A Poor Dad Roasted Marshmallows For A Woman On A Camping Trip, Clueless She Was A CEO Who Loved Him
The CEO and the Mechanic
Three months later, Harvey stood behind the counter of Fletcher’s Auto and Towing. He was elbow deep in paperwork and a half-cold cup of coffee.
The tiny shop hadn’t changed in over a decade. It had the same cracked linoleum floor and the same faded photos of classic cars pinned on the corkboard.
The bell above the door jingled. He looked up, expecting the usual someone needing a jump start or a flat tire patched.
Instead, in walked a woman in a tailored navy coat with her chestnut hair pulled into a low twist., Sunglasses were perched on her head.
Her heels clicked against the tile like they didn’t belong in a place that smelled of engine oil and axle grease. She took off her glasses and Harvey froze.
“Elina,” he said, almost like a question. Her lips curved, but there was hesitation behind her eyes. “Hi, Harvey.”
He blinked, trying to reconcile the woman before him with the one who had crouched beside a campfire in sneakers and a hoodie. “I… What are you doing here?”
“I need a mechanic,” she said casually, glancing around. “And I remembered you mentioned you owned this place.”
“You remembered that?” Harvey asked, still trying to catch up. “I remember a lot of things.”
He stepped out from behind the counter, wiping his hands on a rag. “Is your car outside?”
She nodded. “Black sedan. Front left tire keeps pulling.”
He walked past her and out the door, motioning for her to follow. The car in question was parked neatly at the curb.
It was a sleek, high-performance import that looked wildly out of place., It sat next to the dented pickup trucks and dusty minivans in the lot.
He crouched to inspect the tire. “You’ve got uneven wear on the inside edge. Alignment’s off. Could be a bent control arm.”
She crouched beside him, heels planted flawlessly on the gravel. “Sounds expensive.”
He glanced at her. “You didn’t strike me as someone who worries about expensive.”
Her expression didn’t change. “You never asked what I did.” “You never offered.”
She stood and brushed off her coat. “Can you fix it?”
“I’ll need a few hours. You’re welcome to wait inside, but it’s not exactly…” He paused, gesturing toward the garage. “Glamorous.”
“I’m not afraid of grease,” she said, stepping back inside ahead of him.
Clara was sitting behind the counter with a workbook and a pencil. She was swinging her legs under the stool.
When she saw Elina, her eyes lit up. “Marshmallow lady!” Elina laughed. “Hi there! You’ve grown taller.”
Clara beamed. “Daddy didn’t think you were real.” “Is that so?” Elina looked at Harvey.
He rubbed the back of his neck. “She talks about you like you flew in on a cloud. I figured maybe I imagined you.”
“I get that a lot,” Elina said lightly, settling into the worn armchair in the corner.
Harvey handed Clara a snack from the drawer and disappeared into the garage. Tools clanked and a hydraulic lift groaned.
Elina watched quietly, occasionally glancing at Clara. Clara was now humming and coloring a picture of a dragon.
Eventually, Harvey returned, wiping his hands again. “It’ll drive fine now, but I’d recommend a full suspension check.”
She stood, adjusting her coat. “Thank you.” He hesitated, then asked, “Why’d you really come here, Elina?”
She looked at him, eyes steady. “Because I wanted to see you again.”
“You could have called.” “You didn’t give me your number,” she said simply.
He looked away. “I didn’t think you’d want it.” “Well, I did,” she said.
“I thought about that night more than I should have.” Harvey crossed his arms. “You disappeared.”
“I had to go,” she said, her tone soft but firm. “And I wasn’t ready to explain why.”
He studied her. “Are you now?” She exhaled. “I’m the CEO of Walker and Ray.”
He didn’t react the way she expected., There were no wide eyes and no stammering, just a quiet nod.
“That’s why your car costs more than this entire block.” Elina’s mouth twitched. “Probably.”
Clara looked up. “What’s a CEO?” Harvey crouched beside her.
“It means she’s in charge of a lot of people and makes big decisions.” Clara considered this. “Like the principal at school?”
“Exactly,” Elina said, smiling. “Except with more paperwork.”
Harvey stood again. “So what does a CEO want with a broke mechanic and his daughter?”
Elina didn’t waver. She didn’t know yet, but she liked the way he listened and the way he didn’t look at her like a headline.
He didn’t speak right away, then asked, “You hungry?” She blinked. “Excuse me?”
“There’s a diner two blocks down. They make a mean grilled cheese. Not exactly champagne and oysters.”
“I hate oysters,” she said. “Good,” he replied. “So you coming?”
She turned to Clara. “You up for grilled cheese?” Clara nodded enthusiastically.
Just like that, they walked out together. Harvey didn’t say much on the way to the diner, but Elina didn’t seem to mind.
She studied the neighborhood, the cracked sidewalks, and the faded signs., She saw the kids on bikes zigzagging across the street.
It was a world far removed from her boardrooms and penthouses. But she didn’t look out of place; if anything, she looked peaceful.
They slid into a booth at the far end of the diner. The waitress barely glanced up as she poured water and asked, “What can I get you?”
Harvey ordered for Clara then looked at Elina. “I’ll have what he’s having,” she said.
As the waitress left, Elina leaned in slightly. “I don’t usually do this. Eat grilled cheese with strangers in small towns.”
“Chase after men who roast marshmallows with their daughters,” she corrected. Harvey’s eyes held hers.
“I don’t usually invite CEOs to diners. Guess we’re both doing something new.”
He nodded, then said quietly, “You still didn’t answer my question.” “Which one?” “What you want from me?”
She didn’t flinch. “Time, honesty, and maybe a second marshmallow.”
Harvey gave the smallest smile. “I think I can manage that.”
Three weeks after the grilled cheese and shared glances, Harvey stood outside his shop., He was wiping down the windshield of a dusty sedan.
A sleek black SUV pulled up to the curb. It was not the same car Elina had brought in.
This one was newer and darker, with tinted windows. A driver in a suit stepped out and opened the back door.
Elina emerged in a fitted charcoal coat, her expression unreadable. Her eyes found Harvey and she gave a small nod.
She waved the driver off. The man hesitated, then returned to the SUV and drove off.
She stood beside the sidewalk in heels that didn’t belong anywhere near oil stains or rusting bumpers. Harvey tossed the rag on the hood and walked toward her.
He slowed when he noticed the way she was holding her phone tightly in one hand. “You okay?”
She glanced down then tucked the phone into her coat pocket. “I had a board meeting this morning.”
“It ended with three people threatening to resign and one lawyer crying into their macchiato.” He tilted his head. “You win?”
“I didn’t lose,” she said. “But I needed air.”
He nodded toward the shop. “You sure this is where you want to get it?”
She stepped closer, her voice lower now. “This is the only place lately where I don’t feel like I have to prove something.”
Harvey opened the shop door, holding it for her. “You want coffee?” “If it’s strong and burns a little, yes.”
Inside, Clara was sitting on the floor with a jigsaw puzzle. It was spread out over a flattened cardboard box.
She looked up and grinned. “You came back!” Elina crouched beside her. “I needed expert help finishing my day.”
Harvey poured two cups of coffee and handed one to Elina. He leaned against the counter. “You didn’t just come for caffeine.”
She sipped, then met his eyes. “I have a proposition. Business, personal…”
He waited. “I want to take you both somewhere,” she said. “Just for a weekend.”
“My family has a place on the coast. Big house, lots of space, ocean views. I thought Clara might like the tide pools.”
He didn’t answer right away. Clara was humming again, lost in her puzzle.
“You’re not worried what people will say if you’re seen with someone like me?” Elina didn’t hesitate. “Let them talk.”
“You sure?” “I’ve been sure since the diner.”
He set his coffee down. “Clara doesn’t have anyone but me. I’m not casual about who I bring into her life.”
Elina looked at him, steady and unflinching. “Neither am I.”
He held her gaze for a long moment. Then quietly, “Then I guess we’re going to the coast.”
