Work Text:
Mitchell’s auto shop didn’t look like anything special, but it was. That was because one of the mechanics was a fifteen year old girl, who knew as much about cars as her dad’s best employee and could fix everything. Beca Mitchell was the daughter of Brent Mitchell, owner of an auto shop and single father. Brent and Beca’s mom hadn’t been in a relationship when Beca was conceived. In fact a little over nine months after a quick hookup, Beca’s mom had shown up at the auto shop and handed Brent a bundle of blankets that turned out to contain the smallest baby Brent had ever seen. He had immediately fallen in love with the blue eyes and the small tuft of brown hair that peeked out of the bundle. When he looked up again, all Beca’s mom had said was:
“I don’t want her, you did this to me, so you can have her.”
Then she had turned and left.
The thing was, Brent was 25 year old and a typical bachelor. Not looking for any commitment, just casual. He had no idea how to run a household or raise a kid. He knew how to run a shop and how to train a mechanic, but kids, no, he had no idea. But they had figured it out together, with a little help from some neighbors and acquaintances. Brent’s ways with the ladies hadn’t changed (okay, he might have become a bit more careful), but none of them had been allowed near Beca. Beca had remained the only woman in his life that was allowed to stay for longer than a while. As the girl grew up, she used to hang out in the office during opening hours, watching her dad and his men work. When she was old enough to be careful on the shop floor, she was allowed to do small chores and her dad taught her all he knew about cars. She soon started to love cars as much as he did and developed a taste for the classics like her dad.
So here at fifteen, Beca was watching the shop while her dad and his mechanic were out to buy parts for the cars they were working on. She was just working on the brakes of a vintage Corvette, lying under the car in her overalls, when someone called out:
“Hello, is there anyone who can help me?”
Beca couldn’t see the owner of the voice, but she loved the melodic sound of the voice. Quickly she slid from under the car to make her presence known. When she looked up, she saw a beautiful girl, of around seventeen years old with copper locks that seemed to glow in the sun. As she scraped her throat, a pair of electric blue eyes shot in her direction.
“Hi, uhm, what can I do for you?” Beca asked as she wiped her dirty hands on her legs.
“Oh, hi, well, I’m looking for someone who can help me. My car is just outside and I’ve got a flat.”
“Okay, let’s go see how bad it is.”
Chloe looked a bit unsure as the brunette proceeded to go outside. Beca turned and gave her a smirk.
“What? You think I can’t fix it?”
Beca stepped outside and whistle when she saw Chloe’s car, a vintage bright red Mustang.
“That’s your car? Wow. Let’s see whether we can still get this beauty inside and make my job easier.”
It turned out the tire wasn’t entirely flat, so they put it inside, giving Beca access to all tools. It wasn’t hard for Beca to get the wheel off, but the tire had to be replaced. All the work took Beca about an hour, and Chloe just stood there watching the tiny mechanic work.
“All done!” Beca exclaimed when she had put a new tire on and put the car back on its four wheels.
Chloe was snapped out of her gazing and asked how much she owed them.
“Don’t worry about it, it’s okay. It’s been my pleasure to have such a beauty in the shop.” Beca said as she ran her hand over the hood of the car.
“Really? Thanks!”, the redhead pulled the tiny mechanic in a hug. She got into her car and waved at Beca as she drove her car off the lot.
Beca got back to her work on the Corvette, occasionally thinking of the redheaded angel in the red Mustang.
The next day Brent was working in the office at the front of the shop and Beca was sorting some stuff in the back. Suddenly a girl stood in front of Brent’s desk.
“Uhmm, sir, this might sound strange, but yesterday I came in with a flat on my car and the mechanic helped me for free. Even put a new tire on. When my dad came home, he told me those tires were really expensive and I shouldn’t have accepted it for free. So he insisted I’d go back today and pay you. So what do I owe you?”
“This mechanic was a girl right?”
Chloe nodded.
“Wait a second.” Brent got up and opened the door of the office. “Beca”, he bellowed out, “Come here for a second!”
He stepped outside the office as he saw his daughter approaching. “Beca, did you put a new tire on a car yesterday?”
“Yeah, I did, why?”
“What did you charge them?”
“Nothing, it was an easy job.”
“Nothing? You replaced a vintage tire for free?”
“Yeah, it was a pretty girl in a vintage Mustang. You always say pretty girls get a pretty discount.”
Chloe was in the office, but could still hear the conversation outside. She blushed at Beca’s remark.
“A discount, yeah, Beca. Not for free, you could have not charged her for the work and only for the tire, or only charged her the price at which we bought it, but for free? I see your already quite a ladies man, but you’ve got to be a business man too.”
Beca blushed, she could see what her dad was saying.
“She’s in the office now, her dad sent her to pay. You can charge her the buying price for the tire and it’s your time, so you decide on what you charge her for work.”
Beca stepped into the office and was again captured by Chloe’s beauty. Without looking too much at the girl, she makes a bill for Chloe and Chloe pays.
“I know you only charged me for the tire, but I want to give you something for your work too. Do you like ice cream?”
“Of course”, Beca puts a hand over her mouth. “I mean I would like that.”
“Great, I’ll pick you up after your shift. I’m Chloe by the way.”
“Beca. I’d love it if you did, I finish around five today.”
“Great, see you then, Becs.”, and Chloe walks out of the shop.
Beca is still staring after Chloe when she feels a slap on her back. Turning around she looks into her dad’s smiling eyes. “That’s a nice one you got there, baby girl.”
“Yeah”, Beca sighs. ‘I hope I can convince her to accept a date, but ice cream is a good start’, she thinks to herself.