“You’re welcome. I’m glad you’re happy with it. I thought it came out pretty sweet.” Yeah, he could maybe be more humble. But he knew what his strengths were, and custom bikes was one of them. He was good at what he did. He smiled right back at Carter. “Try not to get in my way again, huh?”
“Yeah, yeah. Pay attention, and I’ll do my best.” The wink he got was pure mischief.
He laughed. “You’re on. Listen, what are you doing Sunday? You want to ride? We could have a rematch.”
“Sure. Sunday’s my day off. Let me check with Geoff, but he’ll be asleep. He works late on Saturdays.”
“Perfect.” He swallowed the big bite he had in his mouth. “Don’t let me keep you, I get that it’s busy. Thank you so much for the lunch.”
“You’re welcome. I’ll text you.” Then poof, Carter was off and running, greeting customers and bussing tables.
He knew Carter was going to like how he’d fixed up the bike. He knew it. Just like he was sure Troy’s stunning green eyes had gotten a good look at his ring, the one bearing the symbol that matched the carpet of amazing ink on the cook’s arm.
He finished his food and left a great big tip. Then he pulled out one of his business cards from the shop, flipped it over and wrote a quick note on the back before handing it to the hostess.
“Excuse me. Troy might need to reach me, so can you make sure he gets this?” He held the card out to her.
“Yeah, sure. Have a good day.”
“Thanks much. You too.” As he was leaving, he heard her calling back to Troy for more sandwiches to go.
2
Troy sat in the back of the restaurant having his smoke break.
He didn’t actually have a cigarette, because Geoff and Carter had made him a deal. Every cigarette-free day earned him five minutes under Geoff’s machine.
It hadn’t made quitting easy, but it had made it something shared.
Still, he wanted one.
Bad.
Troy took a deep, deep breath, and tried to just let the stress go.
“Oh. I didn’t know you were out here, Troy.” Charlie had a cigarette and a hot pink mini Bic in one hand. At one time they’d been smoking buddies; now they were just buddies. “I’m sorry. I’ll come out later.”
“You are a good man, but I’m cool. I need to finish cleaning up and get the hell out of here.”
“All the same.” Charlie walked about ten feet away before lighting up. “Crazy day. I bet you’re beat.”
“Yeah.” Don’t laugh. Don’t laugh. Don’t.
He cracked up, just tickled shitless. That pretty little French toast boy had come onto him. It made him feel a little embarrassed, a little less like an old man, a lot honored.
Oh, and surprised. Seriously. He hadn’t ever expected anyone in Boulder to get his ink.
Charlie looked over one shoulder, then down. “Is my fly open?”
He peeked. “All zipped up. I’m just tired, man.”
“You got tomorrow off?”
“Monday and Tuesday. They finally got me on a stable schedule with you and Juana.” Juana was a single mom, so she worked the weekdays, and Charlie cooked on the weekends and whenever he could pull a shift doing anything.
“You better get some rest then, man. You’re cracking up.” Charlie made a swirly coo-coo gesture next to his ear with one finger and grinned.
“Is Troy still here?” Willow, the hostess, poked her head out the back door. Charlie pointed to him. “Oh, good. Some guy… uh. Young, friend of Carter’s I think? He asked me to give this to you. I stuck it in my apron and forgot about it until now. I was afraid I’d missed you.” She handed him a business card. “You’re off, right? Have a good night, Troy.”
“I’ll be back in a second, Willow.” Charlie puffed on his cigarette.
“Hope so.” Willow disappeared back inside.
“Ooh. Y’all hooking up?” He did love a good romance.
He glanced at the card, Saul. What a great name. Seriously.
“Well, not yet.” Charlie stomped out his cigarette. “She turned me down once. I don’t think she really sees me yet, though. I have to come down some day when she’s working and…well, I’m not, you know?”
“Yeah. Good deal.” He sighed and stood, stretching tall. Then he caught sight of writing on the back.
In case you need me.
Whoa. Ballsy.
“We’ll see, I guess. Have a good one.” Charlie gave him a clap on the shoulder and headed inside.
Troy stopped in to grab his backpack and his to-go box with a patty melt and fries, then he started on his wander toward his condo.
In case you need me.
Lord, he was too old for that shit, but he sure liked that someone had made the offer.
3
“That was a hell of a ride.”
Saul walked his bike up to the rack and locked it alongside Carter’s. They’d met early that morning, found a trail and hit it hard until their legs were sore. Carter was great to ride with; safe, but gutsy and aggressive, just out to have some fun.
From what he could tell, Carter seemed happy with the bike’s performance. Saul noticed him testing it out at the beginning, trying the brake response and playing with the balance, but not for long. Carter had trusted it quickly, and then they were off.
“It was. I tell you, I’m beginning to think the trails are getting steeper.” Carter wiped his neck clean from the sweat.
“Yeah. That’s gotta be it. It can’t have anything to do with you getting old.” He laughed, pulling off his helmet and running a hand through his damp hair.
“Shut up, kiddo, before I beat you.” Carter snorted at him. “Look alive.”
The water bottle flew at him.
“Whoa.” He reached up with one hand and snatched it out of the air. “Thanks.” He smiled. That was a pretty slick catch, he’d always had good reflexes. He opened it and chugged most of it right down.
“Good catch.” Carter sucked his own water down, Adam’s apple bobbing. “Man, I’m so empty I can hear the water hitting my stomach and splashing. You want to come to the diner? I’ll buy you breakfast.”
“I will never turn down free food.” He watched Carter swallow. Man, so handsome. Geoff was a lucky man. He sighed and finished the rest of his water, then grabbed a towel and tried to make himself presentable for the diner.
“No stress, man. We’ll eat in the kitchen. Troy won’t mind.”
“Yeah? Awesome.” He wouldn’t mind Troy either. “That guy works his ass off, huh?”
“You know it. He’s been working for me for…shit. Twenty years ago? Twenty-one? A while.”
Saul had been in Boulder since he’d started at CU, probably came to the diner for the first time junior year when he was working and had a little money. But Troy had started at the diner when Saul was in Kindergarten. Maybe nursery school. He grinned. Crazy. “That’s a long time. I guess you know him pretty well?”
“He and Geoff met when he won his first event. He was just a kid, coming in with his honey. It was great.”