Save Tonight // Eagle-Eye Cherry

The shock to my system when I wiped away that tear from April's cheek...I've never felt a jolt like that, almost painful but totally addicting. I need more. I've never looked at a girl and thought 'I could fall for her' but with April it's not something I feel is a potential. It's something that I'm actively doing. Falling.

And the fact that I had to steady April with a hand under her elbow after wiping that tear tells me she feels the same. Holy shit, this is happening.

I lean in closer, eyes on April's lips when I see them drop open. But before I can seal the deal, she steps back.

"Like I said...work."

I pause my movement and hold her eyes with mine in a challenge. Work my ass. I'm right and April knows it. She's running. This girl is a runner. As tough as she is on the outside, she has avoidance written all over her face. The very face I'm staring at now.

"When? Break it down for me."

April's eyebrows shoot up. "Break down when I have to go to work? Why should I do that? Needing to add it to your stalker portfolio?"

Classic avoidance; turning the tables on your opponent. I smirk, the first one I've given April since my vow to be completely real with her but this one is genuine because I smell her game. "Because I agreed to help you out, and Mr. DeWitt is expecting you to know your stuff in a few days. Setting me with the task is ensuring that you will, so if you don't know everything you need to by testing, he's going to question my knowledge, too."

April narrows her gaze and crosses her arms but says nothing. A few seconds tick by, feeling longer than reality, before she pulls her phone out of her back pocket and checks the time.

"You've got thirty minutes, grease boy, to prove your superiority in the garage."

Holy crap that sounds way different in my head than she means it. I roll my shoulders and crack my knuckles, an effort to clear the mental images her declaration inspired. Hot damn I can practically feel her lips from here. I need to focus on the engine of her car, not the softness of her lips.

"Perfect. Let's get cracking." I walk over to the already popped hood and start pointing out major parts that stand out. "Battery, starter, distributor, coolant storage, alternator-"

"Whoa, slow down mister!" April cuts me off. "I don't have a photographic memory, buster."

Buster? Who is this girl? "Sorry, I'll slow it down. Grab your notebook and write down these parts." I wait while she opens back up to 'Stupid Shop Shit' and writes down the name of the major motor parts, rolling her eyes each time in disgust.

"I know this isn't as exciting as the Kardashians, but no one's testing you on Kanye's latest antics."

April gives me a deadpan look, staring at me hard, then looks back down to her notepad. "I'm disappointed in you, Nico."

Hmmm, what's new. "Yeah, I'm used to that." I shrug then start to return to naming parts but April stops me.

"Do I look that shallow to you, really I'm serious."

I eye her up and down, taking in her over-the-top outfit of shredded clothing and hot pink accents. Everything about her screams angry and independent. But shallow? No. Not after what I've learned. Not after what she's shared with me.

I look back up to her awaiting gaze and level a serious look right at her. "Nah, you're not shallow at all, April." I barely stop myself from saying sweetheart again and earning another round of wrath, April style. But I'm starting to enjoy her wrath, so I'll keep that sweetheart pet name in my back pocket for later. "I think you are incredibly deep. Deeper than any girl I've ever met. And I look forward to finding out everything that's hiding under those layers."

I continue holding her gaze, giving her the most sincere look I can. I mean every word. "Now, I've got twenty-five minutes to teach you everything I can about your motor. Let's focus." I wink. Then I turn back to the car because I do not wink. This girl has me in knots. I roll my shoulders again and start rattling off parts once more. It's almost torture to be this close to her without getting closer. And the way I felt when she told me about that asshole who started that rumor? I've never wanted to engage in a beat down as strongly as I did in that moment, not even when I was actually beating down those seniors that jumped me in the bathroom. I feel a little out of control around April. But I will deal. I will hold it together.

As we go over engine basics, something April is paying attention to and I'm having a hard time focusing on with her scent wrapped around me, I'm picturing this scenario in a completely new way. Shiny black paint job, tuned up and reconditioned engine, completely replaced interior and a hint of hot pink in some way. Pair all of that freshness with polished chrome and I could salivate over this thing.

"Um...you're drooling again. Are you sure you two don't want some alone time?" April's comment pulls me out of my fantasy.

I turn slightly to see her smirking at me, mocking my daydream. Thing is, the car might be the cherry on top of the fantasy, but the girl is the essence. There is no fantasy without her in it. She's the goal. Bringing April happiness is the point.

"Okay, I have a confession to make," I say after turning to fully face her, arms crossed and leaning against the car. I wait before continuing when I see April's eyes widen.

"More confessions? Do tell." April mirrors my stance, something that seems to be common between us now.

I knock my head toward the car. "This baby needs me. But it's gonna take time."

April huffs a laugh. "I told you I'd give you some alone time with her."

I shake my head. "Silly girl." I leave it at that. Because if I was to confess about all of the alone time I want with April, she'd leave me in the dust right here and now. This is a delicate operation and I need to bide my time. I'm not going to pull the same kind of moves that the dickwad who started that rumor pulled. I don't want a quick fix with her. With April, I'm pretty sure I'm going to want it all.

"So they say. But silliness aside, I need to get to work."

My hands shoot up in time out. "Hang on. Hear me out."

"Say something worth listening to and I will." April's arms are still crossed, totally closed off to me.

"Fine. Here it is. I propose that you leave your car here when you go to work. I'll drop you off and pick you up. That way I can work on your car while you earn a few bucks."

Her eyes crinkle up in thought. I might have finally found an opening with her.

"However..." There is one wrinkle I have to add but it might be the deal breaker.

"Go on," she says.

"I might need her longer than the few hours you work." Might is an exaggeration. I know I will, but I don't want her thinking it's a done deal yet. "So I can be your ride until its done."

Silence. I feel like I'm waiting for a verdict from the judge. Suddenly I'm sweating with anticipation because if April does actually agree to this deal, I will have so much more alone time with her, and her car, then I ever thought I would.

April steps away from me and walks in a circle around the Mustang. I know that look. It's the look of potential. She can almost see what her car could be, but I need to add the details that will sell it for her.

"Black, high gloss exterior."

April nods. It looks like a smile wants to curl its way across her lips.

"Reupholstered seats, fresh carpet. All black."

The nod returns, without the phantom smile.

"Hot pink piping." I offer the picture, but I'm not sure Garrett will add that into his design. It might be the first time I scrap whatever he comes up with because April is smiling now. She likes the picture I'm painting.

"Polished chrome bumpers. White wall tires."

The smile is gone and she's looking at me dead in the face. What did I say?

"I can't afford any of that, Nico."

Ah. The financial bubble has burst the dream. "Let me put it this way. Some people owe me some favors and you can be the lucky recipient of their good will."

I see the wheels turning as she's thinking this over.

"I can't owe you a favor, Nico. Or have you forgotten about my current reputation. That will just fuel those flames."

I shake my head while moving toward her. "No one will say a word, remember. If you are linked to me, no one will even whisper your name."

"They already have, Nico. Didn't you hear all that crap the last few days about you and me? I certainly did and no one even talks to me except for Emily and her crew."

I shake my head again. "That rumor is more about me than it is about you. It's what I'm doing and how you could possibly handle being around me. But once we take the rumor away by actually being seen together on the regular, it all stops. Don't you see, this is how to end it, April. This will not only cherry out your car but end the rumor train."

I'm offering a lot. And I'm reasonably sure I can deliver on every one of those promises. But nothing is absolute. I just hope the student body at Jefferson cooperates with my plan.

"I just don't buy it. My car gets the works at no cost to me. I get rides everywhere and no one talks shit about me anymore? I don't believe in fantasyland, grease boy."

Practically nose to nose once again, I've stepped into her space. I keep my hands in my pockets because the temptation is real. I want to pull her closer but I know she's not ready for that. Yet. I hold onto that yet like a lifeline.

"It's not a fantasy if I can make it all happen. But you've got to give me the chance to do that. Besides, why do you get to call me a pet name, but you don't extend the same courtesy to me?"

April laughs. "Grease boy is not a pet name. It's a description. Or have you not looked in a mirror recently?"

"Grease boy stays if you allow sweetheart. Otherwise, I'm Nico and you're April." It's a challenge because I don't think April has it in her to not refer to me as grease boy. And I'll be keeping track when she does.

The stare off lasts for a few tense seconds. Seconds that I'm sure will end with my lips crashing against hers. But before I can lean a little closer, April laughs then turns and stuffs her notebook in her bag.

"It's been real, Nico," she emphasizes my name, "but this party has come to an end. I'm afraid you wasted most of your tutoring time trying to woo me into your twisted plan. Now I have to go to work or I'll be late."

April throws her bag over her shoulder and turns back to look at me. She must register the smolder that's still on my face because her mouth drops open just slightly. Just enough to let me know she likes what she's looking at.

Same.

"Good thing we have some time on the ride to review what I showed you today."

I step closer to her.

"Or do you not want me to prove that I'm telling it like it is, not weaving some daydream together?"

Another step in her direction.

"Because I'm serious, April." I emphasize her name the same way she did mine. But damn how I want to call her sweetheart. "I will make this happen."

One more step.

"All of it."

The last step I take puts me in her space. Close enough to breathe her in. Close enough to feel her heat. I move my head to the side and bring my lips to her ear. I feel the sharp intake of air my proximity causes in April.

"Watch me."

There's a slight shudder in her jaw. I know I'm affecting her but I will reign it in for now.

I pull away to see her standing still, eyes closed, and breathing deeply.

"Fine." Her voice is breathless, but she opens her eyes and composes herself. "Prove it, gre--, Nico."

The almost slip has me grinning like a fool. I must be one to even attempt what I'm attempting to prove. That April can not only trust me, she can rely on me. I'm desperate for her to believe that so here I am, offering anything I can to show her I'm real and I'm here to stay.

I don't think there's anything she could possibly do to change that mindset in me.

I'm hers.

"Perfect. Let's go." I pull my keys out of my back pocket and head out of the garage. April is two steps behind me as I reach for the garage door. One of these days I'll spring for an automatic opener but I haven't been able to let go of the memories yet. I can still see my dad standing here and pulling on the handle. So vivid in my mind every time I open the dang thing. I don't want to lose that yet.

April gets in the truck silently but I watch as she keeps an eye on the tarp I have covering my dad's car. A dull ache fills my chest just thinking about pulling that tarp off. I can't do it. Yet.

That damn word has made my day and wrecked it all at once. April's not mine, yet. I haven't faced the fact that my dad is truly gone, yet. Fuck that. All of it.

The drive is now silent other than the directions April gives me to get to the salon where she works. Its not too far from my house and if this had been five minutes before we left my garage, I would have been disappointed at the short trip with her. Less time in her presence. But with my current state of mind, I'm actually kind of glad we are already there. I don't want to be in this kind of mood with her, but right now I can't help it.

"Well," she says as she hops out of the truck. "Adios, grease boy. Pick me up at nine."

And just like that she has turned my sour mood around. "Have a good day at work, sweetheart. I'll be here at nine on the dot." I wink, again, and drive away before she can scowl at me.

Well, this one just kept going and going and all of the sudden it was 2600 words! Nico isn't really holding much back, but he is giving April some space. That might end up backfiring for him but who knows...

I'm trying to coordinate "parts" to either be one continuous scene from both POVs or some kind of mirrored scene (think back to Nico with Edgar and April with Gladys) but the next part won't work that way. 8 will start with April as a continuation of this scene, but pick up with Nico a few days later. Just FYI...

Also, this song is giving me such vibes from my single days! Driving around with my friends and finding the fun, that's what we used to call it, and that usually ended up at a place in Old Town Pasadena called Q's that had all kinds of cool zones and pool tables, even a dance floor. I'm trying to channel that feeling into this story (aka "the lot" will be play a part in this one soon-if you remember that from More Than This, lol!!)

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