Log: Flat Tires and Lesbians
Who: Finn and Lola
Where: Hummel Tire and Lube
When: Tuesday, January 11, 2019
What: Someone needs to replace... a tire.
Finn nodded his head along to the music blasting through the shop, blissfully unaware of how close his head was coming to banging against the hood of the car he was working on. He wiped his arm against his cheek, accidentally smudging oil against his face. He just had to finish this one and then he could go home for the night, and even though he had nothing but take out, a beer, and football by himself in his apartment, he was really looking forward to that break.
Lola pulled up in front of Hummel’s Tires and Lube and parked. She’d managed to get a flat the previous day and was driving around on the spare donut. The man that had pulled over and helped her told her that this was the best place in town. So far, the outside appeared to be pretty nice. She loved little privately owned, homegrown businesses. She hoisted her purse up onto her shoulder and moved to the door, pulling it open. A bell chimed and she heard someone call that they’d be right there from the back.
Well, there goes getting out of here soon, Finn thought to himself. He shouldn’t have jinxed it. Wiping his hands on a rag, he headed to the front, putting on a smile for the customer. “Hi, sorry about the wait,” Finn started only to skip a step as he saw who was standing there. “Oh... uh...” He blinked, his smile broadening uncontrollably, before realising he should control himself. It’s no big deal, Finn thought, remembering his conversation with Quinn. Just a crush. It’s nothing. He cleared his throat, allowing himself to settle into a relaxed stance. “Hi.”
Breath catching, Lola looked up and smiled as she saw Finn. They hadn’t gotten to talk much on Christmas Day and really she didn’t know what they’d say now, but she was happy to see him. A little too happy. “Hi! It’s okay. How are you?”
"I'm good," Finn said, still smiling like a fool. "Great." He stared for a moment before shaking his head as if to clear it and threw his rag away from him. "And you? I... uh... guess you're not here just to see me." He couldn't help but give her a flirty grin.
Lola felt a blush creep to her cheeks. “I’m great. Finally all settled from the move and you’re right. I actually need to get two tires. I got a flat yesterday and I’ve been driving around on the donut. So...yeah...”
Finn nodded. "Sure, no problem," he said, trying to wipe off any remaining oil on his coveralls. His job was messy by nature, but with Lola here he was suddenly really self-conscious. "Just show me your car and I can see what we've got in stock to match." He came out from behind the counter and fell into step next to her. "You sure the tire's completely busted? I might be able to fix it."
Nodding, Lola forced herself to look away. “Yeah, I apparently hit a piece of metal in the middle of road. It’s...completely shredded. If you want to take a look, it’s in the trunk where the spare’s supposed to go.”
"Oh man," Finn said, frowning in sympathy. "But you're okay, right?" He looked closer at her again, trying to see if he'd missed any injuries. She seemed to be all in one piece. Now he had an image of her getting into a serious accident running through his head, and he didn't like that at all.
She could see the panic in his eyes and reached out and grabbed his arm. “Oh no, I’m fine. Not even a scratch.” She squeezed lightly before realizing what she was doing and letting go of his arm. “Sorry,” she mumbled, looking down.
Finn bit his lip, acutely aware of the place on his arm where her hand had just been, and tried very hard to pretend he didn't want her to touch him again. "You, uh, don't have to be sorry," he reassured her. "I'm just glad you're okay." Finn smiled, watching as she opened her trunk and showed him the shredded tire. "Unlike your tire there. Yeah... you're gonna want a new one." He leaned in to look at the type and size before patting the poor deceased tire and pulling back. "Good news is, I'm pretty sure we've got some in that will work for you. Come on back in and I'll check it out. You want anything while you wait? Coffee, tea, water?" A date? he thought to himself, then immediately shook his head, Stop that! She's taken you idiot. This obviously wasn't going to be as easy as he'd hoped.
Lola followed behind him, handing him her keys. “Um...water is good,” she answered, eager to give her hands something to do. She hadn’t even been this nervous around Santana. Santana is who you should be thinking about. Stop being an idiot.
"We have some of that," Finn said, then winced. How old was he? 15? "I mean, hold on, I'll get you a bottle from the fridge." He escaped into the office and pulled out a bottled water, closing the fridge and then pausing to lean against the desk. What is the matter with you? he asked himself. This isn't a big deal. She's just a woman. A really pretty woman, who is really fun to talk to and... no. Just a woman. Pull yourself together. He walked back out and handed the water to Lola with a smile. "Here you go, fresh from the bottle." Finn moved back to grab the inventory list and started paging through it, unable to stop himself from glancing up at her despite what he said to himself in the office.
“Cute...” Lola teased, quickly uncapping the water and taking a sip of the cold liquid. Whether she meant his lame joke, she wasn’t sure. Okay she was, but she was really hoping it was the lame joke. “This is, uh, going to sound like a weird request, but can I watch?”
Finn looked back up at her, confused. "Watch?" He asked, really not sure what she was talking about. Or at least pretty sure she wasn't talking about the first inappropriate thing that popped into his head. "Watch what?"
Lola grinned at the blush that crept up his neck to his cheeks. “I meant watch you change the tire. I used to watch my dad work on cars as a kid. It’s a weird fascination for me.”
"You did?" Finn asked, finding her interest in cars, even if just as a spectator, really attractive. Most of the girls that came in here to get their cars fixed just wanted to get in and get it done, reading magazines or listening to their music players and totally ignoring him. "Did you ever help him out?"
“When I was little. He used to make fun of me for wanting to be a grease monkey in frilly dresses,” she admitted, ducking her head and sliding a strand of hair behind her ear.
Finn smiled at the image of little Lola running around with grease marks on her cheeks. "That's really cute," he said. "Maybe I should bring Drizzle in here more often," Finn added, remembering that he hadn't had any Take Your Daughter to Work days lately. He looked back down at the list of tires they had in stock and ran his finger along the page, stopping at an entry. "We've got your same tires in, if that works for you," Finn said, grinning up at Lola. "And yeah, you can watch. You could even help if you wanted to."
“Really?” Lola asked, excitedly. “I’d like that, but you’d have to tell me what to do. I’m really rusty. Yesterday, I had to allow one of the men that pulled over to help me,” she admitted sheepishly.
“Really, really,” Finn replied, standing still as he took in her enthusiasm. Why couldn’t you be single? he couldn’t help but think. He found himself wanting to see how she’d like a ride on a fire engine, but mananged to hold back from asking. “C’mon, I’ve just got to get it set up. You ever used a power drill?” He waggled his eyebrows playfully, picking up her keys where he set them on the counter and heading to the door. “I promise it’s much more fun than a wrench.”
Lola smirked. “I have actually. My mom says I’m pretty handy with a drill. It’s my lesbian side coming out at times. That and my love of sports and cars. My mother encouraged blurring the gender lines,” she added.
Finn chuckled. “Well since it’s nothing special, I guess I’ll just do it myself.” He tossed the keys in his hand and held open the door for her. “So... uh...” Finn started, not sure if he should be asking this, but needing to know. “You’re a lesbian?” He scratched his head awkwardly. “I mean, Santana... obviously, so...you like women. But... yeah?”Smooth, Hudson, he berated himself.
“Uh...half? I’ve never cared about gender. Love is love as cheesy as that sounds,” Lola answered as she walked through the door. Her heart was racing as she passed by him, wondering at why this conversation felt so intimate. “What about you?”
Finn let out a breath, far more relieved than he had any right to be. He tried to tell himself that it didn't matter that she liked guys too, because he still didn't have a chance, but some part of him clearly wasn't listening. "I guess you could call me a lesbian," he said, making a joke but smiling genuinely at her. "I like women." Finn paused then, chuckling softly and shrugging. "Not that I've dated anyone in a long time. Maybe that’s changed."
Lola laughed at him calling himself a “lesbian.” It was really too adorable the way he sort of half-grinned and ducked his head. “What might have changed? You think you’re maybe switching teams? I mean, we could talk about that if you’d like.”
“Yeah?” Finn replied. “You’d help me figure out my lesbianism?” I’d like to do more than talk about it, he thought, stopping outside her car door and unlocking it. “That’s really nice of you. Am I gonna have to pay for your help?” Finn smiled. “I’m just gonna put your car up, then we can get to the good stuff.”
Stepping away, Lola let him move her car and when the shop fell quiet again, she looked over at him. “I doubt you could afford me even if I were charging for my services. I’d simply be passing along my vast expertise. It’s what any good friend would do.”
Finn grinned, picking up the drill and moving to the donut. “If you were, I bet I could make it worth your while,” he motioned to her with the drill. “So you’re good with a drill, but I bet you’ve never used one like mine. Want to try?” A second after he said it, Finn looked away and coughed, realizing how that might sound. “Um...” He laughed at himself, turning back. “It’s fun, promise. And then you can tell me all about the lesbian thing.”
Lola gaped at him for a moment, not sure he’d said what she’d heard, but then she saw the look on his face and giggled. “I’m pretty good at handling drills. I’m sure I’ll have no problem handling yours. Bring it on.” She uncapped her water and took a sip before grabbing the elastic from around her wrist and pulling her wavy hair back into a ponytail. “What would you like to know about lesbianism?”
Finn found himself biting his lip, partly embarrassed, a big part turned on. He chose not to respond about her “drill handling” in case he really made a fool of himself. Finn handed Lola the drill and stood by, ready to take care of the tire. “Alright, well, since you’ve used one before, this shouldn’t be too complicated. You get the lug nuts and I’ll take care of the heavy lifting.” He braced himself next to the donut and turned back to her, blinking at the sight of her with the power tool. Oh...damn, Finn thought, swallowing.
“Sounds like an awesome plan.” She moved to the tire, setting the drill to work. “So, your questions about lesbianism, what are they?”
Finn had to shake himself out of his stupor as he watched her work. “Um... what? Oh,” he wracked his brain trying to think of something to say. “How do I know if I’m a lesbian or not?” He grinned.
She let one of the nuts drop into her hand and looked over at him. “Well...are you attracted to women...like mentally, physically and emotionally?”
“Pretty nice, huh?” Finn asked, nodding toward the drill in her hand. He looked her over, then realized he was being way too overt in checking her out and turned back to the tire, hoping she hadn’t noticed. “Yes, yes, and yes,” he responded. “Am I hopeless?”
“I’m afraid so. You have a terminal case of lesbianism,” she said as she turned back to the tire. “You were right. This is a pretty sweet drill. It handles nicely.”
“Damn,” Finn said. “There are so many lesbians around.” He watched as she unscrewed two more nuts in no time flat. “I’m glad you like it. There are some perks to this job.”
Lola finished off the job before stepping back to allow him to pull off the tire. “Well, I’m off the market, but I’m sure that there are plenty of other lesbians that would love a nice, young and cute mechanic.” She smiled over at him, watching as he hefted the tire off and set it on the ground.
Finn winced and for once in his life hoped that a girl thought it was because of the physical labor he was doing and not because of her words. He rolled the donut out of the way and looked back to her, returning her smile. “Yeah, I’m sure,” he replied, walking over to where he had set the new tire. “I’m a big hit with the lesbians.”
“I bet. Maybe you can come out with us one night and we’ll find you a nice lesbian,” she teased gently before sobering. “I feel like...I owe you an apology,” she said as she studied his expression.
Finn looked up at her, raising his brows curiously. “You do?” He noticed her serious face and frowned. “Why?” He didn’t really want that look to stay on her face, so he tried for a joke. “It’s not your fault I’m a lesbian.” Finn grinned before turning back to the tire, bracing himself and then hefting it up onto the hub.
Lola smiled softly. “No, I want to apologize for not telling you about Santana. I just...don’t want you to think I’m that kind of person. Someone who would do that to the person they’re supposed to marry. I’d love for us to be friends, especially while I’m living here. I could really use a friend and I like you. You’re easy to talk to and funny. A really great guy...is that something we could try?” She asked hopefully.
A hand on the tire to keep it in place, Finn frowned, then shrugged, turning back to her with a small smile. “Yeah... yeah, I’d like that.” It was just a crush. “I know you said something about moving in. You’re, uh, actually here now?”
“Yep, moved here officially the week of Christmas. Planning a wedding in so little time is hectic, but I just finished my latest book. So, I have a little bit of break until I fly back for the movie meetings.” She sighed, rubbing her forehead as she thought about how stressful those meetings were. “Maybe I’ll come work for you part time so that I have something to do with all of my spare time.”
“So you’re not gonna come work with me, then?” Finn asked. Lola was really good at making him excited about the possibilities, even if most of them were never gonna happen. “You’d definitely be an awesome assistant, but you sound like you don’t have any spare time at all.” He chuckled.
“I’m not so great at the nine to five thing. I guess it’s a good thing I’m a damn good writer,” she said with a wink. “I certainly wouldn’t mind stopping by when I do have free time. How about that?”
Finn grinned. “Yeah, anytime you want. You could come by the station, too. If you’re bored,” he added, trying not to sound overeager. He looked back at the tire and then at the drill still in Lola’s hands. “Did you want to screw them in, or should I take over the drilling?”
“The fire station? Really? I’ve only ever been to those on school field trips back in San Francisco. You get to do all of the cool stuff,” she said excitedly. “Will I get to learn how to put out fires and rescue cats from trees, too?”
Finn laughed. “Of course. You can even slide down the pole. That’s part of the VIP tour.” He picked up the lug nuts and started to screw them on by hand so she could use the drill.
“I bet you say that to all of the girls,” Lola said with a smirk. “You’re going to make some lesbian a very lucky woman someday.”
“No,” Finn smiled, getting out of the way as she screwed a couple of the lug nuts in tight. “Not all the girls.” He pulled back once the tire wasn’t in danger of falling off the hub and wiped his hands on his coveralls again. He stood back to just enjoy watching her work. “You really think I’ll find the lesbian for me?”
Lola looked over her shoulder. “In Lima? Definitely.”
Where: Hummel Tire and Lube
When: Tuesday, January 11, 2019
What: Someone needs to replace... a tire.
Finn nodded his head along to the music blasting through the shop, blissfully unaware of how close his head was coming to banging against the hood of the car he was working on. He wiped his arm against his cheek, accidentally smudging oil against his face. He just had to finish this one and then he could go home for the night, and even though he had nothing but take out, a beer, and football by himself in his apartment, he was really looking forward to that break.
Lola pulled up in front of Hummel’s Tires and Lube and parked. She’d managed to get a flat the previous day and was driving around on the spare donut. The man that had pulled over and helped her told her that this was the best place in town. So far, the outside appeared to be pretty nice. She loved little privately owned, homegrown businesses. She hoisted her purse up onto her shoulder and moved to the door, pulling it open. A bell chimed and she heard someone call that they’d be right there from the back.
Well, there goes getting out of here soon, Finn thought to himself. He shouldn’t have jinxed it. Wiping his hands on a rag, he headed to the front, putting on a smile for the customer. “Hi, sorry about the wait,” Finn started only to skip a step as he saw who was standing there. “Oh... uh...” He blinked, his smile broadening uncontrollably, before realising he should control himself. It’s no big deal, Finn thought, remembering his conversation with Quinn. Just a crush. It’s nothing. He cleared his throat, allowing himself to settle into a relaxed stance. “Hi.”
Breath catching, Lola looked up and smiled as she saw Finn. They hadn’t gotten to talk much on Christmas Day and really she didn’t know what they’d say now, but she was happy to see him. A little too happy. “Hi! It’s okay. How are you?”
"I'm good," Finn said, still smiling like a fool. "Great." He stared for a moment before shaking his head as if to clear it and threw his rag away from him. "And you? I... uh... guess you're not here just to see me." He couldn't help but give her a flirty grin.
Lola felt a blush creep to her cheeks. “I’m great. Finally all settled from the move and you’re right. I actually need to get two tires. I got a flat yesterday and I’ve been driving around on the donut. So...yeah...”
Finn nodded. "Sure, no problem," he said, trying to wipe off any remaining oil on his coveralls. His job was messy by nature, but with Lola here he was suddenly really self-conscious. "Just show me your car and I can see what we've got in stock to match." He came out from behind the counter and fell into step next to her. "You sure the tire's completely busted? I might be able to fix it."
Nodding, Lola forced herself to look away. “Yeah, I apparently hit a piece of metal in the middle of road. It’s...completely shredded. If you want to take a look, it’s in the trunk where the spare’s supposed to go.”
"Oh man," Finn said, frowning in sympathy. "But you're okay, right?" He looked closer at her again, trying to see if he'd missed any injuries. She seemed to be all in one piece. Now he had an image of her getting into a serious accident running through his head, and he didn't like that at all.
She could see the panic in his eyes and reached out and grabbed his arm. “Oh no, I’m fine. Not even a scratch.” She squeezed lightly before realizing what she was doing and letting go of his arm. “Sorry,” she mumbled, looking down.
Finn bit his lip, acutely aware of the place on his arm where her hand had just been, and tried very hard to pretend he didn't want her to touch him again. "You, uh, don't have to be sorry," he reassured her. "I'm just glad you're okay." Finn smiled, watching as she opened her trunk and showed him the shredded tire. "Unlike your tire there. Yeah... you're gonna want a new one." He leaned in to look at the type and size before patting the poor deceased tire and pulling back. "Good news is, I'm pretty sure we've got some in that will work for you. Come on back in and I'll check it out. You want anything while you wait? Coffee, tea, water?" A date? he thought to himself, then immediately shook his head, Stop that! She's taken you idiot. This obviously wasn't going to be as easy as he'd hoped.
Lola followed behind him, handing him her keys. “Um...water is good,” she answered, eager to give her hands something to do. She hadn’t even been this nervous around Santana. Santana is who you should be thinking about. Stop being an idiot.
"We have some of that," Finn said, then winced. How old was he? 15? "I mean, hold on, I'll get you a bottle from the fridge." He escaped into the office and pulled out a bottled water, closing the fridge and then pausing to lean against the desk. What is the matter with you? he asked himself. This isn't a big deal. She's just a woman. A really pretty woman, who is really fun to talk to and... no. Just a woman. Pull yourself together. He walked back out and handed the water to Lola with a smile. "Here you go, fresh from the bottle." Finn moved back to grab the inventory list and started paging through it, unable to stop himself from glancing up at her despite what he said to himself in the office.
“Cute...” Lola teased, quickly uncapping the water and taking a sip of the cold liquid. Whether she meant his lame joke, she wasn’t sure. Okay she was, but she was really hoping it was the lame joke. “This is, uh, going to sound like a weird request, but can I watch?”
Finn looked back up at her, confused. "Watch?" He asked, really not sure what she was talking about. Or at least pretty sure she wasn't talking about the first inappropriate thing that popped into his head. "Watch what?"
Lola grinned at the blush that crept up his neck to his cheeks. “I meant watch you change the tire. I used to watch my dad work on cars as a kid. It’s a weird fascination for me.”
"You did?" Finn asked, finding her interest in cars, even if just as a spectator, really attractive. Most of the girls that came in here to get their cars fixed just wanted to get in and get it done, reading magazines or listening to their music players and totally ignoring him. "Did you ever help him out?"
“When I was little. He used to make fun of me for wanting to be a grease monkey in frilly dresses,” she admitted, ducking her head and sliding a strand of hair behind her ear.
Finn smiled at the image of little Lola running around with grease marks on her cheeks. "That's really cute," he said. "Maybe I should bring Drizzle in here more often," Finn added, remembering that he hadn't had any Take Your Daughter to Work days lately. He looked back down at the list of tires they had in stock and ran his finger along the page, stopping at an entry. "We've got your same tires in, if that works for you," Finn said, grinning up at Lola. "And yeah, you can watch. You could even help if you wanted to."
“Really?” Lola asked, excitedly. “I’d like that, but you’d have to tell me what to do. I’m really rusty. Yesterday, I had to allow one of the men that pulled over to help me,” she admitted sheepishly.
“Really, really,” Finn replied, standing still as he took in her enthusiasm. Why couldn’t you be single? he couldn’t help but think. He found himself wanting to see how she’d like a ride on a fire engine, but mananged to hold back from asking. “C’mon, I’ve just got to get it set up. You ever used a power drill?” He waggled his eyebrows playfully, picking up her keys where he set them on the counter and heading to the door. “I promise it’s much more fun than a wrench.”
Lola smirked. “I have actually. My mom says I’m pretty handy with a drill. It’s my lesbian side coming out at times. That and my love of sports and cars. My mother encouraged blurring the gender lines,” she added.
Finn chuckled. “Well since it’s nothing special, I guess I’ll just do it myself.” He tossed the keys in his hand and held open the door for her. “So... uh...” Finn started, not sure if he should be asking this, but needing to know. “You’re a lesbian?” He scratched his head awkwardly. “I mean, Santana... obviously, so...you like women. But... yeah?”Smooth, Hudson, he berated himself.
“Uh...half? I’ve never cared about gender. Love is love as cheesy as that sounds,” Lola answered as she walked through the door. Her heart was racing as she passed by him, wondering at why this conversation felt so intimate. “What about you?”
Finn let out a breath, far more relieved than he had any right to be. He tried to tell himself that it didn't matter that she liked guys too, because he still didn't have a chance, but some part of him clearly wasn't listening. "I guess you could call me a lesbian," he said, making a joke but smiling genuinely at her. "I like women." Finn paused then, chuckling softly and shrugging. "Not that I've dated anyone in a long time. Maybe that’s changed."
Lola laughed at him calling himself a “lesbian.” It was really too adorable the way he sort of half-grinned and ducked his head. “What might have changed? You think you’re maybe switching teams? I mean, we could talk about that if you’d like.”
“Yeah?” Finn replied. “You’d help me figure out my lesbianism?” I’d like to do more than talk about it, he thought, stopping outside her car door and unlocking it. “That’s really nice of you. Am I gonna have to pay for your help?” Finn smiled. “I’m just gonna put your car up, then we can get to the good stuff.”
Stepping away, Lola let him move her car and when the shop fell quiet again, she looked over at him. “I doubt you could afford me even if I were charging for my services. I’d simply be passing along my vast expertise. It’s what any good friend would do.”
Finn grinned, picking up the drill and moving to the donut. “If you were, I bet I could make it worth your while,” he motioned to her with the drill. “So you’re good with a drill, but I bet you’ve never used one like mine. Want to try?” A second after he said it, Finn looked away and coughed, realizing how that might sound. “Um...” He laughed at himself, turning back. “It’s fun, promise. And then you can tell me all about the lesbian thing.”
Lola gaped at him for a moment, not sure he’d said what she’d heard, but then she saw the look on his face and giggled. “I’m pretty good at handling drills. I’m sure I’ll have no problem handling yours. Bring it on.” She uncapped her water and took a sip before grabbing the elastic from around her wrist and pulling her wavy hair back into a ponytail. “What would you like to know about lesbianism?”
Finn found himself biting his lip, partly embarrassed, a big part turned on. He chose not to respond about her “drill handling” in case he really made a fool of himself. Finn handed Lola the drill and stood by, ready to take care of the tire. “Alright, well, since you’ve used one before, this shouldn’t be too complicated. You get the lug nuts and I’ll take care of the heavy lifting.” He braced himself next to the donut and turned back to her, blinking at the sight of her with the power tool. Oh...damn, Finn thought, swallowing.
“Sounds like an awesome plan.” She moved to the tire, setting the drill to work. “So, your questions about lesbianism, what are they?”
Finn had to shake himself out of his stupor as he watched her work. “Um... what? Oh,” he wracked his brain trying to think of something to say. “How do I know if I’m a lesbian or not?” He grinned.
She let one of the nuts drop into her hand and looked over at him. “Well...are you attracted to women...like mentally, physically and emotionally?”
“Pretty nice, huh?” Finn asked, nodding toward the drill in her hand. He looked her over, then realized he was being way too overt in checking her out and turned back to the tire, hoping she hadn’t noticed. “Yes, yes, and yes,” he responded. “Am I hopeless?”
“I’m afraid so. You have a terminal case of lesbianism,” she said as she turned back to the tire. “You were right. This is a pretty sweet drill. It handles nicely.”
“Damn,” Finn said. “There are so many lesbians around.” He watched as she unscrewed two more nuts in no time flat. “I’m glad you like it. There are some perks to this job.”
Lola finished off the job before stepping back to allow him to pull off the tire. “Well, I’m off the market, but I’m sure that there are plenty of other lesbians that would love a nice, young and cute mechanic.” She smiled over at him, watching as he hefted the tire off and set it on the ground.
Finn winced and for once in his life hoped that a girl thought it was because of the physical labor he was doing and not because of her words. He rolled the donut out of the way and looked back to her, returning her smile. “Yeah, I’m sure,” he replied, walking over to where he had set the new tire. “I’m a big hit with the lesbians.”
“I bet. Maybe you can come out with us one night and we’ll find you a nice lesbian,” she teased gently before sobering. “I feel like...I owe you an apology,” she said as she studied his expression.
Finn looked up at her, raising his brows curiously. “You do?” He noticed her serious face and frowned. “Why?” He didn’t really want that look to stay on her face, so he tried for a joke. “It’s not your fault I’m a lesbian.” Finn grinned before turning back to the tire, bracing himself and then hefting it up onto the hub.
Lola smiled softly. “No, I want to apologize for not telling you about Santana. I just...don’t want you to think I’m that kind of person. Someone who would do that to the person they’re supposed to marry. I’d love for us to be friends, especially while I’m living here. I could really use a friend and I like you. You’re easy to talk to and funny. A really great guy...is that something we could try?” She asked hopefully.
A hand on the tire to keep it in place, Finn frowned, then shrugged, turning back to her with a small smile. “Yeah... yeah, I’d like that.” It was just a crush. “I know you said something about moving in. You’re, uh, actually here now?”
“Yep, moved here officially the week of Christmas. Planning a wedding in so little time is hectic, but I just finished my latest book. So, I have a little bit of break until I fly back for the movie meetings.” She sighed, rubbing her forehead as she thought about how stressful those meetings were. “Maybe I’ll come work for you part time so that I have something to do with all of my spare time.”
“So you’re not gonna come work with me, then?” Finn asked. Lola was really good at making him excited about the possibilities, even if most of them were never gonna happen. “You’d definitely be an awesome assistant, but you sound like you don’t have any spare time at all.” He chuckled.
“I’m not so great at the nine to five thing. I guess it’s a good thing I’m a damn good writer,” she said with a wink. “I certainly wouldn’t mind stopping by when I do have free time. How about that?”
Finn grinned. “Yeah, anytime you want. You could come by the station, too. If you’re bored,” he added, trying not to sound overeager. He looked back at the tire and then at the drill still in Lola’s hands. “Did you want to screw them in, or should I take over the drilling?”
“The fire station? Really? I’ve only ever been to those on school field trips back in San Francisco. You get to do all of the cool stuff,” she said excitedly. “Will I get to learn how to put out fires and rescue cats from trees, too?”
Finn laughed. “Of course. You can even slide down the pole. That’s part of the VIP tour.” He picked up the lug nuts and started to screw them on by hand so she could use the drill.
“I bet you say that to all of the girls,” Lola said with a smirk. “You’re going to make some lesbian a very lucky woman someday.”
“No,” Finn smiled, getting out of the way as she screwed a couple of the lug nuts in tight. “Not all the girls.” He pulled back once the tire wasn’t in danger of falling off the hub and wiped his hands on his coveralls again. He stood back to just enjoy watching her work. “You really think I’ll find the lesbian for me?”
Lola looked over her shoulder. “In Lima? Definitely.”