Going Full Throttle

Chapter 14

"I promise you, I am not married," I said with a slow clear voice. Mr. Bishop smiled at me and shook his head. His response was a slew of garble that I couldn't understand. His bright eyes always expressed what his words no longer could though. He didn't believe me.

I sat on a bench in Mr. Bishop's room, perched in front of him while he sat in his wheelchair. I tentatively raised an electric razor to his face and touched my fingers to his cheek to hold the skin taught.

"Mr. Bishop, you need to stop smiling," I warned as I shaved him. He relaxed his cheeks only slightly, but his eyes continued to gently mock me.

"Hey, Chicky how's it going in here?" Gwen appeared in the doorway and nodded a greeting to both of us.

"I think I'm done," I replied as I assessed my work.

Mr. Bishop heard me and lifted his frail fingers to his jaw and traced them over his skin. He shook his head as he pointed to a few tiny patches I had missed. "Here!" he said over and over as he found more stubble.

"Okay, nevermind," I sighed. "I don't have much experience shaving faces," I added to Mr. Bishop as he narrowed his eyes towards me.

"You keep her in line, Mr. Bishop," Gwen laughed at my disgruntled face then left us alone.

Mr. Bishop continued to grumble as I fixed my mistakes. I ignored him so I could focus, but I clearly heard him mumble, "Practice" and "Husband" several times. When we were both satisfied with my work, I helped him get dressed and pushed his wheelchair out into the living room.

"That was hell," I said to Gwen as I joined her in the kitchen.

"You want to switch? You can shave Benny tomorrow but fair warning, he's prone to punch if you make a mistake." Gwen grinned.

I poured myself a large cup of coffee and leaned against the counter. "Yeah, now that you mention it, I think I'm fine with Mr. Bishop."

"I figured as much," Gwen smirked. "So how's life with Tyler Westwood?" She sang his name in a breathy, almost sensual way that made me cringe.

"Does your boyfriend know you lust after the guy?" I joked.

Gwen's eyes lit with a devilish glint as she said, "Of course. We role-play all of the time and him being a gritty dirt biker is one of my favourites. Sometimes I'm the slutty fame-chaser. Or I'm the innocent girl who's never ridden a bike before." She wiggled her eyebrows at me and laughed, "Then he gives me my first ride."

A light blush tinted my cheeks as I crinkled my nose. "Thanks for that mental image."

"You are seriously going to tell me you are living right next door to that huge, rugged, hunk of a man and you aren't even considering doing anything?" Gwen arched one eyebrow in disbelief as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"I—" the lie I was about to tell got stuck in my throat. I cleared my throat then tried again. "I mean, it's hard not to let a few things cross your mind." Tyler had the kind of presence that incited daydreams. His arms made you wonder what it would feel like to be held by him. His shortly trimmed beard made you wonder what it would be like to kiss him. His large calloused hands made you wonder if his touch would be gentle or rough.

"But never that seriously," I added quickly. "Trust me his personality can cool down lust pretty quickly."

"You seemed friendly when he came by here that day," Gwen said.

"We are. I mean, we have mostly made amends. He still manages to piss me off pretty regularly but I guess I'm getting used to him now," I stumbled out, confused by my own nerves.