If I had not sworn to give the large man, the silent treatment then I would have asked him more about his choice of colour to paint the building.

"Would I be able to take my car home today?" I spoke up and asked.

"Of course." The old man said and then he smiled mischievously when adding "Although I can't recall where I put the keys. Stone was the one servicing it."

"Funny that." I sarcastically remarked, contemplating if I should give both of them the silent treatment.

Grabbing a set of car keys that did not look like mine from the table, Mike dramatically gasped and slapped his head "I just remembered that I have to go and pick up something at Manhattan Beach."

I let out a breath of frustration and pleaded "Can I please get my car?"

"I’m really sorry, Ella." Mike answered unapologetically "It is Stone that dealt with your car. I have a lot of other staff to look after."

Fighting the urge to stamp my foot, I pointed accusingly and huffed "You just said that he was your only employee."

"Oops." The traitor of the old man chuckled to himself as he walked out the garage door.

"This is ridiculous." I mumbled to myself as I watched Mike leave the two of us alone.

Stone appeared amused at the situation because the corner of his lip hiked up.

My vow of silence against him lasted only a further thirty-four seconds before I gave up.

"Give me the keys, Lurch." My voice raised as I grew more agitated.

"No."

I took a step nearer to his huge frame and repeated "Give them to me."

"No."

A frustrated sigh left me before I bit out "Why not?"

"I am not giving you the keys so you can go to that prick's house." He gritted out, his jaw ticking violently "You can keep me company here."

"Lucky me" I huffed in a sarcastic tone.

His lip twitched again as he removed his leather jacket from his body, giving me a look at his muscled arms and tattoos as he picked up a spanner.

"Give me the keys of the car or else." I threatened.

"Or what?" He challenged "Are you going to sit on me again?"

"No." I affirmed, "That was meant to be a torture technique and you seemed to not totally hate it."

He chuckled, shaking his head as he walked over to the silver car next to my green one.

"Give me my keys, Lurch." I demanded again as I walked over to him and grabbed an unknown tool from his toolbox "Or I will take this tiny metal thing and cut you open. Then I will scoop your insides out and mix them together to make soup."

Stone ignored me as he opened the hood of the car he was working on and started to mess around with the valves and parts insides.