2019-11-06 - Take a Mark, Leave a Mark

Whistling can be heard from just down the street a little as a sort of short red-head approaches. She's got her hands shoved into her pockets and she's walking up towards the shop. For a moment, the whistling stops. were the garage doors open? For real? Oh hell yeah! Her booted feet increase pace as she approaches the business.

A good old shop, he'll work on anything too, including helping others fix up old rods. One is up now, some old ford, its in streed rod condition. Lots of rust and primer but its propped up an there is work being done. Including Jack who's coming out from under, with an silver wrench. Not so silver, as much greased as are his arms at the moment, but he reaches for a rag. Not to wipe his arms, but the important stuff, that tool, as he walks over to put it down for the moment. Clean before it goes to where it rests, the whistling catching his attention.

Just the shop she was looking for. Or one of the last in town. Shauna stops whistling when she notices someone inside working. "Hey!" Shauna calls before he can close any of the doors or anything0

And she steps inside. "Hey, you Jack?" Much as she tries to hide it, the woman has an Irish accent. "Or do you know where I can find him?"

"Hey yourself," he calls back in greeting, putting the wrench down and moving a little, letting her come in just the same, to meet him halfway, and inside the garage at least where its warmer than the outside autumn air. "You find him, Jack, at your service." He sort of lifts a hand, palm out, indicating himself. He finds a work bench to park a hip against at least, "What can I do you for?" Cause, literally, it could be anything, work on a car, a job, something else entirely and he's not sure and not going to guess.

"Well finally." Amusement glitters in her green eyes. "I'm Shauna Carrick. I don't have so many references and not a real clean police record, but I'm smart and I know how to mechanic and do body work. I'm looking for a job for a little independence away from my brother."

As he rests, Jack gives consideration, more to her eyes, caught by the glitter there. A slow nod is returned as his arms fold at his chest. "Well, Shaune, good thing I'm not asking for references or background checks. Whoever sent you sent you right though. Patrick left a few weeks ago, moved back up near Canada." Which really isn't that far away, no telling how far he moved, that Patrick. "You pull your weight, we'll be square. I need clean books, so I'll need to make it legit." As in not over the counter pay, but paycheck and such. Just cause he doesn't know how clean her record is, but is being up front.

"Hey, yeah, definitely. The paycheck works for me! I like honest pay for honest work. As a matter of fact, the Medical Examiner offered me work on his car today. I'll redirect him here if you're hiring me." A hand is offered, she doesn't seem to mind greasy hands at all. "Your misfortune on losing your man is my fortune."

"It comes around in a town like this," he says, more somber then his usual demeanor even, but Jack lets it ride the same too. "You ready to get dirty," he asks reaching over to take her hand with a shake. "I'm halfway through getting the manifold," of the exhaust sort, "Off this beast, we double up on it see what comes of that." He does look her over, "You can grab a dickie from the office there, may be a little big." In case she's keeping her clothes clean or something, but its on the spot job. "If you need time, let me know when you can start." A pause, he rubs his chin, smudges a bit of grease there to go with another mark or two. "Or bring in that Examiner, you can moon light here if a slot is open in evenings. Keeping one for me, and hoping the others don't have something going on, just kick a little back for overhead on utilities."

Just wearing boots, a white tee and jeans, she has an unzipped hoodie over it. All Shauna does is remove her hoodie and reach for a rag which she stuffs a corner in her back pocket to leave it dangling there for when she needed it. "How about I start right now and we get this exhaust manifold off? See what else we can get done." She considers him a moment. "I'll work after dark for you, but it will be for you."

"Take time for yourself, kid," he says, not really knowing any age difference most likely, just rolls out there. Jack shrugs though, "Just not to shark your examiner there. You got that work legit yourself, you get the pay for it. If you need space for it, you have it. We can figure out what hours we need you here." Pushing off the bench with his hip, he moves to get some sockets and an extender, air compressor is nearby if needed, seems he likes trying hands first. Then starts heading for the vehicle, "Use what you need, just put it back in its place." Toolwise, she could probably find a socket wrench and more sockets to join right in as she seems ready. They can talk as they work it seems. Once there is the sound of socket wrenches ratcheting, he strikes up conversation again. "So, criminal record, ran all the way across the Atlantic or been here a while?" He picked up that accent of hers.

Shauna doesn't really pay any attention to age either, she's here for a job and that's what she notices. That he has a working shop and seemed to be responsible and knowledgable was all that was important to her. Selecting a few tools herself, she smiles. "Ready when you are. Also, if you need a parts runner, I can do that too. Just anything you need. Criminal record is here and Seattle."

He's already under the car, cranking the wratched/socket wrench. "Should have enough space now to pull it out, just detatch what you can on the other side there," he calls over to her. "I'm sure you could run parts, but if you're a good mechanic, would rather have you in the shop." He pauses, his head stuck up under the car to get near the exhaust. "Unless you're telling my your fast too." A pause as he looks at her. Then back to loosening things on his side to get the part out. "So, came to the states and converted to the dark side. All too true." In dead seriousness, demeanor wise at least. "Funny that, I've barely been 50 miles out of town here and there, Seattle, a few nearby places. I'm fine right here. Just curious where abouts you're from Shauna." He goes right for first name, sort of the thing one does working under a car, far less formal there.

Shauna slides beneath the car on her back and gets busy loosening the bolts with the correct socket and pocketing the bolts so she doesn't lose them anywhere. Especially if there's a drain in the floor. "Better mechanic than a driver or the Captain wouldn't have pulled me over." She smirks a little and helps him finish the last of the bolts. "Came out to the states, hung with the wrong guy, got in trouble. There's a long story and I'm hiding out from him. He's in Seattle, he'd not expect me to come here."

"Fair enough," returns Jack, continuing to work on his side too. Similar habit, holting onto the bolts, not putting them on the floor or anywhere unsafe. There is drain certainly, not close to them. Ceremic floors to help get water there with a floro squiggy, but no bolt danger, its there. "Sounds like you figured out the problem at least. You're in good company here." If trouble showed up, to a degree at least, good environment is all he's saying, good coworkers from his perspective. "Captain, like military? You did some time with the, whatever they do there." Some Irish army?

For a little bit, Shauna works with him in silence before she smiles over at him. "Captain, like the police captain here in town. I was going to fast, he wanted to pull me over. I wasn't in the mood to be pulled over so I sped off. Not smart, I went to jail and spent a few weeks there." Hey, something to be said for full disclosure. "I've never been in trouble for anything over a misdemeanor though, no felonies or anything. Though the guy looking for me is a cop and he swore he'd pin anything on me he could to see me caught. So I don't know. He just wanted me back. I kept running."

"Yeah," Jack agrees as he listens, taking it in as the work under the old car. He says it a couple of times even, not too much. twice or thrice maybe. "Gotcha, less fast, more mechanic work on the up and up. But you like driving you're saying?" OR she was, he's seeing where she's coming from is all. "That sounds like you need a lawyer, protect yourself, like trouble you don't need. Or, he's raising too much trouble to get you back, you worth it?" Is that a tease, or seeing how she answers, or just keeping conversation going, makes the work go faster sort of a thing?

"Of course I'm worth it. Not that he'll ever know. He's an asshole and he doesn't deserve me." Shauna doesn't go into personal details or anything but she's not lacking in confidence either. She continues working, confident in her abilities as well. "So, what's your story? I've already told you a good portion of mine."

"Good," he agrees, and she might not see it under the car, but a rare hint of grin from him at her confidence. But then Jack is back to working, but a slight pause, "Me, oh you no, local guy, never went anywhere. Enjoys home to much or something." A shrugs from Jack, then he starts to work again, "I mean, usual stuff, I enjoy what I do. No trouble with the law around here, kept my noise clean. I'm from Washington state, so if you ask what I'm drinkings its Reiner. Like you might say Guiness or whatever you prefer back home. Here, you drink Reiner. I like cars, raced a little amateur, but got married, stuck to being a mechanic then, tried for a bit to make that work. Guess I'm a better mechanic."

Shauna happens to glance his way about the time he gives a hint of the grin and she smiles back. "You know, you're hot when you smile." So she gives compliments easy too, recognizing it where she sees it. "Nothing wrong with home when it's a safe place to go. Home in Ireland was safe, but I wanted to see the United States. Someone told me that to die before seeing the United States of America is to die blind. I wanted to know what I was missing." Listening, she grins back over at him. "I drank whatever my da served me in his pub. Since a wee age." She looks impressed at the thought of him racing. "If you ever need a pit crew, I can change tires and work on engines. Even high performance. Get your heads ported and polished, your back of your car tubbed out, a plastic fuel cell, some roll bars and knock out the glass on one of the junk cars around here and we'll get you set. Or we could host a demolition derby. That would be great. I think we should do that. I can get my Jeep out of impound and drive it in there. I can't drive it again on the highway. My ex guy will know the plate and find me."

"Yeah, hot you say," he look over her way under the car. "Its why I don't smile much, then I get trouble like you coming my way." Which is all a tease, as Jack gets back to focusing on the manifold. "Yeah, It should be safe shouldn't it. Here is home, can't argue a lick either way of safe though." He shrugs though at the thought for now. "Maybe, you get the jeep out when you can, we can see about starting something up. There's a shortrack not to far away." Other town, "They get things going now and again. Throw in for a race or demolition if you like. We can change up your plates, keep it safe here, let you die less blind, see more over here." A humph, or was that a chuckle at the idea. "You're cute yourself there Shauna, even when your not smile, so that's a lot of trouble you got going on."

"Mmhm," Shauna agrees easily to the hot she says comment. "Something tells me you don't back down from a bit of trouble. Here I am telling you about my ex and the trouble he could bring and you're still inviting me in. At least that doesn't make me an uninvited guest." Her hands still for a moment. "Yeah? ou're up for the derby thing next town over?" That pleases her and Shauna gets busy as she contemplates it. "You kow, finding you here has taken me quite awhile. I never believed good things came to those who wait till now. I think this is good. We'll get some cars going and race them or derby them. And we'll work together." Then he mentions her looks and she looks over at him a moment, a smile resting on her face. "I hope you don't back down from trouble."

"I think we established what I back down from, it ain't trouble," returns Jack, slightly turned her way but still cranking at something up in the guts of the car. "Can't say I'm trouble, but I'm not the sort to get walked on either. Who knows if its a good thing or note, but if you needed work and some focus is what you needed at the time, then the wind blew you in the right direction kid." More work continues, "So, is that it, you inviting me out for a drink and some local sport like darts or bowling, or that just a tease I sense in your voice girl?"

Kid. "Actually, no, what is it you do back down from?" Shauna hesitates a moment, eyeballing a small pool of liquid near the rear main seal. She runs her finger through it and drags it back, rubbing her thumb and finger together, feeling the grit, smelling the burnt oil smell. Could have dripped down. She waits a moment and watches for another one as she considers him. "I don't go for a guy who allows himself to get walked on. I like them tougher than that." Her brows rise. "I'm not good at bowling and if I'm asking you out for a beer and darts, you're drinking what I buy for you. Which will have to wait on payday. I'm toe up, financially."

There is a little pause from Jack, "Weird shit, whatever you call it. Ghosts or whatever. Don't know if that's real, but I'm not fucking with that." Straight up, honest, he wouldn't mess with it. Whether that really means back down our not is anyone's guess. He does look over as she checks the oil drip, sees if she figures things out. "Well, then I'm asking, drinks and pretend to throw some darts. You can return the favor when you get your first check." Like there is that distinction, job is good no matter what is said on going out for darts or not even. "And if I'm not smiling enough to earn beers with you, I'll work on that later, for when you do get paid."

Shauna gives a light shrug, "No idea what you're talking about. I mean, I saw a huge tadpole but never any ghosts. I just punched it in the face." She doesn't mess with whatever unspoken thing is out there either. She's ultimately unable to tell if the oil there dripped from something else or is a rear main seal leak. A smirk is given his way, "If you're offering to buy me a beer and play darts, I'm accepting." Liking the way he starts small. Like, who doesn't do beer and darts? Especially the Irish!

"Don't know about a tadpole," returns Jack, eyeing her as she examines more of the car they're working on. "But darts are for keeps mind you. Don't hold back cause you think I can't play, I went either." A pause he finishes a finale bolt. "All straight." Then a hint of grin, "I'll get a roller we can drop this out to workon it, if you're into something there, keep on it. It's a shop project, ain't done until we're all good with it." Then he slides out to find to get the roller for the manifold so they can drop it out.

"Yeah I don't know about that tadpole as much as you don't know about it too." Shauna does keep looking after that possible leak and when she comes out she gives a shake of her head. "Not a rear main seal leak. Good news there." Her lips quirk and she reaches for the rag to wipe her hands, unaware there's a smear over her temple too. "We take darting seriously in Ireland too. So beware. You've been warned." Squatting down, the rag goes to her back pocket again before she lays back and squelches under the car again so they can work together on the rest.

He comes back and kicks the device under for the manifold. Noticing the forehead smear. "Okay it's official, you're crew, you wear grease just as well as ask of us." And a nod to agree, looks good on her be the way his eyes give a look over. Then he's getting back down to help with that exhaust. "Let's roll this out clean it up a bit, I want to see if we can reuse .. Or we need to find another, make a parts run." He brings a towel to lay on the rolling platform so the part doesn't drip all over. He has a rag down there and reaches it over near her temple, "Unless you like it there, but you did wipe your hands."

Shauna catches the roller and helps him spread the towel over it. "Hopefully it can be rebuilt." But parts runs weren't so bad either. She was legally licensed, she didn't mind those too. Turning her face towards him, she stills when he wipes at the grease she'd known nothing about and there's a grin from her. "Thanks, I didn't even see it. Or feel it." Both hands go to the manifold beneath the engine block and she prepares to help lower it with him. "On your three."

"Got your back, s'all good kid," says Jack getting what he can wiped off. A little grin as she does the same, not in control there it slips out. A shrug and nod about rebuilding, whatever it's gonna take to make the street rod hot again. "Always been into cars, or that's the side business for the pub back home," as he gets in position to remove the part. And he gives a moment too for her to get ready. She says on his count, so he gives it. "Two .. Three," gets it going warning enough to be ready but not to much delay.

Shauna remains still while he wipes off the grease, green eyes glittering beneath the vehicle as he finishes. "I have a large family. Lots of brothers and sisters. Several of my brothers were into rebuilding cars and they taught me. My oldest brother, Ryan, came over recently when I got into trouble. He's more into tech." He counts, she helps move the heavy part to the rolling board and will help him roll it out also, sliding out along with him. "What about you? You said you've lived here all your life?"

As they move the manifold down without damaging it more or the equipment, he's silent, making sure they both have their end just right. Its a quick process, they do well, and Jack lets go when its resting steady. Before they roll out or the exhaust manifold does, he responds. "Something like that. I've been here my whole life, other than a few day drives haven't spent much time out of the area. I'm comfortable I guess." He shrugs, "We have are dirty closets, like any town, who know's whats in them, but we have our good moments too here. I live for the good ones, front up to the bad ones until they pass, and get back to good days. Today's turned into a good one so far."

Shauna is in no hurry to climb back out from beneath the vehicle. She does listen to him about being from here and what comes with it. "I guess you must like it if you've never been far from here. That's pretty cool though." She wipes her hands again, comfortable in the moment. "It's been surprisingly good. I've never been able to catch you here until now, I feel like it's been my lucky day and then you put me straight to work."

"Can't let talent go to waste," returns Jack. Then a pause he turns to look at her, pushing the manifold out so he can turn to side just enough to look her way. "You played it straight with me so far, you need work. We can always use help and can afford it right now. It works out. I've been busy lately trying to get this thing in here." He thumbs up at the car above them, its a mid 50s fairlane, or will be win its in good condition. "So, fortune favors the bold or whatever, got her her, got you her, we'll see how this plays out you know. Got some good hands on you, and then some more, added bonus I'd say. But don't let me take advantage, tell me if I say too much. You're in control of your work environment, we respect each other here too. I still want the darts, and if that doesn't go well, you still have work here." He doesn't want to overcross anything.

"Thanks for grabbing me up then." Shauna smiles at him. She does recognize the flirting for what it is, but appreciates the reassurances that the job is hers no matter what. "You said you were married, does the fat of you asking me out, am I reading that right that you're no longer married then?" Hoping that she had been reading the situation right and that he's not in fact the married man looking for more on the side.

A nod, "Well, being formal and all then, thanks for being grabbed." Then he smirks oddly, in any other context. Jack looks at her more serious then, "No longer married. I'm not that kind of trouble, I wouldn't try to bring that. Just, is what it is. Same as this police officer trouble in Seattle, is what it is. You're here now. We go for darts, see how that goes, either way, stick it out in the shop. You got some hands on you, we need good mechanics here, so that's win win enough to see where it goes you know kid?" Then a head turn, "Let's go check on this manifold, before it gets jealous." Then he taps her head lightly, leaving a greasemark near where he wiped the other up. Take a mark, leave a mark or something.

Why ever Shauna was relieved, she wouldn't stop to think about, but she was. About his marriage thing. All in the past. Her trouble, his trouble. No need to worry about it. "Darts it is. Tonight or tomorrow." She finds herself smiling as he encourages them get back to work, tapping on her forehead. She laughs and reaches up, smearing it this time. Take a mark, leave a mark indeed. Time for work!