Pete laughed and patted his boss on the back. “No worries, man. But to mock you before I humor you, they’re all important.” He repeated Jake’s often used words back to him. “I can do it.”
Jake’s face broke into a grin. Relief settled in knowing that he first, didn’t insult Pete, and second that he could capture the art in all its glory to his skin. “Thanks man. I’ll owe you.” He paused, shoving the paper they had been staring at back into a portfolio. “Just one more thing, I don’t want anyone knowing about it.”
Pete stared at him for a moment, before his tongue snaked out and toyed with the piercing he had on his lip. “How the hell do you plan on hiding that?”
Jake grinned. “Not for long, just until it’s complete.”
Pete looked at him as if he’d flown the coup. He’d been getting that look a lot lately, since he and Cara came back from Manhattan. The digs started rolling in, about how they never saw him smile so fucking much, how he kept staring at his phone, and how the wandering women that would parade through Riverdale Ink, seemed to have all disappeared.
“Next Thursday, good for you? The track will be closed no racing.” Pete said as he grabbed his leather jacket from the back of his stool.
“Perfect. You are heading out to the track now?”
“Yeah. I have some adjustments I need to make to my bike. Aren’t you racing tonight too?”
Jake grinned. “I’m popping my cherry tonight.”
Since he had bought his Harley, he’d taken an interest in racing. Pete had turned him onto it and there was this old abandoned track in the next town that one could catch a glimpse of the most beautiful pieces of machinery this side of New York. Thursday’s were usually dedicated to racing down at the track, but lately there had been a few new faces at the track introducing the old ones to stunt riding. Jake’s bike wasn’t really equipped for such stunts, but he was going to start off tonight with some basics. His bike was too heavy to operate like a stunt bike but if he got the knack of it he’d probably buy a motorbike.
“I’m doing some stunts tonight. You know the basics.” Jake amended, deciding he’d leave the racing to Pete for the night.
Pete studied his boss for a fleeting minute. “Ride safe.” He said before heading out towards the door.
Jake watched him exit the door and his brother enter it. Jake smiled and wiggled his eyebrows at Luke.
“Whoa, last I check it wasn’t my birthday, what brings by my big brother.”
Luke glanced around the shop then back at him. “Is that how you really feel?”
Jake rolled his eyes and began to pack up his backpack. He didn’t have any other clients tonight the other artists could handle the walk-in’s. “I’m kidding, calm down Mr. Sensitive.” Then he looked at his brother, skeptically. “Where’s your sidekick?”
“Despite what most people think, Nick and I aren’t joined at the hip.”
“I wasn’t referring to Nick, I meant the cute little blonde. She’s about three and a half feet, big blue eyes that would light up the darkest of dungeons.” He smiled as he referred to his daughter.
“She’s with Sam for the night, girl time.” Luke sighed and shoved his hands into his pockets.
Jake studied him, he looked edgy, which was not the usual. Very little bothered him, and if it did Luke rarely let it show. The mere fact that he came looking for Jake, told him one thing, his brother was bothered by something. Why he decided to use Jake as his sounding board, was a mystery to him, his brother never turned to him for a damn thing
“What’s bugging you?” Jake asked, trying to exuberate, nonchalance like only he could.
Luke simply shrugged his shoulders. “It’s nothing. I didn’t realize you were done for the night, I’m sure…“
“Whoa, what’s going on with you?” Jake peered at him. ‘Luke, you never come looking for me to talk to, so the fact that you did, means one of two things. Either shits real bad and you have no one else to talk to or you need a little dose of Jake and all his antics.” He shrugged. “I’m told I’m good medicine.”
Luke almost cracked a smile but he raised an eyebrow. “By who?”
He looked at him as if he it was common knowledge and he lived under a rock. “Who else? Cara.” And as if it was second nature, the mention of her name brought an instant smile on his face.
Luke smiled, genuinely. “Mom told me you took your head out of your ass and finally made things official between you and Cara.”
“Go on tell me, I’m her favorite child now, aren’t I?”
Luke laughed briefly. “You may very well be.” He paused and looked at his brother in wonder. “What made you finally take the plunge?”
He shrugged, and spoke the truth. “I didn’t want to wake up one day and regret that I had the best thing in my life and let it slip away because I was too chicken shit. I love her and I’m so tired of pretending I don’t.” It was really that simple. He couldn’t contain how much he felt for Cara and masquerading those feelings were driving him crazy.