2019-05-25 - Need A Hand?

Its a nice warm day, spring warm. Upper 60s counts. The gray drizzle doesn't help. More a good day to grab a coffee and get a seat to watch it slowly gather on the window and run down in tendrils reaching for the earth. One such individual is Jack. Local fellow, not too loud too much of the time, if at all. Works on cars down on Spruce Street. If one couldn't guess that he worked there, he has a ball cap that is red in the front saying Body by Jack while showing a classy car as its image. The back is that plastic white mesh used at some point to reduce the amount of cloth expenses in hat making and just everyone does it these days. He likes that wire mesh, its suitable. His flannel has some grease on it to help. He is at a square table, with iced coffee in hand, milking it and watching tendrils of drizzle gather.

Nearby a waitress passes some out of towner, there is some jostle, which proceeds to a spill in the vicinity of Jack, and his table, maybe his lap a little. The out of towners snicker, Jack just offers a hand, she offers an apology. A shake of his head, "Nah, its good, I meant to grab another seat anyways." Which leaves him now looking for another table, giving a look around the room.

Declan watches the waitress and Jack quietly, phone in his hand. He's another local - a handyman, and a bartender. He's had a string of jobs, maybe even applied for the mechanic once or twice but never landed a position there. Declan's probably fixed a few of their pipes, though. "'Sup, Jack," he calls, indicating one of the chairs nearby. "How you been?" After his question, he bends to the floor and tosses a couple napkins on the flowing spill before it can manage to travel too far.

Cole is a newcomer, so very much a newcomer that he's still staying at the motel and hasn't really settled in yet. What he has found, however, is a convenient source of caffeine -- one of the necessities of life. He makes his way inside and back toward the counter to eye the pastries in the display case. He waits his turn, looking around the room, taking in those seated about -- Jack and Declan, the other out of towners like himself, and the folks working in the place.

Another outsider doing her level best to turn into a local is Sally. Looking a little rushed, she has a notebook tucked under her arm and a cell phone in one hand while the other seeks out letters on the phone keyboard and she not so quickly sends out a text message before sliding her phone back into her pocket. Only once she had accomplished that task does she look up and around the coffee house for a seat. And something to drink. That was first and foremost on her agenda this minute. Except she notices a familiar face and she offers a nod to Jack. Her necessary mechanic on that olllld Ford Truck she owned. "Good morning." The greeting is tossed about to anyone who wants to pretend to hear her.

"Hey Declan," returns Jack, his demeanor roughly the same as when he was looking at the rain on the window, just there. "Can't complain. Got a nice 71 ford truck visiting me on the regular." Like that helps certainly. In his world at least. He does move for the offered chair. "These days, I'm glad its rain." OR glad its the coast and not further east in snow country. He could say mre, but he's content to drink if Declan wants to check phone for anything. Or be quiet, until Sally comes in, "Hey you, grab a drink and a seat?" A pause and look to Declan for a second approval on furthering company at the table at least.

"Thanks," says the waitress to Declan for the napkins, and she finishes up that spill, notable avoiding that particular group of out of towners. At least for them, looks like just visiting not moving in.

"Mornin'," Declan says, local accent fairly thick. He nods to Sally, not quite smiling. "Ford? Killing me. Didn't your old man teach you to buy Dodge?" Still not quite laughing, he moves the dirty napkins to the side. He sips his coffee, glancing back up as Jack addresses someone else. "Yeah, sure. Declan," he nods to Sally and gestures to the table, but only offers a hand if she does. The waitress is given a brief smile. He only did what anyone would do, right? "New in town?" he asks Sally, looking between him and Jack. "This guy treating you good? He don't, call his boss. Man'll straighten him out."

Cole obtains his pastry, something danish-like with apple, and a regular coffee with just cream -- nothing particularly fancy for him. "Morning," he says in reply to Sally's kind of general greeting, offering a smile. He then makes his way over to a seat not too far from where Declan, Sally, and Jack are situated. While not particularly trying to listen in on their conversation, it's not a very large place. At least he doesn't stare, instead turning his gaze outside the window before asking, kind of in general, "Is it usually something worse than rain? I'd heard the area was pretty rainy in general.." It's an idle sort of curiosity, and it doesn't seem he necessarily expects anyone to answer.

Withdrawing the notebook from under an arm, Sally slides it on the table in front of her once she'd been invited over. On the front of it is the word Firehouse. "Nothing wrong with a Ford. Something about 'First on Race Day' or something. Or so my daddy always said." Texas girl with an eclectic accent from traveling around. The waitress, while she is nearby, gets an order tossed her way. "I'll take a French Vanilla iced coffee with a shot of chocolate." That taken care of, she smiles to the two. "New in town, but planning to make it a home if I can. He's been great, helpful with repairs on my truck and now the old firehouse downtown." Yeahhh the original one believed to be haunted if one put much stake in that. Hearing the response from Cole, she turns a smile towards him. "Are you new in town too?" Since he'd asked about the weather, she made the assumption.

"Nah, I ain't buying the tv ads," retorts Jack, more just says it, little emphasis. "Just a big Fiat, better than a big Nissan I guess." Then a sort of head bobble about calling his boss. Sally gets a little smile from him, the first on race day comment. "Where I can help, best I can treat at least, truck first though pitching in around that firehouse of hers." Taking a drink of his coffee, he doesn't quite let his back touch the chair back, but looks normal for him in that position it seems. One had on teh table. A shake of his head to Cole, "Nah, sometimes a storm, sometimes the sun. This is about average partner."

Cole's question gets a side-eye from Declan. His lips purse for a moment, and he doesn't answer immediately. "Rain's the rain, but this town's got its fair share of... metaphorical rain," he ballparks. "Fords," Declan replies with mild disgust. Just a little bit. "And glad to hear it," he nods between Sally and Jack. The cup of coffee is raised to his lips and sipped from quietly.

Cole nods, "Yeah, just got into town a few days ago. Still figuring out where everything is." He smiles and gives a nod of greeting to the others at the table as well. "I'm Cole. Nice to meet you." He the asks, "You own a firehouse? That sounds really cool." Then he nods to Jack about the weather, glancing over toward Declan and pausing for a moment at the mention of metaphorical rain. There's a flicker of something that crosses his expression, but he lifts his cup and conceals whatever it was behind a sip of the hot liquid.

"I can imagine Old Red is getting some new guts inside of her. Wires and plugs at the very least." Sally isn't sure what all the truck needed, she leaves that for the mechanic. "I did go get a few estimates from some places. I paid the utility deposit and the refrigerator guy is coming out. The walk in fridge and freezer seem to be working, but I'm going to make sure they don't need a shot of freon or anything. Should be good." An absent tap to the front of her notebook she'd placed on the table. A patient look is given towards Declan at his dislike of Fords though. "I'm Sally. It's nice to meet some more of the locals." Hearing Cole, she grins. "I bought the old one. I'm in the process of refurbishing it, trying to keep it like it was, but making a restaurant out of it. Firehouse Burgers and BBQ." Like him she does notice the mention of that other rain and she furrows her brow just a touch.

A slight nod to the disgust given Ford, like acceptance and agreement, one need have a favorite and look down on the others and have the hear to know the rest that don't even count among those favorites. "Even if the suns out, its raining somewhere around town." Jack furthers or agrees with the metaphorical comment on rain. "I've a guy with a Dodge before the move," to Nissan, "You should have a look some day." FOr Declan's benefit at least. He listens to the firehouse topic, looking at his cup and rolling it on its edge of the table, making a ring of contact on the ring of water that condensed there. "Its good to see something down with the place, lift the clouds off it." Metaphorical rain. "I'm considering switching from fish to burgers more full time now. She's a good cook." Throws in a plug for Sally there, giving her a look in the offer, or plug.

Declan finishes his coffee while listening to Sally talk about the station. He reaches into his pocket, pulls out a business card, and slides it over. "You need some small work done and don't have the time yourself - doors, patching pipes, tile, sinks, that kinda thing - give me a ring. I don't have much lined up right now. If you wanna finger on the pulse of which contractors are good at what, I'll give you some numbers of the good ones." If he notices their curious looks, they're ignored while he puts his wallet away. "Can't wait to try the BBQ." He looks over at Jack. "You're killin me. And not softly." Declan tries not to smirk as he says it.

"You wouldn't happen to need any more h..." Cole starts to ask, but then Declan has a whole list of contractors and seems more than capable so he quiets, instead picking up his danish and takes a bite. He has no opinions on Fords or Dodges, or any other make of car, and so he doesn't join in on that conversation other than to watch the back and forth with a little bit of a smile, seeming to find it a little bit funny. "What kind of BBQ?" he asks instead.

Accepting the card with a bright smile, Sally opens the notebook and takes out a paperclip, tacking the note inside a pocket there in a prominent place. "Thank you, this is perfect." The compliment to her cooking even draws out a sort of preening smile, sort of proud to hear feed back on her cooking. Catching that offer from Cole, cut off or not, she tries to cajole it out of him. "Do you do odd jobs? On some of the jobs that don't necessarily need licensed work, unless you're both licensed? I could always use a hand. Even after opening, I'm sure I'll need maintenance. I'm not mechanically inclined, really, even if I've tried learning before." She poises a pen over and writes Cole's first name, prepared for a phone number. "Pit mostly, I like the burnt bits on the edges. Unless there's voiced preference for something else?"

Short response to the rhetoric of killing someone, Jack returns, "Ya." Like its a given and like he might leave it at that. No need to elucidate, but he does just a little, "I respect you too much to drag it out." There could be a twitch of a counter smirk. As he considers the go around over pitching in and who's contracting and the offer for help even that seemed cut short. That rolling cup tips to Sally when she smiles, indicating he seen it, sort of a your welcome gesture with far less wods. A low mmm, sort of agreement, sort of good about pit BBQ. "Would be good to get up early just to go buy and smell it. I like pit ribs, with just enough fat." There, now he's thinking about how good it will be to try some while its a ways off before the place is up and running evne.

Declan also looks to Cole. "I step on your toes, bud? Go ahead. I'm sorry," he gestures openly. Declan adds, speaking quickly so as to not interrupt, "I'm licensed. Electric, plumbing, all fine. But I'm a handyman service, so. You want serious work or installations done in one area or another, I'm probably not your guy." He turns to Jack and shakes his head. "Thanks man. That means a lot." He pats his chest. "I got all sorts of feels right now."

"No, I mean, pit is great. I was just curious," Cole says, glancing down as his name is written. He pauses, but then gives his number anyway. "Just going to need to find some work around here sooner rather than later and odd jobs, whatever you don't need someone actually licensed to do." To Declan he shakes his head and says, "No, I was more concerned about stepping on yours. I mean, you seem to actually be licensed for the work. I'm just looking for whatever, right now." He chuckles at the exchange between Jack and Declan.

"You don't take on big jobs then, like replumbing the upstairs restroom? Or even moving the kitchen to the garage where the trucks used to park? Jack has agreed to check over a few things for me, but believe me there is plenty of work to go around and I took out a big enough loan at the bank to choke a horse." Hesitating a moment, Sally suddenly offers Cole a smile. "I have the equipment. Well, I will have it, in the little shed outback. How about lawncare and landscaping? It can be a permanent position if you're interested? Just toss me a reasonable price and I'll let you know if I can pay that." Writing her own number down on a section of a blank page, she offers it to Cole. "Call or text will be fine." Her drink is delivered and she closes her notebook to settle in for the drink. "I'll make sure ribs are on the menu then. Have to keep my auto mechanic on good terms." A grin given his way.

With a slow nod from Jack, he continues the exchange with Declan just a little. "They have therapy for that I hear, but you only get a half pack of Rainier while in session." As if, only half a pack could deter someone from attending such a session. "Sounds like a good deal if you need the work," he pitches in, taking his cup off the table for a drink, more water mixed with coffee now from his ice. He takes aa few gulps then holds it a moment in front of him. His eyes go between Cole and Declan, they're willing to pitch in to help fix up the place. "A little intake is good." In take of money, getting paid.

Not that Jack notices it, but those out of towners got just a little quiet at the big loan taking from the bank that could choke a horse. Good news for the help they harassed a little at least.

"I have two other things lined up. If you wake up before six and don't mind getting your hands dirty, I could use a second installing and cutting tile, and a few other things," Declan tells Cole. He pulls out his wallet again, checks the card to make sure it's the right one, and hands it over. "While you look for the other thing you wanna' do." He looks over to Sally. "Yeah I can do a whole bathroom. That's not really... what I mean. You want a hot water heater installed, or someone to pipe the whole place, HVAC repaired... that's all specialized work. I could do it, but it's not worth it for the customer as I spend so long reading manuals, checking plans, that kinda thing. So. I'd just be ripping you off." Plus he isn't insured for some specialized work. He thinks over the kitchen, but ends up nodding. "Yeah, I could do it. But I'd need you to give me plans for it. And I'd probably have to hire two or three temp guys, since that's a larger job. Wouldn't be cheap. Not trying to scare you off, just setting expectations." He leans back and smirks. "Damn, now you got me on the ropes. I'mma man, though. Keep throwing those low punches. You and the seventy-one could use a token victory every now and again."

Cole takes the piece of paper from Sally and glances at the number before folding it up and tucking it into his wallet, giving her a smile and a nod of his head. "I'll definitely be in touch," he says, because any paycheck is more than zero paycheck. "Can't have a BBQ joint without ribs. They're the best part." He nods in agreement with Jack, "Yeah, definitely." When Declan offers over a card and the possibility of more work, Cole accepts it gratefully, "Hey, thanks. I appreciate it. I don't mind getting up early. I still get up early to run and train." He tucks the card into his wallet as well after reading it over. He listens to the talk of the kitchen job and glances between Sally and Declan, to see if she's put off at all by the plans.

Taking mental notes from Declan, Sally nods finally. "I will keep that in mind. Thanks for the honesty, I'll maybe do a few estimates then and see where the better bargain is. I've been spending left and right, but it's sure coming together nicely. As soon as I have a tentative open date, I'll post it up in places." She sips on her coffee, pleased that Cole had agreed, and also that Declan had offered him a position as well. "I do like when everything seems to work out for the best."

Finishing his drink with a finally gulp or two, Jack holds it in his hand and uses a thumb to pick at the lid, like if it was beer bottle, he'd probably be a label peeler. Mostly quiet as the talk is shop for helping around the BBQ place or exchange of numbers. He's pitching in to help more so than needing a job, he stays out to not be in the way of the topic. Though a look up at the BBQ talk and towards Sally with a nod, like its a good idea and this talk is further proving how well a burger joint and pithouse fits in around Gray Harbor. "Nah, no victory to be had. Split a round over darts some weekend and we'll be square." A look to Sally at that, "You know, not saying darts, but going with the limited TV thing, a horseshoe pit might be something." Just a thought only, shared openly.

"Sure," Declan tells Cole as his phone buzzes. He checks it while listening to the others. "Estimates are good, yeah. I'm sorry but I need to take off. Aunt needs me." Focusing on Sally, Declan adds, "Look forward to your call, and to seeing the place up and running." He stands, nods to all of them, and says, "Take care," before walking for the exit. Chime-chime.

"Yeah, I'm really glad I stopped in for coffee," Cole says. "It's been nice meeting you all. I have a couple of calls I need to make, but I really look forward to talking to you all again soon." He finishes off the last bite of his danish and cleans off his hands before grabbing his coffee cup. He points his cup in Jack's direction and says quickly as he gets up, "Horseshoe pit sounds perfect for a BBQ place."

Bidding farewell to the other two with a smile, Sally seems to agree to the horseshow thing. "That would be sort of fun, it'd have to be out by the patio, but I don't want any kids getting hurt or anything. I'll check with my insurance and see what they have to say about it." She also finishes her coffee before settling her gaze on Jack. "Well, would you want to run by the firestation and see what's been done since you've seen it last?"

"Safety first," he agrees, quietly. Jack may not ponder safety first, good things its not his place too. "I'm sure its not much or there'd be no horse shoe places left." Of some just don't care for insurance and take th risk anyways. Looking up from toying with his cup, he meets her gaze, then there is a hint of smile there. "Course I'd like to, I can't say no." To her? He doesn't seem the type that can't actually say know. "Meet you there?"

"Meet you there." A smile given before Sally remembers belatedly, probably much like he would, "Except my truck is still at your place waiting on a part to come in. How about we walk over or I'll ride with you?" With her cup empty she leaves it on the table with the price plus tip. Her notebook is gathered though and she gets to her feet, either way they were heading out.

He considers just that, the exception. "You're really trying to go local, monkey?" Just a look to a window shows the drizzle is still there, but a nod from Jack of agreement. "Let's try the walk, not sure I've had a good one since; well, the day I got my driver's license. Time for something new." Or could be good company, the walk would take longer, something or other like that. He'll move to get the door so they can walk out, "Still burger and BBQ right, the pit sounds good and all, don't want you to lose that part of it though." Just to make conversation as they head into that light rain.

His choice surprised her but Sally seems to go in stride with it. Her notebook is tucked inside her hoodie for protection against the rain and she steps outside with him. "This town sort of grows on you doesn't it? Or maybe the people in it do too."

"Some might say it hooks you," says Jack, but squints, which makes a sort of grin as he meets the drizzle outside. "But its good company," he affirms as they head off for a walk to her place for a look over.