Three things of life that are most valuable:
Love, self-confidence & friends.

-Unknown

**

"That was almost... sweet." Amber grinned as she settled into the passenger seat.

"You realize that if you tell anyone, I'm gonna have to kill you, right?" I looked at her, my voice serious.

"Aw!" she grinned.

"I'm... I'm so serious." I warned, starting to get flustered again.

"You're embarrassed!" Amber noted.

"I'm not!" I objected. "It's just… just, okay, please don't mention it to anyone, alright?"

Amber kept still for a moment and then turned to me, "Leon..." She tilted her head slightly, causing some of her hair to fall onto her shoulder. "It's cool. I won't say a word."

"Right." I said, resisting the urge to brush the hair off of her shoulder.

"Seriously!" She reassured me. "In fact, here... I'll pinky swear you, okay?"

"Pinky swear?" I raised my eyebrows.

"Look," She held her pinky out. "Do you want me to keep my mouth shut or what? 'Cause you know... if you're dissing my way of guaranteeing you that I won't say anything…"

I grabbed her pinky with mine and shook it.

"There." I said, starting up the car. "It's cool now, right? You don't know anything."

"So, when are you going to start working on my car?" She asked, lightly changing the subject.

"Well," I shrugged, "new parts should come in tomorrow... figured I could get a little of the body work done, maybe fix up some of that engine."

"Good..." Amber nodded to herself. "That sounds… that sounds awesome."

I pulled up to the front of her house and shut the car off. We sat there, neither of us talking; I looked straight ahead and she looked out her window.

"Well, thanks..." She broke the silence, opening the door.

"No problem." I smiled.

"Leon," She hesitated before settling back down into the seat. "Thank you."

"For what?" I asked, confused.

"For..." Amber gestured, "...well, everything. You taking out the time to help me out here."

"No need to thank me." I laughed a little, "I mean... it was partially my fault that your car got damaged..."

She gave me a look.

"Totally. I mean totally my fault that your car got damaged." I corrected myself.

"Oh yeah, definitely." Amber said without hesitating. "But that's beside the point. You could've been a jerk and like, not told me, or just told me to fuck off and leave me hanging but you didn't and I appreciate that. There aren't a lot of honest people out there nowadays..."

"Not a problem." I shrugged.

"Okay," She smiled and got out of the car.

"Hey." I said, not really sure what I was doing. "Did you want to come by the shop tomorrow? Watch the building of a brand new car?"

I didn't know what the hell I was doing or why I even offered. I mean, why would she want to sit around the shop all day to see some 'boring' mechanical work?

"Sure." She said. "I'd love to."

"Okay," I said, starting up the car. "Cool. I'll pick you up then?"

"Sounds good." Amber replied.

"Noon sound alright?"

"Yeah," Amber said, "Definitely."

"'Kay."

She closed the door and leaned in the car window. "Hey Leon?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't stand me up, alright?" She joked.

"Didn't even cross my mind..." I reassured her.

"Just making sure..." She joked, "Alright, see ya tomorrow."

I watched as she walked through the gate that led to the apartment building. I sat there for a moment, oblivious to the fact that I had the car running. Shaking my head and clearing my thoughts, I shifted into 1st and headed to my house.