Play With Me - Brittany Cournoyer Page 0,13

at all to push back the strands of hair that fell from his bun and stuck to the sweaty skin of his neck.

Yeah, there was definitely something about Sax Man that I couldn’t ignore. Without barely speaking to the man I yearned to know more about him, and I had no idea why.

“I’m sorry for being so out of it tonight,” I told Mina as we wiped the tables down.

“Everyone has a rough night, but you pulled it together. I hope you enjoy your day off tomorrow and come back fully recharged for Monday.”

“Thanks. Me too.”

After Mina locked up, I walked her to her car before getting into mine, but when I turned the key in the ignition I groaned when nothing happened. My car was a bit on the older side, and I knew I’d eventually have to sink more money into fixing it than what it was worth, but I didn’t have the credit to get a loan for a new one. I’d been able to get by, jump-starting the battery and getting minor repairs here and there, but now was not the time for it to die on ,e. Calling for a tow truck at this hour was going to be costly, and I lived too far to walk. But what could I do?

With a bone-deep sigh, I popped the hood and climbed out my vehicle. I had no idea what I was looking for, but it made me feel better that I was at least making an attempt—even a pointless one. I pulled my phone out of my pocket to turn on the flashlight and aimed it so the light shined directly on the engine, but I didn’t know what the hell I was even looking at.

Dammit.

I was going to have to call a tow truck, and that was an expense I did not need right now.

“Need a ride?” a raspy voice asked me.

I jumped and turned, nearly swallowing my tongue when I saw who spoke.

Sax Man.

He stood there with his hair pulled from the bun and hanging loosely around his shoulders in all its glory, like a tattooed savior coming to the rescue.

My rescue.

"Looks like it could be your starter or your alternator. It’s too hard to tell, though, considering the bad lighting. It’ll need to be towed to a shop,” he said after he pushed me to the side to look under the hood.

“I, uh…” I hesitated as I ran my hand through my hair. “Do you know a shop that’s reputable?” And cheap, I added silently.

“It’s your lucky day, Foster,” he said as he slammed the hood closed.

I scoffed and kicked the front left tire. “I doubt that. And how do you know my name?”

He cocked his head to the side, causing the loose strands to fall silkily over his shoulder. “The other bartender told me. Also, you happen to be standing in the presence of the best mechanic in town. Then again, I’m going off my Yelp reviews. But my work and integrity speak for themselves.”

They were talking about me? Why did that little tidbit of information send an electric thrill fizzing through my veins? But I couldn’t think about that right now, not when I was dealing with another disaster. Giving myself a mental shake, I made my mind focus on what else he’d told me.

Of course he was a mechanic. Not only was he good with his hands when it was time to play the sax, but also for fixing cars. Images of him hot and sweaty, up to his elbows in grease, his muscles bulging as he ripped into a car started to swim in my head.

“Or not?” he asked when I hadn’t said anything.

“What?” I shook my head, trying to shake off the confusing lust that consumed my mind. “No, I believe you. It’s just…” How much did I want to tell him? I barely knew the guy. “This is an unexpected expense I really can’t afford right now.”

With a dejected sigh, I leaned inside to grab my wallet and phone I’d thrown on the passenger seat and slammed the door before locking it. “I’ll just have to leave it here for a while until I can figure something else out.”

Sax Man crossed his arms over his broad chest. Dammit, why was I noticing everything about him? From the way his hair fell around his shoulders to the way the ring in his nose glinted under the moonlight. I’d seen the ring before, but I was so enthralled