His Little Amelia

|26| • Everest

The tense atmosphere had softened up after a week of me working in the mechanic shop, I was also beginning to adjust to the unique characters I worked with. Abel being the boss was the most understanding guy I'd come to know. However, he had a tough exterior and a seemingly permanent stoicism which only seemed to melt when his girlfriend Ramona showed up unannounced.

Guy—yes that was his name, I muffled a chuckle when I came to know this, had a boyish face and a masculine body. He mostly sported a grin when fixing cars, I wasn't surprised how he drew in most of all the female clients, his charms were undeniable. He was a smooth talker with a friendly persona, no surprise how my fondness for him grew by the day. I found it interesting how most of the men here ranged from honey to dark skin, so I was a bit of an oddball with my porcelain ones.

Andrew was another character in the shop, I noticed how close he and Abel were, he was the second in command, tall, slim and honey skinned. He always had his hair in a high bun and the volume of it surprised me. Apart from the physical, Andrew was an accommodating person, a bit bossy, but I didn't mind.

The last was Rasu, an Indian. He wasn't stereotypical, he didn't have an overbearing accent, it just lingered with some words: bushy eyebrows and a big smile. What I found intriguing was about his wife. She seemed older and he confirmed that she was, about five years older. It was no comparison, but I felt more connected to him.

"Would you finish this for me, man? I must take this call." Rasu asked, his phone still vibrating in his pocket. Wiping my sweat – which I'd been doing a whole lot recently, I nodded. It wasn't like I was extremely busy, just refilling the containers of oil. "Sure." Taking his place, I scanned the car, he was in the middle of supplying air to the tires. As I picked up the pipe, I noticed a woman leaning on one of the chairs, simply watching me.

"Uh, you know we can call you after this. So, you don't have to wait, I presume you don't fancy your clothes reeking of engine oil." I finished with an airy chuckle which she replied with a giggle of her own.

"I'm just a bit... sceptical." Her voice was light, melodic even. I observed her appearance, she was pretty and young – but looked older than Amelia. "Sceptical?" I repeated with an eyebrow raise. Instantly, she began waving her hands, "No, no, I'm not meaning to be racist or anything." That took me by surprise. I laughed.

"Who said anything about being racist...?" "Emily." She completed, taking my trail in an attempt to ask for her name. "It's just, the last shop I went to, my car kept breaking down after two weeks, it turns out he was milking me dry," Emily explained with a small smile. "He was Indian."

"Ah, so prejudice then." Her eyes widened. "Huh, it's-" I chuckled, this lady was easily flustered. "I'm kidding." I'd heard of mechanics who fixed what was asked but spoilt another, just so they could make a loyal customer out of you. "Rasu is more skilled than me, I mean I only just started working here but I can verify their credibility, you'll come back to thank us even," I added with a wink. I wasn't flirting, of course not. I was only doing what Guy would have done.

Emily nibbled on her lip, looking away. "O-okay." Getting back to work, I crouched down to get a good look at the tires. "Can I know the name of the man handling my car?"

"That's a unique way of asking for names, Emily." She giggled, and I saw her shrug her shoulders from my peripheral, "I get that a lot."

"Get what?"

"That I'm pretty unique." This made me chuckle. "I see. It's Everest." "Like the mountain?" When was the last time I heard such a quirky question? With a smirk, I nodded, "Yes, like the mountain." She hummed. "Figures, you're pretty tall, built too. Do you work out?" What was this? Twenty-one questions with Rasu's client? I shook my head. "Guess again."