Flipping the script, p.1
Flipping the Script, page 1
FLIPPING THE SCRIPT
LEGACY MECHANICS
BOOK 1
WILLOW DIXON
This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, re-sold, duplicated, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior written consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
Editor: Maureen Sytsma
Proofreader: Holly Malgieri
2nd proofreader: Eli Lincoln
Cover Artist: Lori Jackson
Photographer: Michelle Lancaster
This is a work of fiction. All characters and events portrayed in this novel are fictitious and are products of the author’s imagination and any resemblance to actual events, or locales or persons, living or dead are entirely coincidental.
The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.
This book was created entirely by humans and contains no AI content.
Copyright Willow Dixon © 2024
CONTENTS
1. Jesse
2. Sebastian
3. Jesse
4. Sebastian
5. Jesse
6. Sebastian
7. Jesse
8. Sebastian
9. Jesse
10. Sebastian
11. Sebastian
12. Jesse
13. Sebastian
14. Sebastian
15. Jesse
16. Sebastian
17. Jesse
18. Jesse
19. Sebastian
20. Sebastian
21. Jesse
Epilogue
Books By Willow Dixon
About Me
1
JESSE
Tzzzz. Tzzzz.
Resting my hip against the counter, I pulled my phone out of my pocket and checked my notifications. I had a text from my brother.
Adam: can you pick up some ice on the way to the party?
“Heads up,” a familiar voice called.
I looked up just in time to get a wet washrag to the face.
“Gross, dude.” I chucked it back at Isaac, my coworker, and wiped my cheek. “What did you clean with that? Do I need to bleach my face?”
“Relax.” He leaned against the counter next to me with a smirk. “It’s just water. That was payback for the last time you caught me texting up here.”
Snickering, I tucked my phone away.
The garage we worked at was probably the most chill workplace imaginable. Our bosses treated us like actual adults and mostly left us to our own devices as long as we got our work done and weren’t idiots.
One of the few rules they did have was no phones at the front desk. Isaac and I had made a sport out of trying to catch each other breaking it and pranking the other as punishment.
Last week I’d dropped an ice cube down the back of his coveralls. The washrag was warranted.
“Did you hear anything more about the new guy?” he asked.
“Nope. Just that he’s starting on Monday.”
“Thank fuck.” He cut his gaze around the small storefront. “Anyone come in while I was in the back?”
I shook my head.
“Thank fuck,” he repeated. “As much as I love the overtime, I’ll be glad to go back to working my normal hours.”
“Hard same.”
The last few months had been good for my bank account, but not so great for my work/life balance. Our bosses had been in the process of hiring someone to replace one of our old coworkers who’d quit a few weeks ago, and we’d been short-staffed ever since. I’d picked up so many extra hours it was beginning to feel like I lived in the shop.
My phone vibrated again. Instinctively, I put my hand over it to quiet the soft sound.
“Someone’s popular.” Isaac ticked his chin at my pocket. “Did I interrupt something spicy?”
I pulled a face. “Gross. I was texting with my brother.”
“Sorry, bro. Was it something important?”
“Not really. He wants me to bring ice to his grad party.”
“His grad party is today?”
I nodded and drummed my fingers on the smooth lip of the counter.
My phone vibrated three more times in quick succession.
“Sounds like he needs more than ice.” Isaac made a “go ahead” motion. “I’ll stay out here if you want to check that.”
“Thanks.” I ducked through the door that separated the front of the store from the car bays in the back and leaned against the wall so I was out of sight.
Adam: and a tie
Adam: and your spare dress shoes
Adam: and bail money because I’m about to lose my shit and get arrested
Adam: crisis averted. For now
Jesse: what’s going on?
Adam: H’s parents are driving me insane
Adam: we didn’t even want this stupid party
Jesse: you need a tie and my dress shoes?
Adam: yeah. H said any color other than red is fine for the tie
Adam: I’ll get dad and pops to bring the ice. Can you just worry about the tie and shoes?
Jesse: sure
Jesse: remember you’re too pretty for jail if they keep pissing you off
Adam: I’m willing to risk it at this point
Adam: just get your ass here as soon as you can and we won’t have to worry about a jailbreak
Jesse: roger that
Exiting out of my texts, I locked my phone and slipped it away.
“Everything okay?” Isaac asked as I came back out to the front of the store.
“For now.” I resumed leaning against the counter. “His girlfriend’s parents are driving him crazy, and he’s about to commit a felony.”
Isaac made a face. “Another reason to not do the dating thing. Dealing with my own parents is exhausting enough. I’m not about to put up with shit from anyone else’s. What are they all in a tizzy about?”
Absently, I picked up a pen and twirled it over my fingers. “Not sure, but I’m guessing it’s because Hannah’s brother is going to be there. He has a talent for stressing people out.”
“Her brother?” Isaac asked.
I nodded. “Sebastian.”
“That face says you don’t get along.”
I put the pen down and crossed my arms. “We don’t.”
Isaac raised his eyebrow questioningly.
“We went to school together, and we were in the same class, but we ran in different circles. I’ve only seen him a few times since graduation. He’s…aggravating.”
“Aggravating?” Isaac asked, the corner of his mouth tilting up in a smirk.
“Annoying, self-centered, cocky, arrogant, infuriating. All of the above works.”
“He sounds like a real monster.” Isaac’s tone was teasing.
“Are ya done sassing me?” I bumped his shoulder with mine.
“Never.” He hip checked me hard enough I stumbled before catching myself on the counter.
“Children,” Zander, our other coworker and de facto supervisor since it was just the three of us in the shop, said from the doorway to the back area. “Do I need to separate you two?”
“Sorry, daddy.” Isaac batted his eyelashes at him.
“We’ll be good.” I held up three fingers like I was a Boy Scout.
Zander shot us a flat look that quickly melted into a smile. “You boys are going to be the death of me.”
“Blame Dev. He thought putting us on the same shift as you was a good idea.” Isaac blew him a kiss. “This is his fault.”
“I thought you loved working with us and you’re going to be heartbroken when the new guy starts and you don’t get to see us on the weekends anymore?” I asked, feigning shock.
Zander’s lips twisted like he was trying to hide his grin. “No,” he deadpanned.
“You wound us.” Isaac put his hands over his heart theatrically. “You mean you don’t want to be our work daddy?”
“Fuck off with that shit. I’m only a few years older than you.” Zander leaned against the door frame.
“Daddy is a state of mind,” Isaac said innocently.
Zander pinned him with a look that could only be described as a smolder. “Does someone want to be my good boy?” he asked, his voice low and a bit rumbly.
“Jesus.” Isaac looked away from Zander’s stare and crossed, then uncrossed his arms a few times, like he was trying to figure out where to put his hands.
I laughed and bumped his shoulder again. “Is someone about to have a bi-awakening?”
“Not likely.” Isaac grinned, his usual carefree attitude back. “I spent fifteen years playing hockey and hanging out in changerooms. Pretty sure it woulda happened already if I swung that way.”
“Never say never,” I teased.
“Is there anything else on the schedule?” Zander asked.
Isaac pulled the keyboard of the computer closer to him and tapped on it to wake the monitor. He clicked a few of the keys. “Nope. And it looks like the owner of the Volvo you just finished is picking it up tomorrow. Here’s hoping no one comes in or calls in the next ten minutes and we can get the fuck out of here on time for once.”
Ding.
&
“Hi.” They hurried over to us, their heels clicking on the tiled floors. “Are you still open?”
“We are,” Isaac said with a bright smile.
“What can we help you with?” I asked as Zander slipped into the back area. He wasn’t big on the customer service part of being a mechanic and avoided talking to customers whenever possible.
They rushed up to the counter and slapped their oversized purse on the surface with a hollow thunk.
“Oh, thank god.” They looked between us. “I was driving, and my check engine light came on, but it was flashing. And my stepdad said that I need to pull over immediately if that happens and get someone to look at it.”
“We can definitely take care of that for you.” Isaac woke the computer up. “Do you have a file here?”
They shook their head. “I found this place on Google. Is that okay? Do I need one?”
“Nope.” Isaac opened a blank file. “I’ll just grab your information, and we’ll get one set up for you.”
I half listened as Isaac asked for their name and contact number. Of course someone would come in at the eleventh hour on the one day I needed to get out of here on time.
“Did you notice anything different or strange before the light came on?” Isaac asked when everything was set up.
“Not really. I mean, there was a weird clang sound, and I hit a pothole going waaaay faster than I meant to. But I do that all the time, and nothing’s ever happened.” They tucked a lock of long hair behind their ear and smiled flirtatiously at Isaac. “Do you think that’s why it went haywire?”
“It could be.” Isaac made some notes in the system. “We can run a diagnostic and find out.”
“Is your car in the lot?” I asked. This would go way faster if it was.
They shook their head, giving me an equally flirty smile. “I had to leave it where I pulled over. It’s a few blocks away. Is that a problem?”
“Not at all. We can tow it here.” Isaac shot me a quick look, silently asking me to grab the keys.
I slipped into the back to get them from the offices.
“You can head out after we get the car here,” Zander said, the keys already in his hand.
“Are you sure?”
He nodded. “The two of us can finish up. Sounds like your brother needs backup more than we do.”
“Thanks. I owe you one.”
He slapped the keys into my hand. “It’s all good.”
Gripping them, I made my way back to the front counter. The shop closed in thirty minutes, and Adam’s party started in an hour.
Depending on how long it took to get the car here and close my station down, I should be able to get home, shower, grab the tie and shoes, and get to the party before it was too late.
Hopefully Adam could keep his shit together until then.
2
SEBASTIAN
“Could you at least look like you’re happy to be here?” Hannah gave me her best puppy eyes.
“Nice try, kiddo.” I toasted my sister with my drink. “Those don’t work on me anymore.”
She swiped the cup out of my hand and downed a few swallows of the mediocre lemonade-like cocktail I’d been sipping.
“It’s so weird seeing you drink. You’re a baby.”
She finished guzzling my drink and pinned me with a look. “I’m legal. Not a baby anymore.”
“You’ll always be a little kid to me.” I grabbed my empty cup back. “You too,” I said as Adam came to stand with us.
“Me too what?” He looked between us.
“I was just telling my sister that I’ll always see you two as little kids. Doesn’t matter if you’re legal or not. It’s weird to see you drink.”
Adam smirked. “Jesse always freaks out when I have a drink in front of him too.”
The mention of Adam’s older brother soured my temporary good mood.
“Sebastian!” a booming voice called. “How are you doing, son?”
I pasted on my “fake it til you make it” smile as a familiar man ambled toward us. “Doing well, Mr. Dawson. How have you been?”
“Good. That’s good. Hello, Hannah.” He nodded to her.
“Hi, Mr. Dawson,” Hannah said in her customer service voice. She wasn’t a fan of his either.
“How are you finding things now that you’re back?” Mr. Dawson asked me.
“Things are good.” I made sure to keep my smile and voice neutral. Wallace Dawson was one of my father’s oldest friends and a giant gossip. I’d spent the better part of my youth dodging him and his equally nosy wife. The less I said around him, the easier my life was.
“That’s good.” He rocked on his feet like he was trying to appear breezy and carefree, but his piercing look made it clear this was a fact-finding mission. “Your father told us you’re taking a bit of a break now that you’re not chasing the spotlight. Any idea of what you want to do when you’re ready to get back to the real world?”
I forced another smile. “My father was mistaken. I’m not taking a break.”
His forehead wrinkled in confusion.
“I work at a tattoo shop.” I stuck my hands in my pockets because I knew it would piss him off.
He grimaced, or maybe it was supposed to be a smile. I couldn’t be sure. Either way, it was similar to the face babies made the first time they tried lemon. “Of course, of course. But what are you going to do when you’re ready to start your career?” He flicked his gaze to Hannah. “Are you reconsidering your father’s offer?”
I shook my head. “I’m happy where I am.”
He folded his lips into a tight line, obviously unhappy with my vague answers. “Well, it was good to see you again. I’ve got some people to talk to.”
“Enjoy the party.”
“I’m sticking with you,” Adam said when he was gone.
“Why’s that?” I asked.
“Because everyone is so curious about you, they forget to grill us about our five-year plans or when we’re getting engaged.”
I glanced between them. Hannah and Adam had been together since they were sixteen, but they’d been friends since kindergarten. They’d been fielding questions about their future marriage plans for years. I didn’t blame them for being over it.
“So you’re our deflector shield today,” Adam finished with a grin.
“Why is everyone so old?” I asked, looking around the yard. “I only recognize a handful of people, but no one here looks like they’re from your guest list.”
Hannah laughed. “Guest list? You’ve been gone for too long, big brother. None of this is for us.” She swept her hand in front of her. “It’s just another excuse for a summer garden party.”
“Good to know they haven’t changed.”
Our parents loved to entertain, and they were known for their lavish parties. Unfortunately for Hannah and me, that meant the milestones in our lives had been overshadowed by our parents’ pathological need to show off.
Every birthday party, graduation, or accomplishment had been celebrated with a lavish affair neither of us wanted or asked for.
Adam’s eyes lit up as he focused on something behind me.
Instinctively, I glanced over my shoulder. My gaze landed on Jesse, Adam’s older brother, as he strode toward us with all the confidence of a king.
I raked my eyes over him, checking him out.
Of course he was even hotter than the last time I’d seen him two years ago. He still had broad shoulders and a wide chest that tapered into a slender waist and thick thighs. His artfully messy, dark blond hair gleamed in the sunlight, and his dress pants and short-sleeved shirt fit him like a glove.
Jesse had always been hot and had never gone through that awkward teenage stage the rest of us mere mortals did.
While I’d bumbled my way through puberty like every other guy in our class, he’d gone from gangly teen to cover model seemingly overnight.
Between his classic good looks, his natural athleticism, and his ability to make friends with everyone, Jesse had always been one of those guys who didn’t have to work for anything. People adored him, and he knew how to use that to his advantage.
The pang of dislike that hit me wasn’t unexpected, but it was stronger than I’d anticipated.
Two years wasn’t enough to erase the animosity between us, and the way his smirk faltered when he came to stand with us told me he still felt it too.
