Receiving the parts by the end of the business day I find myself out back behind the parts store in Harry's aged but still functional shop, it's quite a bit after dark now so I'm working on the flickering glow of a single work light.
Sighing softly to myself as I look around at the long shadows the little work light throws over workbenches littered with tools, quarts of motor oil and other vehicle fluids, soda cans, empty food containers and a few unpaid invoices, I'm sure Harry hope the L.A.P.D. or F.B.I will pick up the outrageous bill I've wracked up here in parts…little does he know.
With the hood open I stand over the engine of the Eclipse, making a minor adjustment to the throttle body, the faint scents of hot metal exhaust fumes and grease bringing back memories of working on things with my dad and fucking off at Vocational School, the memories hitting me hard.
Taking a step back from the engine as I finish making my necessary adjustments, "Shew…sweatin like a dyslexic trying to read." I sigh and pull at my shirt's collar to try to fan some air underneath the damp article of clothing before taking it off and using it to wipe the sweat off of my body.
The slight breeze coming in through the open bay door feels damned good with my shirt off.
The laptop continues to make a soft whirring noise. Looking over at it I see the idle range scan is almost complete.
Rubbing at my forehead as Mechanical Mastery makes it feel almost like I'm cheating…like the car is speaking to me in a language only I can understand.
While also supplying me with blueprints to boost the car's efficiency and power.
"This baby's gonna rip." I mutter with a smirk on my face walking over to the bench. I grab a clean rag, do a cursory inspection of the engine bay to make sure I'm not forgetting anything.
"Looks good." I murmur and use the clean shop rag to close the black carbon fiber hood and latch the hood pins, shutting down the program on the laptop, going to the cab of the car, reaching in, turning off the ignition, and unplugging the laptop's OBD2 connector.
"I'm gonna spank Mia…in the race and hopefully later as well."
[5 Days Remaining, Until next Sign-In Next Reward: Unknown.]
"Yeah, yeah…" I grumble, I'd almost forgotten about the system, but it is always here just out of sight when I'm doing something, but still present.
Walking over to and leaning against one of the workbenches grabbing a half-drunk bottle of dragofruit Vitamin water from said workbench, unscrewing the cap I take a long pull of it as I let my mind wander.
One thing while one person comes to the forefront of it Mia Toretto, that smile of her's the way her eyes lit up when she's teasing me, the way her face flushed when I complimented her art.
The soft biting of her lower lip when she suggested spanking me.
As Brian I'd been with, I'm not actually sure of the number but it's approaching nearly a hundred women…mommy issues are definitely a thing…but no other woman has ever kept my interest like Mia Toretto has so far.
Before her…I…well for the son of a single mother I didn't stick around to talk about feelings or for things to really go beyond one night stands…But Mia is different it's almost like I'm obsessed…with her or something.
And then there's Dom and his crew,
like come on you don't just walk up to Dom Toretto and say, "Hey, I'm trying to or am nailing your sister…let me join your crew, Bruh…"
"Yes that's pretty much a suicide attempt to dress itself up as a tragic romance."
But the truth is I don't know what I want, I mean I definitely want to hit that…hit but I'm not sure if I want to hit it and quit it or not.
I mean sure Mia has…a certain gravity to herself that Dom seems to have on others, the sound of her laugh…that seems to echo in my head even now houses after I left the café…her voice the playful banter all of it lingers like skid marks left behind by peeling out on asphalt.
The race date can't come fast enough. It's got me out here working on the car into the early morning.
'I wonder if Mia has the same divine luck and talent behind the wheel that he brother does…either way I'm not going to go easy on her…no one ever wants or remember the guy who comes in second place…though I'd never forget Mia and that cute way her nose crinkles when she smiles.
"Still…if I do win, Mia's not some pink slip…she's a beautiful woman who deserves more than to be treated as such." I murmur, the words tasting bittersweet in my mouth.
"Jesus…I can't believe I'm going to say something along the lines of You're not a car, Mia…you're not something I want to own…but I do wanna win you…your heart the right, Mia Toretto." I smirk self-deprecatingly at how cheesy the words sound to my own ears.
'I'm sure Mia will enjoy the sentiment…girls tend to melt over cheesy crap like that, right?'
I suddenly feel the urge to step outside for a smoke, 'Not starting that habit again.' I tell myself as I drain my bottle of vitamin water, before screwing the cap back on and tossing it into an overflowing recyclables bin.
Walking over to the large grease stained shop sink I turn on the water and extend my hands to the orange bottle of Gojo and pump out a heaping helping of the pumice soap and use it to wash the grease off of my body…even my face.
Now clean I grab some paper towels and dry myself off, "Time for a test drive…" I mutter softly as I walk over to my car, start the engine, the car comes to life with a purr approaching something respectable for a rice cooker.
I feel a deep sense of peace…right now just me my purring car show is ready to roar at the drop of the throttle.
Pulling out of the garage, loving the sound of the turbo spooling, and then the sound of the blow off valve as I let my foot off of the throttle.
Driving to Dodgers stadium finding the place empty, my cones still set up from yesterday, I park at the starting line, revving up my car.
Hitting the start button on the count down timer, "Go." I take off like a jet plane off of a carrier, double shifting through each gear and hitting the Nos button.
Hitting the stop button on the time, just after I pass the finish line, [9.47] seconds.
'Finally have a ten second quarter mile car…' I say in amusement, 'I wonder if Mia would change our date to tomorrow night?' I wonder but one thing is for sure Mia and I are going to be racing soon.
Driving back to the shop, parking near the loading bay, walking over to the actual garage, I lock up…walking back to my Eclipse I put the car cover on then, open the back door, and enter the side room that acts as my home.