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"During the next few hours, Seattle will experience a fierce storm surging throughout the night. High spring tides are also expected to occur. On top of all of that, when the winds ease down, we will see snow showers…"

Rolling from under the car, I reach forward and turn off the small portable radio.

"Hey, Seth! You should head out for the night if you plan to make it home in this weather."

"Thanks, Ed! Happy New Year," Seth calls joyfully.

"Send my regards to your lovely wife," I call out as I slide back under the car.

"Eyes off my lady, Masen!" shouts Seth, attempting to sound annoyed.

"Can't help it, dude; she's a knockout," I retort, trying not to laugh while concentrating on the work at hand.

"Ha-ha. I'm just glad she's immune to your charms, you fucker! Don't stay here too long; go enjoy yourself, bud. And by enjoy yourself, I mean something other than masturbating over that Aston Martin you're drooling after."

"Shut up, pansy, or I'll tell Claire about the time at the car show where you got a major boner next to that Bimmer."

"Fuck! You said you'd never bring that up!" he shouts, flushing.

"I said it would be better if Claire doesn't find out, not that I wouldn't say anything."

"That's not fair, Masen," he whines.

"Don't be a crybaby. That's life, kid."

"Yeah, man, life is unfair. But do you know what is fair? The fact that you haven't gotten laid for about a year!" Seth says, laughing like the moron he is.

"Fuck off, Clearwater. Get going before Claire starts hounding your ass."

Just then, like clockwork, before Seth could open that big mouth of his again, his cellphone rings.

"How did you...?" he trails off. "Nevermind, I have to go. Later, babes!"

"Bye, sugarbug!"

Seth's angry stomping is the last thing I hear from him.

He hates when I call him that.

I roll back under the car I was working on before, thinking Seth's lucky he doesn't work for someone else. Nobody but his best friend would put up with the way he talks to me, and even I don't like it sometimes.

I've known Seth since middle school. He was a scrawny little guy, and other people decided he made the perfect target. I kicked the shit out a few of them and got suspended from school for a week, but I got a friend out of it. Eventually, he filled out and became the big buffoon he is today.

Besides my bike, this shop is my pride and joy. I built it from the ground up on my own, and now business is thriving. I am the happiest I have ever been and satisfied with what I have. Sure, I had my fair share of fun during college, but currently, I'm preoccupied with my job. So much so that my brothers and friends tease me, saying I don't get laid because I'm married to the shop.

Yet, there's nothing more satisfying to me than restoring a car to perfect condition. It takes patience and tender care to be able to understand its problem and apply suitable treatment. I know I probably sound like a doctor, but that is the reality of my job, even if my patients come with four wheels and a motor.

Checking my watch, I see it's already 9:30 p.m. I roll away from under the car and stand up, stretching my arms and flexing my back muscles. My spine cracks, registering its displeasure from being forced to lie under a car for the better part of fourteen hours. The vehicle I'm fixing still requires more work, but I'm finished for today. I can get it done after I come back in a few days.

I grab the tools I'd been using and set them on my workbench before washing my hands. As I'm stepping back out of the bathroom, I hear a loud bang from outside. Now, this is unusual—because when the shop door is closed, sounds from outside are pretty muffled—so I decide to go investigate.

I'm wondering what could possibly be going on, yet I try not to think of the worst when I go through my office to the front door. I grab my jacket and step out into the pouring rain. Shivering from the cold, I look around.

Across the street, directly in front of the driveway of my shop's small parking lot, I see an enormous pickup truck. It's probably a 50-something Chevy, and smoke's rolling out from under its hood. From what I can see of her, while she's sitting in the cab of her truck, the driver is a young woman. She has long, dark tresses, which are covered by a slouchy red beanie that looks too big. She steps out of her truck, and is immediately drenched. After walking around its front, she stands there with a scowl on her pretty face, her hands on her hips.

Uh-oh, Red could burn herself if she opens the hood, I think. Yeah, Red. It's the perfect nickname for her.

Wanting to warn her, I shout, "Hey, miss, don't try to open that!"

However, the rain is so loud she can't hear me. I'm just a few steps away from her when she starts to search for the hood release and grabs the edge of the hood. She pulls her hands back quickly, blowing on them before shouting in pain. "Fuck!"

"Shit," I hiss under my breath.

A second later, I'm right beside her, tapping her shoulder. "Miss, I saw what happened. You might need ointment for your fingers!" I exclaim over the rain.

I must have startled Red because she jumps a little, then whirls around to see where my voice came from. She wobbles a bit, so I put my hand on her shoulder to steady her.

I exhale with a whoosh, and for the life of me, I can't remember how to inhale again because I'm gazing into the biggest, most beautiful eyes I've ever encountered.

For a moment, the world stands still, making me forget my own name. A hum of electricity zings between us like a live wire, causing an urge in me to step closer to the angel in front of me. I hold her against me and stare at her for what seems like an eternity.

Nothing else registers: not the rain, or thunder, or the cars that are starting to creep by us. Then, the sound of a car horn wakes me from my momentary stupor. I startle away from her, removing the hand that was on her shoulder. Feeling myself blush, I look down. From the corner of my eye, I see her shaking her head as if trying to collect herself.

Could she have felt that as well?

Was I not the only one who felt this inexplicable connection? This feeling that's shaken me to my core? Maybe it's not love, but it's more than attraction.

Gathering my wits, I say, "Um, miss, let's step out of the rain. You're shivering, and my shop is right across the street." Pointing behind me with my thumb, I show her exactly where.

Tilting her head to the right, she looks behind me, then gazes into my eyes for a few seconds before nodding in agreement.

"Go inside; the door's unlocked," I tell her. "There's a washroom just outside the office to your left. Put your hand under the cold water and wait for me. I'll bring your truck over to the garage and inspect it."

"Thank you, but you don't have to do that." The angel speaks. And, oh, what a lovely voice she has.

"You can't leave it out in the traffic, ma'am," I tell her.

Red sighs, nodding and running gracefully to the shop. I watch her until she is safely inside.

The traffic is beginning to move slowly and the drivers are getting annoyed by the unmoving truck. Signaling them to wait, I run behind my shop. I haul my ass into my tow truck, which was, luckily, still parked outside. Once I start it up and turn on the flashing yellow lights, I drive over to her dilapidated truck. After ensuring it's latched onto my truck, I slowly edge it away from the traffic and make my way toward the garage door, clicking on the button to open it up.

Once the door is open, I park it inside and shut the door. I can hear the water still going, so I walk quickly to the washroom and knock on the door to not startle her.

The first thing that strikes me about Red is that big, wet, crocheted beanie of hers. She looks adorable with it on. I stand there for a moment, just admiring the beautiful girl standing in my shop, all wet and shivering, yet still exquisite.

"Hello, ma'am," I say, smiling.

"Hey, thank you for letting me use your sink," she replies, mirroring my smile.

I point at her hands. "Let me see them, please."

She looks at me quizzically, so I give her a reassuring smile, and shut the water off. I grab two towels from the cabinet on the wall and burn ointment from the medical kit.

I wipe my face and roughly dry my hair with the towel as much as I can, probably making my hair stick out all over the place. I don't dwell on that at the moment, because I have a wonderful creature to attend to. Throwing the towel in the hamper, I turn around and face her. She stands there, with her arms huddled to her chest, shivering violently.

"Wait here, please." I hold up a finger, then quickly make my way to the supply room. Once there, I grab a large blanket and return to the bathroom.

I slowly edge toward her and hold the blanket up. "May I?"

Red bites her lip for a moment, deciding whether or not to trust me. As she looks down, I really look at her for the first time. She has a heart-shaped face, which is mainly dominated by her big, beautiful eyes I had noticed before. Long, dark lashes and naturally-arched eyebrows frame them, making them stand out even more atop her rosy cheeks. Her lips are plump and pink, although the top one looks just a tiny bit fuller. And, as if she's been watching my perusal of her face, she pulls her bottom lip between her teeth and bites down on it. I want to reach out and smooth it over with my thumb, yet I shake the thought out of my head and look at her expectantly.

A few seconds later, she nods in acceptance, so I drape the blanket over her shoulders, brushing my hands lightly over them. She grabs the edges of the blanket and winces a little, but pulls it close to her as she mumbles a sweet "thank you" in response.

Her face is still wet since her red beanie is dripping water on it, as well as down her back. Her long, wet hair is stuck to her neck and must be uncomfortable. Not wanting to be presumptuous, I hold the towel up and ask, "Would like me to wrap your hair in this? You'll hurt your fingers doing it yourself and it must be uncomfortable having it stick to your neck like that."

She gauges me for a moment with scrutinizing eyes before saying, "Yes, you may."

I approach her and gently remove the red beanie, placing it on the radiator attached to the wall. Next to my height, which is 6'2", she looks tiny. Her forehead is even with my chest, so I estimate her to be about 5'4". Stepping behind her, I collect her hair in my hand, gently twisting it to squeeze the water into the sink. While she watches, I drape a towel over her shoulders, wrapping her hair up in it and swathing it on her head like a turban.

"How'd you know to do that?" she asks.

"I've seen my mom do it since I was a kid," I explain. Begrudgingly, I step back as to not make her uncomfortable. The last thing I want is for the angel in front of me to feel unsafe.

Red smiles in gratitude at my gesture. "It feels better now; I didn't even think of it until you mentioned it. Thank you."

"No worries, ma'am. Would you mind?" I say, extending my hand to her.

She confidently places her hand in mine, and that small but significant act fills me with joy. Her hand is small and delicate in mine, which is larger and rougher, immediately making me feel it's where hers belongs. The electricity is back, and I find myself smiling wider at her. Her eyes glaze over for a moment, making me wonder why. She quickly recovers, though, giving me a dazzling smile as she steps closer to me.

I take Red to the office and have her sit down on a chair. After hanging my wet jacket, I sit across from her and put another clean towel in her lap. Placing her hands on top, I gently pat them dry to avoid irritating the burnt skin. I inspect her fingers and see they have not been badly burnt. She is very lucky; I've burned my fingers worse and can still recall the pain.

I look at her and say, "It's not as bad as I thought it would be. I'll dab them with ointment for burns. You might experience slight pain during the night, but you should heal nicely."

"Are you the resident doctor?" she asks, smirking beautifully.

"No, ma'am, just speaking from experience." I wink, wiggling my lightly scarred fingers at her.

A sad and worried look crosses her face as she looks at them. "Do they still hurt?" she asks sweetly.

I shake my head in response, yet her worry of my pain touches a place somewhere in my heart, making me want to lean forward and kiss her luscious lips. Instead, I dab her fingers with the ointment, using extreme care. The more I touch Red, the stronger the hum of the electricity gets. Now, it's filling me with an urge to caress her hands and kiss her burnt, little fingers. That yearning makes me feel stupid; nevertheless, it's there.

"It's Bella," she mumbles shyly, as I finish tending her fingers.

"Excuse me?" I ask, bewildered.

She laughs at my confusion. My god; her laughter is melodic and angelic just like her.

"My name's Bella. You don't have to call me ma'am anymore."

"Bella." I let her name roll on my tongue. "Such a beautiful name for a beautiful lady. It really suits you," I say, grinning.

She blushes at my compliment, and smiles at me. "What's your name? Or should I call you by your superhero name, Mechanic Man?"

I burst into laughter at her adorable nickname for me. "I'm sorry," I begin. "I'm not laughing at you!" After calming down, I dry the tears from the corner of my eyes.

Bella simply stares at me with an eyebrow raised.

"I'm not! It's just that no one has ever called me a superhero before." I grin at her.

"Oh." Her cheeks redden in embarrassment as her beautiful eyes stare down at her lap. I slowly caress her palms with both my thumbs to comfort her. Bella responds by lifting her lips in a shy smile.

She suddenly glances up at me, amusement in her gorgeous eyes. Under the shop lights, I can finally see they're brown. I have never seen eyes as sparkling and expressive as hers, causing me to feel as if I'm drowning in them. After a second, I gaze down to her nose, and then to those full, rosy lips.

"There's a first time for everything," she teases, amusement clear in her tone.

Looking back up to her eyes, I notice her staring at my face with the same curiosity and wonder I feel. I can feel my cheeks and ears getting warmer from the way her eyes are wandering over my face. I know I'm fairly good-looking from the many compliments I've received from women before, but their opinions never mattered to me as much as Bella's does right now.

Does she like the way I look? Am I even her type?

As these thoughts swirl in my mind, they make me nervous with worry. At the same time, though, Red's wandering eyes stir a feeling in my stomach that I can't identify. She grins at my obvious nervousness. When she realizes I've noticed, she blushes a deeper red this time, smiling shyly.

Okay, Masen, get your head together and ask about her truck.

"So Re—Bella, do you mind telling me what happened with your truck?"

Red scowls, causing a "v" to appear between her eyebrows, and starts ranting, "Well, it all started when Alice—who wouldn't go out and do it herself—just had to have chocolate. But, of course, I couldn't just go to the gas station around the corner from our place. Oh, no. She had to have Belgian chocolate. So, I had to go out in this weather to find an open grocery store to get her precious Belgian chocolate. And of course, the traffic is horrible—at a standstill.

"I finally saw an open grocery just up the block, and had turned on my signal, when the engine started making a wheezing noise and then died. I tried to restart it a few times, but each time, the engine would just whine at me and nothing happened. Finally, it started again, but when I stepped on the gas, a loud bang erupted and it died again before I heard a clank. That's when I saw all the smoke coming out from under the hood and went to try to open it. I screwed that up, and then you showed up."

The further into her rant Red gets, the more animated her facial expressions get. The faster she talks, the faster her hands gesticulate, trying to make her point more vehemently. By the time Red is finished, I'm stunned by how cute she is when she's angry. She's like a tiny kitten, hissing and spitting, thinking herself fierce in her rage, when really, it's all I can do to keep myself from sweeping her up in my arms and kissing her stupid.

Instead, I say, "That was your exhaust pipe. Acquiring a new one will be expensive."

"Oh," she says sadly. "What about the engine? Will it start again?"

Trying not to worry her further, I reply, "I can't give you a final answer until I have checked your truck."

"Um, how much would that cost?"

"Really, don't worry about it, Bella."

"No, no. You helped me enough already," she argues. "I can't let you check my engine for free, too."

Reluctantly, I agree to her demand.

Throughout all this, Red's hands haven't left mine, even though I've finished treating them. They feel much warmer now. I am still absent-mindedly caressing her palms when I feel her closing her fingers on my thumbs.

"What's your name?" she asks me curiously, her beautiful smile never leaving her face.

"Edward Masen."

"Well, it's very nice to meet you, Edward Masen. I know I already said this, but thank you—for everything you did. And for a complete stranger, at that," she says sincerely.

"Don't mention it, sweetheart; it was not a problem at all. I couldn't just leave a lady stranded in the rain like that."

"Chivalry isn't dead after all," she says flirtatiously.

I lean toward her and, with a conspiratorial tone, whisper, "It never left. You just have to know where to look." I give her a smirk.

Her eyes flash playfully. Bella opens her mouth to retort, but her cell phone rings loudly. She removes her hand from mine and carefully slides her phone from her pocket, wincing as she does. I hate seeing the pain on her face; it makes my chest ache in return. While she checks the caller ID, I rub at the center of my chest.

"It's my friend," Red explains. "She must be worried about me; I have to get this."

I gesture with my hand for her to do so. While she is speaking to her friend, I grab my toolbox and check on the condition of her truck. After thorough inspection of the engine, I close the hood and put the tools away for cleaning. I'm surprised this old thing even lasted this long.

"I could polish those tools for you if you want," her angelic voice says.

I turn around to see her wearing her big red, slouchy beanie again. I really love it on her. It makes her stand out from the sea of darker, winter colors.

With a playful smile on my face, I say, "And hurt those delicate fingers again? Not a chance, sweetheart."

"That's twice you've called me that," she teases.

I rub my hand on the back of my neck—a sign of embarrassment. "I'm sorry, it just slipped. How audacious of me."

"Hey, don't." She approaches and touches my elbow. "I don't mind it one bit. In fact, I kind of love it," she says, smiling sweetly and dazzling me into a stupor again.

I give her my biggest grin in return. "I'm happy that you do."

Her eyes glaze for a moment, then refocus a few seconds later.

I wonder what that was…

Getting out of my Bella-induced-haze, I feel my wet uniform weighing heavily on my skin, which annoys me. Also, because I want to show off a little for her, I zip open the one piece coveralls I'm wearing. I pull my arms out of the sleeves, and leave it hanging around my waist. The white t-shirt I wore underneath is also wet and stuck to my skin, clearly outlining the muscles I work hard for at the gym, which cause Red to gasp. Now, I'm no critic of male physique, but judging by her reaction, she likes what she sees.

I get under the hood to take off the capacitor. "I just checked your truck's engine and based on what you told me, I can confirm that the engine's capacitor is shot. It's not anything severe, it's basically like the starter on a new car. It just needs to be replaced, and it would be as good as new. I can have it done tomorrow."

"Oh, please don't bother yourself on my account," Bella says quickly. "You can change it after the holiday. I'm in no rush, really."

"It's really not an issue, Bella," I reassure her, grinning. "You've given me an excuse to come to my shop."

"You must be a workaholic, then," she teases me.

Her description is quite apt. Since I have no one at home to look forward to seeing every day, I fill my time with work. I enjoy it immensely; nevertheless, there are times where I get lonely.

"You could say that," I reply as I get out from under the hood of her truck.

She must have seen something on my face because, worriedly, she asks, "I didn't insult you, did I?"

I smile genuinely at her. "No, sweetheart, you didn't. Your observation is quite apt. Even my friends tease me about it."

She gives me a big grin. "I know all about working all day. There have been countless times where Rosalie and Alice have berated me for it."

"What is it that you do?" I ask.

"I am the head chef at L'orangerie. It feels more like a fun activity than a job. That's why I never tire of working. Besides, it also gives me a sense of achievement."

I just want to kiss the shit out of this woman right now. My smile turns into a smirk when I realize I've found someone who understands my disposition and passion for what I do.

"So, I'm guessing from your name that this shop belongs to you? I saw the sign on the front," Bella states.

I smile at her observation. "Yes, I bought this place a few years ago. It was a real dump back then, and the owner was selling it for a very cheap price. I was lucky I saw the ad and got to it first. Then, for a few months, I refurbished the place."

"You fixed it all by yourself?"

From the tone of her voice and the look on her face, I can tell she's impressed. I'm glad, because I think my shop is remarkable, and what she thinks is going to be very important to me, I can tell.

My chest puffs out as I gloat a little. Well, maybe a lot. "Yes, ma'am. I—"

Before I can finish my sentence, though, the power suddenly goes out. Bella screams and jumps, holding on to the nearest thing to her, which happens to be me. I quickly wrap my arms around her waist to keep her from falling, but what she does next blows my mind.

She kisses me—hard.

Without thinking, I kiss her back with equal fervor. Her lips feel so soft against mine. I pull her flush to me and kiss her passionately. Tilting my head to the side, I deepen the kiss as my hands travel up and down her back. I feel Red's hands moving over my biceps and shoulders, leaving a hot trail behind it.

One of her hands then caresses my cheek while the other tugs at my hair, making me go wild with lust. I growl against her lips and take the bottom one gently between my teeth and tug on it. The soft sigh that comes out of her mouth is almost my undoing. I lick her lower lip in response, and then capture both in my mouth.

Abruptly, the light comes back on. We pull apart reluctantly, only to stand there with swollen lips, panting as we try to catch our breath. For what seems like hours, we grin at each other until I have the brilliant idea to be a gentleman and ask if she'd like a lift home.

I clear my throat, then shake my head to clear it. I try to remove the smitten look I know is on my face, but fail miserably before saying, "Bella, would you mind if I drive you home? If you don't feel completely comfortable with the idea, I can call you a cab."

"Edward, we just made out. So I think at this point I feel completely comfortable with you," she teases.

Duh, Masen!

"But," Bella continues, "would you mind stopping at the grocery store down the street? I have to buy Alice's fancy chocolate. It's the reason I was out in this godforsaken weather in the first place."

I smile at her spitfire attitude. "Not at all, sweetheart. Here," I say, handing her my keys. "Take these and go to my car while I close the shop. It's the black Audi in the back."

I walk to the passenger side of her truck, open her door, and grab her purse.

With a smile, I say, "And don't forget your purse."

"Thanks."

After making sure the doors are locked and everything is put away, I remove my uniform and throw it in the hamper. I look at my reflection, noticing that the man staring back at me has the goofiest smile on his face. His green eyes have a new sparkle that I've never seen before, too. I try to tame my hair, but give up on that a few seconds later.

Grabbing my leather jacket, I walk to my car.

Bella smiles when she sees me approaching. I get inside and she hands me my keys.

Turning on the engine, we drive out of the shop toward the grocery store. I wait for her in the car at her request since she doesn't want to me to get out in the rain. So adorable. A few minutes later, she runs out of the store and jumps into the passenger seat.

"Damn that Alice and her chocolate," she mumbles under her breath.

I grin, but choose not to comment. "Where to now, Bella?"

She gives me her address, which surprisingly, is two blocks down from mine. After twenty minutes of driving, we reach her place. I park in front of her apartment building and check the time to see that it's 11:30 p.m. Good, there's still time for both of us to enjoy the rest of New Year's Eve.

"As unconventional as our first meeting was, I'm happy I met you, Edward," says Bella. She couldn't know this, but she just said exactly what was on my mind. I just open my arms in response and—thank God almighty—she leans in for the hug. I lay my head on her shoulder and squeeze her tightly to me, trying to say everything I was feeling in that single hug.

After a few seconds of hugging, we lean away.

"Here, give me your phone," she says, smiling stunningly, as she plucks it from my pocket. "My friends and I are having a girl's night, no boys allowed, or I would invite you in. But, I want you to have my number"—she winks—"just in case."

Before I can reply, she quickly places a kiss on my cheek while returning my phone to its place. "Happy New Year, Mechanic Man," Bella whispers.

Her kiss leaves me stunned and speechless as I watch her climb out of the car and run to her apartment.

After making sure she's inside, I face forward in my seat and stay there for a while.

"What a woman."

Taking my phone out of my pocket I type a quick text to her:

You'll most definitely hear from me again, sweetheart.

Then, I drive home.

I would like to thank everyone who voted and reviewed my story. Seeing as this is my first time participating in a writing contest, it means a lot that readers loved it. I do plan to continue this story, so stay tuned for future chapters!