When Maurice stands, Abel sizes him up too, if he's going to be staring he feels he has the right to. Standing so far away he can hide the fact that he's swallowing to wet his throat, his mouth suddenly dry. God why did this mechanic have to have facial hair? He could ignore it, it was fine. He was playing a role somewhere his father knew would be difficult to express his 'undesireable interests' and that was how it was going to be. At least until he could sock away enough money to get away and live his own life out of under his dad's thumb.
"Yes, sorry. I..." He sucks in a breath and tries to look more apologetic than embarrassed, "I was told to come show off to Mr. Cory, is he in? I just started working at the other shop in town for Mr. Cook a few weeks ago and I'm supposed to brag about this bike I just finished up." Which is definitely not how he likes to do things, but he kind of needed to keep his job. The man had liked his work enough that he thought maybe he could have gotten away with saying no, but he didn't want to push too soon.
"Oh, Mr. Cook!" Maurice's rigid stance softens. He ambles out into the light and scratches at his jaw which has become more and more prickly as the months wore on. He's almost given up on shaving at this point. "You just missed 'em, I'm afraid. Just me in here today. Well, me and..."
He glances back toward the inner walls of Fred's where he knew Meranda sat and stewed in her own vinegar. She used to be so fun to horse around with but lately she's been a real pill. Whatever. He has bigger problems.
Maurice shifts his attention to the bike and his expression becomes more open, his eyes alert. He takes in the details and lets out a low appreciative whistle when he sees his own reflection in the chrome.
"Beautiful stuff," Maurice says. "He's gonna love that."
"It's probably better that way. I don't sell myself well, my work speaks for me better than I can." He'd have preferred his boss just take a picture and send it off, though he didn't seem the type to want to pull out a fancy camera and send it off in an email. Any phone pictures would have been pretty grainy if you'd even had a camera on it.
He takes a few steps back, letting his eyes wander on Maurice's face as he looks at the newly finished bike, "Thanks. It was a fun project." Abel crouches down next to the bike to point out some custom pieces he added, "I was lucky that the client was so flexible, I showed him some things I'd done back home and it was an easy sell. Though honestly In a place like this I can't imagine it's going to be often I get to do something quite so fancy." Not that he thought no one was around just, the client pool for custom work would be much smaller. "Back in DC there was only a few a year that came around, so I expect its a little slower here."
He takes a minute to double check the lines, make sure there weren't any leaks on the way over before he glances up at Maurice, "I'm Abel by the way, I didn't catch your name?"
"I get that," Maurice agrees as he continues to scope out the bike. He feels along the welded edges, presses on the seat, taps at the gauge. Nice nice nice nice. What he wouldn't give to go flying down the street on this thing!
"DC? Man, you're a long way from home. What made you wanna move to this dump, hahaha!"
He kind of hates it here, but it's home. It's not his mother's house and it's not a hole in the ground. He'll take it.
When he's prompted for his name, Maurice leans up and extends a hairy hand. He's tried to keep his nails...claws...clipped down but they grow so freaking fast.
"Hey, Abel. I'm Maurice. I guess we'll be seein' a lot of each other if our bosses keep up the way they have been."
It was easier to introduce himself to someone else who worked with his hands in a hot garage all day while listening to an old man rant. It's not often he relates to folks his own age. He feels like such a weirdo.
Abel tries for a smile, laughing lightly with him, "It was...A choice, that's for sure. I needed a change of pace though, it's not that bad." It was that bad, but he isn't going to admit it to a local, palms to his knees as he pushes himself up to stand again.
He takes the hand, giving it a good shake like a good ole boy would give another man, just like his father taught him, noting his arms and appreciating them for a fraction of a second before he lets go. "Maurice, It's good to meet you. And I don't mind so long as it's just friendly rivalry. I'd rather not get caught up in a small town feud if I can help it." Attention aside from just admiring his work and work ethic wasn't necessarily what he wanted anyways.
But, Maurice seemed close enough to his age, and being new he thought it might be nice at some point to at least try and make friends. Having similar interests was a good way to start since those seemed to be hard to find around here. "Is there...anything to actually do around here? I feel like I'm just living to work."
"Well, that depends," Maurice says. His eyes move beyond the beautiful bike to the town itself. "That depends on if you like to get drunk or not. There's a place on the other end of town, The Pitbull. It's pretty good. Music, sometimes."
He scratches his neck in a rapid, raking motion.
"They're tryin' to revive town though. They're puttin' in some apartments and a school...man! I just want a Dave and Busters or something!"
Abel isn't huge on the drinking scene. He'd tried it once, but with it being far too public, far too open, he'd come and gone within minutes, finding some late night diner instead, sat by himself. Even just watching had felt a little too much, the temptation to participate far too great with the chance of being caught adding to the risk. No, he knew what he was like when he was drunk, and it would be a terrible idea to show that sort of face to the public, happy and affectionate in a way that that he was sure would easily out him in the small town, drunk or not. There was no playing that off.
"I'm not straight-edge, but no one wants to see me drunk in public. It's sloppy in the worst way." He jokes, as if it were just some other reason that was more socially acceptable, "But I wouldn't mind coming down for live music when they have it. That's enough entertainment I suppose."
And while a Dave and Busters is in his opinion, a rather low bar, he supposes with just the few options it would be fun. "Seems like a town like this could at least use a bowling alley, community theater?" Maybe not.
"Oh, yeah, there is the bowling alley..." Maurice snaps to the present, having gotten lost in his daydreams about a Dogtrot that was actually fun to live in. "I've lived here about two years and I haven't been, so I can't tell you if it's any good."
He gracefully drops the subject of getting drunk, it's clear this guy doesn't like the scene and he can't blame him. It's not like Maurice is actually having fun at the Pit Bull--especially now with the Everything.
He also pointedly doesn't comment on the theater because while he has seen the whole playhouse, he can NOT let this cool bike building guy know he's even a little interested in it.
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theattic2024-06-07 10:22 pm
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"Yes, sorry. I..." He sucks in a breath and tries to look more apologetic than embarrassed, "I was told to come show off to Mr. Cory, is he in? I just started working at the other shop in town for Mr. Cook a few weeks ago and I'm supposed to brag about this bike I just finished up." Which is definitely not how he likes to do things, but he kind of needed to keep his job. The man had liked his work enough that he thought maybe he could have gotten away with saying no, but he didn't want to push too soon.
"If he isn't I'm not bothered at all."
no subject
He glances back toward the inner walls of Fred's where he knew Meranda sat and stewed in her own vinegar. She used to be so fun to horse around with but lately she's been a real pill. Whatever. He has bigger problems.
Maurice shifts his attention to the bike and his expression becomes more open, his eyes alert. He takes in the details and lets out a low appreciative whistle when he sees his own reflection in the chrome.
"Beautiful stuff," Maurice says. "He's gonna love that."
no subject
He takes a few steps back, letting his eyes wander on Maurice's face as he looks at the newly finished bike, "Thanks. It was a fun project." Abel crouches down next to the bike to point out some custom pieces he added, "I was lucky that the client was so flexible, I showed him some things I'd done back home and it was an easy sell. Though honestly In a place like this I can't imagine it's going to be often I get to do something quite so fancy." Not that he thought no one was around just, the client pool for custom work would be much smaller. "Back in DC there was only a few a year that came around, so I expect its a little slower here."
He takes a minute to double check the lines, make sure there weren't any leaks on the way over before he glances up at Maurice, "I'm Abel by the way, I didn't catch your name?"
no subject
"DC? Man, you're a long way from home. What made you wanna move to this dump, hahaha!"
He kind of hates it here, but it's home. It's not his mother's house and it's not a hole in the ground. He'll take it.
When he's prompted for his name, Maurice leans up and extends a hairy hand. He's tried to keep his nails...claws...clipped down but they grow so freaking fast.
"Hey, Abel. I'm Maurice. I guess we'll be seein' a lot of each other if our bosses keep up the way they have been."
It was easier to introduce himself to someone else who worked with his hands in a hot garage all day while listening to an old man rant. It's not often he relates to folks his own age. He feels like such a weirdo.
no subject
He takes the hand, giving it a good shake like a good ole boy would give another man, just like his father taught him, noting his arms and appreciating them for a fraction of a second before he lets go. "Maurice, It's good to meet you. And I don't mind so long as it's just friendly rivalry. I'd rather not get caught up in a small town feud if I can help it." Attention aside from just admiring his work and work ethic wasn't necessarily what he wanted anyways.
But, Maurice seemed close enough to his age, and being new he thought it might be nice at some point to at least try and make friends. Having similar interests was a good way to start since those seemed to be hard to find around here. "Is there...anything to actually do around here? I feel like I'm just living to work."
no subject
He scratches his neck in a rapid, raking motion.
"They're tryin' to revive town though. They're puttin' in some apartments and a school...man! I just want a Dave and Busters or something!"
no subject
"I'm not straight-edge, but no one wants to see me drunk in public. It's sloppy in the worst way." He jokes, as if it were just some other reason that was more socially acceptable, "But I wouldn't mind coming down for live music when they have it. That's enough entertainment I suppose."
And while a Dave and Busters is in his opinion, a rather low bar, he supposes with just the few options it would be fun. "Seems like a town like this could at least use a bowling alley, community theater?" Maybe not.
no subject
He gracefully drops the subject of getting drunk, it's clear this guy doesn't like the scene and he can't blame him. It's not like Maurice is actually having fun at the Pit Bull--especially now with the Everything.
He also pointedly doesn't comment on the theater because while he has seen the whole playhouse, he can NOT let this cool bike building guy know he's even a little interested in it.