He shrugged. “I buy extra parts and do them up, then I can change them when I feel like it.”
“Thinking it’s time my ride got customised like this. I’ve been so focused on the performance side of things, but now she needsto look the part too. You wanna work on one for me, before you get inundated with other jobs?”
Rocket grinned, reaching for a thick folder of plastic covered designs.
“You wanna see if any of this gives you some inspiration, or do you have something in mind already?”
I took the heavy book and started flipping through pages.
“Not sure yet, but your spray work is immaculate.”
He shrugged, tucking his hands under his armpits, and resting back against the wall.
“I coulda told you that, man.”
Prick. I felt Caroline’s presence beside me, and moved the book to the side, so she could see it too.
“You’re getting yours done?” she asked me, trailing her finger lightly over a detailed design featuring skulls, with purple vines wrapping around them.
“You like that one?”
“It’s stunning,” she practically breathed as she leaned closer to it.
“I’d do you a deal,” Rocket offered as he kept his eyes on me, but I know he was talking to her. Good on him, for realising I was watching him. I wasn’t being possessive or anything. It was mere protectiveness. Upset her and get punched. That kinda thing.
“Oh my god, I could never afford something like this. I’d need to do some saving up first!”
I lifted the book and closed it, nodding to Rocket.
“Okay if I take it away to look at? I’ll bring it to the club tonight to give it back.”
Rocket nodded, looking a little edgy about it.
“It’s valuable to me, man. I’m not sure I have spare copies of all of those, if I had to try and replace it.”
“You could scan them all in and store them digitally,” Caroline suggested, and Rocket grimaced.
“I work with my hands. Not my brain. No, wait, that didn’t come out right.” He glared as we both laughed, and shook his head. “I just mean, I can use computers but I’m not gonna sit there for hours doing something like that. I’d lose my mind.”
“I could do it for you.” Caroline suddenly looked excited at the prospect, even though it’d probably take her days to do it all.
“I mean, that’d be amazing, but I don’t know that I’d want it away from here that much. I kinda need to show it to clients and stuff.”
Caroline looked at me next, but I had no idea what she was thinking until she spoke.
“I could bring my kit here and set it up for a day or so, while I scan and upload them. Could… would that be okay?” I fought the smile that was desperate to escape, because would it be okay? Fuck yes.
“Sure!”
“That’d actually be great, because then I could direct people to an online version, right? It’d expand my customer base, if they can look and know if they like my work before they come here.”
Well duh, but I wasn’t about to say that. It was what others did, after all. I grinned at Caroline.
“I guess it’s a good thing I had another delivery of your god-awful coffee today, then.”
Caroline
IDON’T KNOW WHY I was poking my nose into Rocket’s business, but the idea of sitting and scanning those beautifulpictures, and building him an online gallery, was suddenly so enticing that I couldn’t help myself. I enjoyed what others would see as monotonous or repetitive work. There was comfort in repetition, a safe place where you know what’s happening now and what’s happening next. Building a process, finding ways to improve productivity. Definitely my jam.
