The blistering heat did little to cool Fae down as she walked outside. Tiny distorted waves rose off the street outside, reminding her of a glistening lake. She would have loved to visit the beach for a quick dip, but there was a mystery to solve.
She jumped between the shady patches of her yard, avoiding the sizzling pavement, until she could slip onto a narrow sliver of shadow made by the overhanging garage. In a couple of minutes, the sun would dip low enough to completely swallow her shady path. She pondered her current mystery.
Ever since Fae had started driving, the engine warning light had turned on. She had topped up the coolant multiple times and was afraid that it could have been a damaged water pump.
It didn’t make sense why her car needed repairs. She had taken it for a general service recently but finally had to take it in again the week before. The mechanic had told her it required a professional clogged radiator fix. That solved the problem, but only for a short time.
Pulling the garage open, she felt the rush of cool air greet her. She saw Alex pressed under the hood of her car and finally realised the culprit.
“Why are you messing with my car?” she cried out, waving him away from the engine before he could instigate another session of car repair. Adelaide was due for another heat wave and she didn’t fancy getting stuck in the heat without a car again.
“Well,” Alex began sheepishly, tucking their hands behind their back, “you know the receptionist at the workshop?”
“I do,” she replied cautiously.
Alex shrugged. They seemed to know that whatever they were about to say would do little to help Fae cool off. “I think he’s really cute! And I never have a reason to see him…”
Fae squeezed her eyes shut, pinching the bridge of her nose. “You are so paying me back for all of my services.”