He still had no idea what to do besides dinner and perhaps a movie. Bending her over a couch would probably not qualify as romance.
He sighed.
An hour later, the new client arrived to talk to Lou about what he wanted done to his Charger. They sat in the small meeting room designed to impress. Black cement flooring, crisp white walls, a round glass tabletop, and chrome chairs with black leather cushions gave it a motorhead-meets-modern look, something he’d borrowed from his father’s knowledge of sales. The guy was an ass, but he knew how to sell himself.
A large television monitor mounted to the wall showcased a slideshow of their many paint jobs, some just detail work, others custom paints. And on the other walls Axel had hung framed photos of the staff, their tricked-out cars, and the original building from 1972. He liked seeing the old place, liked knowing how far the building—and he—had come since opening the shop seven years ago.
He sat in on the meeting, as he normally did with high-end jobs, wondering when they could fit this one in. On his laptop, he reviewed their already full schedule. Between the shop’s glowing reputation and Lou’s skills, demand for their services had been booming. In fact, Axel did his best not to have to turn people away.
Bringing Rylan on as temporary help while Kelly was away might very well turn into a permanent position—if Rylan stayed on the straight and narrow. Smitty was keeping an eye on the guy, but Axel knew how easy it could be to screw up a good work environment. He’d worked for several places before opening his own, and it still amazed him how just one shitty employee could ruin a good thing.
The meeting wrapped up with an appointment scheduled in a month and a half. The client left happy, and Lou continued to tinker with design ideas. “What do you think of this? Something a little less cartoony, more daredevil inspired. Not the comic, a daredevil attitude, I mean.” Lou turned the sketchbook to face him.
“Not bad. I’d suggest cleaner lines though.”
Lou shot him an injured look. “Hey, it’s a sketch, man. I’ll polish it up before my final draft.”
Axel grunted. Artists could be so touchy. He stretched out his legs and arms, reaching up to loosen his shoulders.
“So,” Lou said.
“So.”
“You’re going out with Rena tonight, eh?”
“How do you know this?” Had Rena been talking to Lou? Her friends at the garage, perhaps?
“Hello, my sister works at her salon.”
“Oh, right.”
“Stella happened to mention how cute it is you’re rattling her boss.”
“Rattling, eh?” Axel leaned closer to Lou. “What else did she say?”
Lou smirked. “What’s it worth to you?”
Axel just stared.
After a moment, Lou’s smirk faded, and he made the sign of the cross. “Quit freaking me out, Satan, and I’ll talk.”
Satisfied, Axel leaned back and waited. He considered Lou a friend. The man had five sisters and more than two dozen female relatives all living close enough to visit. “A ladies’ man in the womb,”Axel had heard Lou’s mother say. But Lou was a stand-up guy. He’d fallen hard for a shy florist and her son, and he knew how to romance a woman. He also had insider knowledge about Rena and wouldn’t give him the third degree like her cousins.
Lou gave him a thumbs-up. “I heard all about you leaving her a rose and some sweet note that went with it. Finally. I have high hopes for you, man.”
“She liked it?” He brightened. “Gut.” How to ask Lou what he wanted to know without coming across as pathetic. Or desperate. Or just lame.
“Now, Heller, if I could offer you some advice…”
Ah, he’d get help whether he asked for it or not. He waited.
“Rena’s everyone’s sweetheart. Not one person I know has a grudge against her, and that’s saying something.Stellalikes her.”
“She is easy to like.” And love.
“But you, not many I know like you.”
“Is that supposed to hurt me?” Frankly, he couldn’t care less what anyone thought about him. Except for Rena, of course.
