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◢◤◢◤◢◤ Circuit 24 ◢◤◢◤◢◤
"Cole, hand me the torque wrench," I peek from underneath the car to find Cole leaning against the brick wall to the side. The smug smirk on his tanned face as he watches me work my ass off and break a sweat causes me to roll my eyes and throw a middle finger.
"Are you asking me or telling me?"
"What do you think?"
"I don't think that's how you ask someone to do something for you, gorgeous," he says.
I arch my brows at him. "Seriously, hand me the thing and stop calling me that."
"Say please," he responds jokingly. Cole is dressed in a white tank that doesn't even hide the drench of sweat stains on his torso or the way his long blonde hair is tied behind his head.
If he wasn't cute in his muddy overalls, I wouldn't even entertain him, but since he's the only one around my age that I can hang around the house, I don't try to avoid him. Cole is a great distraction. And not to mention, he's a funny guy. Although I try not to laugh at his ridiculously cringy dad jokes that I secretly think are entertaining.
"I am not going to beg, Cole," I argued poorly, knowing damn well I won't even think twice if it were a certain boy asking me.
I've been rushing my movements to get Ricardo's car to at least turn on for the past three hours.
It didn't help that I was starving and feeling a bit dizzy my cranky mood made me sound like a total bitch. A girl needs her food. You can't blame me.
"C'mon, help a cute girl out, will you?" I flash Cole an ass whopping smile. "Be a gentleman."
"Why must I?" He challenges me just to tease me further.
"Because girls love a gentleman," I retort back, flirtatiously. I know I've done my part when his smile deepens and reveals his slightly crooked teeth reflecting the bright sun.
"And I'm supposed to listen to you, because..." He continues to tease me knowing my patience is running thin.
With an exasperated huff, I finally slide out from beneath the hoisted car with the makeshift board. My thighs ache when I stand up and wipe the side of my face using the cloth around my neck. As if sensing my serious mood, Cole straightens and begins to rummage through the toolbox I laid out on the table as I asked of him.
"You're a meanie," I grumble and sit upright, careful not to touch the fresh sheer of paint I decided to add on the exterior. I can feel the heat bouncing off the walls in the garage and I want nothing more but to drown myself in ice water.
"That's a lie," Cole points out. "Women usually take me for the romantic type. A paragon of virtue. If you know what I mean." The sound of his deep laughter rumbles through the walls of the five-car garage and I stand beside him to bump his side with my hips.
My eyes fall to where his overalls hang lowly around his hips, showing his black boxers. Before I can comprehend what he is saying next to me, I catch myself looking where I shouldn't be looking, and in the back of my mind, the thought of Theo makes me feel guilty as though I shouldn't even be thinking of anyone else but him.
You can't blame me. My eyes are attracted to pretty things. I have to remind myself every day that I shouldn't be feeling guilty because Theo and I aren't together. We're just two friends having... fun?
"Uh..." Cole utters to himself as he scratches the back of his head with his filthy hands. "Which one is it again?" He asks, cluelessly handing me a longer, breaker bar. "Yeah. This must be it."
I laugh, shaking my head as I take it from his hand. "I expected better, Cole. How do you not know what a wrench is?"
He gives me a look as he crosses his arms over his chest. "That's why I'm a gardener, Ola, not a car mechanic."
"Well, I set my expectations too high."
Cole's eyes turn into slits as he turns his entire body to face me. "Not sure if that's supposed to be a compliment or an insult."
I let out a breath, patting Cole on the shoulder. "It's better that way, my friend," I tell him and chug water from a bottle as I look to where the garden blossoms with different kinds of plants and bright colors of Spring. "You're good at what you do. That's what matters," I say as I began to walk away to finish tightening the loose bolt beside the motor.
I flutter my eyelashes at him and notice his cheeks redden. Cole catches himself from letting his eyes linger on my face for too long as he clears his throat and mumbles a soft, "Thanks... I guess?"
I can feel his eyes on my ass from the mirror that hangs across the wall that I choose to ignore with a shake of my head while mumbling under my breath.
"Boys will be boys."
"Dear, come and eat lunch with us," Grandma announces as I make my way down the stairs, hair slightly damp from my refreshing shower. "I know you've been working hard trying to fix—"
"Grandma!" I panic at the mention of what I've been secretly doing in the garage these past few days when Mom had no idea about it. Grandma eyes me strangely and realizes. I make my way to the table and pass her a grateful smile. "Um, t-thanks for cooking!"
Mom looks up from her food and switches her gaze between the two of us.
"Olaria," she says. "Please don't yell like that around here."
I clear my throat, awkwardly, and pull the chair right next to her, but not before forcing a kiss on her cheek.
"Sorry," I sing out. "I just got excited. The food looks amazing and I'm starving."
Mom groans and pushes me away, acting like she doesn't secretly like it when I show my affection toward her. She's not like that— being verbal about her love but I understand her and so I try to show my appreciation through my actions. I know she loves me. She's my mom. She wouldn't be right here with me if she didn't. You never leave the people you love, no matter the circumstances.
"I cooked Gazpacho and some Churros for a snack," Grandma says as she walks around the island with an apron around her waist. It looks like one of those really old ones with floral designs all over it. By the looks of it, it seems like it's her favorite. Nonetheless, Grandma looks cute in it.
"Cool," I hum and swallow the first bite of my meal for the day. I think I can fit three to four plates of food on my empty stomach at this point. "Do you mind if I take some for a friend I'm visiting later today?"
Grandma nods happily as if the mention of a 'friend' excites her. It could be. We're both similar in that way— being social and making friends, unlike Mom who just silently sat and ate her plate of food as she listened to us converse.
"Who's this friend you're visiting?" Grandma asks, dropping her previous task to focus on the topic.
"Chismosa," I comment to which she shakes her head. I hide the heat spreading through my cheeks by covering my face behind a mug. "It's just someone I want to...thank."
"Well, I hope we can meet this someone soon," Grandma replies, still eyeing me suspiciously but going back to her work behind the kitchen. "You'd have to bring them over for dinner sometime."
"Mamá, Olaria can make all the friends she wants here, but it won't be long until we return to Chicago." Mom chimes in.
My smile slowly falters at her words. Though it's true that we only have a little over a month and a half left before we go back to our lives in Chicago, I still can't help but feel sad that I eventually have to leave this incredible place I thought wouldn't grow on me, or the friends I've made so far, and the boy I've started to crush on.
Okay, maybe not just a small 'crush', but like. That's a big deal to me. I don't ever like boys or imagine I want to be in a relationship with them, and go on dates and all these other heart-wrenching things, because most of the time, the thought makes me sick. I indulge in other things. And those other things tend to almost always feel good. Rarely does it ever feel unpleasant for me.
On the other hand, moving here and experiencing things I never thought I would experience made me realize a lot of things about myself.
"Okay, enough about me," I steer the topic away from myself. "Tell me how yesterday went. Did you guys do anything fun other than send me a bunch of pictures of antique plates?"
At my question, Mom surprisingly answers with, "Well, I got a haircut."
My eyes snap to her in an instant. "Really?" I sound dumb. Mom's hair is still long and unchanged around her shoulders. "I didn't notice."
Mom shrugs, "Thought it'd help with the California heat."
"Dear, she didn't get a haircut but a tiny ass trim. You can barely see the difference," Grandma joins with a cup of tea in her palms. "But you know what I'm most excited about?"
My brows quirk, "Hm?"
"We were walking around yesterday and your mother was recruited by this one Pilates club. How fun is that?" Grandma almost squeaks.
I almost gasp at the thought of my mother doing something so... active like Pilates. She's never been the one to do things that were out of her comfort zone or mostly out of the house and activities that didn't involve watching telenovelas all day.
"Is that true, mom?"
"It's nothing," she responds. "Just something to pass the time. I can't sit all day waiting for you to come home, can I?"
My heart does the little thing while hearing her last sentence. I get up from my seat to wrap my arms around her. "That's great, mom," I mumble and place my chin on her shoulder. "It's good you're finding things to enjoy on your own time here."
She doesn't have to see my face to see the wide smile plastered across my features.
"Olaria..." She lets out, her voice soft. I hum and shut my eyes. "You're choking me..."
"You'll live."
"But I can't breathe!"
"I made it through nine months in your womb, I think you'll be fine for a few more seconds."
On the other side of the table, Grandma quietly watches us with a smile on her face.
"Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?" Grandma asks as soon as I slide my shoes on near the entrance. In her hold is the packed Churros I plan on bringing with me.
"Grandma, I'm fine," I assure her, although I think the only reason she wants to come along with me is to feed her curiosity. "Carlos will do just fine driving me there."
She sighs, handing me the bag with a forced smile. "Alright, fine. I don't want to bother your time with your mysterious friend. What do they call it these days? Cookie blocking?"
My face contorts as I realize what she was trying to say. "Oh my God," I whisper-gasp. "How do you know that?"
"What?" She looks at me as if she was correct all along. "Cookie blocking?"
I cough awkwardly and push out the door. "That is not what it's called!"
"Then what's the correct word?" She follows me to the garden, stopping right where the pavement stops so her feet don't touch the soil.
"I will not be telling you that," I mumble, signaling for Carlos to open the door to the passenger's side. He doesn't do as told and instead unlocks the backseat. I frown at him through the rolled window.
"Ey, Carlos, I thought we were friends? Why do I have to be in the backseat?"
"Because he told me you wouldn't stop flirting with him, so he requested that you behave yourself," Grandma states behind me as I snap my head to her.
"What?" I scoff knowing damn well she knows I'm bullshitting her. "I don't flirt. And when have I ever misbehaved? You know I'm a good kid, Grandma."
She hesitates for a moment before a frown forms on my face. "You are a good kid, Olaria. That's no doubt, but it's up to Carlos if he allows you to sit in the front."
Sighing, I kiss her goodbye and hop in the backseat, but not before glaring at Carlos through the rearview mirror when he accidentally makes eye contact with me. "Please don't mention any of this to mom," I tell her one last time.
"You know me, dear."
I give her a wary look to which she tells me to scurry me away. The door shuts and we finally roll out into the road. Swiftly, I press myself through the center console and lower the music from the hip-hop station.
With a sly smile, I turn to face the nervous boy. "So... What's this all about, Carlos?" I began, fiddling with the ends of my freshly-styled hair.
The weather today is a bit extreme so I opted for a white halter top and dark low-waisted velvety flared sweatpants, paired with my high-top converse. It's effortless, nonetheless cute ass hell and accentuates my curves.
Carlos ignores my attempts, throat bobbing as he shifts his body closer to the door. "P-put your seatbelt on, Miss."
"Miss?" I repeat. "We're practically the same age, Carlos, call me Ola. It's much more fitting, don't you think?"
"I apologize, I don't think that's very. . . appropriate. I don't want to lose my job."
My forehead creases at his words, but I take enjoyment in his reaction. "And why would you lose your job? We're not doing anything wrong, are we?" I prompt and he opens his mouth to answer but I quickly cut him off. "Unless. . ."
"We're here!" He quickly announces as soon as he realizes what I am trying to imply.
Soon enough when I look out the tinted window, we are parked right in front of the familiar gates of heaven.
The mansion sits almost too highly on top of an uphill where there are not many houses surrounded, but with greeneries and a vast field of grass. With gates as high as the sky itself, the food in my stomach churns.
With a low hum, I pull away and hear Carlos exhale a shaky breath as he goes to exit the car to open the door for me on the other side. "Missus Rosso will let me know in advance to come and pick you up," he lets me know.
I grab my small crossbody purse and phone in my hand before finally sliding out. "No need, I will find my way home later," I reply, grinning at Carlos and starting my trek toward the security area as it takes a while to confirm that I am indeed not a solicitor or an elementary kid trying to sell Girl Scout cookies or chocolates.
"How?" I look back to find Carlos still lingering around like a lost puppy. I'm only noticing it now that his hair is shortened to a fade lining up the sides of his head. I thought he had already left, but I guess not. He seems concerned for me, shockingly.
"I'll figure it out, soldier," I put two of my fingers to salute him. "Don't miss me too much!"
Before I can tease him further, Carlos rushes back into the car and zooms out of the driveway.
"I'll take you inside, Miss." My attention is diverted back to the guardhouse where an older person in his fifties eyes me warily from head to toe.
The pout on my lips is inevitable as I question, "Do I really look like a beggar?" I look down at myself, brows raised in confusion. I spent so much time dressing cute and making sure my makeup was on point. Who would've thought it actually takes more time to make your makeup look natural and effortless?
The man doesn't say anything as I follow him along the path of well-maintained grass. We walk past three to four luxury cars ranging from a family SUV to an exotic sports car that I swear I've only seen in movies. One is sitting beautifully under the heat of the California sun, reflecting light and a kind of sheen it would have brand new.
"Keep walking," the man says, causing my eyes to snap forward. A water fountain appears in my line of sight and I almost trip on a rock before I catch myself lacking.
"Dammnn, how wealthy is their family?" I mumble to myself, not expecting an answer. "I can fit an entire football field here."
"They own various companies around the country. You don't know the construction company?"
"What construction company?" There must be something I don't know and never heard of.
"Never mind it. We're here." He says as we finally stop at the entrance. "Don't walk around without permission."
What the hell?
"Perm-"
He gestures for me to go on and I do as told, almost creeped out by how quickly he disappears behind the house.
How serious is this?
Just as I'm about to ring the doorbell, the door opens widely and I'm met with a horrified face. "What are you doing here?" Theo greets me with a frown.
"Hey to you, too," I grin at him widely. "You're not going to invite me in?"
Theo frowns even more, his arm covering my line of sight into the living room. Even in a simple hoodie and shorts, he looks like a fucking meal I'd forever want to devour. I really need to stop thinking like this.
"Theo?" A feminine voice calls out behind him. "Who's at the door?"
A look of panic settles on the boy's face as he attempts to slightly shut the door, but fails when his mom peeks over his shoulder.
"Is that Ola?" She beams once she catches sight of me at her front door. Without a thought, she pushes her son to the side to pull me inside with an apologetic look. "Oh my, I am sorry for making you stand in the heat like that."
Thanking her, we slowly pull away from each other and I give her the goodies I brought with me. "My Grandma made some Churros, so I brought some for The--"
"Did someone say Churros?!" A small voice resounds from the back sliding door as Thea sprints towards us, her small body wrapped in a paw patrol towel. By the looks of her wet hair and the disapproving look on her nanny's face, it seems she's just got out of the huge pool in their backyard.
"Thea, come back here, please." The nanny almost sounds pleading as she catches her breath.
"Baby, I don't want you getting sick. Go and dry your hair first, then you can come and have some Churros." Laura says as she picks her up in her arms.
"Come, Thea, I'll help do your hair," Theo suggests as Laura shoos him towards me.
"I don't think so. You have a guest I want you to take care of," Laura tells him sternly. "Sorry, dear, I'll be back. I have to go take care of this. Please help yourself around the house," she says, switching her gaze back to her son. "Theo will show you around the house, right, son?"
Theo lowers his head obediently. "I'll show her around."
I hide my satisfied smirk and wait for Laura to walk up the stairs, the nanny following right behind. Just when I'm sure they're out of sight, I close the distance between Theo and me, pressing a kiss to his jaw. As expected, he tenses, but he doesn't attempt to push me away so I lean in to whisper in his ear.
"Show me to your room?"
"W-why?"
I let my palms flat against his chest and he lets me trace his prominent muscles hidden beneath his hoodie. He looks down at me, eyes hooded and in the shade of my favorite color, although I don't remember having a favorite color. All I know is that Theo's irises are my favorite color.
"Because I want you to show me where the magic happens," I utter.
"M-magic? There is no such thing--"
With an amused laugh, I pull away from him, not catching the way his expression falls as if he expected something else. Either way, it would have probably fed my already-growing ego.
Olaria gives me a look that never fails to hit me right in the gut. I sigh, disappointedly at myself, I can never say no to her when she gives me those eyes.
"Fine, I will show you around-"
"To your room?"
"Around the house," I clarify. "But you have to tell me why you're here."
"Mhm, you say that now but let's see," Ola mumbles as she bites her lips and looks helplessly around the house, her eyes gleaming filled with a kind of amazement I always see in her. I note the natural tint to her cheeks and the way the corner of her lips quirk whenever she's happy.
"You texted me this morning saying you couldn't tutor me," she recollects and I nodded to confirm. "I thought me coming to your house would be a better option for both of us, no?" Ola says with a suggestive tone. "We'd have all the privacy we need."
I gulp, already feeling the heat spreading through my body. However, the thought of doing anything with my parents under the same roof makes it all unpleasant. The fear of getting caught would be the end of me.
I don't let my eyes linger down her body, knowing no girl would ever feel comfortable being looked at without permission.
With Ola, though, I can't seem to figure out how to behave. There are times when I can't control my body and it urges me to do things I know I would never do compared to when I'm just so caught up looking at her from afar without her knowledge.
I would never say it out loud but I find myself staring at the girl far more than I imagined I would be doing the first I saw her and thought—convinced myself— she was just another girl trying to get in my pants.
Maybe she is trying to get in my pants and all I'm doing is letting her invade a part of me just to ruin me in the end, but I would be lying if I didn't want it, too.
We'd only agreed to do this because of what we both think we will get from it. To get into my dream school with flying colors while I help her with her own studies as she teaches me things I thought I'd never experience in my life.
I think I like it better this way, though. No feelings, just pure enjoyment. Yeah, that's exactly it.
"What? Are you scared of getting caught?" Ola taunts me, a hint of mischief behind her alluring tone.
"W-we won't do anything," I tell her.
She raises her brows at me suggestively. "Are you challenging me?"
And so, it's been decided, I'd gladly let her ruin every part of me.
So sorry for the wait, I've been extremely busy and I kinda had to milk every ounce of my creativity to put this out and now I'm like drained.
I hope you liked it.
The next chapter should be exciting;)
~ vee