[color=gray][right][sub][b][u]TIMESTAMP:[/u][/b] Friday, July 23rd 2021
A [@Aces Away] & [@Venus] Collaboration
Featuring [color=FFE76F]Kianna Johnson[/color] & [color=0072BC]Phil Bristol[/color]
(with a little [color=7FECCF]Freya Osprey[/color] on the side)[/sub][/right]

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[indent][indent]The remainder of Kianna’s week had gone on as busy and quiet as usual; with no more unexpected encounters with attractive customers who flipped her world upside down. As much as she wanted to pretend that she wasn’t interested in whatever Niles Sinclair was selling, Ki  did often find herself entertaining scenarios of what could happen if she accepted his invitation to the coffee date. She found herself staring blankly at the contact information of his she'd saved on her phone quite frequently: be it during break at the shop, sitting alone in her car or laying in bed at the end of the day. Her small thumbs would hover over the device's touch screen, waiting for the brain signals that would instruct them to type up and send that ‘I've thought about what you said, and I'm saying yes’ text message she was sure Niles was hoping for. But the more thought she gave to the situation, the more overwhelmed she became with the potential risks involved and the possibilities of everything that could go wrong… Until she mentally exhausted herself with overthinking, and she eventually talked herself out giving an answer.

That Friday had started out with nothing out of the ordinary: two oil changes, a radiator replacement, the replacement of a brake pad set and organizing some inventory. Ki had been engrossed in entering the last few notes regarding repairs she’d just done to a customer’s vehicle before departing for lunch that she didn't notice when a visitor entered the shop. A [url=https://biographymask.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Chiara-Aurelia-actress.jpg]fresh-faced young woman[/url] wearing denim shorts, white Converse sneakers and a short-sleeved, blush-colored button-down blouse quietly made her way into the room. In her arms, she carried [url=https://asset.bloomnation.com/c_pad,d_vendor:global:catalog:product:image.png,f_auto,fl_preserve_transparency,q_auto/v1678324390/vendor/5355/catalog/product/2/0/20220527030248_file_6290e8185998c_6290e8dc2b5bc.jpg]a stunning flower arrangement of fresh lilac peonies, muted purple orchids and off-white roses[/url] that was about the size of her torso. After looking around the large space for any visible shop employee, the short brunette spotted the curly-haired woman behind the desk and made a beeline straight to her.

[color=7FECCF]“Hiiiii!”[/color] Somehow, the girl’s kind, mellow voice miraculously rang across the room in between the racket of power tools and clanging metal. [color=7FECCF]“I’ve got a delivery for Kianna Johnson?”[/color]

The sound of her full name falling from the visitor's lips made Kianna's head snap up. She rose from her chair to address the girl better when her eyes landed on the large bouquet in her small hands. Immediately, Ki froze. She could feel her eyes widen and her mouth slightly agape in surprise.

[color=FFE76F]"That's, uh, that's me,"[/color] the light-skinned woman admitted, still staring at the flowers in disbelief while trying to process what was happening. [color=FFE76F]"I'm Kianna Johnson."[/color]

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't even begin to wrap her head around the possibility that the person who she suspected had done this had even done this in the first place. It wasn’t that she hadn’t been gifted flowers before. Her mother, her family members, the guys at the shop and even Landon had all presented her with bouquets for special occasions a few times. But for someone else to go through the trouble of splurging in such a lavish display for someone they had just met [i]surprised[/i] her, [i]shocked[/i] her, [i]baffled[/i] her… But also made her heart skip a few beats with an elation she hadn't experienced in the last few years.

[color=7FECCF]"Oh, great!"[/color] The girl chirped with a bright grin, nearly skipping the remaining steps to close the distance between herself and Kianna before carefully placing the flowers on the desk. Out of a small messenger bag covered with 80’s horror movie reference pins, she pulled out an iPad in a thick case cover, and after a few taps on the screen she presented it to the other woman. [color=7FECCF]“Um, if you could please just sign your name on the signature line for me as proof of delivery, I would really appreciate it.”[/color]

[color=FFE76F]“Uh, yeah, sure,"[/color] Kianna mumbled out, doing as she was told and signing the pad with her finger. [color=FFE76F]“Do you, um, do you have any idea who sent these?"[/color] she heard herself asking the delivery girl as she returned the device to her, even though she knew [i]exactly[/i] who's generosity she had been blessed with.

Instead of a clear response, the shorter girl shot Kianna a mysterious little smirk, followed by a small shrug. [color=7FECCF]“He said you’d know when you read the card.”[/color]

Kiki pursed her lips and nodded. [i]Of course he did[/i]. Based on their first interaction, that seemed exactly like the kind of thing he would say.

Having put the iPad away back inside her messenger bag, the younger woman turned to Kianna, that friendly smile still locked in place. [color=7FECCF]“If you need any help or advice with caring for your flowers, just give us a call over at Hummingbird Creations and ask for Freya. That’s me. You’ll find our contact information in this card right here.”[/color] She told Kianna, tapping  the small business card sticking from one side of the bouquet with her blue-lacquered fingernail and stepping away from the service desk. [color=7FECCF]“Well, that’s everything from me! I hope you have a good day, Miss Kianna! Enjoy your flowers!”[/color] Freya cried out happily, giving Kiki a parting wave before skipping out of the shop.

Once Freya had made her departure, Kianna took a moment to discreetly look around the shop. She ensured that the perimeter was clear before plucking the card from the bouquet, carefully opening the envelope and pulling it out. 

When her hazel eyes fell on the contents of the card, the light-skinned girl let out a small giggle of amusement. On the smooth cardboard surface, her admirer had written down the words [color=19C8AC][b]Me + You =[/b][/color] followed by a drawn to-go cup with the name [color=19C8AC][b]BEAU[/b][/color] emblazoned across it. The very obvious reminder of his invitation was lighthearted, humorous and incredibly cute: just like the person who had sent it. 

Still beaming (and maybe even blushing), Kianna grabbed the card and the bouquet from the desk, bent down, and began to hide her gifts under her desk. As grateful as she was for the surprise, she didn’t feel ready yet to discuss the events taking place in her romantic life with the guys at the shop. For all she knew, this could be a one-off thing that wouldn’t even go anywhere in the first place, and having to give explanations would be more mortifying than not.

But just as she had placed the bouquet on the floor--

[color=0072bc][i]“Are those flowers?”[/i][/color]

Kianna Joy shut her eyes and cursed under her breath.

The baritone voice of the garage’s owner, Phil Bristol, carried over from the door he’d just opened from the shop area. He’d run up to his apartment for a quick lunch and took longer than planned when he noticed how much his dishes had piled up and decided to clean them in the moment. He hadn’t been worried, Kianna was more than able to take care of herself around the shop, and lord help anyone that questioned that girl’s ability. But still, as he’d disappeared for longer than he said he would, he decided to go apologize to Kianna at the desk before he resumed his work. He wasn’t expecting the girl to be trying to stuff a bouquet under the service counter while the door closed behind the youngest Osprey child. Had she been the one to deliver them?

He couldn’t see her face from where he was behind her, but the girl’s shoulders tensed like another person he knew when getting caught in the middle of something, and Phil couldn’t help the playful smirk that came with the physical confirmation. As someone who’s watched her grow up and become comfortable in the shop, it was now his and the rest of the garage’s regular inhabitants duty to tease her light heartedly whenever they could. She always gave back as much as she got, all things considered. [color=0072bc]“Who got you flowers, Kianna? Does the crew need to give someone the shovel talk?”[/color]

[color=FFE76F]"It's nothing,"[/color] Kianna quickly interjected, hastily shoving the bouquet under the desk before turning to her boss, trying not to look like a child who’d just gotten busted doing something they shouldn’t. But after a moment of silence with her hazel eyes locked with his, the young woman’s guarded nature softened.

[color=FFE76F]“Actually… It might be something… If I let it happen.”[/color] the curly-haired girl admitted, bending back down under the desk to retrieve the flower bouquet to show Phil the breathtaking gift she’d been surprised with. [color=FFE76F]“Can we talk about it in your office real quick?”[/color]

For the last eight years, Phil Bristol had been a cross between a mentor, a boss and an uncle figure in Kianna’s life. She had first met the man at age 14, having been introduced to him by Eddie Garnere once the older man had discovered the girl’s raw talent for auto mechanics during her freshman year. The introduction had resulted in an apprenticeship position at the shop, which evolved into a part-time and eventually a full-time position once she had finished her high school and technical school education. Throughout the years, Phil had not only earned Ki’s respect and admiration, but her utmost trust and affection. He had been there for her as she took her first steps in what would eventually become her career, during the blooming and wilting of her relationship with Landon James, through the grief of losing her mother at age 18, as she navigated adulthood without living parents, through the pain of losing her ex-boyfriend the year before… Whenever Ki needed someone to talk to outside of her family, who would genuinely listen to her and give her honest advice, she was always sure that she could count on Phil to be that person. Some might argue that it was through her resilience, dedication, determination and hard work that she had achieved her goals. But Kianna knew that, without the opportunities and support from Phil and Eddie, her life would be looking vastly different.

[color=0072bc]"Of course, Ki,"[/color] His demeanor softened at the unsure look the young woman sent his way, and he couldn't bring himself to tease her anymore when she was allowing herself to be vulnerable with him. Watching Kianna grow up and change had been an honor, and one that he highly regarded at that, so when she was nervous enough to ask for a private chat during work hours he knew she wanted a serious conversation.

Those flowers looked expensive, too, and Phil was beginning to suspect who had sent them already, memory of his quick encounter with Niles Sinclair flitting through his mind. It had been odd enough to see the boy in his shop, given that the family tended to use a garage out in Boston for their work, but it was even odder that the young man had engaged Phil in conversation. Most of what the man had said revolved around the amazing service of one Kianna Johnson, and how well she did her job or how she made him feel welcomed. Phil had followed that line of conversation easily, always ready to praise his employees, his family, whenever he could. But he knew that Niles wasn't one to just say things like that, he could see the spark of interest in the younger man's eyes, and he'd been wondering about when the doctor's son would make a move.

Phil led Kianna into his office and lightly closed the door, pulling out her seat for her before taking one of his own. Not the one behind his desk, but the other customer seat right next to her so there was nothing between them. 

[color=0072bc]"What's got you flustered, kiddo?"[/color]

The light-skinned girl pressed her lips together as she took the seat Phil had pulled out for her. She'd have to tell the story from the very beginning so the man could know exactly how this whole thing started.

[color=FFE76F]"Do you remember Tuesday morning, when I told you there was a customer who was rude to me over the phone on the first call I took that day, and told you I put them in check?"[/color] she began, eyes locked on her lap as she fiddled with the fringes in the fabric of her uniform. [color=FFE76F]"Well, about an hour after that, this guy showed up at the shop, said his name is Niles. He was nice to me, pretty polite too, and everything went on as normal. We talked for a little bit, he flirted a little, I got flustered and nervous because you know things like that don't really happen to me… Well it turns out that this Niles is the guy who snapped at me over the phone. So when I confronted him about it-- because you know I would definitely say something about it--, he apologized profusely… and then he asked me out on a coffee date."[/color] She revealed, feeling her cheeks flush at the admission. [color=FFE76F]"I told him I needed a few days to think about it and that I'd let him know, and he was perfectly fine with that. That's when Mandy came into the shop, so we wrapped up the conversation and I sent him to you to get his bike. I hadn't gotten back to him about the date yet, so I guess he thought I needed a little motivation to make up my mind."[/color] Kianna said with a small smile, finally shifting her eyes back to Phil. 

[color=0072bc]“Do you [i]want[/i] to make up your mind?”[/color] Phil asked the young woman honestly. He had nothing against Niles, and the kid is always amiable when they chat, but Kianna’s feelings come before any opinions he had on Rye’s friend. Kianna’s safety and health was as much his responsibility now as it had been the first time she crossed the shop threshold to start her internship. [color=0072bc]“Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy for you that you’re considering it in the first place, but I want to make sure you’re not feeling pressured at all first.”[/color]

The young woman was quick to shake her head. [color=FFE76F]"It's not that I don't [i]want[/i] to give him a chance,"[/color] she explained, fiddling with her uniform again. [color=FFE76F]"I do. I've been thinking about it all week. I guess I’m just weary of what a guy like that wants with someone like me. And this isn't me lacking confidence or not knowing my worth as a person, by the way, because you know I wouldn't do that. But what could a rich Northie guy like him be looking for in-- in me?"[/color]

[color=0072bc]“I mean, there’s a strong allure to a woman that can put even the largest of egos in their place,”[/color] Phil responded with little thought. [color=0072bc]“Class difference isn’t always a reason to avoid someone, some people never even think about boundaries. You remember Rye, the friend Mordechai used to have hangin’ around the shop all the time?”[/color]

[color=FFE76F]"Yeah…"[/color] Kianna replied slowly, a small frown settling in her forehead. What did Rye have to do with their current conversation?

[color=0072bc]“Well, he never cared about lines or borders in this town, he ran all over the place, and he’s been friends with Niles practically since he moved here,”[/color] The man disclosed, putting a hand on the woman’s shoulder and squeezing it lightly. [color=0072bc]“I’ve never cared about crossing lines in this town, and I’ve got friends from all over,”[/color] He thought of his own group of friends, how they were all unafraid to tread over the borders that this town seemed to thrive on keeping up, how they trampled over social and community lines with total abandon. Sometimes people [i]just see people[/i]. [color=0072bc]“There have always been relationships from all sides of town. This isn’t some Northie being interested in you, Kianna, this is [i]Niles[/i] the [i]person[/i] asking you out. You’re allowed to have nice things, no caveats.”[/color]

It was something he’s said to all the kids that come through his shop over the years, and something he said repeatedly to those that continued to hang around. It was something damn near every child in this town needed to hear. 

While Kianna nodded slowly to show Phil acknowledgement of his words, she pondered over what he’d said in silence. There was a very good reason as to why she would be hesitant to allow herself to indulge in having or experiencing “nice things”. In the past, good things happening in Ki’s life would be followed by something that would bring her to the lowest of lows. The happiness she’d felt at the peak of her first relationship had slowly degraded into emotional burnout by the time it had ended. The joy of graduating high school and attending technical school alongside her mother had been cut short by the latter’s unexpected passing. The satisfaction of earning her degree had been eclipsed by the news of Landon’s tragic death at the hands of an officer during what was said to be a drug deal gone bad, and the guilt she felt about her inability to be his savior still haunted her. With such a cursed record, it was no surprise that she’d be fearful of the pain that could follow allowing herself to be happy again-- much less with somebody else.

[color=FFE76F]“I understand what you’re saying, Phil. I do. I know I shouldn’t hold back from taking a chance on something that could make me happy, but I think I’m just… Scared about it backfiring, you know? It already happened to me before. You know how much I loved Landon. You know how I gave him everything I had and more, until I didn’t have anything else to give. I tried to help him in any way I could, but even then I still couldn’t save him in the end. And that’s just one example. I’m sure this Niles guy is great and all, but I’m not sure I want to carry the guilt of failing someone else again.”[/color]

[color=0072bc]“Hey, you didn’t fail anybody,”[/color] Phil corrected with a frown. [color=0072bc]“Everyone makes their own choices in life, and as bad as this is going to sound, I think you need to hear it if you’re really going to give Niles a chance. Everyone makes their own choices, and it disrespects the dead for the living to stay awake at night wondering how they could have changed those choices. If you go through your life scared of accepting other people’s choices as their own, you’re gonna live one step away from a broken heart for the rest of your life. Now you’ve got everyone in this shop [i]and more[/i] to catch you if you fall from [i]your[/i] own choices, but we won’t make them for you and we won’t tell you they were wrong just because they hurt. Stop focusing so hard on trying to keep the sand in your hands and just listen to the waves,”[/color] He gave the woman a moment to breathe before continuing. [color=0072bc]“Now answer without thinking of every scenario first: do you want to accept Niles’ invitation to a date?”[/color]

[color=FFE76F]“I mean, he [i]is[/i] kind of cute,”[/color] the young woman admitted, her freckled cheeks taking on a red tinge. [color=FFE76F]“And he [i]did[/i] make me laugh a little when he was here… And [i]those flowers[/i]? My favorite flowers in my favorite color? I’ve never seen a bouquet so beautiful in my entire life…”[/color] she trailed off, allowing her lips to curl up into a tender, genuine smile at the thought of her first interaction with Niles and the gift he’d surprised her with. [color=FFE76F]“I guess [i]one[/i] little date wouldn’t hurt, right? It’s not like I’m going to marry the guy or anything like that. A cup of coffee, a few pastries, and little conversation. I think I can do that.”[/color]

Phil smiled at the look on Kianna’s face more than the response she had given him. She may not know it, but that blush had answered for her before her own words had the chance, and Phil could read those that he considered his kids like a book. Lucky for him, by this point those people were also willing to be an open book with him. Leaning back in his seat, Phil spread his arms out wide as if to say, [i]there, you see? Just like that.[/i]

[color=0072bc]“Well then, there’s your choice. Way to make it, kiddo,”[/color] Phil’s smile faded into a serious face before he commented. [color=0072bc]“But really, just because we’re looking on the positive doesn’t mean you’re gonna do anything crazy like leave the mace at home. Keep that shit on you at all times.”[/color]

Kianna immediately burst into laughter at the man's last remarks. Leave it to Phil to succumb to his fatherly instincts and say something like that. [color=FFE76F]“C'mon, Phil, you know me better than that. And in case I do forget-- which I won't, considering it’s hanging from the keychain you got me years ago-- there's always Plan B,"[/color] she declared, rising from her chair and taking a few steps back to demonstrate her self-defense moves. [color=FFE76F]“Knee to the groin, edge of the palm to the nose, and run away as fast as my legs will let me."[/color]

[color=0072BC]“That’a girl,”[/color] Phil replied proudly as he too rose from his seat, wrapping an arm around her shoulders in a one armed hug that the girl returned with both arms around his torso. Then, looking at the flowers that prompted their little heart to heart, the man that played a father figure to the lost gearheads of Edenridge offered, [color=0072BC]"I don't own a vase but bet your ass we could find something suitable from the junkyard. Wanna play hooky from work for a bit and go scavenging? I won't tell the boss if you won't,"[/color] he joked.

The curly-haired girl giggled and nodded enthusiastically at her boss. [color=FFE76F]“I will, but there’s something I need to do first…”[/color]

A few minutes later, Niles Sinclair’s phone would signal the arrival of a new multimedia message from a number that was not on his contact list. When he opened the text, he was greeted with a photograph of new details added to the drawing he’d made on the card addressed to Kianna. Holding the left side of the to-go cup was a stick figure of a smiling curly-haired girl, while a stick figure of a smiling, shaggy-haired boy held the right side. Under the drawing, in the girl’s own cursive, purple-inked handwriting, was the response the young man had so anxiously been waiting for...

[center][color=FFE76F][b][i]Yes![/i] ♡[/b][/color][/center]
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