Chapter 10
10:47 Erik's phone read when he checked the time after throwing his rental into park. Two small semi trucks waited for him, their long bodies stretching across the front of the building, hiding the entrance.
Erik walked up to the cab of the first one, a white truck barely larger than his rental, and spoke to the Hispanic man smoking a cigarette and staring at his phone. "Hey partner, I'm ready when you are."
The man looked up and spoke with a thick accent, "Okay, I coming."
Erik walked to the next truck, a yellow cab over with a polished steel fuel tank and spiked lugnuts. The driver was an older, hardy looking woman with thick lines in her face and bright eyes. Her voice sounded sweet and gravely like she had smoked her whole life. "Are ya ready for me too?"
"Yeah, let's do it!"
He unlocked his front door and a half hour later several pallets of supplies were waiting to be put away. He tipped both drivers a hundred dollars for unloading his stuff and he set about unwrapping them. He made a mental note to himself to get Bob's number so that next time he could help put things away.
It took him over two hours to get all of the liquor and beer put away but when he was done, he felt sure he would be stocked for over a week.
Sitting down in one of the rolling chairs and looking at the empty, unlit stage, Erik began thinking about his next problem; renovation.
A knock sounded on his open door and Erik swiveled to find a shadow blocking the light. "Hello?" a soft African American voice called.
"Yeah, can I help you?" Erik stood, peering at the figure. It moved inwards and a moment later Erik was face to face with a tall, lean man with close cropped hair in a wave style, dark skin, and a polo shirt with stylized rips at the hems. Lean muscle rippled like waves across his arms and neck.
"Yeah, I saw the door open and your truck out there and I was hoping to talk to someone about a job." His voice made Erik think of the sound a blanket made when you pulled it up to your chin; soft and welcoming.
"Well, I am looking for some help. What skills do you have?"
The visitor shifted his weight to one leg. "Well, I've done mostly construction before I was in the military, then I was a grunt, know what I'm saying? Now, I'm basically ready to do anything and I enjoy being around women, especially topless ones."
Erik nodded, grinning himself. "I understand, it is a nice perk."
Someone else stepped through the open door unannounced. The first visitor twisted and Erik looked around him to find three large men strutting into the entranceway.
"Hello, can I help you?" Erik called out.
"Yeah," a male voice said with a thick Boston accent. The three figures were in the light so Erik couldn't make out individual features. "We heard the'waz a new guy on th'block."
"Yeah, that's me," Erik said.
The man took a few steps inside, resting his arm on the podium near the front door, his partners following. Shadows distorted his face, but Erik could see he was wearing a suit. "Is there somewhere we can talk business?" the Boston accented man asked.
"Not really, don't have much of an office."
"That's a shame. Why dontcha come by my awffice sometime then? We can tawlk business." He reached into his suit jacket and pulled out a card, then set it on the podium. Without a word the party of three left.
After a moment, Erik turned back to his African American visitor who stood with his shoulders slanted. "Can you do security? Throw out the bad apples and pitch in wherever needed?"
"Yeah man, I can do that. Whatever you need brother, I got your back."
"Alright, I'll pay you fifteen an hour, but I'm going to work you hard. You could be in the DJ booth one minute, fetching ice for the bartender the next. Sound good?"
"Solid as rocks my man, I can do that. My name is Allen. When should I start?"
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