2020-05-02 - Get 'er Done

Things had been a little more involved about the shop for Jack. Not that work has increased so much, but rather with the idea of having a shop sponsored dirt track car and team, he was a little more involved in getting that to work. So on a day they might otherwise spend elsewhere, Jack is bringing her to the shop. In the middle of the yard is a Ford Thunderbird, classic and pure stock, ready for dirt. Some of the body is dismantled, to bring it up to speed with shop logo, other parts will come off be put on as sponsors are found certainly. Walking in with her, he says, "I'm sure Tommy can get us a really good transmission we don’t have time for a complete rebuild." There will be rebuilding, just not from a rusty piece of tranny off some pull it lot, Tommy's one of his go to parts guys in the area when he's really fishing for something good.

Coming in to work with Jack when he mentions wanting to show her his race car, Erin does look interested in it as he shows it to her. Not that she knows much about cars. Race or otherwise. "I'd sponsor you, if I had a business to advertise on there." Cutting a look towards him with a smile in her eyes. "It does sound like you've put a lot of thought into it. What is your number?" Though she's pretty sure she knows it already. "I'll go to the races and cheer you on from the stands." She walks over to the car and looks inside before turning to him with a look of concern. "You'll be safe won't you?"

While its partially exposed and not full body yet, its like any other stock car. Impressive, well built despite the light body over the frame. Any stock car would look the same, though Jack wouldn't admit that. "You just show your support, and I'll be good with your business." He says, in something of a tease as he looks over towards Erin. "I've run a rew times solo, but there has been some growth in the shop, seems fitting," he response relative to thought put into it, and to affirm he's thought of it, "34." Or, that's the only number that springs to mind, she may have noticed the updated website for the garage and seen the number there too. He walks nearer to reach out and grab her hand, giving it a squeeze, "Safety comes first, we'll build a solid cage." As safe as can be expected, he isn't slow enough to think there is a totally safe racing environment, but as safe as can be certainly.

Erin does look suitably impressed with the car, or what pride he takes in it or what it will be. Just seeing his excitement for it was enough to make her excited for him. "You know you have my full support as long as you live up to the safety first thing." Readily giving her hand over to his when he reaches for hers. "I'll have a t-shirt made with some clever saying or something with your number on it." Her lips twitch, not usually something she wears. A t-shirt, especially one with writing on it. Lacing her fingers with his, she offers a smile. "That old truck we're rebuilding for me, can we have a look at it again?" They'd postponed it for the bulk of the winter, but it was spring!

"You're only worth having if I assure I come home to you every day, right," he says, like he's reasons to be safe and she's primary on the list. Giving her a curious glance about the t-shirt, he may know that's not what she does. "You could add a ball cap, complete the image." Who knows, maybe her in t-shirt and ball cap would be hot for him, then again, any number she tries just might to that. A slight tug, to go over to the spot in the hard cleared out for her truck, its a tarp on it. He'll lift one hand to tug it off, she can help, "Body is about done, need a few more parts for the engine. If Tommy comes through on the transmission, I'll see if he has a good capacitor for your ingition to complete the wiring."

Walking over with him, her hand still in his, Erin peers at the truck once it's exposed. It's an old one. A Ford too, since he'd helped her choose it. She props a hip against the fender as she turns her head to look at him with a lopsided grin. She's going to show her nerd side, God help her. "The Flux Capacitor? Not so sure that it'll get to 88 miles per hour though."

Jack and Erin are talking out in the yard over an old Ford truck. Nearby is a partially dismantled/assembled race car. The shop doors are open and people seem to be working inside.

Turning to meet her nerd side, Jack looks taken back, "Shit, it'll hit 88 easily when we're done." As if put off by that limit, but then just a hint of grin from him, the rare side of him, maybe he has a nerd side too. "Just you ain't jumping back to 55 with this one." He got the reference it seems at least but still, "Does that make you Marty or Doc? And no, no Dolorian's, we want real cars. That ripping it to shreds, he was right about that part. For your truck, better start thinking what colors you want. Can get some upholstery done soon as we finish the body for painting, make it look good."

And to add to the vehicles in the yard, there's a motorcycle arriving now. The rider, which happens to be Rick, brings the cycle to a stop, looking around for now.

"Old trucks aren't supposed to go fast. They're slow and steady. And get really bad gas mileage since they are so heavy metal." Erin teases in response. That hint of a grin has her lifting her hand and brushing her thumb on his cheek, but it's just a brief touch, no real PDA. Mostly. "You're the mechanic, Doc. I'll be McFly." Though he mentions the colors she gasps, "Jack! You don't know already?" Though even the mock surprise has her lips tilting up on one side. "I want it all original. Color, upholstery. I want it like it just came from the floor way back when."

Hearing the new arrival, Erin looks in the direction of the parking lot and notices the bike. She nudges Jack. "All you, babe." She's no receptionist!

"I got you on the bad gas mileage, no fixing that," returns Jack, no promise on speed though, "You can take it slow and steady, show it off." There, compromise, but if she pushes the petal, its going to produce speed either way. He seems like the cordial slow going sort, but a car is meant to have power, that includes trucks. "McFly it is," he says, not smiling but she might notice amusement in his eyes. A nod as the motorcycle pulls up, "Cherry it is." Not the color, the condition and paint, factory fresh, he knws just what he's going for it seems when she says that. Then he nods and waves over the motorcycle, "Back here, come on in." Like bring the bike on into the garage and all if needed, "What can we do you for?"

Nodding a bit as he hears Jack's words, Rick offers a polite nod to both of the two, before moving the bike to the garage. "It sounded like something was wrong when I started it up," he replies, before he adds, "Figured it would be better to get it checked out by someone more competent than me, you know."

Erin realizes he intended on making it run and run great. Not that she minded speed. Ask her how fast her Maserati goes! Noticing that amusement though, she squeezes his hand and smiles, "C'mon, Doc, let's go see what the customer has to say." As they get closer, she recognizes him. "Oh Officer Rick, how have you been?" Having met and spoke with him on the beach before, she remembers him well. "Rick this is Jack, Jack, this is Rick, he's a police officer."

"A pleasue Rick," offers Jack to the man as Erin introduces. "Sounds like it could be a couple of things." He knows that doesn't explain it, but he moves closer to the man and his bike. "Refire it, and we'll give it a listen. Cold be gunk in the trans, that's an easy fix, or the ignition itself which could take a little work. If its only when you start that's good, hows it idling on you?" He asks to help with diagnosis while he sees how it fires up as part of the initial diagnosis.

Rick shrugs a little at Erin's question, "I've been... good, and bad, I guess. How about you two?" He offers a grin to Jack at the introductions. "Likewise." Nodding a little as he hears what's said. Firing it up so Jack can listen.

While Erin isn't a mechanic, she does listen, because how else can one learn? Ricks response though brings her to look at him again. "I'm sorry to hear about the bad part. I'm doing well." A smile towards Jack then she adds, "We are doing well." Falling silent as the engine starts, she looks to the mechanic for his diagnosis.

"IDoing well too," returns Jack listening then cutting his hand over his throat, saying to kill the engine. "Sorry about that bad, getting better, or?" Like can talk about it or not, its Rick's choice. "Let me clean up the ignition, but you're going to want to flood the engine just a little next few times you start it up. Just a little residue in there, fire it up that way with extra gas in the carb and it'll burn it off. I'll check the wires on your ignition when I clean it out here." He moves to get some tools and get to work on that. His tools are clean and doesn't need that many of them, he brings them in the box on wheels to get to work. "I can't do a bike myself, but I like the engine being right there ready to work on."

"Occupational hazard, I guess," Rick replies at Erin's words, offering her another smile. "I'm glad to hear you're doing well." Killing the engine when instructed, he nods a bit at Jack's words. "Sounds good. This one has helped me get all across the continent, so I need to make sure it's well taken care of, right?"

"I suppose you're right," Erin tells Rick with a smile, but again, she doesn't interrupt the diagnosis of the engine. A piece of machinery, she has absolutely no idea. Give her something in medicine though? She's much better at the human body. She remains silent for now while Jack listens. Once the engine is off though, she smiles at Rick. "Not planning on going anywhere are you?"

"I hear you," offers Jack towards Rick, looking up from where he's popping off the ignition to check it out more. "You choose the bike, its taken care of you, returning the favor. Come by more regular, we'll keep it in good condition for you." Offered over, he goes back and cleans it up a little. He does at one point patch some of the wire with electrical tape, assuring the firing is constant on that one. He does turn up a little at the idea of Rick going somewhere, just to listen, she knows him better it seems. He works to fixing that and putting it back on, "Yeah, just throttle it a little before starting to spray more gas in there before you start it up the next few times, it'll get smoother the more you do that." He works to get it all back together, just a touch of work.

"Thanks," Rick offers to Jack, nodding a bit, before he shakes his head at Erin's words, "Not at the moment, no. Why?"

"I was only curious. Getting your bike in pristine working order. I thought you may be going somewhere this spring, or a vacation for the summer. I wasn't sure." Erin gives Rick a reassuring smile as Jack works. At the advice she laughs a little. "Sometimes it doesn't hurt to clear out the cobwebs? That's what I do with my baby." Her Maserati. "I take it out to a long stretch of road and let her loose." Ahem, he's a cop! "Within.. reason." Adding the last.

The man takes his bike, squares away tab for the labor and all is good. Jack comes back around to clean his tools off and put them all back in place, like a surgeon, each on is delicate (delicate enough for a 5 ton to drive over them without damaging the tools). "Within reason? You're saying you're a reasonable woman now." That for him is teasing, only for her though in the moment the fellow has left. "Same with your truck, keep it in reason when we get it out on a road here soon. We can probably take it out in a week or so, try it out before we slap paint on the body." Most of it is primer, no rust visible now, there has been progress and he's the detail sort where it looks like primer but is silky smooth to the touch, lots of hours slowly sanding it to perfection for him.

A brief goodbye to the officer before Erin gives her attention fully back to Jack as she watches him care for his tools. "I have never claimed to be reasonable. But I'm trying more often than not lately. I guess I've grown up a lot recently. I'm still spoiled monetarily, just no longer by my family. I've been getting advice and making investments that are looking good in the more immediate. I've also done some more long term. We'll see how it goes. I like the life to which I was born into and have become accustomed." Her smile stretches into a more self indulgent look even if momentarily. Hey, it is what it is. Her eyes fall on the truck again and she tilts her head before looking at his truck. "I see a race in our future. Quarter mile?" So maybe she knows a touch about racing. Just things Jack has taught her over time.

Looking over with his eyes from time to time, even while his face is turned down to the tools, Jack shows he's listening to her. She might catch a little grin when she admits not claiming to be reasonable, and more agreement about her maturity and investments. "You're you, kid, just you own it now. It looks good on you." Self indulgent maybe but responsible to keep it that way by making smart choices. "Oh, some challenge, I need to make that thing faster then your foreign job. Faster, its already more powerful." A slight grin again, maybe confidence, at least in the power. He'd much rather have the ford in a foot of snow over the sports car, for sure.

"I admit I was spoiled growing up and I'm still a little spoiled now. Only now, I'm spoiling myself. So the investments made sense and so does my employment at the hospital. I'm doing that and training further in nursing to be a registered nurse. Those are always needed. It would also explain my..." Erin looks to him and totally changes the trajectory of what she was going to say.. "uncanny knack for diagnosing issues and helping guide in the recovery." Yes, totally. She walks back over to the truck and laughs a little. "I don't want her for speed. I have speed. I want her for durability and show. She's classy."

Eyes still looking her way from time to time, it seems Jack is in agreement with her, nothing wrong with investments and spoiling herself. She gets when he spoils her, in his own way, not same level as her growing up and all, but in his ways. "Always needed, contributing." To society, part of it, with it, with him. A slight nod on her knack, no denying, accepting how she describes it even. "Then she'll be classy, that's fair enough." A slight look her way, "What's the challenge then, what do I need for this quarter mile?" He wants to know what's competing it seems, so he knows what he needs to do to get to this race.

"Your truck and mine. The one I borrowed from you to get the Christmas tree for the house this past Christmas." Erin ponders location but only for a little bit. "After rounding the dangerous curve outside of town, we'll take that road late at night, it's a long, straight stretch. We'll do it so we can see for a long distance if other cars are coming. I don't want to cause anymore wrecks out there." She said anymore.. because that curve is where her parents had been murdered when their brake lines had been severed.

COnsidering it as she speaks, his head slowly nods as she describes the road. Maybe familiar enough with the curve itself, but knowing the long straight portion. "Allright, we'll keep everything on the level." In her truck, his was more regular work, if hers was refurbished street legal, should be a good race in his mind. "I win, you take the truck on your Detroit trip when we go." So they both have something nice to cruise in maybe? "You win, you set that condition. I'm good for it." He did open himself up there but Jack had a trust in her that she wouldn't lead him astray.

"Me take mine? What about your baby?" His ooold one, the car. "I want to travel together. Not separate. So we would have to take just one. Unless we rent a car hauler." Which was doable. "I'll think of a condition then, a wager if you will. I hadn't considered terms on the race, but it certainly ups the ante." She watches him a moment before looking back towards the truck, actually getting an idea. "I think I know. But I won't say until the race is over."

"Oh, we'll share, and take a hauler." In fact, he probably was thinking that anyway, instead of taking the coupe cross country. Jack nods, "If I'm cruising, I need a good looking girl at my side." More, here, he means. Looking her way. "There you go, after the race." A beat is missed, "Makes me curious though." Like, he could throw the race, by his words, but she knows him better then that, he wouldn't throw any race, winners have to win fair and square in his books. "We better get working on that truck then, figure out who's gonna win." He goes to push tools closer to the yard garage, "You getting your hands dirty today?" He doesn't mind working with her at all, showing her what she's doing, let her try her hand at repair work when they're both here. If not, they can figure out something else to do certainly.

Erin is aware she is being mysterious and she counts on that reaction from him which makes her smile all the more secretively. Just to make him curious. "I agree, we better get working on it." There's a look to her manicure before she brow waggles at him and she shakes her head. "Not a chance," but she does dip her hands into her pockets and pull on some plastic gloves. Those tighter fitting ones. "I will sand, you tinker." She loved sanding the truck, it was mostly finished though, the body of it. Walking over, she makes a show of lifting the tarp off the unfinished portion. It won't take long. "Tomorrow is May the Fourth. Are we doing anything to celebrate? Star Wars marathon?"

That puts a smile in his eyes, the mystery of it, she'll keep him guessing or pondering at least. "Always prepared, I'll have to figure out what to make of a woman that likes doing the work and keeping soft hands." Or clean at least, best of both worlds he supposes. "You know what's left, I'll get us ready under the hood." Completely agreement, he liked the tinkering part anyways. "May the Fourth. I suppose we should do that." He might not be a huge Star Wars fan, but he could celebrate one day a year. "Marathon it in the background." Like some folks might do certain Christmas movies while decorating. THe movies on but not full attention on the movie so much as background noise.

Erin always had fun keeping him guessing and as she works, she looks over at him. His comment brings a quiet smile to her and she gets back to work, the mysterious smile still in place. Certainly Erin isn't a Star Wars fan, but there was the thing of paying tribute to a classic. The banter continues while they both work, exchanging looks or smiles now and again, they'll break for lunch and spend lots of time in the office. With the door locked. And the blinds closed.