Chapter Three
The next few days Karen was busy helping Scarlett and aunt Chloe with the wedding preparations. Aunt Chloe wasn't feeling too well and Scarlett was busy with Austen so when they needed a few groceries for the day, Karen decided to go and get it. She parked in front of Walmart Super centre and went inside the shopping mall filled with all sorts of household products along the never ending aisle.
Jayson went to visit Chase at his police station early in the morning. His law firm was dealing with a murder case and he needed to discuss it with Chase. A phone call from aunt Chloe had him on high alert.
"No mom, I can't go to Walmart now," said Chase, pausing to listen to his mom. "It's ok, Karen is family. If she wants to go, let her," he said, disconnecting the call.
"What happened?" Asked Jayson, wanting to know more about Karen.
"Oh, nothing important. Mom isn't well, Scarlett's busy and dad has gone out to the hospital to meet his friend. They needed some stuff for home, right now. Karen offered to fetch it from Walmart but mom didn't want to make her do all the hard work," he said, casually.
"Oh, I see. Hey, man, I have a meeting in 10 minutes, gotta go. Will see you tomorrow, this time for a talk?" Asked Jayson, already getting up and rushing to the door.
"Sure, see ya," said Chase as he ran out to his car. He had to see Karen once and what better place than Walmart? He raced his car down the road like a man on a mission and parked in front of Walmart. Climbing out he rushed into the store and his eyes widened. It was huge. Where exactly should he start his search?
Karen looked at the list that aunt Chloe gave her and started picking out the stuff one by one and keeping them in her shopping trolley. Flour, yeast, butter, cheese, milk, oatmeal, pasta, she kept ticking them off as she got them. Yogurt in one hand and strawberries in the other, she turned to keep them in her trolley when she collided with a wall.
She was sure there were no walls behind her. Her trolley was the only thing there. Looking up, she was lost in the ocean blue eyes of the gorgeous mechanic.
"You?" She asked in confusion.
He chuckled and took the stuff from her hands and placed them in her trolley. "Helping you more, for more pay," he said staring into her eyes. She lowered them. It was just helping in return for money, right?
He kept taking the grocery items from her hands and keeping them in the trolley, brushing her hands with his in the process. His eyes never left hers as he forcefully helped her. He had such a tight work schedule that he never went grocery shopping in his thirty-one years of life. In fact going out to buy clothes for himself was a luxury, as most of the time his sisters did it for him. Still, here he was helping her buy groceries. His sisters would be shocked to their wit's end.
She turned with the fresh bread combo pack and he covered his hands over hers and slowly took them. She looked up into his eyes. What was he trying? She was confused. Quickly withdrawing her hand, she turned towards the shelf to search for the rest of the stuff. Her head was turning into mush with him hovering behind her.
"Will you go out with me? We can calculate how much you owe me," he said with hope shining in his eyes.
"We can do that now. Why do we have to go out for that?" She asked.
"Go out with me as payment for fixing your car?" Jayson coaxed.
"Are you sure?" She asked in confusion. He was so needy yet he waived off his fee?
"Ok, I'll go, just tell me when and where," she said as they proceeded towards the billing counter. He took her mobile phone from her hands and punched in his number. He then gave himself a missed call.
"I'll message you, " he said, returning her mobile phone.
His phone suddenly buzzed and he excused himself, "I've got to go, see you soon," he said with a smile and taking the call, hurriedly left. She turned her head, seeing him go to his sleek blue Mercedes and smoothly drive away. He owned a Mercedes? He was a needy mechanic, right? Or was he not? She had to find out from Scarlett.
She went home and arranged everything in the pantry and refrigerator. Checking her phone, she saw a message from Jayson, the car mechanic. His profile picture made her widen her eyes. Sitting in a posh office in an expensive suit, he looked gorgeous beyond words. The office looked like a lawyer's chamber, with law books everywhere. Now, she was very curious and had to talk to Scarlett urgently.
Jayson's message read,
Be ready by 7 o'clock in the evening, tonight.
She went upstairs to Scarlett's room and sat down on her couch as she fed Austen.
"What happened?" Scarlett asked.
"I've got to go out tonight. Jayson Meyers wants to meet me and talk about how much I owe him," she said, making a face.
"You owe him? I don't understand, " asked Scarlett.
"He helped me fix my car once and many more times. He said he was needy and needed his payment, " she informed her. Scarlett's jaw dropped.
"Needy? The guy's loaded. He's the richest man in Travis Springs," she informed a shocked Karen.
"Isn't he a poor needy mechanic?" She asked Scarlett.
"Oh no. He's the highest paid lawyer in the whole of Texas, " Scarlett said, emphasising the word 'lawyer'.
"I see," said Karen as her face fell. What a fool she made of herself in front of him. How would she show her face? It was his fault. Why couldn't he talk straight instead of in circles. It confused her. No wonder he was a lawyer.
