Chapter Four - Worth The Risk

I probably should’ve known River wasn’t going to let the conversation from the night before go. The following morning, I found myself parked beside his Honda in a mostly empty lot behind a closed auto-parts store, watching them unload a toolbox from the back seat.

The lot smelled like hot asphalt, old oil, and the faint chemical bite of brake cleaner. A warm breeze pushed dust across the pavement, catching the weeds along the fence. My Challenger sat beside River’s Honda looking exactly like it was: clean, reliable, and completely stock minus the exhaust set up.

River’s Honda, on the other hand, looked like it had been built for trouble. The hood was propped open, the front bumper had been removed, exposing a maze of piping, wiring and metal brackets. There were stickers across the windshield, a roll of tape around one of the mirrors, and enough tools spread across the pavement to suggest River had either planned this carefully or had no idea what he was doing.

I leaned against my driver’s-side door. “Remind me why I’m here again?”

River glanced up from under the hood. “Because I like you.”

“Try again.”

“Because your whip needs a little attention.”

I looked at my car, then back at him. “My car is fine.”

“Your car is practically stock.”

“And?”

River slowly straightened, wiping his hands on his jeans. “And stock is boring.”

“My car looks pretty and gets me to work.”

“Your car gets you to work slowly and loudly.”

“It gets me there on time.”

“Knowing you? Barely.” I gave him a pointed look and he grinned. “Sky, come on.”

I laughed as I walked to the front of my car. “Okay then, mechanic. What exactly are you doing?”

“Nothing crazy. I got a little something for you.”

He opened the trunk of the Honda and pulled out a long cardboard box. The label had been torn off, but the shape was unmistakable. I stared at it. “What is that?”|

River set the box on the hood of his car. “A turbocharger.”

I blinked, stuck in a slight stupor. “A what?”

“A turbocharger.”

“I know what it is. I’m asking why you have one.”

“Because I bought one.”

“For my car?”

River’s smile widened. “Eventually.”

I looked from the box to my car. “Eventually?”

“Relax. I’m not throwing a random turbo on your engine and sending you into traffic. That would be stupid.”

“You say that like the entirety of this idea isn’t stupid.”

“It’s not stupid, it’s ambitious.”

“Those are not the same thing.”

“No, but they’re neighbors.”

I folded my arms. “River.”

He sighed dramatically and opened the box. Inside was a compact turbocharger wrapped in protective paper, along with a few fittings, clamps and a small intercooler that looked far too serious for my ordinary muscle car. I stared at the parts. “You’re actually doing this?”

“Not the full set up today. Today, I’m installing the radar detector, checking your fluids, looking over the brakes, and figuring out what your car can handle.”

I pointed at the kit in the box. “And that?”

“That’s for later.” River walked over to my car and popped the hood. He leaned in, studying the engine bay with the kind of focus I usually reserved for reading a menu when I couldn’t decide what I wanted. I came to stand beside him.

“What are you even looking at?”

“Everything.”

“Well, that’s helpful.”

“Engine condition. Belts. Hoses. Fluid levels. Battery. Intake. Wiring. Anything that looks like it’s about to betray you.”

“My car doesn’t betray me.”

“Cars betray everyone eventually.” He reached into the toolbox and pulled out a flashlight, shining it around the engine bay. I watched him inspect the belts, then the coolant reservoir, then the oil cap.

“You really know what you’re doing?” I asked him.

River glanced at me. “Are you asking because you’re impressed or because you’re worried?”

“Both.”

“That’s fair.” He checked the oil, wiped the dipstick clean, and checked it again. “Oil’s good, coolant’s good. Brake fluid could use a flush soon, but it’s not an emergency. Your battery terminals are a little dirty.”

“Is that bad?”

“It means your car is neglected.”

“I change the oil.”

“That’s not the same as maintaining a car.”

“I drive it. It works.”

River shook his head. “You’re lucky it likes you.”

I leaned against the fender. “So what would you actually do if this were your car?”

“First, I’d make sure the basics were solid. Tires, brakes, suspension, fluids. Then I’d look at the engine and figure out whether it’s worth modifying.”

“And is it?”

River looked at my car again. “Probably… You got a V8 Challenger. It depends on what you want.”

“I want it to be faster.”

“That’s not a complete answer.”

“Why not?”

“Because faster can mean a lot of things. Better acceleration, better handling, better response or overall more power. A car can be quick without being fun, and it can be powerful without being reliable.”

I glanced at the turbocharger sitting on the honda. “And you think that thing makes it fun?”

“I think it can, if it’s done right.”

River closed the hood halfway, then stopped. “But your car isn’t ready for that yet.”

I raised an eyebrow. “You said you were going to install it.”

“I said eventually.”

“You also said you had a little something for me.”

“I do.” He reached into the Honda and came back holding a small black device. I stared at it.

“What is it?”

“Radar detector. Figured you’d want one if you’re going to start coming out with us.”

I crossed my arms. “You’re awfully confident that I’m doing this.”

River grinned. “I’m optimistic.”

“You’re annoying.”

“Also true.” River climbed into the driver’s seat of my car and studied the dashboard. He ran the power cable along the edge of the trim, tucking it neatly beneath the plastic instead of letting it hang loose.

“You’ve done this before?”

“More times than I can count.”

“On your own cars?”

“On friends’ cars. My cars. Cars belonging to people who should’ve known better.”

“That sounds like a story.”

“It’s several stories.” He pulled the trim loose with a plastic pry tool, careful not to scratch anything. The cable disappeared beneath the dashboard, leaving only a short section visible near the center console. I crouched beside the open door.

“You’re not going to cut anything, are you?”

River looked offended. “I’m not a barbarian.”

“You have a turbocharger in a cardboard box and a Civic with a missing headlight.”

“That doesn’t make me a barbarian, it makes me prepared.”

“It makes you suspicious.”

They plugged the detector into the power outlet and turned the ignition. The device lit up with a soft blue glow. River adjusted the angle until it faced me. “There. You’ll be able to see it without looking away from the road.”

“And what exactly does it do?”

“It warns you when it detects radar.”

“So it tells me when I’m speeding?”

“No. It tells you when someone might be checking your speed.”

“That sounds like a very important distinction.”

“It is.” I gave him a look and he held up both hands. “I’m not telling you to drive like an idiot. Please, don’t. The detector is just another layer of awareness.”

“Right.”

“Seriously. It doesn’t make you invincible.”

“I wasn’t planning on feeling invincible.”

“Good, because that's how people end up wrapped around guardrails.”

The joking tone faded slightly. River shut off the ignition and stepped out of the car. He walked to the front of my car and beside the driver’s-side wheel.

“What now?”

“I’m checking your tires.”

“They’re fine.”

“You said that about the car.”

“And the car is fine.”

River pressed a gauge to the valve stem. The device hissed softly and he frowned.

“What?”

“Your front left is low.”

“How low?”

“Low enough that you should’ve noticed.”

“I don’t know what it’s supposed to feel like.”

“That’s the problem.” He pulled a portable compressor from the Honda and connected it to the tire. The machine rattled to life, loud enough that I had to raise my voice.

“You carry an air compressor around?”

“I carry a lot of things around.”

“Do you have a spare engine in there too?”

“Not today.”

The compressor shut off. River checked the pressure again, the moved to the other tires. The front right was slightly low too. The rear tires were fine. I watched him  work, feeling a strange mix of embarrassment and appreciation.

“You’re really doing all this before my shift?”

“That was the plan.”

“You know, I could’ve just gone to a shop.”

“You could’ve.”

“Then why didn’t you tell me to do that instead?”

“Because shops charge you to tell you things I can show you how to do for free.” He stood and wiped his hands on his jeans again. “Also, if you’re going to be around cars, you should know what you’re looking at.”

I glanced at the turbocharger again. “Is that why you brought that?”

“Partly.” River opened the hood of my car again and pointed toward the engine. “Your engine is naturally aspirated.”

“I know what that means.”

“Do you?”

“It means it doesn’t have a turbo.”

“Exactly. A turbo uses exhaust gases to spin a turbine, which compresses the air going into the engine. More air means you can add more fuel, which means more power.”

I looked over the engine bay. “And you can’t just put one on?”

“No. You need an exhaust manifold, oil lines, coolant lines depending on the setup, and intercooler, piping, a proper fuel system, engine management, and a tune. You also need to know whether the engine internals can handle the extra cylinder pressure.”

“That sounds…expensive.”

“It can be.”

“And…complicated.”

“It is.”

“And…dangerous.”

“If you do it wrong.” River leaned against the front of the car. “That’s why I’m not installing it today. A turbo isn’t a magic power button. If you slap one on a stock engine without planning the rest of the system, you can blow the motor, overheat the car, run too lean, damage the transmission, or create a car that’s fast for three minutes and broken for the next six months.”

I looked at the box again. “So why buy it?”

“Because I found it cheap, and because I wanted to see if you were serious.”

I turned towards him. “You bought a turbo to test me?”

“I bought a turbo because I’m impulsive. The test part is just a bonus.”

I laughed despite myself, River’s expression softened.

“I’m not trying to turn your car into some ridiculous project overnight. You need something reliable. You work too much to be stranded on the side of the road because I got excited.”

That caught me off guard. They reached into the Honda again and pulled out a small walkie-talkie. “And this is yours,” he said as he handed it to me.

I turned it over in my hands. “What’s this for?”

“Communication. Keep it with you.”

I looked at the walkie, then at River. “You’re seriously doing all of this?”

“Already told you. I got you.”

I hesitated. “River…” He looked up. “I haven’t actually said yes.”

“I know.”

“Then why are you setting everything up?”

River shrugged, leaning against the car. “Because I’ve seen you drive.”

I couldn’t stop the laugh that came from me. “That’s your sales pitch?”

“I’m serious, Skylar.” His expression shifted slightly. “You’ve got good instincts behind the wheel. You’re confident, you know your car, and you don’t panic every time something doesn’t go exactly how you expect. I’ve seen you handle yourself. It’d be wasted potential if you never did anything with it.”

I looked down at the walkie in my hand. “That’s a pretty generous way of describing my driving.”

“I’m not joking.”

River paused before continuing. “I wouldn’t have suggested this if I didn’t think you had the ability. I’m not going to put you in a situation I don’t think you can handle.”

I wasn’t entirely convinced that it was supposed to make me feel better. “You’re really trying to get me into trouble, aren’t you?”

“Just a little.”

I shook my head, laughing. “So what, you’ve already got something planned?”

River’s grin returned. “Actually, yeah. There’s something happening after your shift tonight.”

I stared at him blankly. “Tonight?”

“You’re already working late. Figured you could come out afterward if you’re feeling up to it.”

I looked at the device in my hand, then back at River. The radar detector sat neatly on my dashboard. My tires were properly inflated. The hood was still open, and the turbo charger was sitting in a box beside a car that had no business making me consider any of this. For the first time, my car was starting to look like more than just a pretty aesthetic. It had a purpose… I have a purpose…

I thought about the bills sitting on the kitchen counter at home. The shifts I’d picked up. The money that never seemed to stretch far enough. Then I thought about Tiffany’s expression the night before.

Maybe this isn’t the smartest idea I’ve ever had…but when has that ever stopped me?

I let out a breath.

“Fuck it. Let’s ball.”

River’s face lit up like a kid at a candy store. “That’s what I’m talking about!” He clapped his hands.

“Don’t make me regret this.”

“No promises.”

I rolled my eyes. “God, you’re insufferable.”

“And yet, here you are.” River closed the hood and gave it a firm push until it latched. “Before you go, take it around the lot. I did a couple of things to make it respond better for tonight… Get a new feel for the pedals before you go on the road.”

I climbed into the driver’s seat and started the engine. The car turned over with its familiar rumbling idle. River leaned against the passenger door.

“Take it easy.”

“I know how to drive.”

“I know, that’s why I’m telling you to take it easy.”

I pulled away from the Honda and made a slow loop around the lot. Besides the pedals being a bit touchier, it felt relatively the same. When I came back around, River gave me a thumbs up. I stopped beside him and rolled down the window. “Well?”

“Congratulations.”

“On what?”

“Your car still works.”

I giggled, “Your standards are inspiring.”

“Give me a week and I’ll raise them.”

“Don’t you touch anything without asking me.”

River leaned down toward the window. “I’m going to need permission to make your car faster?”

“You’re going to need permission to breathe near it.”

“Noted.”

I pulled away, the radar detector glowing quietly on the dash and the walkie-talkie sitting in the cup holder. The turbocharger stayed behind in River’s Honda. And for some reason, that felt less like a disappointment and more like a promise.

By the time I got to work, the afternoon was already underway. I clocked in, tied my apron around my waist, and headed straight for my station. The kitchen was busy enough that I barely had time to think about anything outside of the next order.

Which was probably a good thing.

I was halfway through prepping when Adrian appeared beside me. “Look who decided to grace us with her presence.”

I glanced over. “Don’t you have somewhere else to be?”

“Probably. But this is more entertaining.”

“Your standards are concerning.”

He laughed, reaching past me for a container. “How’s your day been, hot stuff?”

“Productive. Yours?”

“Better now.”

I gave him a flat look. “Do you practice these lines in the mirror?”

“Only the good ones.”

“Then you might want to practice some more.”

He grinned before heading back to his station. The shift carried on, and the usual back-and-forth continued whenever we found a spare moment. Adrian seemed particularly determined to get under my skin that afternoon, which was unfortunately considering I was already running on very little patience.

At one point, he caught me staring at the clock.

“Waiting for someone?” He asked me.

“Waiting for the day to end.”

“That bad?”

“I’m working a closing shift after already having a double the day before. And back here again tomorrow night. What do you think?”

He chuckled. “You poor thing.”

“Don’t start feeling sorry for me, it’s unattractive.”

“Who said I felt sorry for you?” I looked at him. He smiled. “I’m just admiring the dedication.”

“You’re impossible.”

“And yet you keep talking to me.” Before I could respond, another ticket was printed.

Saved by the kitchen.

Closing couldn’t come fast enough. By the time we finished cleaning, my feet hurt, my back was sore, and I was seriously reconsidering my life choices once again.

Adrian followed me out to the parking lot, tossing his bag into the backseat as part of what became our usual routine at this point. “Long day?” He inquired.

I started the car. “Understatement of the century.”

He reached for the radio, flipping through stations until he found something we could both tolerate. We pulled out of the lot, and for a few minutes, neither of us said much.

Then the device mounted near my dashboard let out a sudden series of beeps.

Adrian glanced over. “What’s that? That’s new.”

“A friend from my car club installed it earlier.”

He looked at the device again. “Why? What does it do?”

I hesitated. And there it was. The perfect opportunity to either tell him or come up with some half-assed explanation.

But for some reason, I couldn’t bring myself to lie to him.

“Well… it’s to warn you of cop radars who might clock your speed…”

“And why would you need something like that, Sky?” His tone shifted to be a tad more serious.

“Well… the thing is… Um. I’m getting into racing.” I scratched the back of my neck, biting my lip nervously.

He turned to face me, his expression deadpan. “You’re doing what?”

I let out a light hearted chuckle. “Relax, it’s not that big of a deal.”

“Skylar.”

“What?”

“Are you serious?”

I glanced over at him. “I know some people who know some people who allegedly… race for money. And they believe I have potential.”

He stared at me for a long moment. “Street racing?”

I shrugged. “That’s the plan.”

Adrian leaned back against the seat, looking out the passenger window. “Since when?”

“Since yesterday, technically.”

“Yesterday?”

“Long story.”

He turned back toward me. “Is this why you’ve been working so much?”

I wasn’t expecting that question. I kept my eyes on the road. “Partly.”

“Partly?”

I shrugged. “Things at home aren’t exactly great right now. I’ve got a lot of expenses, and working doubles only gets me so far.”

He was quiet for a moment. Then he asked, “You sure this is something you want to do?”

“Why? Worried about me?”

He didn’t immediately answer. “Yeah…actually.”

The response caught me off guard. My eyes darted to him momentarily then back onto the road, trying to hide the little smile threatening to form. “I’ll be fine, Adrian.”

“That’s not what I asked.”

I didn’t have a smartass response for that one. He rubbed a hand over his jaw.

“I’m not telling you what to do. I just don’t want you getting hurt because you’re trying to make some extra money.”

Something about the way he said it made my chest feel a little warmer. It wasn’t teasing. It wasn’t another one of his flirty little remarks.

He was genuinely concerned.

And I wasn’t entirely sure what to do with that.

“I’ll be careful,” I said quietly.

He nodded, although he didn’t look particularly convinced. We spent the rest of the drive talking about other things, but his words stayed with me longer than I expected. When I pulled up outside his apartment, he unbuckled his seat belt.

“Text me when you get home, please?”

I looked at him and cocked my head to the side. “Since when are you my mother?”

He laughed. “Just do it, smartass…for me, please.”

“Fine.”

He leaned over, gave my shoulder a quick squeeze, and grabbed his bag.

“Goodnight, hot stuff.”

“Goodnight, Adrian.”

I watched him disappear inside before pulling away. I wasn’t sure why, but I found myself smiling the entire way to the address River sent.

I had no idea what I was getting myself into, but I was about to find out.