whiskers dust his jaw, but his smile is extremely friendly.
“Hi. I’m, uh…looking for Dilynne. Is she working today?”
The man chuckles, scratching his chin. “Oh yeah, she practically lives here.” His words remind me of what Henley said about his sister. “Let me go see what she’s up to. Hold tight.”
I watch him walk through a door with a half-window into the garage where the sounds of metal on metal echo, making my ears ring. While I wait for him to return, I peek inside the stroller to find Remy blissfully sleeping still.
After seeing Henley off to work this morning at the bakery, I decided to stop by Dilynne’s garage to smooth over our rough introduction from yesterday and also prod a bit more about my boss.
Henley’s nerves this morning before he left made me soften even more for this man, which only adds to the list of inappropriate feelings I have toward him. But it was sweet, how anxious he was about leaving Remy. After assuring him that she’d be fine and that he should let me do the job he hired me to do, he reluctantly left the bakery, which gave me a moment to breathe.
The door from the garage opens, interrupting my thoughts as Dilynne, the man from earlier, and another woman I don’t know all stride through.
“Elodie? What are you doing here?” The three of them stare at me as Dilynne wipes her hands on a rag.
“Hi. I hope I’m not bothering you, but uh…”
Dilynne clears her throat, gesturing to me as she twists her head between the other two people flanking her sides. “This is Elodie, you guys. She’s Henley’s nanny.”
The woman on Dilynne’s left beams as her eyes shift to me. “Oh! Nice to meet you. I’m Laney.” She reaches out to shake my hand as her name rings with familiarity.
“Laney is my partner in crime,” Dilynne explains.
The man scoffs. “First of all, Laney would never commit a crime. And second, I thought I was your partner?”
Dilynne rolls her eyes. “Steven, this isn’t the time for you to complain about how we classify our relationship, okay?”
Finally. A name for this man.
“I’m not complaining. I’m just looking for validation.”
Laney shakes her head, crossing her arms over her chest. “Careful, Steven. Dilynne is already in a mood.”
Dilynne grumbles. “Well, this freaking engine is giving me trouble.”
“I’ll go take a look at it then while you all do your girl-talk thing. But if I figure out the problem, you have to admit that you couldn’t run this place without me.” Steven places his hand on the doorknob, waiting for Dilynne’s reply.
With a heavy sigh, she says, “Fine. Just don’t fuck it up further.”
Steven laughs. “Yeah, like that’s going to happen.”
Once he’s gone, Dilynne turns back to me. “Sorry. Steven really is my right-hand man, but he’s a lot to handle some days.”
Laughing, I say, “I can see that.”
Dilynne and Laney lean over the stroller, greeting Remy and gushing over how adorable she looks in her yellow onesie before Dilynne stands back up to full height. “Anyway, this is Laney, my best friend. She owns…”
“The beauty salon across the street,” I finish for her. “Your brother told me last night.”
“So he’s actually talking to you?”
“Yes.” Confusion builds in my mind. “I mean, it’s kind of hard to take care of Remy without communicating.”
