Dirty Roomie

by Alycia Taylor

  “Man, what a long day. I can’t believe how busy we’ve been. But you see, Chris? We did it. We might’ve have worked our butts off, but we got through the last of the bunch. What are you working on now?”

  “Actually, I’m all done.”

  “Could you help me? It’s just this last one, and then we can go. I knew we’d get through them. You see, my father just has to have a bit more faith in us.”

  Chris laughed. “You’re determined not to let him win, aren’t you? Well, we might have gotten through all the work, but it wasn’t easy. And it was only because two of those bikes barely needed anything done. I think the one guy just pretended like something was wrong, because afterward he asked if I could polish it when I was finished looking at it. I checked, there was nothing wrong. I think he just wanted a shiny bike to drive around. So that took like, half an hour. But if we had more demanding clients, we’d be pulling a twenty-four-hour shift.”

  I looked at him and sighed. “Oh, you have no faith. Come on, we’re good at this, and you know it.”

  “I never said that we weren’t good at it. I just said that we needed some extra help around here.”

  “So, you’re still agreeing with my father? Even though we clearly got through all the work today.”

  Chris shrugged. “Ah, I don’t care either way. I enjoy this work. I don’t mind working hard. So if you’re not going to get anyone else, that’s fine by me.”

  I smiled at my best friend. I liked it when he agreed with me. “Good. I knew you’d come around to my way of seeing it. Although I must say, I’m pretty glad we’re on the last bike. I’m freaking exhausted. Hey, are you still going to the gym these days?”

  “No way,” Chris laughed. “That was a stupid idea. I mean, how would I find the time or the energy for it? And I signed up for a whole year. They reeled me in with promises of rock-hard abs. But all I can think of now is having a cold beer and a burger. Why do you ask?”

  “I was thinking about it the other day, but I don’t think I could be bothered to join. We work hard enough as it is here. I figure, a day at the shop is like four hours at the gym or something.”

  “I like your way of thinking. So, are you buying me a beer after this, or what?”

  “Yes. Let’s finish with this bike,. I also just need to go and talk to my father. And then we’re good to go. I think he’s still in his office. Have you seen him?”

  “Yep, I walked past there not so long ago. He was there talking to someone, but he’s probably all done now. You know your dad, though; he won’t be going home. That paperwork is always perfect.”

  “I know. I don’t know how he does it!”

  “I agree with you there, Gunner. Office work sucks.”

  I was not much of a paperwork kind of guy. I liked working with my hands far more than I enjoyed working with numbers. But I knew that it was an important part of the business, and every now and again I’d sit with my dad while he went through the figures with me. Thankfully, today was not that day, and I could concentrate on doing what I enjoyed. I finished up on the bike with Chris and marveled at how much quicker it went with two of us working on one. Of course, this just made Chris bring up the fact that things would always go so quick if we had someone else working with us. But I let that one slide. I was happy working with Chris. We’d been working together for such a long time that we both fully trusted one another. I wasn’t sure if I’d feel the same about anyone else, especially not some stranger.

  Once were done, I washed my hands and packed away my tools. Then I made my way to my father’s office. I walked in and saw that he was busy with a customer. I was just about to hurry out when my father stopped me.

  “Ian, don’t go. Let me introduce you to Wesley. You worked on his bike this morning. He dropped it off when you weren’t here, so the two of you didn’t get a chance to meet.”

  My father described the bike, and I nodded. I knew exactly which one he was talking about. It was one of the bikes that we’d worked on a bit longer than all the rest, and I’d been happy with the outcome. I was hoping Wesley wasn’t here to complain about anything, but judging by the look on his face, he seemed pleased.

  “Ian, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I was a bit confused at first, because I thought your name was Gunner. But your dad told me that’s the nickname that’s going around for you. Anyway, I’m here to pick up the bike, but I thought I’d come in and just say thank you. I had a look, and it’s perfect. And trust me, I’ve taken my bike to a few other places before. Nobody has treated it as well as you guys have. I really appreciate it.”

  I grunted in reply and shoved my hands in my pockets. I was never very good with compliments. Although, I was starting to wonder if I was any good with people at all. I liked being in the shop with the bikes, without having to deal with the customers. I usually let Chris or my father take care of that part. People seemed to respond to them a lot better than they did to me. Wesley was smiling at me as if he was expecting me to say something in reply. But what could I say?

  “Son, isn’t it nice that Wesley is so happy?”

  “Uh, yeah. Listen, I better go. When you guys are done here, let me know, Dad. I’ll be waiting in the shop.”

  “Bye, Ian. Or Gunner. I’ll spread the word about your great work.”

  “Uh. Cool.”

  I walked out feeling annoyed at myself. I could see that my father had been embarrassed to have me there in the office with him. But why should I worry so much? That wasn’t part of my job. He’s my father; he knows what sort of personality I have. I’m not a people person, and I never have been.

  Chris told me that he’d meet me at the pub down the road while I waited for my father to finish up, so I fiddled with a few things in the shop until he was done. There was always something to do in the shop, even if it was just putting tools away in the right place. You’d probably never expect it just from looking at me, but I liked everything to have its place in the shop. In all other respects of my life, I was a mess, but the shop was my pride and joy. I liked it to be organized, and I knew exactly where everything should be. That was another reason why I didn’t want someone else working with me. I was making a mental note of all the things I came up with to tell my father if he ever brought it up again, and this seemed like a valid thing to add to the ever-growing list.

  It didn’t take long for me to get lost in my work, and I started when my father came up behind me.

  “Ian, that wasn’t very nice of you, you know.” His voice was loud and stern. No wonder I’d jumped up in fright.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Oh, come on, you were so rude to that customer. And he was singing your praises right to your face! Goodness, I was so embarrassed. You really need to start acting a bit friendlier toward the customers. Otherwise, they’re not going to want to come back. And the last thing that we need is for him to go around telling his friends that the people at Maxwell Motorcycles are rude. Our reputation is important, Ian.”

  I sighed. “Oh, that’s not true at all. You heard the guy. He loved what I did. It’s way more about the work than it is about anything else. They don’t care whether or not I’m friendly. They just want me to get their bikes running in top condition, and that’s exactly what I do. Anyway, isn’t that more your job than it is mine? My job is here in the garage, and I think I’m doing a pretty good job at it these days.”

  “A little pleasantry never hurt anyone, Ian. Just think about it.”

  I was tired of my father telling me to think about things. “Also, as you can see by the now-empty shop, Chris and I managed to finish all the work. It was a busy week, but we got through it. So there’s definitely no need to get someone else in to help. We did well.”

  I watched as my father surveyed the garage. His reply was a nod. Not a ‘thank you,’ or an ‘I’m proud of you.’ Just a nod. Sometimes I wasn’t sure what my father thought about me. At times I could swear that I saw a smile coming my way, but when I prodded for more, I never g
ot anything back. He was a tough man who believed in tough love, but after a long week of work, I wasn’t in the mood for it. I made my way to get my backpack when he stopped me.

  “Anyway, Ian. Before you go, I just wanted to tell you about a fundraiser that we’re doing.”

  “A what? Why would we do that?” I asked. We weren’t exactly known for taking part in fundraisers.

  “It’s for Charles.”

  “Charles?”

  “Charles. The big guy, with the long white beard. Come on, you know him. He’s in the motorcycle club. Anyway, that doesn’t matter. He’s one of the older members, and his wife has cancer. The whole club is going to get involved in the fundraiser for her. Isn’t that nice? Poor Cynthia. The whole thing came as a huge surprise to the family. Apparently, her sister had cancer too, so the family is in a bit of shock right now, as you can imagine.”

  “Uh huh.”

  “Well, I just wanted to let you know, seeing as though you’re part of the club. Let Chris know too, why don’t you? I’ll let you know the details when we hear more.”

  I nodded, grabbed my bag, and walked out. As I turned the corner, I heard my father let out a loud and exaggerated sigh.

  Chapter Four

  Eliza

  I drove to Arizona without any real plan of action. I may have just accepted a well-paying job, but for the moment I had nowhere to stay, and no time to find a place. They’d replied immediately to say that I should come into the office first thing in the morning to meet with everyone. So, I’d done what any desperate twenty-six-year-old woman without a home would do: I’d slept in my car. Then, I’d made my way to a nearby gym and asked if I could use their shower. They wouldn’t let me in without paying for a day’s session, so I’d paid and simply used the shower. I’d considered actually doing a workout at the same time, considering I’d paid for it, but I didn’t want to be late for the meeting. Also, I didn’t particularly feel like doing anything too strenuous. My body already felt stiff from sleeping in the car.

  The shower at the gym was good, and even though my clothes were slightly creased, I felt better. I wasn’t sure if the people at the new job would’ve taken too kindly to me showing up in old clothes. I tried to ignore the fact that I was homeless, and instead focused on the knowledge that I at least had a job. I’d go apartment hunting the moment I came out of the meeting. I got back into the car and shoved my bag inside. I covered everything up with a blanket, which I worried actually served to highlight the fact that everything I owned was inside the car rather than disguising it, and then drove off without giving it any more thought.

  Perfect Parties was situated in the heart of Chandler, Arizona, and even though I didn’t know the area very well, my trusty phone GPS took me right to the front door. I wasn’t too impressed with the name of the company, but from what I’d seen on Skype, they were just the thing I was looking for. Perhaps one day I’d become a big enough name in the company to suggest a name change. But that was the last thing on my mind as I made my way inside. The outside of the building was derelict, and I had a sudden fear that perhaps the Skype interview had been fake. What if the company didn’t even exist? I’d left my old life to start something new, and there was a chance I’d be both homeless and jobless. I sighed, took a deep breath, and opened the doors.

  Thankfully, the inside of the building was nothing like the outside. Beyond the front doors were pops of color, and a sense of fun and excitement. I felt instantly better. I smiled at the receptionist and introduced myself, and she smiled at me with a big toothy grin and told me to take a seat.

  Minutes later, a girl who looked to be about my age walked through the doors. She was short and slim, with curly brown hair that stopped at her shoulders, and deep brown eyes. She had one of those faces that made you take an immediate liking to her. She wore a red and white polka dot dress that looked like it belonged in the sixties, and she’d finished it off with black sneakers which turned the outfit into something grungy rather than ultra-feminine. I decided that I liked her.

  “You must be Eliza. I’m Mae; we spoke briefly over Skype. I was the one that stuck my head into the camera quickly. I’m sorry about that. I had no idea that Mark was busy doing an interview with you. That was embarrassing.”

  I chuckled. “Honestly? That was my favorite part of the whole interview. It totally broke the ice. Nice to officially meet you.”

  “Good to meet you, too. Come on through and let me show you around. The boss will be in soon, but I thought it would be nice to show you around first. And there’s no reason to be nervous. We’re all a bunch of crazy people in this place.”

  “Ah, my kind of people,” I said and laughed. “This is so different from the interview I went to last week,” I said and told her all about the place.

  She groaned, “I don’t understand how places like that stay in business. I mean, maybe they attract the more miserable people in this world, but I’m pretty sure those people aren’t throwing a lot of parties.”

  “That’s what I said! I was so happy to get this job; you have no idea.”

  “And I’m happy to have you here. We needed someone new. And it’s cool that you came all the way from California for it. Were you thinking of moving, anyway?”

  I decided that now wasn’t the best time to tell her about my abusive ex-boyfriend or about the fact that I was living in my car. We’d only just met, and there was still a chance that she’d change her mind about having me there. “I was open to moving if the job was right,” I said and looked around. “And this job is certainly right.”

  “It’s cool here, isn’t it?”

  “How long have you been here?” I asked.

  “Oh, I’ve been here for three years already. Wow, time flies. And I have no intention of leaving. I think the best part about this job is that it changes all the time, depending on the client. I like the fact that every job is different. I’m the kind of person who gets bored very easily. Anyway, this place has been doing so well lately. I guess people are just too busy to plan their own parties, which is fine by me. Trust me; we work on a commission basis, so the more jobs, the better.”

  I loved Mae’s enthusiasm, and for a while, I forgot all about my situation and the fact that I’d run away from my problems. It was a nice place to run away to.

  “Okay, well, that’s about it. John should be in soon. Oh wait, there he is now. Come on, let’s go talk to him.”

  I hadn’t met or spoken to John yet, but I hadn’t expected him to be so young. I pegged him to be in his mid-thirties. He was a handsome man, with a friendly face and when he saw Mae rushing toward him, he greeted her with a broad smile. From a distance, anyone would swear they were dating.

  “John, this is Eliza. Oh, sorry, Eliza, I don’t know your last name?”

  “Eliza Hammond. It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir.”

  “Sir? Oh, no. Call me John. Great, it’s good to have you here. We certainly need the helping hand. Mark said the interview with you went great. And I trust Mark wholeheartedly with these kinds of things. I’m a terrible judge of character, so I leave that part up to them. Come into the office. Mae, you can come, too.”

  Mae looked like she was skipping as we made our way to the office and I wondered if she was always this energetic. John seemed to notice the same thing because he started laughing when we got to his office.

  “Mae, you’re like a bunny or something today. What’s up?”

  “Too much caffeine,” she said. Then she looked at me and smiled apologetically. “I really should stay away from the stuff.”

  “How much did you have?” I asked curiously.

  “Three cups.”

  “Three cups?” John asked. “But it’s only nine in the morning. You shouldn’t stay away from caffeine; you should just stop drinking so much.”

  She sighed. “I know. But it’s so delicious. I can’t help myself.”

  I chuckled. Mae was a lot of fun to be around.

  “Okay, so I have a job f
or you, Mae. It’s happening this Saturday, and I’d like Eliza to help you. It will be a great way to show her the ropes.”

  “Oh, cool; what is it?” Mae asked.

  “It’s for the local biker club. They’re doing some party to raise money for one of their members. Apparently, the wife has cancer or something. One of the guys called me in a panic. He was going to take on the whole thing by himself, but he has no idea what he’s doing. Anyway, I said we’d help. I know some of the guys personally, and I think we’re going to do this one for free to help raise the funds. I’ve budgeted for a few of these, so I want you to put in just as much effort as you would with any paid job. Don’t worry, the two of you will still get your commissions.”

  “That’s awesome. Send me the details as soon as you have them, and I’ll sit with Eliza and go over the plans. We’ll do something great.”

  “Good! Looking forward to seeing what you come up with, Mae. And Eliza, welcome to our company!”

  “Thank you for having me!” I said and grinned.

  “Okay,” Mae said the moment we were out. “How about some coffee?”

  I laughed. “More?”

  “Nah, I’ll get some decaf. But you’ve got to try some. I’ll run a few things over with you about the company. We should get the details from John in about an hour or so once he’s settled in, and then the two of us can start planning. Ah, I’m so excited to finally have someone to do this with.”

  I’d assumed by ‘come in for a meeting’ that I was only going to be in for an hour or so today. I’d had plans to look for an apartment, but I couldn’t exactly tell Mae that. Which meant that I was more than likely going to spend another night in the car. But it was okay. This job was far too important right now, and I was actually looking forward to my day for the first time in a long while.

  “Man, this coffee is amazing. No wonder you had so much.”

  She laughed. “I told you. And, better yet, it’s free.”

  “Ah, nothing tastes as good as free coffee.”

  “The food is free, too.”