Bittersweet Sundown

They chose a small cafe near by and ate their breakfast quickly. Ash wanted to get out of this town before she’d run into Sean or any of his friends.

“I need to visit a friend of mine, I hope you don’t mind coming with me?” Ash asked when they walked back to the rental car.

“Like I have something better to do,” Brian scoffed, getting behind the wheel. Ash instructed him where to drive and it didn’t take long to reach their destination. Brian stopped the car in front of some car repair shop, looking questioningly at Ash.

“Come on,” she just said, climbing out and going inside the building, Brian following her.

“Hey Brex, do I get some service here or do I have to find another mechanic?” Ash yelled to the back, seeing her friend hovering over some cars engine. Hearing her voice, his friend jerked his head up with a wide smile crawling over his lips.

“Well, well, well, look who decided to show up. We thought already that you’ve abandoned your baby,” he joked, walking towards Ash and Brian, still smiling happily.

“Baby?” Brian whispered beside her, confused bewilderment all over his face.

“Yes, I have a baby,” Ash answered him, then stepped up to meet Brex half way.

“Are you mad? How could I abandon someone so awesome?” she hugged him tightly, pressing her cheek against his. He lifted her up and spun around, laughing all the time. Ash really had missed his always sunny personality.

“Come on, she’s been missing you,” Brex invited after putting her on the ground again.

“Oh, wait. I want to introduce you to my friend. Brex, this is Brian Haner, Brian, this is Brex Nord, my friend and my personal mechanic,” she announced happily, watching as they shook their hands.

“Nice to meet you,” Brex said and Brian nodded his head to agree his words without really saying it.

​“Well, come on then. Do you know that Sean has tried to get his hands on her?” Brex asked Ash, urging her to go forward, to the very back of the garage. Brian was hesitating a little so she grabbed his arm and pulled him with them. She really wanted him to meet with her Baby.

“He’s what? That son of a bitch,” she fumed, he had no right to sneak around her things, especially now when he decided to walk out of her life.

“Don’t worry, I didn’t let anyone near her,” Brex quelled, smiling again.

“Thank you so much. Did you get those lights I wanted?” Ash asked, remembering that they ordered them just before she left town.

“Yeah, I got them over a week ago but I haven’t had the chance to install them yet. I think I could do this and change that exhaust system right after I’m done with that Challenger there,” he promised, sounding a little embarrassed.

“Okay. I have things to take care of anyway. I have some things still left to sort through,” Ash said, not really looking forward to it. Almost ninety percent of her things were related to Sean and she didn’t want them into her new life. Luckily she had majority of this sorting already done.

“So you’re moving away then,” Brex stated, not so happy anymore.

“Yeah, to Cali. Oh, you and Cherry will definitely have to come and visit me,” she said excitedly, nudging his side. He didn’t have the chance to say anything back because at next moment Ash was already running away from him.

“Oh, Baby. I missed you so much,” she whined, trying to hug her car, with her arms spread out and her cheek against its roof. Brex was laughing and Ash saw Brian smiling too.

“Camaro SS. Nice,” Brian commented, nodding his head approvingly. That made her smile even wider.

For some reason, it made her happy that Brian liked the car she had. It was dark red, Red Jewel to be exact, with black stripes. Brex had also installed a custom spoiler, grill and tinted windows. And of course it had some pretty awesome rims.

On the inside, Ash had replaced those original seat covers with a custom black and dark red ones, and got a new sound system and speakers. It was exactly like she wanted. It was her.

Before she found something to say, guys were already chatting in some weird language, containing too much technicality for her to understand. So she just leaned against her car and watched them for a while, smiling at their excited gestures and the way they circled around the car, ending up inside. The door was wide open so she stooped down.

“Hey guys, I’ll better go and get my stuff done. Brian, do you wanna come with me or are you staying here?” Ash asked, looking past Brex, to the other side where Brian was sitting. He was hesitating again.

“I don’t mind if you stay here. I’m alone today anyways,” Brex said, making it easier for Brian.

“Do you want me to come with you?” Brian asked, turning to look at her.

“You’ll probably die of boredom with me. I’ll have to go back to the apartment and go through the rest of my things. I could pick you up later,” she offered, knowing he would be better here. Besides she wanted to do this alone.

“Okay then. But call me if anything’s up,” he said, almost smiling at her. It ​seemed to Ash, that they were starting to get along.

“Sure. And you mister, you be gentle with my Baby, okay,” she turned to Brex, pretending to be demanding.

“I’m always gentle with her,” he answered, gently stroking the steering wheel.

“Okay, later guys,” Ash blew them a kiss and walked out of the garage.

It took a few hours, filled with memories, but Ash managed to chew through her things at last. She dropped off the boxes she had marked for at the local charity club and then drove back to her friend’s garage. She found both guys, Brex and Brian, working around her car, hands and clothes covered with oil stains.

“Hey Baby, are they taking good care of you?” she asked, sliding her hand along the roof of her car.

“How about you tell her that she’d cooperate with us,” Brian muttered, trying to force his big hand into a tight gap between the headlights and the frame.

“What’s the problem?” Ash asked, stepping closer to guys.

“It’s a little cramped here and I don’t wanna tear too much apart for the second time. But it seems I don’t have a choice,” Brex complained, trying one last time to get his hand through.

“Tell me what I have to do, my hand fits perfectly,” Ash beamed, sliding her hand in with ease. Brex instructed her, watching closely that she did everything right.

“Well, that should do it. Thanks honey,” Brex thanked her five minutes later and she stepped back with a content smile on her lips.

She liked doing guys things, it made her feel slightly more skillful than an average woman. It made her feel independent. She new the reason behind it was probably growing up without a father, having to do all the work around a house herself. But she had always liked that, because most of the times she managed what she needed to do, from changing a light bulb to a renovation. Of course Kyle helped too but she had always been taking care of more things than Kyle.

“You look like a cat who’s just finished with a bowl of cream,” Brian whispered, walking by very close.

“Make it a strawberry ice cream,” Ash laughed, walking back outside. She still had to heave her things from rental car to hers. And she had to return the rental car also. Luckily Brian had taken a one-way rental option.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to pick you up?” Brex asked when Ash loaded her last box to her car.

“Yes. It’s only three blocks from here. Finish up with my Baby, I’m sure Cherry is waiting you home already. And little Eva wants to get a kiss from his daddy before going to sleep,” she smiled, remembering Brex’s almost three year old daughter. “I’ll be back in a bit.”

It took her only an hour to get back. She had made a few stops, buying some things on her way back.

“Were almost ready,” Brex informed her, smiling friendly. Ash tossed her shopping bag in her car and looked around the shop. She sat down behind the counter at last and flipped through some catalogs Brex got laying around there.

“When did you get back?” Ash heard a question, asked behind her back a few minutes later.