A Cupid's Guide To Fake Dating

Chapter 7

AS I WALKED into the auto shop, I noticed the place lacked any mechanic. It was just filled with a bunch of botched up cars, oils and dirty towels and overalls. They came to a stop in front of an old rusty pickup truck with two of its tires missing. Underneath, working with a driller was a person in a dark blue jumpsuit and worn out shoes stained with oil.

‘Hey Anna, get up. We need your service.’ Lay said, nudging the mechanic’s shoe with the edge of his.

Unrolling out of the car was a woman with light purple hair. Her face was smudged with patches of black and in her hands were a driller and a wrench. She looked like someone in her late thirties or forties. I noticed she had a butterfly tattoo just at the side of her collarbone. At first she seemed rather annoyed about having new visitors but when she saw who it was, her agitation slipped away. ‘Well, if it isn’t my boys.’ She got up, setting her equipment aside. Her eyes landed on me. ‘New girlfriend?’

That question was directly at Austin and Martins and Ethan shared a laugh like it was the funniest joke on earth.

Austin and I just shared horrified looks.

The woman, Anna, stared at us. ‘Did I assume wrong. I mean I did hear you broke up with that chick.’

‘How did you know that?’ Andre asked suspiciously, cleaning the cobwebs that had somehow clung to his shirt.

‘I’m the only mechanic in town,’ she said boastfully. ‘I see all and I hear all.’ The hood of the car she was working on suddenly made a loud bang startling us and then let out a few steam. Anna scrunched up her nose in frustration. ‘This damn truck.’ She slammed her palm against the hood before resuming her conversation. ‘So, what can I do for you lovelies?’

‘We need a new skateboard.’

‘Did Ethan break his again?’

Ethan stopped laughing and gave Anna a straight face. ‘Very funny grandma.’

‘I told you to stop calling me that.’ She sneered at him.

‘Anna, this is my sister Elena.’ Lay introduced.

‘Nice to meet you,’ she outstretched her hand. When she noticed I hesitated to reach out, an apologetic look appeared on her face. ‘Opps, sorry,’ she wiped her hands with a towel and tried again. This time I took it. The first thing I noticed was her firm grip. As expected of a mechanic. ‘Like the boys said, my name is Anna. I own this cave and fix cars for a living.’ She inhaled and then exhaled a great deal of air. ‘Don’t you just love the smell?’

I didn’t know what to say since I was pretty much suffocating right now, so I just forced a smile and commented, ‘It’s pretty cool.’

‘Glad you think so,’ she winked before taking my face into her hands, as if inspecting me. ‘You’re quite pretty. What’s someone like you doing with the likes of them? Are you sure you’re not his girlfriend?’

‘She’s not, Anna.’ It was Austin who answered this time.

The woman let go of my face and grinned at him. ‘If you say so.’

‘So, do you have any board we can use, granny?’ Ethan asked, inspecting one of the cars beside him.

‘Be careful how you run your mouth boy.’ Anna warned, throwing her towel over her shoulder. ‘It isn’t five yet.’

‘Five yet?’ I repeated, completely unfamiliar with the mechanic’s rules.

Lay leaned down to whisper in my ear. ‘Anna has a rather foul mouth and she thinks it’s bad for business to curse before five.’

Oh.

Anna grinned, unfazed by what Lay had said. ‘Follow me Elena.’

I did as she said, the guys trailing behind me. Anna led us to a walk in door just at the right corner of the garage. When she opened I was instantly hit by a stale smell. I saw a bunch of old boxes and drawers full of screws and bolts, broken skateboards and guitars with no strings hung on the wall, an abandoned drum set and a keyboard on a stand. I noticed at the other side of the room was a table filled with pieces of skateboard parts in the process of being repaired.

Anna went over to the wall and picked off a skateboard with a dark blue bottom and graphic design printed on the edges. After testing the wheels with her fingers, she placed it on the floor and kicked it so it was rolling to me. ‘Get on.’

I stared down at the rolling board. I had never owned a skateboard before. I’d always seen Lay using it but had never thought to ask him to teach me; not that he would have anyway. And now I own one. ‘Is it mine?’

‘Since it’s your first time, I’ll give ya for free.’Anna said, winking. I liked her already.

‘Thank you.’ I smiled and I meant it.

‘Awwn,’Anna cooed, a big smile on her lips. ‘Don't I make the best impressions?’

Austin walked towards me. ‘Stand on it.’ He smirked, as if expecting me to fall. The worst part of it was that his expectation actually came true. What did I expect? It was my first time. Ignoring the concerned looks on their faces, I sucked in air, almost regretting it as the oily smell came with full force, and stood on the skateboard again.

For a second, I thought I had it but after a moment, I lost my balance and began to fall forward as the skateboard slid backwards.

Luckily, Lay caught me in his arms. My skateboard slid towards Austin who stopped it with one foot.

‘You okay?’ Lay asked, pulling me up.

‘The hell was that?’ Austin asked almost simultaneously as Lay. He picked up the skateboard.

‘It’s my first time!’

‘That was seriously pathetic!’

‘What part of it was my first time don’t you get?!’

The tension between Austin and I was back again and the others in the room seemed to notice it. I heard Anna whisper-ask Andre. ‘Are they always like this?’

‘Not really. This whole thing started yesterday, I guess.’

‘Hey, why don’t we just take it to your place, Austin.’ Martins suggested making Austin whip his head so fast to him, I’m sure I heard his neck c***k.

‘Why?’

‘Because you are the only one with a skating ramp in your house.’Andre reasoned.

'You are not taking her to my house!' Austin opposed. The others remained silent, agreeing to Martins' earlier suggestion. That seemed to annoy Austin further. 'I said no, damn it!'