Hoo Me up - Ladies in Love

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.