all my friends know the low rider (open)

[acuerdo]

CHARACTERS: Robbie Reyes and You
LOCATIONS: The Garage and Elsewhere in Town
WARNINGS: None at the moment but should that change, I will edit.
SUMMARY: An Open Catch All Log. Closed Starters in the Comments. If you would like a closed starter, or if you want to run something by me, as always, I'm available on plurk or discord (heatwave#1853)

[maybe you've seen the flyers up around town advertising the 19.95 cuddlebuck oil change special or heard the ecclectic mix of music from somewhere down the road. perhaps you need a new battery or maybe you're interested in some custom work — lights, exhaust, body work, or paint. whatever your reason for making your way to the garage today, you'll most likely find a shirtless robbie reyes with his head under the hood of some car. even though summer is quickly coming to a close, cadelle's warm weather hasn't let up, and the air conditioner is sadly out of commission.

maybe it's all that time spent with his roommate, but robbie's likely humming or quietly singing along as he's focused on diagnosing a problem. if he doesn't immediately notice your arrival, just give a shout. he'll be with you before long.

just... give him at minute to grab a rag and clean off his hands. no one wants a greasy handshake, right?]

Comments

▸ garage

[myownwoman]

[ it took a few weeks, but gaby finally finds the garage. she needs to make that money so she and natasha can buy their dance studio redux. she does not know who tupac or dr dre are (and she isn't quite sure she likes the music), but that doesn't stop her from moving inside, lingering by back of one of the cars before she notices the person working at the hood of the car.

she leans over, craning her neck to notice that that man sure is shirtless, before straightening up and clearing her throat. ]

Excuse me. [ maybe she should have worn pants to try to find a job in a garage but she only has a garbage pair of jeans and her coveralls so they wouldn't make a very good first impression. ]

[acuerdo]

[maybe it's not wise that he'd turned his music up super loud today, or maybe the choice of 90s west coast rap was a poor one. either way, robbie isn't as sharp as usual, doesn't hear gaby make her way into the garage. so when she does finally hear her call out to him —

banging his head against the hood of the car probably doesn't lend itself to great first impressions either. robbie rubs what already feels like one hell of a lump on his skull — oh well it should be gone by the following morning — and offers a greeting by way of nod, followed by a sheepish look because here's this put together woman who looks a bit like someone pulled her straight out of a bond flick — of the sean connery or roger moore era thank you very much — and here he is looking like a half naked grease smudged hooligan.]

Hey there.

[and to give himself something to do so that this isn't some kind of live action recreation of lady and the tramp, robbie wipes the smudges off his face and hands, grabbing his discarded henley off his tool cart. a hasty couple of tugs makes him decent but still feeling more than a little shabby standing near her.]

Are you here to chat with me about the quality of German engineering again? [because he hasn't forgotten the rather pleasant conversation they'd last had and is in fact happy to pick back up on that if that's why she's here.]

[myownwoman]

[ GABY WOULD UNDERSTAND A LADY AND THE TRAMP REFERENCE. (and also james bond, though admittedly from russia with love still hadn't be released yet.)

it's true though, she looks adorable, hair in a ponytail so bouncy that it would make a cheerleader weep in jealousy, sunglasses pushed back like a headband, cute little dress that is always a couple centimeters on the too short side because that's how gaby likes it.]

Don't you American boys love the Spyder? The Porsche 550. [ she shrugs, eyebrows lifting as her mouth slants into a half smirk. james dean did all the work for her though it's not her particular preference of german cars. her fingers drum against the car he was working on, moving closer gracefully now that she is definitely allowed inside, looking at home in a greasy, oil-stained garage. ] That's only half why I came.

[acuerdo]

[if ever there were awards given out for criminally short hemlines that make grown men want to weep tears of joy, gaby deserves at least a dozen of them. it's only the fact that she's filling the space between them with words that he can actually focus on something other than legs that seem entirely too long for such a compact frame.]

Some. Not all. Where I'm from there seems to be an obsession with cars that are more plastic than steel. [if he makes a grimace, please forgive him. robbie doesn't hate modern materials as much as he implies, but he definitely doesn't understand why anyone would want to drive something so... light.] So, if not just a chat about your favorite cars, how can I help you?

[myownwoman]

[ that's disgusting. gaby would be disgusted by cars in 2017. take a moment to imagine her seeing a pt cruiser. you're welcome. regardless, she looks... displeased. give her a classic racing car in french blue any day.

trying to push the thought of tupperware cars out of her mind, she breathes out a slow breath, picking up a wrench without thinking about it, twisting it between her fingers. ]

I'd like a job.

[ she gestures at him with the wrench, which she finally seems to realize she's holding, lopsided smile turning sheepish. ] I know I don't have much experience with your modern cars, but I was raised in a garage and I ran the one in Eudio.

[acuerdo]

[by the looks of things, gaby seems to share his sentiments about space age materials being used. score one for ms teller. it means that if she's really serious about this wanting a job bit that they'll get along well.]

Modern cars are surprisingly not that much more complicated. Yeah sure there's sensors and a computer which yell at you if you forget to twist your gas cap shut, but the basics are still pretty much the same.

[if she's run a shop before, she's no doubt had more time spent doing the one thing that he's okay with but kind of hates.]

I could definitely use another pair of hands around here, but how are you with inventory management and bookkeeping?

[myownwoman]

[ her mouth slants down immediately. he's offering her secretarial work. admittedly, yes, she did that all for the garage in eudio but for a chunk of months she was the only one that worked there so she did everything. it's not the first time her skills have been ignored in favor of clerical duties, but it still blows.

that's how much she loves natasha and wants to make the money for their studio. ]

My father was a rocket scientist, I can do basic mathematics. [ it's literally not rocket science. the information also clashes with her just previous statement about how she was raised in an auto shop but she doesn't elaborate. ]

Is that what you are hiring for? A secretary?

[acuerdo]

[he's not actually offering secretarial work so much as trying to outsource it to someone who might be a little more efficient. robbie could and would welcome any kind of help that steps foot in the garage.

aware that his question has probably been less than well received, he offers a shake of the head and clarifies.

the incongruity of her father's occupation and where she said she'd pretty much grown up doesn't even register as alarming for him. robbie's uncle was an engineer and yet robbie hadn't finished high school despite having the intelligence for a better lot in life than being a mechanic. sometimes life is funny like that.]

No. Not specifically. I just hate the books. I definitely need another person to work on the cars just as much.

[myownwoman]

[ do you promise she'll get to work on the cars... the slant of gaby's frown softens with his clarification. as long as she isn't relegated to just office work, she supposes she can do the books. once they've been done once it'll be easy to keep on top of them. ]

Alright. I'll be paid extra for the books, then. [ extra work means extra $$$. no one told gaby women aren't allowed to argue for raises in polite society so here she is negotiating salary already, punches glass ceiling in the face. she'd like a title as well, while she's at it.

he might need to remind her to write her notes in english though... ]

[acuerdo]

[there's a brief moment where he wonders if maybe he's gotten in over his head with this one. he hasn't even seen her work and yet she's trying to negotiate wages.

still, there's something to be said about that degree of confidence. and really, even if his culture is filled with rather strong options about the roles of men and women, he's been around way too many fierce women to think them capable of anything less than miracles.

so, needless to say, he nods in understanding.

they can address her penchant for writing notes in languages he can't even begin to understand sometime later.]

Of course. I wouldn't expect you to do more work for less pay. I think there's enough of that going on back home. No need to bring that kind inequality here.

[myownwoman]

Perfect. [ her hands clasp together in front of her, wrench cradled comfortably in her grasp, a real smile flirting at her mouth. ]

I have my own coveralls so you won't have to search for a pair to fit me.

[ because she's so smol. ]

And I don't sleep very well so if you need someone for early mornings or late nights, I would be more than happy to do so.

[acuerdo]

[there's relief painted on his face over the fact that the little german lady comes ready with her own coveralls, and well, it's probably not very well contained. he hopes she doesn't comment on it or the smile that pulls across his face when she mentions early mornings.]

Nights I'm good with. I've always been a night owl. But you're more than welcome to take the early mornings. I tend to be crabby before 10.

[before he forgets he tacks on another important question:]

Coffee or tea? So I make sure I've got plenty on hand.

[myownwoman]

Coffee is fine.

[ coffee is necessary for the little sleep she gets, even if she does also like tea. coffee is v popular in germany. ]

[acuerdo]

Alright. I'll be sure to pick up more. Cream and sugar too or do you take yours black?

[he's glad she's not one of those crazy people who's naturally perky and doesn't need a little pick me up, if the answer is an accurate thing to judge by.]

[myownwoman]

Cream, two sugars.

[ she likes her coffee sweet, mostly because the coffee in east berlin tasted like garbage unless if was brewed turkish style, which because of the occupation was fairly common, and turkish coffee was far too strong. ]