Chapter 20
Jesse's POV
I told Allie that I love her over three weeks ago, and she still hasn't said it back. We go out, and we hug and kiss and hold hands and the team, has pretty much accepted us as a couple. Even Dominic. But she won't say that she loves me. Why? I mean, I know she does. Or maybe she doesn't and I'm just wishful thinking.
I could hear her and Dom out the garage, working on her car. I turned to watch them as the computer booted up.
They're so alike, it's funny. They move alike, talk alike, work alike and hell, today they're even dressed alike, with Allie wearing coveralls hanging down around her waist, and a wife beater. Her black hair, messily held up by a Dale Earnhardt cap turned backwards.
"Hand me that," Dom said, pointing at some tool. He was working on her brakes, and she was watching, and being a go-for.
She picked it up and held it out to him. Then I heard Dom grunt, followed by a wrench hitting the floor and Allie's giggled, "Sorry, Dominic."
"I said hand me the wrench, not drop it on me," He replied. His voice was rough, but I could tell he was just playing with her.
"And I said sorry," She shot back, rolling her eyes. "At least I didn't throw it at you this time."
He laughed, "No, cause you want me to finish this. Go get us something to drink and try not to drop it before you get back."
"I'll only drop yours," She replied, sticking her tongue out at him, as she came into the office. She turned and smiled at me. "Hey, baby. Whatcha' looking at?"
She had grease on her hands and smudged on her cheeks, probably from pushing wayward strands of her hair out of her face. Even like that, she's still beautiful enough to take my breath away. Or maybe she's beautiful cause she's not afraid to look like that. Either way, she's mine.
"Your car," I replied. I caught her hand as she walked by and pulled her into my lap, breathing in the smell of her.
She looked at the red Viper on the computer screen. "That's not my car," She declared. "My car is blue."
"Well, red, green, blue, it's all the same car," I replied.
"Then make it blue."
I laughed. Only my Allie would want a perfectly good computer program rewritten so the car would be blue. "Later, baby. Right now, I'm supposed to be looking up what kind of brakes we put on it last time."
"Oh." She leaned back against me, quiet for just a moment. Then, "You know, I love you, Jesse."
"Yeah, I know you do," I hugged her. "I love you, too."
"I know." She smiled up at me, kissed me then went on into the store. I watched her go, just a little amazed. Sometimes, I think she can read my mind.
Chapter 21
Dominic's POV
Allie came back out with two cokes and sat down beside me. "Here."
"Thanks. What too so long?"
"I was talking to Jesse," She replied. "He's gonna rewrite the Viper program to make the car blue."
"Why?"
She grinned at me. "Cause I want him to."
I laughed. She has that boy wrapped around her little fingers, but then, she always has.
"Dominic?" She laid her head against my shoulder.
"What, baby sister?"
"Do you think it would hurt our Papi if I called you Papi?" She asked.
Now, not many things in this world can make me speechless, but that simple request did. I sat my drink down and stared at her. I had to think about how to answer that.
"I mean, I know you're not my father, and I don't mean Papi any disrespect, but, you've raised me since I was six, so, in a way you are my Papi, and..." She rushed on when I didn't answer.
"No." I interrupted her. She looked crestfallen. "I don't think Papi would be hurt at all. You're not forgetting him and I think I'd like that a lot."
A smile lit up her face. She sat up, then threw her arms around my neck with enough energy to knock me backwards, if I hadn't caught myself and kept both of us from toppling into her car.
"Oh, thank you," She paused, then, "Papi."
I smiled. That sounded nice. I hugged her back. "Okay, Allie-cat, okay." I never realized she missed having a Papi that much. I kissed her on the forehead.
Allie's Papi. I did, I do like that. My beloved little one.
She pulled away, giggling again. "Let's finish my car, Papi."
Jesse's POV
I told Allie that I love her over three weeks ago, and she still hasn't said it back. We go out, and we hug and kiss and hold hands and the team, has pretty much accepted us as a couple. Even Dominic. But she won't say that she loves me. Why? I mean, I know she does. Or maybe she doesn't and I'm just wishful thinking.
I could hear her and Dom out the garage, working on her car. I turned to watch them as the computer booted up.
They're so alike, it's funny. They move alike, talk alike, work alike and hell, today they're even dressed alike, with Allie wearing coveralls hanging down around her waist, and a wife beater. Her black hair, messily held up by a Dale Earnhardt cap turned backwards.
"Hand me that," Dom said, pointing at some tool. He was working on her brakes, and she was watching, and being a go-for.
She picked it up and held it out to him. Then I heard Dom grunt, followed by a wrench hitting the floor and Allie's giggled, "Sorry, Dominic."
"I said hand me the wrench, not drop it on me," He replied. His voice was rough, but I could tell he was just playing with her.
"And I said sorry," She shot back, rolling her eyes. "At least I didn't throw it at you this time."
He laughed, "No, cause you want me to finish this. Go get us something to drink and try not to drop it before you get back."
"I'll only drop yours," She replied, sticking her tongue out at him, as she came into the office. She turned and smiled at me. "Hey, baby. Whatcha' looking at?"
She had grease on her hands and smudged on her cheeks, probably from pushing wayward strands of her hair out of her face. Even like that, she's still beautiful enough to take my breath away. Or maybe she's beautiful cause she's not afraid to look like that. Either way, she's mine.
"Your car," I replied. I caught her hand as she walked by and pulled her into my lap, breathing in the smell of her.
She looked at the red Viper on the computer screen. "That's not my car," She declared. "My car is blue."
"Well, red, green, blue, it's all the same car," I replied.
"Then make it blue."
I laughed. Only my Allie would want a perfectly good computer program rewritten so the car would be blue. "Later, baby. Right now, I'm supposed to be looking up what kind of brakes we put on it last time."
"Oh." She leaned back against me, quiet for just a moment. Then, "You know, I love you, Jesse."
"Yeah, I know you do," I hugged her. "I love you, too."
"I know." She smiled up at me, kissed me then went on into the store. I watched her go, just a little amazed. Sometimes, I think she can read my mind.
Chapter 21
Dominic's POV
Allie came back out with two cokes and sat down beside me. "Here."
"Thanks. What too so long?"
"I was talking to Jesse," She replied. "He's gonna rewrite the Viper program to make the car blue."
"Why?"
She grinned at me. "Cause I want him to."
I laughed. She has that boy wrapped around her little fingers, but then, she always has.
"Dominic?" She laid her head against my shoulder.
"What, baby sister?"
"Do you think it would hurt our Papi if I called you Papi?" She asked.
Now, not many things in this world can make me speechless, but that simple request did. I sat my drink down and stared at her. I had to think about how to answer that.
"I mean, I know you're not my father, and I don't mean Papi any disrespect, but, you've raised me since I was six, so, in a way you are my Papi, and..." She rushed on when I didn't answer.
"No." I interrupted her. She looked crestfallen. "I don't think Papi would be hurt at all. You're not forgetting him and I think I'd like that a lot."
A smile lit up her face. She sat up, then threw her arms around my neck with enough energy to knock me backwards, if I hadn't caught myself and kept both of us from toppling into her car.
"Oh, thank you," She paused, then, "Papi."
I smiled. That sounded nice. I hugged her back. "Okay, Allie-cat, okay." I never realized she missed having a Papi that much. I kissed her on the forehead.
Allie's Papi. I did, I do like that. My beloved little one.
She pulled away, giggling again. "Let's finish my car, Papi."