His Unexpected Baby by Jamie Knight
Chapter Four - Chad
The day didn’t go as bad as it could have. The trainees had been through some basic training from their families. Some of them had been working with cars since they were tall enough to see over the grill. There were no serious injuries, and that was always a plus. Some of them even seemed to have learned something, which was the icing on the cake.
The doors to the shop came down with a satisfying clatter, locking tight at the bottom. No sooner did the clicks sound than the familiar rumble of John’s wreck of a Chevy came around the corner. The best thing to be said about that Camaro motor being that you always knew when John was coming.
Having a car that didn’t work was the mechanic’s greatest shame. Being seen in one that really shouldn’t be running was a close second. Letting out a bemused sigh, I straightened up and stalked to the roaring beast, fighting a fierce head rush on the way.
The passenger door irked like the gates of hell, actually making me wince in genuine pain and concern.
“Been sucking lemons again?” John asked.
“Oh, I think there is only one lemon around here,” I said, easing into the duct tape upholstered seat.
“Touché,” John conceded, roaring out of the lot.
La Murte Grande wasn’t a mistranslation so much as an attitude. The entire restaurant was decorated in a Day of the Dead theme, including the waitstaff dressed in appropriate costumes and makeup.
“Okay,” I said, after being seated by a gorgeous skeleton with a lovely chest.
“Impressive, no?” John asked rhetorically.
“Sorry?” To my embarrassment, I’d been distracted by the sexy skeleton’s ass as she bent to take an order.
“Back now?” John asked patiently.
“Yeah, sorry,” I said, turning my attention back to my only remaining friend in the world.
“It’s okay, just part of who you are, right? Not really a problem for me anymore, of course.”
“Joining the priesthood?” I joked.
He leaned back and took a sip of his beer. “No, quite the opposite, in fact. Angie and I have set a date.”
“A date for what?”
“For the wedding silly,” John said, rolling his eyes.
Struck by disbelief, I raised my eyebrows. “You’re getting married?”
“That’s the plan, yeah,” John smirked.
I was well and truly gobsmacked. What he was saying seemed crazy to me. I couldn’t even settle on one woman, let alone stay with her for the rest of my life. No, thank you. As far as I was concerned, relationships took too much time. It wasn’t that I didn’t like women. Quite the opposite, in fact. Women were great. I just valued my autonomy more.
“You look like you just ate bad fish,” John said. He tended to speak bluntly.
“What, no. Do I—”
“Dick,” John teased.
“I’m still just trying to take this in,” I explained, crossing my arms over my chest.
“Lots of people do it, you know.” He gave me a skeptical look.
I laughed and ran a hand through my hair. “Yeah, and they’re all nuts, from what I can tell. I can’t imagine devoting my entire existence to someone else.”
“It isn’t quite like that,” John said, “besides, you just haven’t met the right girl yet.”
I practically choked on my beer. “Oh, come on, man, are you serious?”
“As cancer,” he said with all gravitas, “you’ll meet her one day, and it will totally change your life.”
“A woman can only be right for one night,” I insisted, laughing it off.
John just shook his head sadly. I hated when he did that but didn’t want to ruin the night, so I held my tongue.
It was funny how I could tell when trouble was coming — like a wolf smelling a change in the wind. It wasn’t from John, who I knew would always have my back. No, there was a new threat on the savanna. One that wore cheap cologne by the bottle full.
“Hey, boss,” Will said, smacking me on the back so hard my eyeballs shook.
It was probably some kind of bullshit power play, like seeing who could shake hands the hardest. I really didn’t have time for his bullshit so let it go. Will was one of the last mechanics working for me, but the guy was a jerk.
Truth be told, I would have let him go instead of Jim and Hank. Except Will had seniority. We both knew the garage would be even worse trouble without his skills — a fact he used to be an asshole at every opportunity.
“How is it going with the daycare?” he asked.
Will had been a prick about the idea of bringing in trainees. Particularly so soon after I had to fire Jim and Hank. So much so he had basically refused to work and took all his sick days at once. It was an act of solidarity with the guys he saw as wronged. I was tempted to show him the books and ask what he suggested. That would have shut him up for a good while, but I couldn’t bring myself to be that open about my situation. No matter how insufferable he became.
“Fine, I think it will end up being good for the shop.”
“Better than having Jim and Hank?” Will teased.
“Certainly cheaper,” I snarked, “though if it goes like I hope, I’ll soon have enough money to hire them back. Probably with raises.”
It sounded nuts, but I knew it wasn’t their fault for what was happening. Yeah, they’d been upset, but I seriously doubted Jim or Hank would have sent people to fuck with me. Which was honestly more than I could say about Will. Another reason he was still on the payroll.
“I might be able to help you with that,” Will said, in the offer-you-can’t-refuse tones of a mafia thug, “though I might be needing a raise too.”
“Like the one you’ve been pushing for since you started but has yet to materialize?”
“Yeah, something like that,” he said, his tone even less friendly.
I took a slug of my beer. “I don’t have the money yet, and even if I did, it’s doubtful it would cover three raises. Particularly considering what you’re already paid. I could lower your salary to get Hank and Jim back, if you like.”
If there was one thing Will really hated, aside from short jokes as he only stood five-foot-four, it was being reminded that he was wrong. Which he most definitely was in that case. The chair almost clattered on the floor as he got up to beat a hasty retreat. His fragile ego unable to take any kind of criticism.
“Sad, isn’t it,” John mused.
“In more ways than you know,” I sighed.
