Rocker and the Mechanic - Chapter 11

Rated: T

Alteration

Chapter Summary: A sudden (and unexpected text) puts yet another wrench in Ash's plans.

Ash's tongue still refused to budge where it decided to take permanent residence on the bottom of her mouth. Loosely-crossed arms tense, gnawing the inside of her cheek as her eyes drifted toward the cracked concrete underneath her feet. The finite hairline cracks cascading over its oil and grease stained surface in an erratic pattern.

As she stood there and stared at them, she wasn't sure what she was thinking.

Wondering if something she was visualizing in the floor would have her think of the perfect words to say - but unsurprisingly, nothing came.

Ash simply was not an animal who encouraged or comforted in any sense and the one question that irked her more than anything was where did the cold-stone rocker go? For why the hell was she even worrying about what to say to this guy she just met mere hours ago? Who cared if he has an incredible singing voice and should be some hot-shot international superstar singer with talent and looks to spare? So what if he wasn't happy working in this dingy garage making lackluster payment when he had the potential of selling out stadiums?

If Johnny didn't care to follow his dream then why should she make it her problem especially when she had her own career to worry about.

Resolute sigh leaving her lips, Ash glanced back up to the gorilla in sheer frustration and confusion boiling deep in her chest.

Johnny, for the most part, was silent as well.

Steadily cleaning up the area around her bike: sweeping, wiping at some newly spilled oil, putting away tools, extra parts, and many dirty cloths that were littering the floor all while she looked on in barely concealed annoyance.

For even though it shouldn't bother her, it did!

Hoping to put her own frantic anticipations to rest, Ash opened her mouth, hoping for some biting but inspiring words to filter out but none did. All that came out was a groan of frustration tinging her lips. Knowing full well that Johnny was not at all up for debate, and if she was being honest - neither was she.

Adrenaline wearing off a long time ago and even with her small siesta, she was simply exhausted. The past few weeks dealing with Lance's emotional strife and her own faltering career and questioning her future for the umpteenth time was a lot for anyone to take. Mix in this handsome stranger with a hidden talent that would remain so was just the cloyingly sweet icing on this hellishly salty cake.

So, she took a page from Johnny's book and remained silent.

Tearing her lingering gaze away from Johnny, who was still cleaning, Ash strolled over to her guitar case to dig out hopefully enough funds to pay him. Before reaching it, she glanced to her left to see her long forgotten phone still plugged in next to his toaster. Not wanting to forget it in her haste to leave after paying him, she climbed atop the nearby stool and pulled the plug out of the wall.

Mind made up, she knew she should just leave - pay the bill and drive off without looking back.

It worked before so why not now?

After all, this was not her problem or her battle (she had enough battles yet to win) so why even bother trying with this stranger? Ash let out a short breath, one hand stuffing the cord into her leather jacket pocket while she powered up her phone with the other.

Tempted to just stuff it in her pocket and forget it, Ash didn't mind the distraction right now, so she reluctant watched as he phone slowly powered up.

A long loading screen later, she noticed there was over ten missed calls and texts. A quick scroll through let her know they were mostly from friends, the few that did still care (or pretended they did), but it was three missed calls and latest two texts that had her heart thump painfully in her chest with sudden panic.

Moon.

Buster Moon, the koala; the huge, hairy-eared boss she acquired merely a month ago after her performance at a restaurant where he happened to be dining at with a friend. She sang more subdued than normal for the venue but she still noticed him watching her unabashedly and sitting next to a sheep who played on his phone most of the time.

Ash didn't think much of it until the small koala approached her as she was leaving, handing her his card asking her if she was interested in joining his Moon Theater Group.

A question she answered with a glare and a "Sorry, but uh, fuck no". She refused to be part of a group or duet again.

Yet Moon didn't relent, just chuckled lightly at her choice of words and gave her his card anyway. Lack of jobs had her calling him the following week; telling him she wasn't interested in groups, freelance gigs - and surprisingly, that's what he gave her.

Setting her up in numerous gigs (the guy apparently had lots of ties around the city) and even gave her the largest venue she ever played…and now she just missed what apparently was another great opportunity if his frantic texts were anything to go by.

"Fuck!" she grumbled, looking at the time and already knowing she was almost an hour late yet it didn't seem to be over. Buster had just called her five minutes ago and she knew the place was close - at least, she thought it was.

"Um...is uh, everything alright, Ash?" Johnny's concerned voice rang out out nearby.

"Yeah." she answered tersely, "Just my boss."

Ash's eyes flitted over and over again to his message.

'Where are you!? You were supposed to be here an hour ago! Remember?' it read.

In that moment of anguish a few hours ago, she indeed was heading there to prepare even if she didn't care to hardly remember it now.

Mind so overwhelmed with her own grief and anguish over the entire situation to even care about a job waiting for her. Perhaps it was Lance's spiteful text she'd received or seeing him in a cafe that afternoon with one of the girls he was caught cheating with. Maybe it was simply feeling like her own life was in a downward spiral and she was merely waiting for herself to hit the ground. A lifeless husk scooped out of all her organs and now fluttering away on the slightest breeze. Nothing but mere ashes (her name fit more than ever) from the hellish flames she found herself facing ever since he cheated on her and didn't seem to give a single shit.

If anything, he was probably proud of it.

Ash grumbled lowly while sending a Buster Moon a quick, 'Be there soon' before placing it in her pocket. She just hoped he would wait for her…

"...is everything okay?" Johnny's gentle voice finally had her reeling; eyes lifting from the illuminated screen and up to his face that was now clean and free of the grease that stained it. Dammit, he was so handsome.

"Y-Yea. I'm good." she lied, heart palpitating painfully in her chest in fear she was going to lose yet another manager (a fucking good one too), "Lemme get your money so I can get out of your hair."

"Oh, it's okay, there's no rush."

"Yeah there is. My boss called and I'm already late so I need to go."

"O-Oh. Okay."

"How much is it?"

"$2-oh, uh, $110 should do it." Johnny chuckled and scratched his nape when she flashed him an incredulous look. She knew it was too little with as many parts as he replaced and electrical problems tended to be damn expensive but she sure as hell wasn't arguing even if the guilt would rest painfully in her gut later.

Ash opened the locks and began digging frantically through the sheets of music to find her small black clutch buried underneath. The skull and crossbones pattern greeting her a few seconds later, Ash pulled it out, opening it to only find a $20 bill staring back at her.

"Are you fucking serious?!" she cursed under her breath, digging through other pockets in hopes there was any more cash stored. Panicky and grumbling beside herself, not even noticing Johnny cautiously approaching.

Ash suddenly asked over her shoulder, "Do you take credit cards?"

"Uh. Sorry, no." he replied, hands wringing a small red rag (out of nervousness or habit, she wasn't sure).

Ash groaned, "Oh God…" burying her face in her hands and letting out a guttural sigh. Out of all the fucking things that had already gone wrong - the one time someone shows her kindness, she can't even pay him back. What the fuck else could go wrong?

"Hey." he said, laying a hand on her shoulder and Ash jolted at the sudden warm touch. Blue eyes peeling open in utter panic to meet his gentle brown eyes.

"I'm sorry!" she gasped, "I-I swear I got more at the ATM yesterday, it's just been hell. I have a gig to go to but I swear afterward, I'll bring you the money or even wire it to you tonight if you do that sorta thing! I swear…"

Johnny didn't say a word, just removed one hand from where it was in his pocket; holding it out to her where her keys dangled loosely from his fingers.