The sunrays beat down on her medium-sized manor house, Verena grimaced and waved her hand in front of her nose to block out the noxious fumes emanating from her jet-black Impala. The hood of her car was open, and she sat on her concrete porch, smacking her lips in annoyance.
She was supposed to be at work by 9:00 am, but her car had broken down in the short driveway. She called her boss, Maddie, to explain the situation, and thankfully, Maddie was understanding. However, Verena's pride would not allow her to ask her mechanic friend for help, even though it was the logical thing to do.
After changing into her faded denim shorts and a grey t-shirt, Verena slipped on a pair of pink bunny slippers. She pulled her ginger box braids into a ponytail with a black elastic hair tie and wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand. With a sigh, she pulled out her phone and scrolled through her contacts until she found her friend's name.
Clifford.
Verena recalled a moment when her friend Quinn and boss Maddie had urged her to pursue the mechanic who fixed her truck last week. Despite their encouragement, Verena simply wanted to get her car fixed and enjoy her day off. She pressed the FaceTime button and waited for Clifford to answer. After three rings, he picked up with a wrench in one hand and his phone in the other. His smile widened upon seeing Verena.
"Hey, what's up?" Clifford greeted.
Verena explained the situation and asked if he could come over and help fix her car.
Clifford's natural talent for repairing machines had led him to establish his own business. His passion for assisting others had grown with each successful repair, and he was well-liked by all.
Verena and Clifford shared a close friendship, and having a mechanic as a friend was a great advantage.
"Absolutely, I can do that for you. Give me a moment to gather my tools," Clifford affirmed, nodding his head. "No problem at all, happy to help,"
♡♥︎♡
Verena's light brown eyes caught sight of his navy blue pickup truck pulling up to her driveway, causing her to rise from her lawn chair with a smile. As he parked on the left and turned off the engine, she noticed his beige timberlands stomp on the dark earth-toned concrete, leaving a brick-red line as he approached.
The entire scene seemed to play out in slow motion before her very eyes, causing her heart to race and her body to fill with warmth. She couldn't help but bite down on her bottom lip in anticipation.
