Because of that one pesky question, my mechanics and I can’t prepare to receive the car. We’ll have to fly in blind.
I make a beeline for the tool cabinet when I start skidding on the ground.
“Ah!” I windmill my arms and rock back and forth, fighting to remain upright. Gravity pulls me down anyway and I slam hard on my back.
Dazed, I stare at the ceiling, out of breath.
“Boss!” Footsteps pound the ground.
A moment later, three faces appear in my line of vision.
One face is young and sharp with a mop-like haircut and brown eyes.
The other face is full with pudgy cheeks and a scraggly mustache.
The third face is older with deep wrinkles carved around his mouth and wispy grey hair.
“Can you get up?” Jimmy asks, reaching a hand down.
Carlos offers a hand too.
The words ‘I don’t need your help’ spring to my lips. I don’t want to appear weak in front of my team, especially as a woman.
But something Nat said in my kitchen this morning echoes back to me.
‘In hockey, the roles are clear. I do my part and I trust my teammates to do theirs.’
If giant men skating at a bajillion miles an hour on frozen water chasing a tiny black disc can trust each other to do their part and play as a team, then I can lean on my mechanics when I need to as well.
Reaching up, I accept both Carlos and Jimmy’s hand.
The men pull me to my feet.
“Are you hurt?” Jimmy asks, looking me over.
Blade walks around me, his eyes sliding down my body. “She looks good to me.”
Jimmy smacks him on the back of the head.
“Ow! Hey, I didn’t mean anything by it. I was just saying that she’s not bleeding or anything.”
My lips tremble and panic starts to lose its grip on my throat.
“We got your message, Boss,” Carlos says. “What did they say about the brake job?”
“It’s because of your crappy work,” Blade accuses.
Carlos’s eyes narrow angrily. “I did what I always do. The brakes were fixed. The Boss signed off on it.”
“Blade, don’t throw around accusations. We don’t know why the customer broke down this morning. It’s useless to go around pointing fingers without having the full information.”
Carlos folds his arms over his chest. “What she said.”
Blade rolls his eyes, which is his signature teenaged move.
“When is the tow coming?” Jimmy asks me.
“They said twenty minutes…” I check my watch. “Half an hour ago.”
