Page 18 of Seasons of Love
"You write what I tell you to. This part is for your benefit. When we print out the photos, you'll be able to match them to your notes. Think of it like building a bike bible."
"Thank you, that's…really helpful. Do you not need to know what each photo is?"
"No," I said, trying but failing to keep the smugness from my voice. "I know the name of each part on this bike, down to the size of the nuts and bolts."
"Wow…" Aiden ran his hands through his hair and looked at the bike. "This is never going to work, is it?"
"What do you mean?"
"Maybe I should pick another profession for my character."
I put my hand on his arm to grab his attention.
"We need to make the most of this lighting before I shut the door. Help me with the photos, and we'll talk about that after, okay?"
Aiden nodded, still looking pensive. Yes, he could pick another profession for his character, but I'd read too many books with doctors, baristas, Navy Seals. Maybe it was stupid, but knowing there would be at least one romance novel out there with a mechanic made my profession feel visible. Like we existed not just to fix people's vehicles, but also as people who could find love. Even if only on paper.
8
AIDEN
I followed Slade around while he took hundreds of photos, but I couldn't find the excitement in it anymore.
He told me what each piece was, and I wrote it all down. Then he started removing parts from the bike and placing them neatly on the bench.
"These need to be powder-coated, we need a full engine rebuild, and—" Slade stopped and looked at me.
"Sorry, do you mind repeating that? The powder thing?"
He glanced back at the bike, and said, “You know what, let's finish for the day. We’ve done enough work."
"No, no, it's okay, we can carry on." I raised my notepad to show him I was ready to make more notes. "What's powder…um…thingy, anyway?"
"Powder-coating is a type of coating you apply to metals such as aluminum extrusions, drum hardware, cars, bikes, and bicycle frames. It creates a hard finish that's tougher than conventional paint."
"Okay…wait…" I wrote everything down quickly before I forgot. "Got it. Thanks."
"Aiden."
"Hmm?"
"Let's finish here. Do you want to go for a walk?"
It wasn't sunny anymore, but it was still light outside. "Sure."
I placed the notebook on the bench and waited while Slade returned the camera to his office and did the necessary checks to close the garage.
Movement from the door to the street caught my eye, but when I went to check, I didn't see anything.
"Ready?" Slade said from behind me.
"Yeah."
We slid the long metal door shut and Slade set the alarm.
"Do you live far from here?" I asked.
"I live above the shop, but there's a separate entrance."
