Her eyes glitter brightly in response.
She’s wearing a pair of dressy black slacks that drape over her lean body and a fancy blouse that hangs only on one shoulder. As usual, there’s a dark outline around her eyes, making them spark like the dancing tips of a fire.
She’s beautiful enough to take my breath away.
My hands are itching to loop around her waist, but there’s the pesky fact that Riley hasn’t yet agreed to be my girlfriend. Rather than overwhelm her, I force my hands at my sides.
“Am I too late?” Riley asks, ducking shyly.
“N-no. I mean, April is… I think… Chance said…”
She’s so stunning I can’t even speak in proper sentences.
May’s voice rings out. “She’s here!”
Riley’s attention diverts to the commotion, but focusing on the imminent proposal requires more effort on my part.
Whoops and cheers of ‘you got this, Chance’ and ‘go get her’ break out. Chance leaves the room and the event organizer directs us to a projector screen that’s showing live footage.
“Let’s find a good spot.” Riley takes my hand like it’s the most natural thing in the world and I happily follow her to the front of the crowd.
Conversation is buzzing in the room, but it feels like there’s only me and Riley as I stand close to her.
“Did you get a lot of work done?” I ask.
She nods. “I wanted to program the ECU, which has to be done over the internet, so I couldn’t leave the shop.”
Riley launches into a whispered description of her diagnosis session. The more she talks, the less I understand but the hotter she gets.
“Oh, it’s starting!” someone yells.
‘Oohs’’ break out around us.
I force myself to look at something other than Riley and watch the videographers capture April on screen. Chance greets her with a hug and a kiss on the forehead.
‘That’s a lot of cameras,’ April says.
‘Just act natural’, Chance responds.
“Why are all the tall hockey players at the front?” A voice that sounds like May complains.
I realize I’m one of the culprits and sheepishly back away from Riley. She gives me a disappointed look as the crowd shifts forward.
Wishing I could be beside Riley, I watch Chance lead April into a large garage filled with vintage, luxury cars.
Riley and the other female mechanics all audibly gasp.
On screen, April covers her mouth in a similarly shocked and delighted fashion. “What is this?”
The lights in the spacious garage turn on one after another, revealing several empty bays. “This is our garage. And theseempty spaces are for the vintage car collection I want to build with you.”
“What?” April’s jaw drops.
Chance points to a license plate on, what I’m assuming, is a very expensive car by the way Riley swoons when the camera pans to it.
The license plate spells out ‘Will’.
Then the camera swoops to another car and I hear one of the other female mechanics screeching, “Lord have mercy.”
