Page 75 of Old Habits
Chapter 21
Jovie
We ride for at least twenty minutes. The rush of it chills and thrills me to the bone. I hook my thumbs into the belt loops of Will’s jeans, just like I always used to do in order to hang on. He doesn’t mind. He never did.
Farmland and plains become hills of concrete as we reach Overland Park but Will rides off the main roads as we pass through the city. I twist in my seat, glancing over my shoulder at the old, yet new, surroundings. I haven’t been through here in a long while.
Will turns into a parking lot and I read the brightly-lit signage as we pass by it.
A community college?
He navigates the campus quickly, taking the narrow turns with no thought or hesitation and I tighten my grip on his belt. The school is mostly deserted at this hour, save the random bunches of students rushing home from late afternoon classes.
We come to a stop in a parking lot outside of a building labeled Auto Lab. A pure white garage door sits closed in front of us, dim lights just barely illuminating the small windows in the middle.
“And we’re here,” Will says after sliding his helmet off.
I do the same and run my fingers through my hair to make sure it’s not too out of whack. “And just where is here?”
The garage door slides open and a man stands there with one arm extended over his head, holding it in place to keep it from rolling closed again. “Hey, Will.” He grins.
Will steps off the bike and gives me his hand to help me down. “Hey, Aaron,” he says. “It’s good to see you.”
“You, too.” The man eyes me and I take a closer look myself. He wears a dark jumpsuit with dirty knees. He’s young, maybe a few years older than we are, with thick hair and a long goatee. “And you’re Jovie,” he says.
“I am.” I nod.
“Come on in.”
Will takes hold of his handlebars and guides his bike into the garage. I follow close behind, my eyes constantly glancing around. This place seems a lot like Marv’s back home, but cleaner with newer technology.
Aaron slides the door closed and secures it down. “Okay, guys. You have an hour before shift change.”
I raise a brow as Will shakes his hand.
“Thanks, Aaron,” Will tells him. “I appreciate it.”
Aaron flashes me a knowing grin as he walks through the door in the corner and closes it behind him.
I squint at Will. “You know that guy?”
“Yeah, that’s Aaron.”
“Yes, and who is Aaron?”
“Night shift janitor. We used to hang out when I’d stay late to study. He’s a cool guy.”
“Is there anybody in Kansas that doesn’t like you?”
He shakes his head. “I don’t think so.”
“Figures.” I take another look around. “So, this is where you went to school?”
“Yep,” he answers. “Everything I know about cars I learned in this very room.”
“Well, not everything,” I tease. “I’m pretty sure I taught you a thing or two about cars.”
He points a finger. “You taught me a thing or two about the backseat, yes, but under the hood…”