eddie’s been your mechanic for a little while now. dustin knows him, and so does steve, so you know he’ll charge you fairly. your car is pretty nice, but it’s old, something your grandmother left you when she died last year. your check engine light clicks on every few months, and you’re always running out of coolant. instead of teaching you to put it in yourself, eddie quits charging you to refill it, just so you’ll come back.

today you’re due for an oil change, and need him to check to see if everything else looks good. your appointment is at 4pm, the last of the day. he scheduled you this way on purpose, hoping you’d let him take you out after he finished.

“hey, eddie!” you greet, getting out of your car, leaving the keys inside. his garage isn’t big, and his house is visible a few hundred feet away. but he’s got ac, and a spot with a couch and tv for guests attached to the garage. “i brought you somethin’, it’s hot out!” you say, handing him the gas station cup. it’s coke, the soda he’d mentioned last time as his favorite. you have a cup of your own favorite, too.

“well aren’t you sweet.” he says with a smile, wiping his hands on a rag. he’s a little sweaty, and he looks as handsome as always. “what are we workin’ on today, honey?” he asks.