Page 14 of Seasons of Love
"I think you should restore it. Maybe in honor of your friend, or maybe just for you, so you can drive it on your days off."
"Ride it."
"What?"
"You ride a bike, not drive it."
I sighed. "See? That's my level of understanding on this topic. I need some serious help."
He laughed, and then glanced toward the open garage door where a guy about the same height as Slade, but slimmer, came in with two coffees and two bags from Spilled Beans.
"You're a lifesaver," Slade said to the guy. "Aiden, this is Liam, he works with me."
Liam gave Slade his coffee and pastry and then shook my hand. "Pleasure to meet you. I'm really just here to do the coffee run and make sure Slade doesn't touch any cars."
I snorted and looked at Slade, who shook his head.
"Sorry, if I'd known the boss had company, I'd have brought enough for you too." Liam gave me an apologetic smile and went over to the other side of a car, where he put his coffee and pastry bag on a worktop.
Slade nodded for me to follow him inside the store. Wren and I had come in from the street straight into the garage space, so I hadn't seen the shop, other than at a glance from the other side of the glass wall.
The first thing that hit me was the smell of leather and wood. It was such a contrast from the garage, but it worked. The shop was like one of those middle-of-nowhere roadside bars. It even had some bar-like features, such as a couch and a high bar table with stools in one corner.
A photo of a bike just like Slade's hung on the wall. It was shiny and red, and I could only imagine Slade's bike would end up the same after it was restored.
"Wow, your shop looks amazing. This isn't at all how I imagined a vintage bike shop would be," I said.
Slade sat on the leather couch that was halfway between the front door and the register.
"I'm very proud of it. The whole unit, including the garage, already had the basic features I needed. The workbenches, power supply, and even the equipment. It was old but working. Where I spent more time and effort was with the shop side. I've dreamed of this space for longer than I care to remember."
He surveyed the space with a big smile on his face.
I tried not to notice the way his lips touched the coffee cup when he finally took a sip, and how his tongue poked out of his mouth a little with each sip, but that was a failed mission from the get-go.
"Is it just you and Liam?"
"Yeah, for now. I think I'm going to hire at least one other person. The car jobs are becoming more frequent, and I'd like to focus more on the bikes. I've had to turn away bike jobs to work on cars."
"Do you cry silently in the shower every time that happens?"
I pinched the bridge of my nose and let out a silent groan. Why did my mouth always run away from me when I was in this man's presence?
"Not so silently. It's more like uncontrollable sobs and very ugly crying. Not a pretty picture."
I looked at him and couldn't help laughing when I saw the teasing in his eyes. It wasn't hard to imagine Slade riding a bike, wearing a leather jacket and mirrored-lens sunglasses, his long beard with the perfect mix of silver strands through it. He'd be the perfect model for a book cover.
"So, how do you want this?"
His question brought me out of my reverie. "What?"
"How do you want to do your research?"
"Oh, um, I don't know. You're busy, so I don't want to take a lot of your time."
He ran his hand down his beard, a little lost in thought as he stared out toward the garage. Liam was surveying the tools they had hanging on the wall. Picking them and inspecting and then putting them back until he found the right one.
"The best way to learn is by doing. That's how I learned," Slade said.
