Audra dropped the plank of wood to the ground with a thud. She picked up the crinkled instructions and thumbed through the pages. Blowing the stray wisps of hair out of her face, she sighed at the lack of tools at her disposal.
The shelving unit she'd bought second-hand didn't mention it came in pieces. No matter how much she wanted to deny it, it was a two-person job. She hated asking for help. She didn't like owing other people.
Tossing the flimsy instructions away, she pocketed a few nuts and bolts, convinced she was missing a few. Grabbing her tote bag and keys, she exited the front of the studio, locking up behind her. She checked her watch before crossing the street and heading to the coffee shop to beat the lunch rush.
She winced at her reflection in the window. Strands of her short blonde hair stuck to her forehead, a sheen of sweat coating her skin. The new tote bag hanging off her shoulder was the only thing that looked put together.
A bell rang as she opened the door, signaling her arrival. The dull hum of jazz music filled the shop, and a few customers dotted around. Audra stopped in the doorway as the tall, dark-haired guy behind the counter came into view. Her stomach twisted at the sight of him. She hadn't seen Jay for a week since her chat with Bobby.
He smiled when she stopped at the cash register, the faint dimples setting in his cheeks. She wondered how he could smile at the mere sight of her.
In his hand was a small takeaway espresso cup, silver rings adorned his fingers, and a small tattoo on his thumb. He'd swapped the usual shirt and trousers for a baggy t-shirt, shorts, grey ankle socks, and high-top trainers. A black duffle bag slung over his shoulder, a thick ribbon of white fabric tumbling out of the outer pocket.
Audra nodded in greeting Jay, her attention going to Jen and ordering a coffee. She busied herself, scrolling through her phone but could feel his piercing stare to her right.
The warning her brother gave her was enough to keep her at bay. She'd be polite and acknowledge Jay. That was all there'd be.
Thanking Jen for her coffee, she bid her goodbye and exited the shop without another glance at Jay. As she was about to open the door, a hand pushed against the glass, a tattooed thumb telling her all she needed to know.
"Hey, Auds."
Audra hadn't realised she'd stopped, his breath fanning against the shell of her ear. A shiver ran up her neck, her feet moving outside to put more space between them. "Jay, hello." She stumbled onto the pavement, much like her words stuttering in response.
Jay couldn't fight the pull of his lips, the effect he had on Audra in plain sight. He edged closer and leaned down to peer at her phone. "What you doing?" His gaze seemed to flitter to her whenever he saw the platinum blonde. Her movements were light and delicate as she tapped on her screen.
"Trying to find out a size of a bolt." Her shaped brows twitched, a frown leaving a dent in the center of her forehead. She pulled a rusty bolt from her overall pocket and examined it, rolling the metal between her fingers.
He bit the inside of his cheek, trying not to laugh. Jay took the bolt from Audra, ignoring how her hand retreated from his touch. "Just take this to the tool shop and ask." He rolled the rusty metal between his finger and thumb, tongue swiping along his bottom lip, deep in thought.
"I know that." She snatched the bolt back and pocketed it again.
The denim dungarees she wore were similar to the ones she used to wear during her summer job, painting murals around the small town for seasonal events. Jay lifted the off-white strap draped over her shoulder and adjusted it back into place near the brass buckle of her dungarees. The ghost of his touch caused her to shiver as his hand fell back to his side.
"You need a ride?" He clutched the strap of his duffle bag and hoisted it back to a comfortable spot, his nails digging into his palm. The question was simple enough. He didn't know why it made him nervous.
Audra shook her head. She unlocked the chain holding her bike and dumped her bag in the basket. Swinging her leg over the frame, she lost balance at the sound of his laugh. "What?" She cringed at her harsh tone, instantly regretting it.
"I don't think you'll be able to get there on a bike." Jay positioned himself in front of her, wheel between his legs and one free hand clutching the battered handlebar. "It's like a twenty-minute drive, Aud's." He cocked his head to the side, finally meeting her gaze.
Her head snapped back to her belongings slung in the basket, teeth chewing her bottom lip. The niggling warning of both her brother and Bobby made her hesitant. Plus, the added mess of being in Jay's debt if she accepted his help.
Jay cleared his throat and stepped back from Audra. "No strings attached." He held his hands up in surrender, closing his palm to catch the duffle strap before it fell.
She got off her bike and leant it back against the cycle bay, chain snaking around the frame before locking into place. "Okay." Audra's lips curved into a smile as soon as Jay's dimples reappeared.
He motioned for her to follow, no words exchanged whilst they walked to his truck and stood in the small space between the parked vehicles.
Audra swayed in place, her eyes following the muscles of Jay's back flexing as he attempted to open the stiff door. She hovered beside him, not paying attention to her surroundings, till she felt the clash of Jay's elbow against hers. The handle of her bag unraveled from her curled fingers and fell to the gravel. She stumbled back into the parked car behind her watching her belongings scatter over the floor.
Rubbing the dull pain on her elbow, she crouched in sync with Jay and bumped her forehead into his, falling back again. She shook her head, sitting on the ground, dazed and confused at the guy scrambling to put her things back into the bag.
"Sorry, Auds."
The shortened name bothered her more than it should. No one had called her by anything but Audra. Even her parents didn't have a sweet name for her, unlike Jay's, Mother that had an endless list of names for him.
The ringing in her ear disappeared, and she numbly nodded and blinked at the man in front. Dark brown eyes squint, calloused hand holding her head and thumb brushing along the red mark blossoming over her eyebrow. The jagged scar on top of his nose curved and faded on either side, a faint sprinkle of freckles nearly going amiss from afar. He'd finally grown into his nose, no longer too big for his face.
Audra stood and dusted the gravel from her dungarees. She fell into the worn leather seat and tossed her bag by her shoes. Her eyes trailed after Jay's figure as he closed her door and circled the truck to the driver's side.
Jay settled into his seat and turned his body to face Audra, whose gaze was still trained on him as he dragged his seatbelt across his lap to click it in. She stilled at the realisation of being caught staring, her hand shooting back to pull her belt over with such force that it wouldn't move, her body jolting.
"Did I knock your head that hard, Auds?" Jay leant forward and grabbed the seat belt from her clasped hand.
Audra pressed herself further into the leather seat and shook her head. Jay looked down to click the belt in, nose wrinkling and dimples setting on his cheek at the exchange. He pulled back and took the rare opportunity to study her face, thin lips parted and eyes wide staring back at him.
He nodded, retreating to his space and starting the truck's rumbling engine. Much like the shudder in Audra's chest, she relaxed into the worn leather and jabbed the radio, a tinny buzz coming from the speakers. The cassette player spat out a ribbon of brown tape.
A string of curse words left Jay's lips, one hand idly tracing over the stereo in an attempt to fix but he gave up after swerving whilst he drove.
Pulling the tape out, Audra flipped it around to read the name on the clear plastic. "I don't blame the stereo for spitting this trash out." She didn't bother raveling the cassette ribbon, just tossed it behind her seat.
Jay couldn't help but chuckle, "Hey, I've seen this band live eight times." He stole a glance, Audra's nose scrunched and her head shaking. "Why don't you sing to me since you broke my tape player."
"You wish," she mumbled under her breath.
It had to be the wettest summer ever, the rain tapping lightly on the windscreen and the scrapers lazily swiping it away now and then. Jay's eyes flitted from the road to Audra. He couldn't stop glancing at her, the silence comfortable between them.
The passenger window rolled down as far as it could go, the sticky heat mixed with the dampness in the air. Audra's eyes fluttered closed each time the breeze entered the car. The wind sent the small curls around her hairline into a frenzy.
A part of her was unreachable to him. It was like he was a spectator in her life, always looking in but never getting closer.
AUTHOR NOTE: Sorry it's been a long wait but will be back to weekly updates now :) hope you enjoy.