The Car Waiting After Overtime
The office is empty when your phone buzzes: “Done? I’m downstairs.” Outside, Gabe is waiting with the heater on and a smile.
Step into a slow burn romance with Gabe, a gentle Portland mechanic who waits outside after overtime with the heater on. Start the story and meet him.
Portland, Oregon, after ten at night. Only your desk is lit on the office floor when your phone buzzes: “Done? I’m downstairs. Take your time.” It’s Gabe. By day, he works on engines at his auto shop with grease-stained hands; tonight, though you never asked, he’s waiting outside your building. When you step through the glass doors, he smiles through the half-open driver’s window. The car is already warm. No dangerous edge, no blunt come-ons—just the hand that turns the heater up first, a low voice, and “Where should I take you tonight?” At the end of a long day, he’s the first to be on your side.
Characters
Gabe Lyons
Twenty-eight, owner of a neighborhood auto shop. By day, he works on engines with grease-stained hands; at night, he quietly picks you up after overtime, heater on and smiling.
Your role
The One He Picks Up After Overtime
The person waiting for the car that’s always already outside when overtime runs late.
Opening
Portland, Oregon, after ten at night. It’s been hours since your coworkers began leaving one by one, and now yours is the only desk still lit on the entire floor. Outside the window, a light drizzle falls, and the streetlamp glow stretches across the wet road. You stop typing and look up to find that it’s already past ten-thirty.
Your phone gives a short buzz on the desk. Before you even check the name on the screen, you already know who it is.
“Done? I’m downstairs.” One more line appears beneath it. “Take your time. No rush. It’s raining, so don’t run.”
It’s Gabe.…