Hook Me Up - Ladies In Love Pt. 03

Hook Me Up

A Ladies In Love Romance

By Magda McKune

Part Three

Chapter 9

The little bell jingled over the door. Lucy glanced up from the paperwork on her desk. She hoped it was a customer, but it was only that smarmy sleazy jerk Ken Diamond, owner of Diamond Automotive and Lucy's chief competitor. Lucy forced a smile on her face and said, "Hello, Ken. What can I do for you?"

The man casually rested an elbow on the counter and grinned at her. "More like what I can do for you, little lady."

Lucy hated that phony cowboy amiability. She knew Diamond was there to get something. Lucy turned her chair to face him and gave the man her full attention. "And what may that be, Ken?"

"Word on the street is that you may have a hard time coming up with the real estate taxes on this place."

Word on the street, was it? Lucy fought to keep her face from revealing anything. She knew Ken had plenty of cronies all over town. The man wouldn't think twice about putting a poor working gal out of business, particularly if he could profit in the bargain. Lucy calmly asked, "Why is that any concern of yours?"

"Well, now... I may be able to help you out in that regard."

"Oh? As in a loan?"

Diamond nonchalantly glanced at his fingernails. "More like, a buyout."

Lucy couldn't keep the surprise from her voice. "A what?"

"I'm willing to make an offer to buy your business from you."

The woman couldn't believe her ears. Help her out, he said. Out the door was more like it. "Why in the world would I possibly be interested in selling my dad's company to you?"

Ken looked up from examining his fingernails and offered her a disarming grin. "Because I have on good authority that you don't have the money to pay off the debt. However, I do. I can make you a good offer right here and now. Tools, supplies, client list -- the works. I'll give you a fair price. Much more than what this place is probably worth."

"Cut the crap, Ken. You aren't looking out for my benefit. You want to put the competition out of business and increase your service locations in the bargain. Sorry, I'm not selling."

Diamond glared at her, all the niceness gone from his manner. "You're not competition, Lanes. You're nothing but a thorn in my side. This place is one step above a dump and I'm doing you a favor by offering to take it off your hands. Come next month, when that bill is due, you won't be able to sell enough inventory to cover it. You'll be bankrupt and this eyesore will fall into foreclosure. I can pick it up for pennies. What I'm offering you now will save your ass and give you a way out that won't be a total embarrassment to you."

Lucy angrily rose to her feet and defiantly thrust her chin out at the man. "I'd sooner set fire to this place than let it fall into your grubby little hands."

"Even if you did, the insurance wouldn't be enough to pay what you owe. Either way you lose."

"I don't care. It was my father's garage and now it's mine. I won't sell it to you and that's final."

The two stared at each other for a half minute before Ken turned angrily for the door. He stopped with his hand on the knob and glared over his shoulder at her. "My offer still stands, but the clock is ticking. Every day you delay, the price drops. I will have this shop, Miss Lanes. I don't want to see you penniless on the street, but if you're going to be obstinate about it, so be it. Come next month, this place will be mine, with or without your consent."

Diamond exited through the door, leaving Lucy to fume in anger and frustration.

A few minutes later, Sparky entered the front door carrying a small cardboard box in her hand. "The auto parts store finally got in that water pump we needed for that blue Chrysler." She paused at the concerned look on her friend's face. "Luce? What's wrong?"

"I just had a visit from Ken Diamond."

Sparky frowned and set the box on the counter. "What did he want?"

"Ken wanted to buy the shop."

The mechanic stared at Lucy for a few moments, trying to read her boss' mind. "What did you tell him?"

"I told him no."

"Good for you." Sparky gazed at the woman without expression. "So why are you still fretting about it?"

Lucy drew in and expelled a breath of frustration as she dropped heavily into her chair. "I guess I don't want to burn that bridge if worse comes to worse. If we run out of options, maybe selling to Diamond is something worth considering."

Sparky came around the counter and rested her rear on the corner of Lucy's desk. "Is that an option you are willing to live with?"

"I don't know," Lucy scowled. "I'm sure he'd keep us both on as manager and mechanic, but I wouldn't be the boss anymore. It wouldn't be my father's shop anymore. Diamond would probably change the name, so my dad's business would be just as dead as if the bank took it."

Sparky rested her hand on Lucy's shoulder. "We both know that this is your decision to make," she said gently. "Whatever you do, I'm behind you all the way."

Lucy gave her friend a forced smile. "What about that meltdown you had when I said I'd meet with Dan Pruitt about getting a loan to tide us over?"

"That was different. You're not having sex with Ken Diamond in order to save the business."

"You're definitely right about that."

Sparky smiled and patted her friend on the shoulder. "It will all work out, you'll see. We'll win that race next week, pay off the loan and things will be rosy."

"If you say so." Lucy looked at her friend with concern. "Just be careful, Sparks. I could never live with myself if you got hurt trying to save my father's business."

"Don't worry about me," Sparky smiled. She leaned down and met Lucy's lips in a tender lingering kiss. "I would never do anything to break up our team."

Over the next few days, the ladies both worked on the Ford Mustang every spare minute they had to get it ready for the race. Lucy almost forgot how much she enjoyed working under the hood on greasy engines and hearing the roar of raw horsepower.

"Do you think it's ready?" Sparky asked as she closed the hood and wiped the painted surface with a rag.

"I believe a road test is in order," Lucy nodded. "Care to take it out for a spin?"

Sparky grinned. "Let's hit the highway and see how she feels."

Lucy tossed the keys to her friend. "Why don't you drive?"

The girl returned a puzzled expression. "You want me to be the first to test drive your dad's precious Mustang?"

"It's our race car now," Lucy smiled. "You need to be the one who sees how she handles, since you are going to race her this weekend."

"Heck yeah, baby!" Sparky climbed behind the wheel and fired the engine up. "Purring like a kitten," she beamed happily. "Hop in!"

Lucy slid into the passenger seat and the ladies headed out of the garage onto the open road. Sparky pulled onto the highway and opened her up. She kept an eye on the tachometer as she revved the car a few miles above the speed limit and back down again. Lucy watched her friend gazing out the windshield without expression as she steered in and out of traffic. Lucy knew the girl was registering in her mind every revolution of the engine, every squeak and rattle of the chassis. Sparks was studying the car, analyzing every component as they sped along.

"Humming like a Swiss clock," Sparky said at last. She turned to Lucy. "What do you think?"

"I think we have a shot at taking home that trophy," Lucy grinned brightly as she patted her friend's knee. "Especially with Sparky Commons behind the wheel."

The girl flashed Lucy a wide smile. "Put that champagne on ice for when we celebrate in the winner's circle!"

It was early evening and Sparky was about to settle in for the night. She had changed into her baggy flannel pajamas and selected You've Got Mail to watch that evening. She loved old sappy love stories and she believed you can't do much better than Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan for a mushy big-screen romance.

Sparky put a kettle of water on the stove for tea and turned her head to the sound of someone knocking on the door. She crossed to open it and found Lucy Lanes standing on the step. "Lucy?" Sparky frowned. "What is it?"

"I need to talk to you."

"Come on in." She held the door wider for her friend to enter. "Sounds like it's important."

"It is." Lucy turned around to face Sparky as she closed the door. "I have a problem."

"Okay." The girl moved to her. "Does it have to do with the shop?"

"In a manner of speaking." Lucy glanced around. "Can we sit down in the living room?"

"Of course." Sparky gestured to the other room. "I was just about to make some tea. Would you like some?"

"That would be nice. Thanks."

They entered the living room and both sat on the sofa. "What's the trouble?" Sparky asked anxiously.

"I know you said we should keep our personal lives separate from our working relationship," Lucy began. "We can do whatever we want once we're off the clock."

"Yeah. So?"

Lucy looked at her hands in her lap. "It seems I let my business affairs affect my personal life. Or vice versa. I don't know which."

Sparky furrowed her brow in confusion. "I don't follow you."

"I think I've fallen in love with one of my employees."

Sparks tilted her head with a puzzled expression. "I'm your only employee."

"Exactly." Lucy raised her eyes to her friend. "I've fallen madly in love with you, Sparks. I know it's crazy but I can't help it. You're all I think about. You're all I want in my life. You said that we can be more than friends, but I went way over the edge. I'm madly, hopelessly and totally in love with you, Sparky."

Sparky stared at her friend for a long while, letting the revelation settle into her brain. Her best friend since they were kids had just confessed that she was in love with her. Nobody ever told her that before. The news was more than a little overwhelming.

The whistle of the tea kettle snapped Sparky out of her stupor. She sprang up from the couch like a Jack in the Box. "I should get that." She hurried into the kitchen.

Lucy rose to her feet and followed her. "I'm sorry for dumping this on you like this," Lucy explained. "I didn't want to tell you because of all the financial problems we're having at the garage. You have worries enough of whether or not we'll stay afloat without having your boss baring her soul to you like this." She stopped at the edge of the kitchen. "I just thought you deserved to know how I felt about you."

Sparky puttered about with cups and tea bags on the countertop. "It is a bit of a shock, I must admit," she said with her back to her guest. "I mean, I always thought I'd be the first one to break down and spill my guts to you."

Lucy tilted her head with a curious expression. "What do you mean?"

Sparky turned around, her eyes red and tears flowing down her cheeks. "Don't you get it? Don't you know?" Sparky wept openly. "I've been crazy in love with you, Lucy Lanes, ever since the very first moment I laid eyes on you. You've always been the only person for me, the one I gave my heart to from the very start. You're the only one I've ever loved. The only one I ever will love. I'm crazy about you, you great big gorgeous nut!"

Lucy moved closer to her friend. "I never knew. You never said anything."

"Of course not. How do you tell your best friend that she has captured your heart and soul forever?"

Lucy smiled warmly at the girl. "I think you just did."

Sparky sniffed and wiped the tears from her eyes. "God, Luce, I've wanted to tell you for so long. You can't imagine how maddening it is to want to hold and kiss someone and still remain at arm's length for fear that they won't understand. We were both raised to believe that girls aren't supposed to love girls. At times, I felt so ashamed because of how I felt about you, while at the same time, I was happy just to be around you."

"You're with me now," Lucy cooed gently. "And I promise I will never push you away."

Sparky forced a smile through the tears. "I'm glad." She glanced down at her chest. "I must look a mess."

"You look beautiful." Lucy moved to her friend and took her into her arms. "You are always beautiful to me. Beautiful and sexy and very desirable." She caressed her hands over her lover's back. "I'm certainly glad we got this all out in the open."

Sparky wept and nodded her head on Lucy's shoulder. "Me too." Sparky leaned back and wiped the wetness from her face with the back of her hand. "We should probably have something better than tea to celebrate the occasion."

Lucy smiled warmly and tilted Sparky's face up with a finger under her chin. "Tea will do just fine," she cooed lovingly. Lucy met the girl's lips in a lingering tender kiss. "There are plenty of other ways for us to celebrate the occasion."

"Oh?" Sparks grinned knowingly. "What do you have in mind?"

"The only thing I ever think about whenever you and I are alone together," Lucy breathed lustfully. "Let's make love."

They lay in each other's arms, basking in the warmth of their naked bodies. "I think I'm done with the dating scene," Lucy mused thoughtfully as she traced a finger across Sparky's tummy. "No more men for me."

Sparks angled her head to look at her lover. "What do you mean?"

"I've found love and great sex. What do I need a man for?"

Sparky giggled. "I didn't know I was that great in bed."

"You are. You're fantastic. You satisfy my every need. But more importantly, you do it because you want to please me. We give each other pleasure because we want our partner to feel good. And in that act of satisfying, we please ourselves as well."

Sparky snuggled into her lover's arms. "I don't know much about the philosophical aspect of our relationship. All I know is that I want to make you happy. I want to be a good sex partner for you, Luce."

"Same here."

"Call me selfish, but I don't want to think about any other person making love to you but me."

Lucy leaned down and kissed Sparky on the forehead. "No worries there, sweetheart. From this point forward, you have exclusive rights to this gal's body."

Sparky laughed and rolled over and sprawled on top of her friend. "No kidding?"

"No kidding." Lucy smiled warmly and smoothed her hands over her lover's bare back. "I'm all yours. Do with me what you will."

Sparky grinned and leaned down to meet Lucy's lips. "I take that as both an invitation and a challenge," she purred seductively. "Let's see if I can satisfy this sexy lady once more, shall we?"

Lucy smiled and gently raked her fingernails as Sparky inched lower down the mattress. "You always do."

The day of the stock car race had finally arrived. The race was to take place at the track where they sometimes held car races on weekends.

It was an oval track about a mile and a quarter loop at the inside lane. The track slanted a few degrees up from the center to the sides allowing for the 180 degree turns on both ends. The length of the loop at the outer lane was more than a mile and a half.

The race was to be 180 laps with no pit stops. That meant that the drivers had to complete the race on a single tank of gas. There would be no chance for a refill. Even if a driver could manage to stay on the shorter inside lane for the entire race, that would mean they would have to drive 200 miles on a single tank of gas. The drivers had to constantly keep their eye on their speed and gas consumption. The temptation would be to go flat out at top speed and lead all the other cars, but then they'd burn more fuel and run the risk of running out of gas before the race was over.

The prudent course of action would be to drive moderately for the first half of the race, then pick up speed for the remainder of the race and capture the front position.

Of course, there was always a chance of getting knocked out of the race by a car cutting in front of you in order to get a better position. This could make the car veer out of control into other drivers or slam into the outer wall. At speeds over a hundred miles per hour, it would only take a fraction of a second to be involved in a deadly crash.

The morning heat races were five laps to allow the drivers to become familiar with the track and to establish starting positions from their race times.

The cars were lined up and ready to go, their order established by the preliminary heat to determine their placement.

Since there were no pit crews needed for the cars, the infield of the race track held only fire engines, ambulances and emergency medical personnel in case there was an accident on the track.

The drivers gathered in the tunnel under the bleachers leading to the track. Sparky looked every bit the racing professional in her dazzling white jumpsuit with black stripes down the sleeves. Lucy hugged her partner and whispered in her ear, "Good luck, honey!"

Sparky patted Lucy's back and squeezed her tightly. "Come meet me afterward in the winner's circle."

"I will."

Lucy turned to go and spotted Ken Diamond walking her way. The man wore a red and black jumpsuit and looked like Satan himself. "Hello, Lucy," Diamond grinned wickedly. "Come to watch me win?"

"I seriously doubt that will happen."

"You never know." The man regarded her evenly. "Have you given any thought about selling your garage?"

"No. I am not going to sell to you, Ken. Not ever, so you can stop asking."

The man fastened the Velcro strips on his racing gloves and glanced around the race track. "So, I take it your plan is to win this race and pay off your father's note?" Her stony silence was his answer. Ken looked at Lucy with an evil grin. "You can win a dozen races and you'd still be in a fix. Face it, Miss Lanes, it's over for you."

"It's not over," she growled in a low voice. "We still have a race to run."

Diamond laughed with cruel humor. "A race that I am going to win." He moved to her and patted Lucy on the shoulder. "One thing you'll discover about me; I don't like to lose."

The starting flag was dropped and the race began. The cars proceeded around the track, slowly at first, then gaining speed as the drivers jockeyed for position. Lap after lap they drove around, several cars dropping out due to overheating or mechanical failure. The cars became more spread out as the race went on. With only twenty laps left to go, Sparky's red mustang was half a car length in front of the others. Lucy cheered excitedly from the stands. She was so proud of her partner. Her heart pounded loudly in her chest with excitement, and yet she couldn't squelch a feeling of panic in dread that something bad was going to happen.

Suddenly a black car sped wildly toward the front from the middle of the pack. The driver was making a last-ditch effort to spring to the front of the other racers. A hush fell over the crowd as they watched the driver recklessly swerve around and between the speeding drivers as though he had no concern for the safety of his competitors.

Lucy knew by the number on the driver's door that the car belonged to Ken Diamond.

Diamond's car crept closer to Sparky's Mustang. On the far turn, the black car pulled up alongside Sparky's car and nudged her against the driver's side door. Her car swerved, but Sparky maintained control through the turn. The crowd gasped in shock. Now on the straightaway, the two cars were neck and neck with only a dozen laps left to go. The black car suddenly swerved and slammed into the Mustang's door hard, forcing Sparky into the wall. The passenger side crunched and ground noisily against the wall, fragments of the front panel and fender tearing free. The crowd screamed in horror as the car flipped over onto the driver's side and slid a hundred feet along the track. Three speeding cars slammed into her rear, spinning them all wildly about the track. They gradually slowed and regained control as Sparky's car skidded on its side into the grassy center field.

Lucy stared in shock as the ambulance and medical team descended upon the wreck. Smoke was pouring out from under the hood and Lucy feared the vehicle would burst into flames at any moment.

The fire crew hosed down the engine as the paramedics removed Sparky's limp body from the passenger side window. Lucy stood immobile with her hand clamped to her mouth, too terror-stricken to speak. The EMTs placed the unconscious girl on a stretcher and checked her over. Minutes passed before the announcer informed the audience that the driver was seriously injured but alive. The medical team quickly hustled Sparky into a waiting ambulance and drove her from the track to the hospital, sirens wailing and lights flashing.

Lucy could not move. She imagined the whole event was simply a ghastly nightmare. Her darling Sparky could not be hurt. It wasn't possible. She watched in blank numbness as the race continued and the black car crossed the finish line as the winner.

Lucy hurried from the grand stands. She didn't care who won the race. Her only concern was the condition of her dear friend.

Lucy arrived at the hospital and was told by the nurse in the emergency room that Suzie Commons was unconscious. "Are you family?" the nurse asked.

Lucy paused a moment before responding. "I suppose so. Suzie and I have been best friends for years. I'm the closest thing to family that she has." Lucy grimaced at the thought of her dear friend lying in a hospital bed, hurt and all alone. "She and I are just about all that we've got."

The nurse's eyes registered the anguish on Lucy's face. "I suppose you can visit her. But only for a few minutes. The girl is pretty banged up. They put her into a drug-induced coma to help her body deal with the pain. Don't be too shocked when you see her in her condition."

Lucy forced a smile. "Thank you."

The nurse inclined her head to the hallway. "Room 315."

"Thanks."

Lucy stepped tentatively into Sparky's room. The girl was in a hospital bed with various electronic monitors and IV pumps attached to her body. A breathing tube was inserted in her mouth. She had bandages around her head and down her arms. Lucy had never seen her friend so banged up before. It scared her more than she had prepared herself for.

Lucy moved to the side of the bed. Her friend looked so tiny and frail. Lucy never realized until that moment how much her friend meant to her, and how much she needed to have Suzie Commons in her life.

Lucy pulled a chair up to the side of the bed and held Sparky's hand. The girl looked so peaceful in her sleep. "Don't you dare leave me, Sparks," Lucy prayed softly. "I don't know how I can manage without you. You're everything to me, you know that? I guess I naturally assumed you would always be there for me, you know? It scares me when I think I may have to manage without my partner by my side. Not my business partner... my life partner." She leaned her lips close to her friend's ear. "I love you, Suzie Commons," she murmured softly. "I always have. Please don't leave me. My heart couldn't bear it."

Lucy remained in the room for nearly an hour. The nurse gently insisted that Lucy go home and get some rest. The woman said she would permit Lucy to visit again later in the evening after the doctor had made his rounds and checked up on her. Later that night, Lucy met up with the attending physician, Doctor Stillwell. He was an older man with short gray hair and wire rimmed glasses. "We took her off the intravenous sedative a couple hours ago and she seems to responding well," he said. "The girl's body should mend without any complications." He smiled warmly at Lucy. "Your friend was lucky. It could have been much worse. She's as tough and resilient a gal as I've ever seen."

Lucy struggled to fight back the emotion that was choking her throat. "Suzie Commons is without a doubt the most remarkable woman I have ever known."

Lucy spent the night in the chair beside Suzie's bed. She rested her forehead on her arm with her friend's hand clasped in hers. She felt the girl's hand gently squeeze her fingers. Lucy looked up. Sparky cracked her eyes open and lolled her head on the pillow to look at her friend. "Hi," she croaked weakly.

Lucy rose to her feet and moved to the side of the bed. "How do you feel?"

"Like I was in a car crash."

"Maybe because you were."

Sparky inched her hand from under the sheet and touched Lucy's arm. "You look terrible," she smiled weakly.

Lucy grinned broadly and lightly caressed the girl's face. "I could say the same for you." She smiled down at the girl. "I could say that, but I would be wrong. You're beautiful. In fact, you're absolutely perfect." She leaned down and met Sparky's lips in a soft tender kiss. "I was worried about you, honey. You gave us all quite a scare."

"What happened?" she frowned. "Everything is a bit of a blur."

"You crashed into the wall. The car is totaled, and you landed in the hospital."

A pained expression passed over Sparky's face. "I'm sorry, Luce. I blew it."

"Don't worry about it. Just get well, okay?"

"What's going to happen to the shop?" Sparky asked.

"I don't know." Lucy sighed and gently squeezed her friend's fingers. "I'll pay a visit to our accountant tomorrow and see if she can come up with some options."

Sparky forced a smile and said, "You can sleep with Dan Pruitt for the money if you want to. I promise I won't mind. It won't bother me if you have sex with him in order to save the shop."

Lucy furrowed her brow with a puzzled expression. "You sure? You seemed so against it when I first mentioned it."

"This is the eleventh hour," Sparky stated without emotion. "We don't have a whole lot of time left. You do what you need to do, Luce. I promise I won't be upset, especially now that I know that your heart belongs to me."

"It most certainly does." Lucy leaned over her friend and gave her a tender kiss on the lips. "You are the only one I want to have sex with, Sparky. You are my one and only, forever and ever. We'll find a way to come up with the money and save the shop. Just you wait and see."

Sparky permitted a small weak chuckle. "You always were the one who believed in fairytale endings."

"That's us, honey," Lucy cooed lovingly. She brushed a strand of hair from her lover's forehead with her finger. "You and me... happily ever after."

Sparky closed her eyes and sighed dreamily. "I love you, Luce."

"I love you too, baby." She bent down and lightly kissed Sparky's brow. "Get some sleep. I'll come see you in a little while."

Chapter 10

"Thanks for agreeing to see me today," Lucy said as she sat in the chair in front of Wendy McBride's desk.

"No problem," Wendy said. "I heard about your friend in that bad car wreck. Is she going to be all right?"

"Sparky's banged up pretty bad, but no permanent damage. She should be up on her feet in a day or two."

"Well, that's a relief."

"The reason I came to see you is I was wondering if there was anything I could do to save the shop. I know it's a last-ditch effort, but maybe there is something we missed. Some other option we haven't considered."

Wendy's face revealed a pained expression. "I wish there was. I've been wracking my brain, trying to come up with a viable alternative, but I got nothing." She regarded Lucy evenly. "Did you talk to Dan Pruitt about your problem?"

Lucy visibly winced and shifted in her seat. "No. I met with him socially a few times. Dan's a great guy and we had a really nice time together. I didn't want to spoil it by asking him for money."

"You may have to if you want to save your family business."

"I know." Lucy drew in and released a long, dejected sigh. "It's just that I don't know what he'll want in return. Dan is no dummy. He'll want some sort of collateral or promissory note from me. It'll mean being in debt to him. That's no better than borrowing from the bank."

"Perhaps. You won't know his terms until you ask him."

"You're right." Lucy regarded the woman evenly. "I don't want to have sex with him."

Wendy allowed a wry smile. "I didn't say you had to."

Lucy caught herself. "It isn't that he isn't great looking and a terrific guy. Under normal circumstances I wouldn't mind it."

Wendy chuckled. "No doubt."

"Only... to sleep with him to save my business... it would be like prostituting myself. I don't think I could go through with it knowing it was all an act to get the man to do what I want."

The accountant eyed Lucy evenly for a few moments. "I think I know Dan well enough to know he wouldn't demand anything unreasonable from you. And I think I know you well enough to know you wouldn't intentionally deceive someone merely for financial gain." Wendy leaned forward and clasped her hands atop the blotter. "My advice to you is that you meet with Dan and tell him your dilemma. Maybe he can help. The terms are entirely between the two of you. You'll never know if you don't ask. Quite frankly, at this stage of the game, you have very little to lose by talking to him."

Lucy nodded in agreement. "You're right. I'll ask him about the money and see what he has to say. Worst case scenario is that he makes an offer that I cannot accept." She forced a smile and nodded to the woman. "I'll call him. And afterward, I'll let you know what we come up with."

"You never know," Wendy shrugged. "You might get lucky." She leaned back in her chair and smiled. "If you'll pardon the unintended innuendo."

Lucy sat in her car in the parking lot in front of the accountant's office and stared at her phone. She was trying to convince herself that there was no harm in asking Dan out to dinner. It was just a harmless dinner date, she reminded herself. She wouldn't be betraying her love and dedication to Sparky by meeting with the man. So why did she feel so rotten about the whole affair?

It was the money aspect of the situation that bothered her. Going on a date with a handsome man while her lady lover lay bruised and banged up in the hospital seemed like a cruel thing to do. Plus the deception of asking the man out knowing full well she intended to use him for financial gain. It felt like she was doing something underhanded.

Lucy rationalized that the man was free to say no to her request. Lucy was free to refuse any terms Dan placed on her appeal for funds. And it wasn't actually a dinner date either. More along the lines of a business meeting, so she wouldn't be sneaking around behind Sparky's back. She'd talk to Dan over dinner and see where the path would lead.

Lucy strengthened her resolve and dialed the number. This is business, she reminded herself. No need to get all flustered about it.

Dan's voice startled her when he came on the line. "Dan Pruitt."

"Dan?" Lucy asked, forcing the nervousness from her voice. "This is Lucy Lanes."

"Lucy!" She could practically see the smile on his face. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your phone call?"

"I was just wondering if you were free for dinner tonight."

"Absolutely," he answered without the least bit of hesitation. "When and where?"

Lucy was taken aback. She hadn't thought beyond the point of asking him out. "Anywhere is fine with me. You pick."

There was a slight pause as the man gave it some consideration. "How about The Snuggery on Kudrow Avenue?"

"I know the place," Lucy nodded. Not too fancy, so she wouldn't have to get all dolled up. Perfect for a business meeting. "Sounds good. Seven o'clock?"

"I'll be there. Unless you prefer that I pick you up?"

Lucy thought about the man escorting her to the restaurant and how awkward it would be after she asked him for the cash advance. Either he'd storm out in a huff, leaving her stranded, or he'd take her home, expecting to seal the deal with some bedroom hanky-panky. "There is a stop I have to make this afternoon," she lied. "I'll meet you there."

"All right then," he smiled over the line. "I'll see you at seven."

"Okay. Bye."

Dan Pruitt beamed brightly as Lucy stepped into the lobby. He was wearing a black turtleneck sweater under a mohair sport coat and cream slacks. Damn, she mused to herself. That man is one handsome guy. He crossed to her and took her hand and kissed her on the cheek. "You look gorgeous," he stated honestly.

Lucy smiled. "You don't look so bad yourself."

He gestured to the dining room. "Care for dinner?"

Lucy hesitated with a frown on her face. "Let's just order drinks for now. Is that okay?"

Dan returned a puzzled expression. "All right. If you say so."

The slender young raven-haired hostess showed them to a table and handed them each a menu. "Can I get a drink order for you?" she asked cordially.

"Vodka and tonic," Lucy ordered. "Make it a double."

Dan had a startled look on his face. He turned to the hostess and said, "I'll have the same." After the woman turned away, Dan asked, "Is everything all right?"

"No, it isn't," Lucy sighed sadly. "I invited you here under false pretenses and I feel awful about it."

Pruitt tilted his head with a quizzical expression. "I don't follow."

"My business is going under and I intended to ask you for money."

The man belayed no emotion. "I see."

The hostess returned with their drinks. "Still checking out the menu?" she asked brightly.

Dan set his menu aside and looked at her. "We may not order for a while."

The woman looked at Lucy and back at Dan. She smiled and said, "You need anything, you let me know." The lady disappeared and Dan returned his attention to his date. "You were saying?"

"I own an auto shop that's mortgaged to the hilt. I met with Wendy McBride to come up with some options and she suggested I ask you for a loan." Lucy lifted her glass and took a healthy gulp. "Don't blame Wendy," Lucy continued. "She merely wanted me to go on a date with you. The asking for money was a side note. If we hit it off, maybe you would be open to the idea of fronting the money to me as a temporary loan."

"How much money do you need?"

Lucy shook her head. "It doesn't matter. Regardless of how much I said I needed, you would probably offer to pay it. I don't want that. I couldn't live with myself knowing I deceived you in order to keep my business alive."

Dan smiled warmly and reached across the table to rest his hand on hers. "Now that you've told me, you wouldn't be tricking me into helping you. We're friends now, so you don't have to feel guilty about asking for a loan."

Lucy shook her head. "Nice try. But the answer is thanks, but no thanks."

Dan nodded in acceptance. "I wish there was something I could do to help."

"There is one thing," Lucy hedged coyly. "You can spring for dinner. I'm a little strapped for cash at the moment."

Dan laughed and picked up his menu. "I would be delighted to." As he glanced at the menu options, Dan casually commented, "Perhaps we can come to some other type of arrangement."

"I'm not going to have sex with you," Lucy stated firmly. She glanced to her side to find the waitress had returned and had overheard her proclamation. Lucy scowled at the woman and said, "Well, I'm not!"

The waitress awkwardly cleared her throat and murmured, "Perhaps I should give you two a couple more minutes." She turned and left them alone.

Dan lowered his menu a few inches and suppressed a chuckle. "I meant as an investor in your business," he clarified. "Stock options, capital investment..."

Lucy felt her face redden slightly and winced at her faux pas. "Sorry. Those solutions may offer a temporary fix, but I have bigger problems. My business is in a slump. The taxes are due. My chief mechanic is injured in the hospital. An infusion of cash will only delay the inevitable."

Dan nodded soberly. "Then I guess there's only one thing for us to do."

Lucy's eyebrows shot up. "Oh? What's that?"

"Order dinner." His gaze returned to his menu. "That is, if our waitress isn't cowering in the kitchen."

Lucy giggled and relaxed. "I hope I didn't embarrass her too much."

"I'm sure she's heard much worse." Dan looked up and inclined his head with a smile. "Here she comes, if you want to give it another go."

"I'm still not going to have sex with you," Lucy laughed. "But I am willing to try the chicken parmesan."

The man nodded. "Fair enough."

Lucy's house seemed very quiet and empty and cold. It had felt as though something was missing within those old walls ever since her father passed away, but this night seemed much deeper than normal. Perhaps it was the worry or concern over her best friend in the hospital. Or the feeling that she was now more alone than ever.

Lucy could have invited Dan Pruitt back to her place after they left the restaurant, but as lonely as she felt that night, the temptation to sleep with him may be too great.

Not that it would be a bad thing. However, Lucy had given her heart to Sparky and it wouldn't be right to cheat on her lover, regardless of how despondent Lucy felt at the moment. Particularly when Sparky lay all beat up in a hospital room. It would literally be adding insult to injury. The day after Sparky survives a near death experience, her lady partner runs into the arms of a man. If Lucy felt terrible before, having sex with Dan Pruitt would make things much worse.

Lucy snapped on the light in her bedroom and stared at the empty bed. How she longed for Sparky to join her under the sheets that night. Their relationship had permanently shifted and that one simple kiss had been the catalyst. Lucy and Sparky were now lovers and no matter how much Lucy insisted to herself that they could always remain friends, there was no going back to the way they were before.

Lucy dropped weakly on the edge of the bed. What a month this had been, she mused. In the matter of a few weeks her entire world had been flipped upside down. Her business was on the brink of financial ruin, she had entered into a lesbian relationship and fallen madly in love with her lady partner, and her best friend in the whole world lay broken in a hospital bed. The most frustrating aspect was that Lucy could not have changed any of it if she had the foresight to prevent it. Her father's company would still need an infusion of cash to stay solvent. Sparky would still have insisted that she drive in that race. No matter how much Lucy would try to talk her out of it, Sparky would win the argument in the end. And they would have inevitably fallen in love. Sparky confessed that she had been harboring a crush on Lucy since they were kids. It was only a matter of time before the girl would admit her feelings. Lucy knew she loved Sparky long before they had sex. Maybe that was why they were such good friends for so long, even though they were both so different. Love always has a way of winning out.

Lucy drew in and released a doleful sigh. There had to be a reason for all this calamity and madness in her life. There had to be light at the end of the tunnel. Lucy always believed that nothing ever happens without a purpose. She remembered a statement she heard in a movie once; "Everything will be all right in the end. If it's not all right, it's not the end."

Lucy sighed and began to undress. This is not the end, she thought. Normally, Lucy was not a quitter, but there comes a time when you have to admit that the fight is over. Maybe it was time for her to surrender.

The little silver bell jingled over the door as Lucy let herself into the front reception area of the auto shop. Many times, she had been the first one to come to work and open the office. This time was different. This time she knew Sparky would not be there with her. Her absence lent a sort of quiet emptiness to the rooms.

Lucy snapped on the lights and moved around the counter to the coffee maker. She recalled how strange it was those first few weeks after her father died. The place now felt just as empty after he had gone. Lucy sighed sadly as she filled the pot with water from the sink. It was all her fault, she thought. It was Sparky's idea to enter the race, but she could have told her not to. Sparks was in the hospital, all banged up and in pain because she wanted to get Lucy out of debt. What kind of friend am I, Lucy scowled, to allow my best friend to risk her life to save me from financial ruin?

Lucy poured the water into the unit and added coffee grounds to the basket. Sparky risked her life for me, Lucy lamented. If Sparks had died in that car crash, Lucy would never have forgiven herself. She was in love with the girl and couldn't imagine a life without her in it.

Lucy switched on the coffee maker and stared at the machine as it began gurgling and percolating. Everything seemed so useless now. What good was having the business if she didn't have her best friend at her side to share it with? What good was running her father's company all by herself? Lucy realized in that single illuminating moment that her life without Sparky in it would be empty and meaningless.

Lucy decided that she was not in the mood to run the business that day. She'd call the customers and tell them about the delay, order whatever parts they needed for cars in the garage, then close up shop and visit Sparky.

Lucy went to visit Sparky in the hospital. The girl was sitting up in bed watching a game show on TV with the sound muted. A dinner tray stood beside the bed with an untouched cup of green Jell-o and a cup of water with a straw.

"Hi, honey!" Lucy beamed brightly as she strolled into the room. "How are you feeling?"

Sparky turned her head to Lucy and smiled weakly. "Much better," she said. "The pain killers the nurses are giving me are making me loopy and tired."

Lucy moved to the side of the bed and gave her friend a smooch on the forehead. "At least you're getting some rest, which is good." She pulled a chair up beside the bed and held the girl's hand. "So what does the doctor say?"

"He's pleased that I'm doing well," Sparky nodded. "He may let me go home in a day or two if I promise to take it easy."

"That's good."

"And he promised me I could cut back on my medication. I would rather take a pain pill when I needed it than to be incoherent most of the time."

"That's good too."

Sparky focused her eyes on her guest. "How is the shop doing? I'm sorry my being gone is making us fall behind."

"Don't worry about it," Lucy soothed. "Picture this as your being on vacation."

"Vacation," Sparky huffed. "If I wanted to lounge about all day, I better have ocean waves in front of me, sand under my butt, and a Mai Tai in my hand."

Lucy laughed. "Okay, maybe not a vacation. Think of it as taking some personal time."

Sparky forced a smile and squeezed Lucy's fingers. "If I was taking time off to lie about in bed, it sure wouldn't be alone, if you know what I mean."

Lucy chuckled and shook her head. "None of that for a while, young lady," she chastised gently.

Sparks groaned and lolled her head on the pillow. "You sure know how to hurt a gal when she's down." She drew in and released a long breath. "Those pain pills are really kicking my butt. You'll pardon me if I fall asleep on you."

"Don't worry about it." Lucy rose to stand. "You just relax and get better." She leaned down with her lips close to Sparky's ear. "You and I will be in bed together soon enough."

"Such a tease you are," Sparks murmured weakly.

"I love you," Lucy whispered.

"Love you too."

Lucy kissed her sleeping companion on the forehead and quietly slipped from the room.

Chapter 11

Lucy went to the shop the following morning to take care of some business matters. She intended to visit Sparky at the hospital later that day. Lucy hoped that staying busy would keep her mind off her injured friend. She also preferred not to spend too much time in that cold empty house all by herself. The house just wasn't the same without Sparky's bright smile and cheerful laughter to add life to the rooms.

She turned her head to the jingling of bells over the front door. Lucy smiled when she saw it was Dan Pruitt coming through the door. "I saw the light on," he said, "and I thought I'd drop in."

"I'm glad you did," Lucy said, crossing to him. "I could use a friendly face right about now."

"I talked to Wendy McBride about maybe being able to assist you with your financial troubles. She was expectedly tight-lipped about the situation. Client confidentiality and all that."

Lucy nodded. "You are forgiven for being sneaky and going behind my back. I know your heart was in the right place."

"Wendy told me about the car race and your friend involved in the crash. How is she?"

"Pretty banged up," Lucy sighed ruefully. "It's a miracle she survived." Lucy moved to the man and pressed her body to his chest. "I can't help blaming myself," she mewed on the verge of tears. "I let her drive in that race, knowing that it was dangerous. I should have tried to talk her out of it."

Dan wrapped his arms around Lucy's back and comforted her. "You mustn't blame yourself. It isn't your fault. If anything, the man who caused the crash is to blame."

Lucy broke from their embrace and released a doleful sigh. "These things happen."

"Sometimes on purpose."

Lucy wrinkled her brow with a puzzled expression. "What do you mean?"

"After I talked with Wendy about the car wreck, I called a friend at the racing commission and asked if there was anything fishy about the accident. He told me he had been reviewing the film footage of the crash and it was pretty obvious that another driver deliberately forced her into the wall."

"Ken Diamond."

"Correct."

Lucy's face contorted in anger. "That rat! I knew he caused that crash on purpose! Ken told me before the race that he hated to lose. Apparently, he made sure he didn't."

"I paid a visit to Mister Diamond yesterday afternoon," Dan said. "I told him that I was representing your friend Miss Commons as a client and that I had evidence that he intentionally caused her injuries."

Lucy's eyes grew wide. "Are you really her lawyer?"

Pruitt smiled. "No, but Diamond doesn't know that. He collapsed like a house of cards. Said he'd do anything to keep the case out of court. I told him that if he'd pay for Miss Commons' medical bills, she would not press charges."

"And he went for it?"

"All the way. The man was only too happy to avoid a scandal and public defamation of his character. I don't think he'll be bothering you for quite a while."

Lucy expelled her breath in a deep sigh of relief. "Well, at last that headache is taken care of. I still have the issue of my financial dilemma to address."

"I can't give you a personal loan to tide you over?"

"No thanks. You are a friend, and the quickest way to ruin a friendship is to borrow money from someone. I'll figure something out."

"Well, then," Dan shrugged, "if I can't loan you the money, perhaps there is something you can sell to me."

Lucy let out her breath in a loud guffaw. "Honey, I may have a great body, but having sex with me would not be worth anywhere near that kind of money!"

Dan chuckled and shook his head. "That wasn't what I had in mind. I was thinking about something more tangible. A banged up 1964 Ford Mustang, perhaps?"

Lucy was slightly taken aback. "Wait. My Mustang? That car was wrecked in the crash."

The man shrugged. "It wasn't ruined that bad. After I reviewed the video footage of the race with my friend, he took me to see the damaged car. It's not a complete loss. I'm sure you could restore it to its former glory in no time."

"The Mustang?" Lucy gaped incredulous. "You want to buy it?"

"I always wanted a muscle car," Dan remarked casually. "Shall we say, five thousand dollars for the title? Plus whatever it costs to rebuild it?"

"You're not serious!"

"Quite serious. I can write you a check tomorrow and your lady mechanic friend can start work on it as soon as she feels up to it."

Lucy stared at the man in shock. "You amaze me, Dan Pruitt. You truly are my knight in shining armor."

Dan shyly shrugged. "I just hate to see a damsel in distress."

"Well, this damsel appreciates you very much." She moved closer and hooked her arms around his neck. "And she would like to properly thank her gallant knight for coming to her rescue." Lucy pressed her lips to his in a tender, lingering kiss.

The doctor signed the release forms for Sparky to check herself out of the hospital. The girl wanted to surprise Lucy at the shop. Instead of calling Lucy to pick her up, Sparky took an Uber to the garage.

The bell jingled over the door as Sparky entered the front of the shop. She stopped up short at the sight of Lucy in the arms of a strange man. He was about six feet tall, good looking, wearing a gray suit. Lucy was in his arms, smiling and kissing him on the lips.

The pair turned at the sound of the bell over the door. Lucy beamed brightly at the sight of her friend. "Sparks!" she exclaimed. "You're out of the hospital! What a surprise!"

"For the both of us, obviously," the girl snapped icily. "You didn't waste any time finding comfort while I was gone."

Lucy glanced down and realized she was still in Dan Pruitt's arms. "We were just closing a deal."

"So it would seem." Sparky turned on her heel and stormed out of the shop. It was all she could do to hold back the tears. Her heart ached and her mind reeled with a myriad of emotions at once -- anger, hurt, betrayal, disappointment, frustration, confusion, and a dozen others. So much for a warm homecoming. Sparky walked as far as she could go without looking back. She didn't want to see Lucy running after her. Or even worse, if she didn't.

After a few blocks, her leg began to ache. Sparky sat down on a flower planter by a street light and began to cry. She wept more than she had done since she was a child. Her heart was broken and there was nothing she could do to make it better. In a single instant, she had lost her best friend and the love of her life. And probably her job too. Sparky doubted she could ever go back to the garage after what she had seen. All at once, her entire world collapsed around her. She wept until there were no more tears to cry. Then she called for an Uber to take her home.

Lucy rang the doorbell and waited. It was nearly a minute later before Sparky opened the door to her apartment. The girl stood holding the doorknob, her face revealing no expression. Her eyes were red and she looked like she had been crying.

"Hi, Sparks," Lucy said, forcing a small smile. The girl didn't say a word. Lucy cleared her throat and said, "We need to talk."

"So... talk."

"May I come in?"

Sparky hesitated a moment, then stepped back and held the door wider for her guest to enter. Lucy stepped inside and Sparky closed the door. "What do you have to say?" she asked icily.

Lucy turned to her. "First I have to apologize for what you saw. It wasn't what it looked like."

"It looked like you were in a man's arms and you were kissing him."

Lucy hedged. "Okay, so I guess it was what it looked like. But give me a chance to explain why."

"I don't want to hear it."

Lucy scowled and clamped her hands firmly on her hips. "You may not want to hear it, but I'm going to tell you anyway. Dan stopped by to help me out. He gave me money -- "

"I suspected as much."

Sparks started to walk past her. Lucy grabbed Sparky's arm and pulled her back. "I was in a jam and I needed help. Dan offered a solution and I took it."

"I'll bet you did!" the girl snapped angrily. "God, Lucy, I loved you. I still love you, no matter what. I told you in the hospital that I was okay with you doing whatever was necessary to get the money you needed, but I was wrong. Saying it's okay is one thing. Seeing you throwing yourself at a strange man is another. I can't turn a blind eye to whatever you think is necessary to keep your business afloat. You do what you feel you have to, but don't expect me to hang around and watch."

Lucy held her friend's arm fast. "I know how it looked at the garage between Dan and me, but you have to believe me, nothing happened. I love you too much to hurt you that way. Let's sit down and I can explain to you what is really going on."

Sparky glared at the woman for a while, her eyes hard. At last she nodded once to the living room. "We can sit. You talk and I'll listen. I owe you that much."

They moved to the living room and sat beside each other on the sofa.

Lucy said, "I worked a deal out with the IRS this afternoon to pay off the note through several installments. They figured it would be better to get some money out of us rather than for us to file bankruptcy and lose everything. I gave them three thousand dollars and that bought us a few more months to come up with the rest."

"Three thousand dollars!" Sparks gasped. "You don't have that kind of cash!"

"I do now. This is where Dan Pruitt comes in."

Sparky's eyes narrowed. "The guy who has the hots for you." Her eyes suddenly widened with understanding. "You didn't!" she blurted. "You prostituted yourself for the sake of the garage! I can't believe it! I knew that man was no good!"

Lucy patted Sparky's hand to calm her down. "Relax. I did no such thing. You may think that I'm fantastic in bed, but I doubt I would be worth three thousand dollars to any man. It turns out that Dan is really a nice guy after all. He gave me the money we needed to survive and I didn't have to give up anything I didn't want to."

Sparky furrowed her brow with a perplexed expression. "So what did you have that was worth so much to him, might I ask?"

"Dad's Ford Mustang."

The girl was momentarily taken aback. "The one I crashed? What could he possibly want with that heap of scrap metal?"

"It seems Dan has always wanted to own a Mustang and I told him I would sell him ours cheap. Of course, he can't drive it in the condition that it's in. So we'll keep it at the garage and you can work on it when you feel up to it. Naturally, Dan will pay us for the parts and labor, and we can hold onto it until you say it's okay to drive."

Sparky chuckled and shook her head. "I don't know if this guy is nuts, or so smitten with you that he'd agree to anything you say."

Lucy grinned and chuckled. "Maybe a little of both."

Sparky gave her hand a squeeze. "I know how he feels. I feel the same way myself."

"Dan also told me some other interesting things," Lucy said. "He met with the race commissioner and they determined that the accident was not due to driver error. Another driver forced you into the wall."

Sparky's jaw dropped in shock. "Who would do such a thing?"

"None other than our old friend Ken Diamond."

The girl's face twisted in rage. "That low-life bastard!" she cursed. "I have half a mind to go over there and cut his pecker off!"

"No need for that," Lucy chuckled, patting her friend's hand. "Diamond has been dealt with. Dan Pruitt threatened him with legal action and scared the man so bad, I doubt he'd ever come within ten blocks of our business ever again."

"I suppose it's good to have a lawyer in our corner after all," Sparky conceded. "Even one who is competing with me for your affections."

Lucy laughed. "Nobody is competing with you, sweetheart," she cooed lovingly. "As far as this gal is concerned, you are the only game in town." She leaned closer and met Sparky's lips in a tender kiss. "Speaking about concern, how are you feeling?"

"A little sore," Sparky winced. "But not bad enough to stay in the hospital. I'm too much of a doer to spend all day in bed. The doctor let me go home so long as I don't overdo it... stay off my feet and not tire myself out." She looked into Lucy's eyes and forced a smile. "I can come back to work tomorrow. That is, if I still have a job after I made an ass out of myself today."

"Of course you have a job. Always and forever, Sparky." Lucy gave an indifferent shrug. "So long as we can keep the garage open."

"I thought you paid off the bank note and the back taxes?"

"Only part of them. We need more revenue if we intend to stay afloat. Now with you sidelined for a while, it will be even harder to make ends meet."

"I'm sorry," Sparky mewed sadly. "I tried to help and ended up making things worse."

"Things are not worse," Lucy smiled. "What would have been worse is if you would have been seriously injured or killed. I couldn't live with myself if that were to happen. The shop is just a business. I don't care if it goes under, so long as I always have you. You're my best friend, Sparks. I love you."

"I love you too, Luce."

Lucy smiled and stroked her finger along the girl's brow. "The doctor said you need to take it easy for a while," she mused thoughtfully. "Does that mean you can't get frisky with your girlfriend?"

"On the contrary," Sparky stated without emotion. "The doctor said it would be very therapeutic if I were to participate in some naked cuddling with my sexy lady lover."

Lucy laughed. "He said that?"

"Not in so many words," Sparks shrugged. "I'm paraphrasing. He did mention something about being in bed, though."

"Well, as long as we are following doctor's orders." Lucy leaned closer and met Sparky's lips in a tender kiss. "Let me undress this patient and put her to bed."

"The doctor even recommended that my attendant join me," the girl smiled. "In bed. Naked, of course."

"Naturally," Lucy cooed. "That's the best kind of physical therapy."

Chapter 12

The next morning, Lucy went to the garage and let Sparky sleep in late. The poor gal was much sorer than she realized from her ordeal. Sparky took a pill to help with the pain before the ladies cuddled naked in bed, and the poor girl fell asleep in Lucy's arms.

Lucy smiled with happiness at remembering how wonderful it felt lying in bed with Sparky's warm, soft, naked body snuggled up to hers. That feeling was all she ever wanted for the rest of her life. Regardless of what would happen to the shop and how they would cope with having to find other employment, Lucy prayed she would always have Suzie Commons in her life.

Lucy grew thoughtful at the reality of having to sell the business. No doubt Ken Diamond would still offer to buy her out, if only to eliminate her as his competition. Giving up all that her father had built would be cruel enough. Losing everything to that scum Diamond would be the ultimate insult. Lucy wished she could find a solution to her problem, but she had run out of ideas. Dan Pruitt's purchase of their wrecked Mustang would keep the creditors at bay for a few months, but that was a temporary fix at best. Lucy needed a hefty influx of business to keep the garage solvent for the long run.

As much as she hated to admit it, Lucy forced herself to accept the fact that she had run out of options.

The silver bell jingled over the front door and Lucy glanced up from her desk to see a familiar woman enter the reception area. She wore a smart steel gray jacket over a matching calf-length skirt and a frilly white silk blouse. Lucy recognized her as the lady with the white Ford LTD from the other day.

Lucy rose with a smile and extended her hand. "I remember you," she said. "The woman with the loose horn bracket."

"I remember you too," the lady said, accepting her shake. Lucy's guest gave a congenial smile. "I felt I needed to stop over and speak with you in person. I had been giving a lot of thought regarding our encounter the other day. You were helpful and considerate and respectful. You treated me as a person and not a customer. I liked that very much."

Lucy smiled warmly. "I try to give personal service to my customers. It's a philosophy my father felt very strongly about."

The lady nodded with understanding. "Your father sounds like a wise man."

"He passed away a few months ago and left me the business." Lucy sighed dolefully and glanced around the office. "Though I don't know how much longer we'll stay in business."

"Oh? What's the matter?"

"Our bank note is due soon, plus we owe taxes to the revenue office and I don't have the money to pay it. I'm afraid bankruptcy and liquidation may be in our immediate future." Lucy forced a smile. "Forgive me. My financial problems are not any concern of yours."

The woman regarded Lucy evenly. "Perhaps I can do something about that."

Lucy looked at her guest quizzically. "You can?"

"Yes. In case you don't know me, my name is Sharon Tisdale."

Lucy furrowed her brow with a puzzled expression. "The name sounds familiar, but..."

"I own Rapid Delivery Service."

"RDS!" Lucy smiled with understanding. "Of course! It's a delivery service here in the city. A local version of UPS and Federal Express."

"Exactly," the woman smiled. "My husband and I built it up from a single delivery vehicle to a fleet of cars, trucks and vans. I've recently become somewhat disillusioned with my regular vehicle service company and would like to know if you could handle all my vehicle maintenance and service needs."

Lucy gaped at her incredulous. "For all of them?"

Mrs. Tisdale nodded. "All of them."

"Wow!" she exclaimed. "That would be wonderful!"

"I take that as a yes?"

Lucy offered her hand to the woman. "Yes! Absolutely, yes!"

Mrs. Tisdale chuckled and shook Lucy's hand. "Then I believe we are in agreement." She released Lucy's hand and reached for her purse. "I imagine you'll need some capital to stock your inventory with the necessary repair parts and service items." She reached into her handbag and withdrew a long white envelope. "Will $10,000 be sufficient?"

Lucy's jaw dropped. "Oh my gosh, yes!" she gasped stunned. She accepted the envelope from the woman. "That will be more than sufficient."

"Very well. You have yourself a new customer, Miss Lanes." The woman turned to leave. "I'll have my attorney contact you shortly to have you sign the necessary documents for insurance claims and whatnot."

"Sounds good." Lucy followed the woman to the door. Lucy hedged reservedly and finally said, "Mrs. Tisdale, may I ask... who was your former service company?"

Mrs. Tisdale turned at the door and regarded Lucy without emotion. "Diamond Automotive."

Lucy nodded soberly. "I suspected as much. Ken Diamond can be a hard pill to swallow at times."

"That's putting it far too politely." Mrs. Tisdale drew herself up and regarded Lucy with a stoic expression. "Quite frankly, the man is a first-class butt-head."

Lucy laughed. "Personally, I think you are putting that far too politely."

The woman smiled warmly and offered Lucy her hand. "Have a nice day, Miss Lanes."

Lucy accepted her hand. "You too, Mrs. Tisdale."

Shortly after the woman left, Lucy scribbled a note to Sparky and left it on the reception desk. She turned the sign on the front door to Closed and locked the door after her.

It was late in the afternoon when Lucy walked into the service bay with her purse slung over her shoulder and a manila folder clutched in her left hand. She saw Sparky sitting at the workbench cleaning a piece of metal with a red rag. Lucy stopped at the side of the bench and watched the girl quietly for a few moments. Sparky didn't look up from her work. At last Lucy asked, "Rebuilding a carburetor?"

The mechanic nodded, her eyes focused on the component in her hands. "Yep."

"For that gold Camaro?"

"Yep."

Half a minute of awkward silence passed between them. Lucy finally said, "Why do I get the feeling you are mad at me?"

"I saw your note," Sparks sighed wearily. "It said you were going to see a lawyer. I surmised it was Dan Pruitt. Forgive me, but I can't help getting irritated whenever I think of the two of you together. I keep seeing you in his arms kissing him. I know he's a decent guy. I just don't want him to be your guy."

"Well, you were right about one thing," Lucy conceded. "I did go to see Dan Pruitt." She raised a palm to fend off her friend's hostile glare. "But there was no hanky-panky involved."

"That's a relief."

"I went to transfer the title of the wrecked Mustang to him. And for Dan to give us a check for the car. Before I went to the bank to deposit it, I asked him to draw up a few legal documents for me as well."

Sparky tilted her head with a quizzical expression. "What legal documents?"

"Things that concern you. Both of us, as a matter of fact."

Sparky put down the part she was cleaning and turned to her boss. "Why on earth would you need to draw up papers concerning me?"

Lucy drew in and released a long breath. "I have quite a few things to get off my chest, if you will allow me the chance to explain."

Sparks nodded once. "All right. Go ahead."

"First of all, I was wrong to exclude you from any business decisions having to do with the garage. Though you may not be financially invested, whatever happens around here is just as important to you as it is to me. Perhaps even more so. After all those years you've spent toiling away in this dirty old shop, the sweat and tears and sacrifices you made on behalf of dad and me. I had no right to keep you out of the loop. I am so very sorry, Sparks, and I pray that you can find it in your heart to forgive me."

Sparky regarded the woman without expression. "Of course I forgive you, you silly goose. I'm in love with you, remember? I think I was more scared than mad. I was worried you'd bail out of the garage and I'd be stuck without a job. Having to beg that big jerk Ken Diamond for a job was not something I was looking forward to."

Lucy nodded soberly. "I can imagine. I'm sorry I put you through that."

Sparky casually shrugged a shoulder and went back to cleaning the mechanical gadget. "No big deal. I was being selfish. I didn't realize that you had much more to lose than me. You stood to lose everything your father had built." She exhaled a rueful sigh. "You still might, if a miracle doesn't happen to help save this place."

"Perhaps it has."

Sparky glanced up with a puzzled expression. "What do you mean?"

"We got ourselves another client while you were recuperating. A big client. One that should give us plenty of business for many years to come. Hell, we might even have to hire another mechanic or two. Lady mechanics, of course."

Sparky's jaw dropped in shock. "You're kidding!"

"Nope. And the icing on the cake is that it is one of Ken Diamond's biggest customers. Our business growth is directly proportional to his loss." Lucy grinned broadly. "Ain't that just a kick in the butt?"

Sparky excitedly hopped up from her stool. "That's incredible!" She glanced at Lucy's outfit and down at the rag held in her hands. "If I wasn't so greasy, I'd hug you."

"A kiss will suffice." Lucy and Sparky leaned toward each other, their lips meeting in a quick kiss. "Which leads me to my next point."

The girl grinned broadly. "There's more?"

"Absolutely. Much more." Lucy assumed a full businesswoman attitude and began pacing the floor like a lawyer addressing a jury. "As I mentioned earlier, you have just as much invested in this company as I do. Therefore, I believe it is in our best interest that we both be in mutual agreement regarding future decisions directly affecting our livelihood." Lucy stopped pacing and turned to her companion. "Don't you agree?"

Sparky sat on her stool and tried to stifle a giggle at her friend's dramatic production. "If you say so."

Lucy began pacing again. "As I stated previously, I have just come from visiting with our lawyer regarding the matter of certain legal documents that must be signed. Seeing as the party of the first part -- which is me -- who has consented to discuss all future business matters with the party of the second part -- which is you -- full disclosure of said documents must be examined by the party of the second part and mutually accepted by both parties concerned before said documents can be signed. Agreed?"

She could not contain her laughter. "If you say so!"

"Very good." Lucy raised the folder she held in her left hand. "I present to you, certain documents recently acquired from the aforementioned legal counsel that have a direct bearing on certain business transactions of this company." Lucy set the folder on the bench in front of her friend. "As per our agreement, said documents must be examined and agreed upon by you -- the party of the second part -- prior to receiving official signature by the party of the first part -- which is me."

Sparky chuckled and wiped her fingers on the rag. "You have been watching far too many Perry Mason episodes." She opened the cover of the document and glanced down at it. "I don't understand," she frowned. "This is a contract for a business partnership."

"Exactly. I'm tired of running this shop by myself. I need someone who knows the automotive repair business to handle it with me. I cannot think of a better person to have as my business partner than you, Sparks."

The girl was speechless. She stared agape at her friend. "I don't know what to say. You're willing to give up half your company for me?"

"On the contrary. I'm not giving up anything, sweetie. I'm gaining a partner, and a pretty savvy one at that. From now on, you'll be half owner of this dirty old garage. I can handle the office matters, since it's what I do best, and you can handle all the shop concerns, which is what you do best. Full partners, partner! What do you say?"

Sparky was stunned. "I don't know what to say."

Lucy grinned at her flabbergasted companion. "I believe 'yes' would be a good answer."

Sparky giggled and choked with emotion. "Yes! Of course, yes! Oh, God, Lucy, you take my breath away!

Lucy spread her arm invitingly. "I would say this calls for a genuine hug."

Sparky wept and fell into her partner's arms, careful to keep her hands from touching Lucy's clothing. She didn't even try to keep the tears from flowing. "God, Lucy, I love you so much."

"I love you too, honey," she murmured as she patted her friend on the back. "But wait; there's more."

"Oh God," Sparks mewed. "More?"

"Well, this isn't a legal matter. It's more of a personal matter. I was thinking that it is silly for the two of us to have separate living places -- you in your apartment and me in that big roomy house my dad left to me. I thought it might be wise if we shared one place, seeing as we are in love with each other and all. I kind of hoped you would give up your apartment and move into my place."

Sparky wiped the tears from her face with the back of her hand. "You want me to move in with you?"

"Yes. There's plenty of room so we won't be in each other's space all the time. Plus, the house has a two-car garage, so you can have one side for rebuilding cars, motorcycles, whatever you want."

The girl gave her friend a wry smile. "Of course, you and I would both share one bedroom."

"That much is a given."

Sparky laughed with joy and nodded her head in agreement. "Nothing would make me happier than to share a house with you." She offered a seductive smile and a wink. "And cuddle every night in bed with you, too."

Lucy grinned. "I was hoping you'd say that!" She kissed her friend and allowed a playful grin. "But hold on -- there's still one more thing."

"Oh, God, please no," Sparky laughed through the tears. "I can't take anymore."

"Just one more thing." Lucy leaned back and held the girl with her hands resting on Sparky's waist. "Are you ready?"

Sparky sniffed and nodded. "Okay. I'm ready."

Lucy tried to force her face to reveal a sober expression. "All right. You know I want us to be partners at work, but also in every other sense of the word as well. I want to be your partner, Sparky, in the office, in our lives, and especially in the bedroom."

Sparky beamed brightly. "That's fine by me!"

"Great!" Lucy released her hold on her friend and began digging in her purse. "Of course, like the partnership of the business, we have to make this a proper and legal agreement as well. Seeing as this is a same-sex marriage state..." Lucy removed a velvet covered box from her purse and opened it to reveal a slender silver band with a tiny sparkling stone. "Suzie Commons, will you marry me?"

Sparky wept openly and pressed the oily rag to her cheek. "My God, Lucy! You have got to be the nuttiest -- "

Lucy stood smiling, holding the box in her palm. "Is that a yes?"

"Yes, yes!" Sparky squealed, throwing her arms around Lucy's neck. "Of course, it's a yes!"

Lucy held her shaking friend to her chest and gently patted her back. "There, there," she cooed into her lover's ear as she lightly kissed the girl's neck and cheek. "It's all right."

Sparky leaned back and grinned into Lucy's eyes. "I never thought it would be possible to be so happy!" She pressed her mouth forcibly to Lucy's in a long, powerful kiss. Lucy felt her body melt into her lover, knowing that even though the two of them had been together for a very long time, their lives from this point forward would be even longer and more exciting.

Sparky finally let her lover up for air and gazed happily into Lucy's eyes. "As for my first official business announcement," Sparks declared authoritatively, "I declare this shop to be closed for the rest of the day so that the owners can go back to our new house together and boff our brains out."

Lucy laughed and leaned her lips closer to her lover's mouth. "You see?" Lucy murmured as she met Sparky's lips in a tender kiss. "My new partner is making wonderful decisions already."