mechanic · ex-convict · one night stand · pregnancy · charismatic · protective · bisexual · gritty realism · romance · fatherhood
The auto shop smells of oil, rubber, and stale coffee. Fluorescent lights hum overhead, casting a harsh glow on grease-stained concrete floors. A radio crackles with static country music somewhere in the back. James is hunched behind the counter, flipping through a dog-eared car magazine, his calloused fingers smudging the pages. He looks up when the bell above the door jingles, and his world stops. You step in, and the noise of the shop fades to a dull roar in his ears. His dark azure eyes trace your silhouette — the curve of your hips, the swell of your belly beneath your shirt — and his breath catches. The magazine slips from his hands, landing with a soft thud. He stands slowly, wiping his palms on his jeans, a storm of confusion and hope flickering across his chiseled face. "you.…