And the day is saved. Thanks to… ‘Reduce, Reuse and Recycle Girl’.
The woman’s eyes widen and a friendly smile lights up her face. “You’re Riley Carter.”
“How do you know that?”
“You fixed the go-cart at the fair yesterday. It was in the nursing home group chat.”
“The what?”
“I’m Cordelia. I work at The Pink Garage.” She offers a handshake.
A fellow mechanic?
I shake her head. There are callouses on her fingertips. If I didn’t believe her before, I surely do now. Cordelia’s hands are the hands of a tradeswoman.
“I like your jacket,” I point.
“Thanks. I like your sunglasses. They’re very James Bond.”
“You can have them if you want. My spy days are behind me.” And I mean it. I will never again peek at Nathan Campbell’s social media. The snooping I did ten minutes ago was the last time.
“Thanks.” Cordelia laughs. “But I think they’ll look better on you than me.”
“As a fellow mechanic, I have a question, and I hope you don’t think it’s rude.”
“Shoot.”
“Do you actually ride or is all that leather just for the aesthetic?”
She points to a Harley that’s sitting prettily under the moonlight. I hadn’t paid attention to it when I was sneaking outside, but now it’s all I can see.
My eyes fill with stars. “Wow. She’s beautiful. I’ve always wanted a Harley.”
“You should totally give it a try. I can’t imagine life without my bike.”
We start chatting about motorcycles until someone above us raises their window.
“Pipe it down!” An old man’s shaky voice fills the air. “I’m trying to watchThe Price Is RIght!”
“Sorry!” Cordelia raises a hand in apology.
“How come I haven’t seen you since I moved in?” I finish dumping the rest of the recyclables and walk with her up the stairs. “I would have noticed that Harley. And even if I didn’t, with a muffler that size, I would have heard it.”
A stain brushes across her cheeks. “I—uh—spend a lot of time at my boyfriend’s place.” She ducks her head shyly.
“Nice. Let me guess. Your boyfriend is a biker and he got you into it?”
“Goodness no. He hates bikes.” She giggles. “And his daughter is obsessed with them. When it comes to bikes, it’s two against one now, so he’s always very stressed.”
“Sounds like he has his hands full.”
“Yeah. You should come over some time. My boyfriend is anamazingcook.”
“Thanks, but I’m a little busy right now.”
“Of course.” She bobs her head in understanding. “Since we’re neighbors and fellow mechanics, feel free to call me if you ever need help with the shop or your mom...”
I stiffen. “My mom?”
