Total pages in book: 61
Estimated words: 59320 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 297(@200wpm)___ 237(@250wpm)___ 198(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 59320 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 297(@200wpm)___ 237(@250wpm)___ 198(@300wpm)
I scrunched my nose and sighed. “You do know there’s no guarantee she’ll say yes, right? There’s no magic pill here, and I’m not Viagra. But if Susie isn’t interested, there are plenty of other fish in the sea.”
Newton scoffed. “If I wanted other fish, I’d seek a mate on a dating app. Susie is the only one for me. And since your lips once touched hers, you alone have the insight I need to make the required connection. You, my workplace proximity associate and underling, are the key.”
“I am?”
“You are indeed. On to business. I have something fascinating to show you, and you’ll want to take notes. This will be crucial to your future studies at Caltech.”
Newton brightened as he gestured to the enormous wall of monitors lining the lab, abruptly switching topics to the increase in a satellite’s velocity and its expected break from orbit into deep space. He had me at velocity.
Somewhere in the magical void of space where complex equations guided humanity through the galaxy and beyond, I forgot my worries. Sure, I was a clueless dork battling self-imposed demons in the real world, but I knew what I was doing here. Out there…not so much.
Okay, so I had a lot of balls in the air…and it felt like more than twenty. But facing Aiden Baker post-kiss was the biggest and scariest by far.
Talking to him on the phone had helped to ease my mind, but I still had to get through a few weeks of seeing him every damn day. And to be honest, I was nervous. I figured I’d take Asher’s advice and get the one thing I was truly worried about—that kiss—out of my head by enlisting Aiden to help with my Newton problem.
Confusing? Not really. I’d jokingly mentioned it at the bar, so it might not sound completely bonkers—even though he admitted he was as clueless as me when it came to dating.
The truth was…I was afraid that if I didn’t come armed with an interesting topic, I’d bring up the kiss. That was panic-inducingly dangerous.
A backup plan was crucial. So if my attempt at congenial repartee fell short, I’d brought dinner.
I stood at the kitchen window, holding a beer and a microwaved container of my mom’s famous meatballs, staring at the bear of a man in a snug black tee and faded jeans bent over the SUV parked in my driveway. I sucked in a deep breath, then pushed the side door open, making sure my cape billowed behind me when I announced myself.
“Greetings, human. I’ve brought you refreshment if you’re so inclined.”
Aiden propped his hand on the hood and flashed a crooked grin as he straightened. “Greetings. And thank you. A beer sounds great.”
I handed the bottle over and tried not to salivate when he twisted the cap and took a generous swig. Call me crazy, but I had a thing for beefy forearms, and yeah…I evidently had a thing for his mouth. I clandestinely adjusted my junk as I turned to survey the wide array of tools neatly arranged on a cart next to what looked like a major vehicle component.
“Is that my transmission?”
Aiden shook his head. “That’s your engine.”
“Ahh. It looks like a beating heart separated from a patient during cardiac surgery.”
“Perfect analogy. Can’t get anywhere without a heart or a transmission.”
I nodded. “What comes next?”
“I’m going to dismantle it, clean each part, and figure out which pieces I can reuse and which ones need to be replaced. Then I’ll put it all back together again.” He motioned toward the open garage. “I clocked out of work a little early to get started here. Your roommate let me in. The guy with the glasses.”
“You literally just described all of my roommates. I’m the only one who doesn’t wear my glasses twenty-four-seven.”
“Oh. I think his name was Hollen?”
“Holden.”
Aiden smiled and took another drink. “That’s it. Anyway, I wanted to see how much light and space you have in your garage.”
“And?”
“It’s more than adequate. In fact, this is actually a pretty decent setup. No clutter and plenty of room to spread out.”
From a purely aesthetic viewpoint, I agreed. The garage was located behind the craftsman-style house, at the end of a long driveway and it was fairly private. Our neighbors probably wouldn’t notice the makeshift repair shop he’d erected.
“Good. Looks like you were able to get a lot done.”
“Meh. I got the hard part over. I removed the engine and got myself organized. I’ll clean up a bit—then I’ll be ready to rock and roll tomorrow.”
His sunny smile dazzled me.
I held his gaze for a moment too long before presenting the Tupperware like a holy grail. “Ta-da. As promised, Monday meatballs.”
“You promised me meatballs?”
“Not specifically, but I think I mentioned food.”
“You might have, but you don’t have to feed me, G.” He lifted the beer bottle in a toast. “I appreciate the refreshment, but our deal was an exchange of your brain for my brawn. Did you have a chance to go over the reports I sent you?”