Page 51 of Without You

Brody

“Brody Redding, nice to meet you,” I tell Chase, shaking his hand. This morning I was driving to the shop and his latest hit came on the radio. Now he’s standing in front of me in jeans and a plain black t-shirt. Could life get any stranger than this?

“Chase. Good to meet you, Brody. This it?” He gestures to the black pickup I have ready and waiting for him in front of the shop. It’s cleaned, polished, waxed, and spotless. But per his request, the paint job makes it appear like there’s mud splatters behind the back tires. I gotta admit, even though I prefer a clean look, I totally outdid myself when I painted it. I could have gone the easier route and used decals, but I was hired to do a job and my dad raised me to put my best in everything I do. For the money I’m being paid, there’s no reason I shouldn’t go the extra mile.

“This is it,” I confirm.

“Holy shit, dude. This is… you did this?”

“I did,” I say, crossing my arms over my chest and planting my feet wide. “You like it?”

He looks at me out of the corner of his eye. “Uh, yeah. I’m actually in awe right now.” As Chase inspects the vehicle, I see the approval written all over his face. When he opens the door and sees the custom interior with his logo embroidered in the camel and white diamond-stitched leather seats, he whispers, “Holy shit. Is this for real?” That’s the point that I let out a sigh of relief and walk closer to show him around his new vehicle.

“You’ll notice the interior is all about you. The floors and seats are matching with the custom diamond stitching but incorporating your logo makes it a little more unique to just you. We followed the same color pattern for the dash and doors, too. I figured this way you could keep it for you or, if it’s your type of thing, you could use it as a giveaway to boost your charity.”

He looks at me and blinks. “You know about my foundation for foster kids?”

I nod. “I did my research.”

He moves to stand beside the pickup. “I’m impressed.”

“Part of the job.”

“To research your clients?”

I shake my head. “To know more about my clients so that their custom vehicle matches who they are and what they stand for,” I explain. “We got the dimensions and permission to use your logo and wanted to incorporate it.”

“Did I already tell you I’m impressed?”

“You did, but you can tell me again,” I say with a smile.

“Well, I am. Everything about this truck is… wait, is this… paint?” he asks, surprised when he notices the back panels.

“Yeah, it is. I didn’t want to just buy some decals and throw them on it. If you ever get sick of it, we can repaint it.”

Chase looks closely at the mud splatters, shaking his head. “This is incredible. I take it you’ve gone mudding a time or two and know how to make it look authentic.”

I grin and chuckle. “Maybe just a couple times.”

“Wanna go now?”

“Right now?”

He nods and shrugs. “You have a place? I’d love to test it out. I can’t just drive it around town, ya know?”

“Yeah. I know a place. I need to lock up the shop first.”

“Can I come in and see it? I’m curious where you work to create this kind of magic.”

“Knock yourself out,” I tell him, holding open the door for him.

He doesn’t hesitate in walking around, much like Katie did when she first came here. He inspects all the different areas of the shop, asking questions here and there. He seems to know quite a bit about vehicles, which means that we have plenty to talk about.

“Cash fan?” he asks, noticing the picture I have hanging in the office.

“Definitely.”

“He was the reason I pursued my singing career.”

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