Olivia

Pausing just inside the door, I inspect the auto shop. The customer areas of the lobby are
clean, even though they are clearly used often. In contrast, almost every surface behind the
counter has smears of aged grease and oil stains, as if Otto is so busy, he doesn’t even have time
to wash up before greeting customers.
No one comes to the front to greet me, so I continue my perusal. Walking closer to the
counter, I inspect the poster on the walls, and the pamphlets advertising the importance of
regular maintenance. Past the front desk, a set of open doors reveal a garage with several cars in
various states of disassembly.
“Can I help you?” A deep voice calls from inside the bay.
I glance around until I spot legs sticking out from under a car raised by the lift in the center of
the garage. “Uh, hi. Yes, I need my vehicle towed and repaired. It’s stuck on the main road into
town, past mile marker 230.”
A few seconds later, a guy rolls out from beneath the vehicle on some sort of scooter. He’s
wearing blue coveralls that are spotted and stained with grease. He stands and wipes his hands on
a rag that’s already so dirty. I don’t know how it will clean his hands at all.
Tucking the rag into his back pocket, he walks closer to the front of the shop and I’m
surprised to see he appears to be in his early twenties. He has dark hair swooped back from his
angular face. His cerulean eyes skim across my form with such intense concentration, it causes
me to clear my throat nervously.
“Uh, are you Otto?” I ask, after he stops a few paces away.
He chuckles, a light, sensual sound that has me leaning closer on instinct. With a shake of his
head, he replies. “Nah, I’m Garrett. A mechanic that works for Otto.” Walking around the
counter, he stops at an older model computer a foot or so away from me. He rests his hip against
the wood and smirks. “I can help you, though. Did you get into some sort of trouble?” Garrett
eyes me again.
Heat rushes to my cheeks as I remember the current state of my legs and shoes. My entire
body, really. Dusty, caked with dirt from my brief walk in the desert, I know I look like an
absolute wreck. Resisting the urge to duck my head, or just leave, I respond, “My car broke
down. I had to walk for a while, but this guy Noah gave me a ride here. I need a tow… and some
repairs to get my car running, but I was hoping to set up some type of payment plan.”
The door to the shop opens behind me. I glance over my shoulder at the newcomer, finding a
man I assume to be the infamous Otto. He’s wearing the same blue, grease coated coveralls as
Garrett. With “Otto” embroidered over the right side of his chest.
“You Olivia?” He asks, giving me a once over.
I nod and he continues, “Spoke with Doc. One-fifty for the tow. I’ll pick up your car tonight
and call you with a diagnosis in the morning tomorrow. You can pay Garrett and give him your
number so we can contact you.” His voice is gruff, but not unkind.
Once he’s finished speaking, he moves to exit the lobby, heading towards the garage.
 “Excuse me,” I half-shout, due to the distance. He pauses, but doesn’t turn. “I don’t have a lot
of funds right now. I’m new to town and still trying to sort out where I’m going to live and work.
Is it possible to do a payment plan?”
Garrett scoffs, but I ignore him. This isn’t his shop, so it isn’t his decision. Plus, it’s not like
I’m asking Otto to work for free. I just need some extra time to pay. Especially since I have a gut
feeling my car needs several, rather expensive repairs before it will be drivable again.
Otto pivots, a quicker movement than I expected from his bulky form. His face is set in a
scowl and I expect him to tell me to get out or start shouting, based on the expression alone.
Surprisingly, his tone is gentle when he speaks again. “I’ll charge you as close to cost as I can for
the parts. You can pay for each portion of the work as it’s completed, but you won’t get your car
back until you pay your tab in full. I’ll call you tomorrow with a quote.”
I nod, feeling crestfallen. He offered a discount, kind of. It really was not a specific offer, and
with nothing in writing, I can’t rely on his word. At least not yet. Also, I was hoping to have my
car back while I continued to pay for the repair costs. Not having a vehicle to get to a job will
make it much more difficult to pay back whatever I owe.
Annoyed, I ignore my mother’s voice that’s fighting to intrude my thoughts and focus on
Otto. Keeping my disappointment out of my voice the best I can, I reply, “Thank you.”
I need to concentrate on the positives right now. I’m safe, my car is being towed, and there’s
nothing to say Otto’s offer to help isn’t genuine.
Maybe things will turn out okay.
He nods, then stalks off towards the vehicles currently in mid-repair, leaving me to deal with
his somewhat surly employee.
Wordlessly, Garrett slides a clipboard over the counter. It holds a single sheet of paper for me
to provide my personal information. I snatch it up, then head to one of the plastic chairs, filling
out the lines quickly. I have to leave the address field blank because, as of right now, I’m
technically homeless.
Placing the clipboard on the chair beside me, I stand up and shield my duffle with my body
while I unzip it. Rooting to the very bottom, I feel out one of my socks filled with cash.
Carefully, I unravel the bills, counting out one-hundred and fifty dollars exactly. Then I return
the sock with the rest of my cash to its previous spot in my bag.
I have a small amount of my emergency funds remaining, about three-hundred dollars. I try
not to stress as I hand the cash and the clipboard to Garrett. I need to find a job and quickly. I
have enough money to stay at a cheap motel for about a week, then I’ll be out on the streets.
Garrett raises his eyebrow at the blank address line, but thankfully doesn’t pry. Before I leave,
he hands me a receipt and gives a small salute.
“Thanks,” I mutter, pushing out of the lobby feeling frustrated. Both from Garrett’s apparent
attitude problems and my current financial predicament.
Once I’m outside, I spot Noah’s car immediately. The glossy white paint draws my eye to its
spot right in front and I head in its direction, wondering if he waited for me or if he has some
other business in the area.
As I approach, he rolls down the window. “Do you need another ride?”
“Uhm, yes. That would be great, actually.”
 The sound of the lock clicks and I open the door to slide in. Glancing down, I realize, again,
how dirty I am and hesitate briefly. Sensing the reason for my unease, Noah waves his hand in
the air and says, “It’s okay. It’s just a car. It can be cleaned. Toss your bag in the back if you
want.”
Nodding, but still feeling embarrassed, I slide inside and heft my duffle over the center
console awkwardly.
“Where to?”
“Is there anywhere cheap in town to stay? And maybe someone that’s looking for a temporary
worker?” I tack on the last part with a little hope that Noah will have a lead for me.
I’m already feeling anxious and I’m not above networking my way into a job, at this point.
Even if it’s one I’m entirely unqualified for. Honestly, I’ve only ever worked at a dairy bar, so I
have minimal experience to rely on.
Glancing over, I find Noah staring at me. His gaze feels expectant, and I realize he must have
spoken while I was preoccupied with my thoughts. I flush and stutter slightly as I apologize.
“Sorry, I was in my head. I didn’t hear what you said.”
Noah smiles, but his eyes stay focused on the road. “We only have one bed-and-breakfast and
one motel in town. There was a fire last week in the motel. Between that and the summer rush,
the B&B is all booked up.”
I sigh. Fighting hard against the despair threatening to bubble up.
Noah speaks again slowly, as if he’s still mulling it over, even as he offers. “I have a couple
of spare rooms in my house. Maybe we could work out a deal. You don’t need to pay me, but
you could do some cleaning around the house and some cooking as a compromise.”
I think about his offer for a total of ten seconds. It seems too good to be true, but I also don’t
have a ton of options. Noah doesn’t give off creeper vibes and I most definitely will barricade
my door at night. Hopefully that will be enough to keep me safe.
“Okay.”
He drags his eyes away from the road, offering me a genuine smile. It reveals a set of white
teeth that are almost perfect. I find the one canine that sits slightly crooked, angled in front of its
neighbor, comforting. Like having a flaw makes Noah somehow more relatable. Safer.
It’s a silly notion, yet I stare at it until he turns back to the road.
Both of us remain silent, as if we’re feeling each other, and this decision, out. I can’t help but
feel like this is about to change my life.