The Mechanic Pt. 03

"Erm, no! You have been drinking," she said firmly.

"Aaah... True. Okay, you're right. I'd love to take her for a ride sometime though," Rowan replied. There was that 'sometime' again; the same way she'd used it when they first met, implying they would meet again. Was she doing the same now? Did she want to see Riley again?

"It's not actually my car. It's my uncle's," Riley confessed, much later than she should have.

Rowan looked taken aback for a moment, before laughing heartily. "So you only brought it to impress me?"

Riley was embarrassed at being so transparent. She tried to save face: "Did it work?"

"Kinda, yeah..." Rowan leaned closer, making Riley's heart stop. Riley caught a waft of whiskey on her breath, which also brought her back to the night they met. That night Riley had let her walk away. She would do the same tonight - she had to. Rowan's closeness was intoxicating. Riley fought the urge to kiss her. Kissing wasn't a strict no-go but she didn't trust herself not to go any further.

Rowan's eyes roamed over Riley's body. "Although this dress did its part too," she said, without taking her eyes off Riley's cleavage. She reached towards Riley's chest. Riley had to use all her will-power to stop Rowan's hand before it touched her.

"God, you really are like a teenage boy. What do you think this is, prom night?" Riley said, relieved at having survived the close call, and sounding much more nonchalant than she felt.

Rowan laughed. "We do look the part, don't we?" She gave Riley another sweeping gaze and added: "You know what they say about prom night... About panties on prom night, in particular..."

"Yeah, that's not going to happen." Riley forced herself to say, despite every fibre of her being screaming the opposite.

Rowan gave her an amused look. "Really?"

"Yeah, really. Now get out of my car." 'Before I change my mind,' she added in her head.

Rowan grinned and swung her long legs out of the low ride. "You mean your uncle's car." She got out and leaned into the car, directing her piercing brown eyes at Riley. "You sure you don't want to come up?"

Riley cursed Rowan in her head for asking her that. Why wasn't Rowan thinking about her stupid no-girl-twice rule now? Why did she have to make this so difficult and tempting? Riley knew what she had to do. It would put Rowan in charge, give her another easy way to get out, but it was the only way to find out how Rowan really felt.

"Do I look like the kind of girl who would put out on the first date?" She said, with what she hoped was a seductive grin. "By the way, you're up for organising the next date."

At that she reached over and pulled the door closed, leaving Rowan standing on the sidewalk with a look of utter disbelief on her face. Riley put the car in gear and drove off quickly, feeling her resolve crumble with every second she could still see the mechanic in her rear-view mirror. She took a deep sigh of relief. She did well. She did more than well; she nailed it. But resisting Rowan had been much harder than she'd ever anticipated. And she had a feeling it would get harder and harder with every date they went on, if indeed, there were more to come.

* * * * *

Riley's office phone started ringing as soon as she'd returned to her desk. It was one of those days; she'd been in and out of meetings non-stop since lunchtime and she was actually looking forward to spending the last hour of the day catching up on her emails and not talking to anyone. She sincerely hoped the person on the other line wasn't one of her more difficult clients.

She saw on the display that it was the reception calling. "Hello, Riley speaking," she answered with her internal greeting.

"Hi Riley, I've got your 4 o'clock here for you."

Her 4 o'clock? Riley wasn't aware of any meetings at this time. She opened her calender quickly to double-check. A gloriously empty block stared back at her. She racked her brain; did she forget anything?

"Are you sure? I'm not expecting anyone," she replied.

"That's what the lady here says. Hang on..." Riley heard the receptionist turn to whoever was with her and ask: "What did you say your name was?"

Riley rolled her eyes. The receptionist was meant to ask that before calling up, so she could tell people who was there straightaway. However, usually she was too busy tending to her nails or checking social media. Riley couldn't hear the other person's reply but shortly after the receptionist came back on the line. "It's Ms Gershwin, here for the meeting about cyber-security."

Riley's brain was struggling to process the information. A meeting about cyber-security? That didn't help; that was a one-word summary of her whole job. She sighed. She'd better go check out what was going on. Hopefully it was all a misunderstanding and she could get back to her desk right-away.

When she got to the reception desk, she didn't immediately see her visitor. She looked questioningly at the receptionist, who nodded with a curious expression towards the one lonely sofa that constituted their waiting area. Riley's heart skipped a beat before starting to race frantically as if to make up for the missed beat. She would recognise that slender body anywhere.

"Hello, straight girl," Rowan grinned her crooked smile as she got up from the sofa.

Riley struggled to pull herself together. "Ms Gershwin?"

"I wasn't sure you would come down if you knew it was me," Rowan said with a wink.

Riley had no idea why she would think that; she would walk to the end of the world just for a glimpse of the mechanic - pathetic as that was. Surely, Rowan knew that by now.

"I don't have a meeting with you in my diary, Ms Gershwin. Are you sure you have the right date?" Riley teased, still too shell-shocked to fully remember that she was actually upset with Rowan.

That realisation was now slowly getting back to her. She had been waiting to hear from the mechanic for almost three weeks. She'd been convinced she'd nailed their first date and Rowan was starting to warm up to the idea of her. She'd been floating on a pink cloud for the first few days after, expecting Rowan to call to ask her out at any moment.

When the call hadn't come, Riley had at first thought there must be something wrong with her phone. She'd kept checking it over and over again, getting her friends to call her to make sure it was ringing. Classic denial. Since then, she'd gone through the other stages of grief. Anger at the mechanic - how dared she just disappear without a trace again? Bargaining - what if she just called Rowan herself instead? Depression - did she really not want to see Riley again? And finally, acceptance - maybe it was for the best, she should just forget about her. No, who was she kidding? She wasn't anywhere near acceptance; she was solidly stuck on depression and anger.

"I was hoping you could sneak out early." Rowan paused and then added softly, almost shy: "You know, for that second date you mentioned."

Riley tried to keep her excitement from showing. She wanted to be angry with Rowan for taking so long, but her heart had already forgiven the mechanic. What was it about her that made Riley drop everything - even her most heartfelt frustrations? She realised she would have to start giving Rowan some counterweight. Maybe next time.

She shot a quick glance at the receptionist, who was trying her best to look as if she was not listening in. Riley knew that anything she did hear would go round the company in no time. She ushered Rowan outside and around the corner, just in case anything could be derived from their body language.

"Well, that took you long enough," she said, trying to make even a hint of her annoyance of the past weeks known.

Rowan shrugged. "I lost your number," she said simply.

Clearly, that was all the explanation Riley was going to get, so she asked: "How did you find me now then?"

"For a cyber-security specialist, you are surprisingly easy to find. I found your company in no time." Rowan grinned and waved her hand impatiently. "Anyway, shall we go?"

Riley huffed. She just assumed Riley would be able to drop everything and play hooky, even if it was just an hour early? She looked at her watch; actually, 50 minutes now.

"Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise." Rowan looked her up and down. "But at least you're dressed appropriately for it."

Riley followed Rowan's look along her body. She was in jeans and a blouse; what was that appropriate for? Rowan didn't say any more and Riley knew there was no point asking. She could be infuriatingly mysterious. Ironically, that was also part of her charm.

"Fine, let me just go pack up upstairs." Riley realised she'd made up her mind about going the moment she saw Rowan. However, waiting to admit it somehow made her feel less like a smitten school girl. Rowan grinned triumphantly.

"Wait here!" Riley urged her. If the mechanic would come inside, it would be the talk of the town. Riley had enough damage control to do as it was.

"Just a misunderstanding. She had the wrong company," Riley said breezily to the receptionist, before rushing upstairs and chucking her stuff in her bag. She dashed into the bathroom to check her hair and make-up. She looked tired, exactly as was to be expected after the busy day she'd had, but not at all the way she wanted to look for Rowan on a second date. There was no time or hope for fixing anything, though, so she made her way downstairs.

The receptionist gave her a sly smile, which puzzled Riley until she looked through the big glass doors and saw Rowan outside on her motorbike. She sighed. Which part of 'wait around the corner' did she not understand? She really was too stubborn for her own good. It was a lost case trying to keep up appearances so Riley held her head high and walked outside to meet Rowan.

"Very inconspicuous," she said, suppressing a smile.

"Should I be? Are you ashamed of me?"

Riley shook her head wearily. "The receptionist is the biggest gossip in town. Who knows what she will make of this."

Rowan laughed. "Oh, you are worried she'll tell everyone you slipped out of work early to ride off into the sunset with a big old dike?"

Riley started to laugh too, until Rowan put her arm around her waist and pulled her closer. "Let's see what she makes of this then." At that, she pressed her lips onto Riley's. Riley was too shocked to appreciate the moment. She recoiled from Rowan and shot a furtive glance at the building.

"Rowan! Not here!"

Rowan chuckled at her distress. "Alright, let's get out of here then." She handed Riley a helmet, which she put on quickly to hide the blush that was spreading rapidly. She got on the bike behind Rowan. She still had no idea where they were going, but anywhere that was not right in front of her work sounded like paradise now.

As the bike sped off, Riley pressed herself into the mechanic's back and wrapped her arms around her to steady herself. Memories rushed into her head from the last time she'd been on this very bike; the exhilarating test ride and everything that had happened after. Where was Rowan taking her now? Did she have any ideas that resembled that first time? If so, Riley would have to find a way to resist; to prevent herself from slipping too deep into the tempting world that was Rowan.

Rowan led the bike out of the city and onto long winding country lanes with sweeping views of fields and rolling hills. The ride itself was clearly part of the plan, as they'd already been driving much longer than before. While the city disappeared from view, Riley started to relax. She moved closer to Rowan with the increasing speed of the bike, and enjoyed the feeling of their bodies pressed together.

"It's so beautiful here!" Riley shouted over the noise of the bike. Rowan didn't reply but Riley saw her smile in the rear-view mirror. A wave of paranoia swept over Riley: how many girls had Rowan taken on rides like this? She reprimanded herself; she had to stop thinking this way. Rowan had clearly chosen to see her again - something that was firmly against her own rules. That had to mean something.

Rowan eventually slowed down to a halt in a seemingly random place. There was a thick hedge on one side of the road and a slight hill on the other. What were they doing here; there was nothing here? Still, upon Rowan's instruction they got off the bike and locked it up. Clearly, they had reached their destination. Riley looked around confusedly.

Rowan didn't say anything but took her hand and started walking along the hedge. Riley marvelled at how good her hand felt in Rowan's and how easily they slipped back into the familiarity with which their last date had ended. It was like they'd been holding hands forever and Rowan didn't seem remotely reluctant to engage in that typical dating behaviour.

They reached a gap in the hedge and Rowan led the way through it. Tucked away in a hidden courtyard was the cutest ice cream parlour Riley had ever seen. There were only a few tables, which were all taken by people enjoying massive frozen feasts. Clearly, this place was a hidden yet popular gem.

"Ice cream?" Rowan asked needlessly.

"Sure!" Riley replied enthusiastically. She had started to think the bike ride was the date, but this was the icing on the cake; she loved ice cream.

"I'm afraid it's going to be take-away. This place is always heaving in summer. But you'll see why. Their stuff is delicious."

They ordered their ice creams, making fun of each other's choices. Rowan went for chocolate and coffee, while Riley picked a fruity mix of cherry and honeycomb - girly, according to Rowan.

"Well, that works for me. I am a girl, after all." Riley stuck her tongue out at Rowan.

"Oh, I know," Rowan replied with a sleazy grin, "that's what I like about you."

How did she turn everything into an opportunity to be salacious? "Oh really, just that? Lucky me," Riley teased.

"Hmmm, that and a few other things."

"Like what?"

Rowan grinned. "Wouldn't you like to know? Come on, straight girl. I know the perfect place to enjoy this."

Rowan led Riley up the hill across the road. They walked a short distance further and got to a spot where the trees gave way to a beautiful view of the fields below and a glistering lake in the distance.

"Great, right? I come here sometimes to clear my head. There's never a soul around. It's so peaceful. I love it here," Rowan said, gazing into the distance.

Riley hadn't pictured her as the reflective, being peaceful in nature type. Once again the mechanic surprised her with a new facet of her personality.

They sat down and ate their ice creams, both of them lost in their own thoughts for a moment. When Riley realised this, she marvelled at how comfortable their mutual silence was. She didn't feel the need to fill it with random babble, and it appeared Rowan didn't either. Rowan must have sensed her attention returning to the present moment; she looked over at Riley and smiled.

"You've got some ice cream on your nose."

Riley rubbed at her nose. Did she? She couldn't feel anything. "Really? Is it gone now?"

"Not quite. Hang on, it's just there."

Rowan leaned closer to her and in a quick motion dipped her ice cream on Riley's nose. Riley started to protest the sudden cold sensation. Then the mechanic's lips were on her, her tongue swiftly cleaning the stickiness off her nose. Riley was too shocked by the sudden intimacy to know whether to be grossed out or pleased.

Her mind was made up for her when Rowan's mouth moved slowly to hers. Their lips touched and Rowan's tongue slipped into her mouth as if it had done so hundreds of times before. It probably wasn't far off, adding everything up that had happened in that one steamy night they'd had together. For the briefest of moments, Riley enjoyed the feeling of their tongues caressing, before Rowan pulled back.

"You taste like cherries," she said, with an exaggerated look of disgust.

"Maybe if you'll kiss me long enough it will wear off." Riley surprised herself with her quick come-back. She knew she shouldn't encourage Rowan to take her onto this slippery slope, but the feeling of Rowan's lips was too good to resist.

That amused Rowan. "Oh, wouldn't you like that?"

"Wouldn't you?" Riley countered with a challenging grin.

"Hmmm... kinda..." Rowan leaned in and kissed her again, more intensely this time, as if she really was trying to get rid of the cherry taste as effectively as possible. Riley reciprocated, her pent-up passion for the gorgeous woman urging her on.

"Okay, it's gone now," Rowan said, when their kiss ended eventually.

Riley quickly took another lick of her ice cream. "Not anymore..."

They both laughed and easily slid back into silently eating their ice creams. Riley felt so happy she was sure it must be showing on her face.

Once again, it was Rowan who broke the silence. "So, what do you think? Good date?" She kept gazing in the distance but Riley sensed that she genuinely expected an answer; possibly she was even a bit anxious about the answer. Riley felt a rush of affection. Despite Rowan's nonchalant attitude and proclaimed reluctance to dating, she did care.

"Not bad, for someone who doesn't date," she said teasingly. She couldn't help it; it was nice being on the other end of the stick for a change. She was sure it wouldn't last long.

Rowan laughed softly. After another moment of silence, she sighed and lay down on her back, propping her jacket under her head as a pillow. "Well, I think this is nice," she said with satisfaction, putting on her aviators and directing her face at the sun.

Riley appreciated her tall, stretched-out body for a moment and wished she had aviators to hide her lustful stares. "Nice for you, with your comfy pillow," she said.

Rowan patted her belly. "Here's yours."

Riley didn't hesitate. She lay down perpendicular to Rowan and rested her head on Rowan's belly. She had to shuffle a bit to get comfortable but between the mechanic's bony hip and rib cage there was a spot that was slightly less hard. It was far from comfortable - there wasn't one squishy bit on Rowan's body - but Riley didn't care.

"Can I ask you something?"

Riley felt Rowan's voice resonating through her body as clearly as she heard it, as if there was an additional layer of communication between them.

Riley didn't answer the rhetorical question immediately, so Rowan continued: "Why did you call me, that first time? When you asked me out?"

Riley was confused. Wasn't it obvious? "Because I wanted to see you again. And if I had to wait for you, I'd be old and grey. You probably wouldn't dig that look."

Rowan laughed, making Riley's head bounce a little. Then she got serious again. "Yeah, but why? I mean, I kinda kicked you out. I never called you. I didn't see you again. I was a bit of a dick."

Riley smiled. The self-awareness of this one... "A bit? You were a total dick! To be fair, you did warn me that you didn't use your phone... And I already knew you were a player, but I guess I still had some hope..."

"I'm not a player!"

Riley snorted loudly. Rowan continued: "I don't mean to be anyway... The last thing I want to do is to play anyone..." After what Riley had heard about Rowan's past, she did believe that. But surely Rowan knew the effect her actions had on girls?

"Clearly that doesn't always work out...," Rowan sighed unhappily.

Riley wanted to comfort her; to tell her that it was alright. But was it, really? Could she step over the disappointment and hurt of the past weeks so easily?

"So what made you come back in the end?" The mechanic asked then.

Riley thought for a moment. Why had she come back? She probably wouldn't have if Megan hadn't contacted her. She had tried to but she had lost her nerve, having had no indication Rowan wanted to see her again before speaking to Megan. She didn't want to throw Megan under the bus, though.