Chapter 17
seventeen
Kindred Spirits
Renee arrives at the office door thirty minutes later in an outfit I would say is not for hard labor, but what do I know?
She’s in a knee-length dress that’s black with electric blue octopus arms squiggling up from the bottom.
The chest is a crisscross pentagram design, and the front has eyelets for blue ribbon she’s laced with Xs.
Her hair is in two buns on top of her head, and she’s got matching blue lipstick on.
Top it off with the thickest platform boots I’ve ever seen, and ripped fishnet leggings…
This woman is an icon.
“Hi!” she declares as she pushes into the shop and gives me a hug.
I accept it with a little bafflement and look at Bastian. He wears a smug expression until Renee’s reaching arms move from me to him.
“Nice to meet you,” she says as she descends on him. “I’m Renee.”
He grimaces, showing me his sharp canines, then grumbles, “Bastian.”
“Oh, not a hugger?” Renee asks as she pulls back quickly. “I’m sorry, sometimes I get too excited and forget that other people have boundaries.”
Bastian only glares, and Renee’s expression shifts. She glances at me with pity as she touches her blue stained lips.
“I can see you,” Bastian says grumpily. “Not well, however.”
Renee bobs her head. “Sorry, you must get that a lot.”
“Your reaction is irrelevant,” he replies, and I glare at him, mouthing “Dick.” I’m sure he can’t see what word my mouth is making, but he can feel my frustration with him.
His jaw flexes and he clears his throat. “I only mean, it happens so often I’ve become numb to it. It’s been this way for a long time, and I’ve learned to be whole without the sight I once had.”
Renee half-smiles. “That’s really good. You’re stronger than most people, I think. If I lost my sight, I’d be devastated.”
“Same,” I murmur, giving Bastian a reassuring glance.
A beat of silence passes as he soaks up the recognition.
“Pink flesh are much weaker,” he says, squashing the moment.
Renee scowls and I can see a question forming on her lips, so I cut it off. “Well, you look wonderful but not like you’re ready to use hammers and saws.”
She smiles and gives a little curtsy. “That’s because I brought the hubs.”
She leans out the door and points to a truck parked behind my car. “Andrew Gardner! Come meet them!”
He’s on the phone in the driver’s seat, and holds up a finger, then blows Renee a kiss.
“He’s on a coaching call,” she says with a shrug. “Client is really struggling to find their mojo.”
“Andrew is a personal trainer or something?” I ask.
She grins. “Yeah, putting all that knowledge on creatine and sleep cycles to use helping others, especially people with illnesses. He’s way into figuring out how to unlock the correct routine for different genetics and issues.”
“Wow, that’s really cool,” I say, suddenly wondering if he could help me figure out this PMOS thing a bit better…
“Yeah. He’s such a wonderful meathead,” she says, looking at him dreamily.
Andrew wraps up the call and pops out of the cab. “Sorry y’all, James was in a tough spot this morning.”
“It’s no problem,” I say, holding out my hand for a shake since I think a hug from this dude would crush my spine. “I’m Cait.”
He gives a winning smile that Renee stares at, starry-eyed. “Drew, resident muscle.”
He turns to Bastian. “Except maybe not anymore.”
They shake hands and Drew meets his eyes. I see the recognition, but he doesn’t say anything or react any further.
“Bastian,” my dragon repeats for the newcomer.
Wait…my dragon?
“What’s your routine like, Bastian? You’re a beast!” Drew says with excitement.
“A lot more reading than you would think,” I cut in with a laugh.
“Keeping the mind sharp is an important factor in keeping the body strong,” Drew says, and Renee gives me a funny look.
“Anyway, let’s stop dilly-dallying and get to the good stuff,” Drew says, gesturing inside. “May we?”
“Of course,” I say, stepping aside to let them in.
“Whew, this office is a cave,” Renee says as she looks around the newly emptied space, then glances at Drew. “Windows?”
“Yeah, we could put in a few if they want, but we need to look at the electrical first. Sunlight gets real sparse in the winter and no amount of windows will help there.”
He walks around the room, measuring it with his feet. He walks the same heel-toe way through the hall to the shop, then stops when he gets to the open room, whistling long and low.
“What a beauty,” he says. “Nice structure. Good bones.”
“How do you know this?” I ask.
Renee beams. “He used to be in construction, and I went to technical school for plumbing before we fucked off from the city to come up here and follow the dream.”
No wonder I like them so much. Dreamers, like me. Kindred spirits who can help lead the way when I’m fresh on the journey.
“That’s awesome,” I say. “Well, I’m really grateful for your expertise, and help, but what’s your hourly rate?”
“Rate?” Drew screws up his face. “Nah, this is just a fun summer project!”
I shake my head. “I really must insist. I have to pay—especially since we’ll be constructing an accessibility feature. I’ll need to contact the city for a construction permit, and they’ll want a professional to inspect it. I’ll need records to show I had competent people working on this.”
“She’s cute.” Renee laughs as she falls against her husband’s side in an embrace.
“So stressed, though,” Drew replies. “We can help with all that. I’m the resident carpenter for a lot of projects. City council knows me, and it’s just five people on the board.”
“Fortuitous,” Bastian says, echoing my earlier thoughts about Renee.
“Yep, y’all are in luck!” Drew says. “But for payment, we couldn’t accept more than a few hundred bucks. This kinda thing is fun to me, and I don’t want money to be a hiccup in getting it done.”
A few hundred…
“Well, we can work out the finer details later, I suppose. Do you have a contract?” I ask.
“You betcha. I can make one up tonight for just general contracting work, then we can talk about specific projects, like that accessibility ramp. Never done one of those before so I’ll want to put my research hat on.”
I smile. Yeah, I like these people.
“In the meantime,” Renee says, whipping out a measuring tape and tossing it to her husband. “We’ll get some stats on the place and talk about your vision!”
“Our vision,” I say, nudging Bastian’s arm.
He glances down at me with a strange expression, then looks at Renee. “My vision is as many books as it can hold.”
“You really do love reading, huh?” she asks.
“I live by it,” he replies.
She laughs. I join in as Bastian and I share a secret smirk.
“Oh, let me know your favorite book—any book, even fan fiction or something out of print—and I’ll bind a copy for you, as a thank you for watching Oscar,” I say to Renee.
“Well, I’m a pretty big fan of The Lord of the Rings,” Renee says.
“No, she’s a big fan of Legolas,” Drew quips.
She grins up at him and runs her fingers through his short locks. “What can I say? I like blond hotties.”
Drew’s hair is blondish, I guess. A little more on the brown side of blond but who am I to say so and ruin Drew’s smile? He’s practically as bright as the sun.
“Okay, enough fawning,” Renee says. “Let’s get down and dirty!”
I start by sharing my Pindmess board with them, showing them the vibes and feel. We talk about the name—which they both love—and how I want to source my books.
Bastian leans in close to look at my phone, his hand resting gently on my hip as he does. I pull in a little wavering breath, my chatter stuttering for a moment. Renee notices and smiles, but Drew is laser focused on the designs I’ve drawn over the before pictures I’d taken.
“This place is going to be amazing,” Renee finally says when I’ve gone through everything.
I just realize we’ve been standing here for twenty minutes, and I didn’t even invite them up…oh yeah, because there’s an altar of books in the living room and nowhere to sit.
“If you guys aren’t busy, you want to get lunch?” I ask. “We could chat more about the when and how. I’d pay, of course.”
“Yeah, that sounds great!” Renee says with way more enthusiasm than I would think could come out of a blue-lipped woman.
“I’ve got a quick check-in with another client in ten, but I’m open,” Drew says.
“Bastian? Lunch?” I ask hopefully.
He seesaws his head. “Well, if you’re paying.”
Renee loops her arm in mine and pulls me away. “I know a great burger joint down the street. Is that good?”
Drew sidles up to Bastian and I hear him ask what his gym routine is.
“Burgers?” Renee prompts again.
“Oh, uh, great,” I say, though it’s not as chipper as it should’ve come out.
“You don’t like burgers?” she asks.
“Come on, Cait. It’s just one buffalo wing. The chicken is already dead.”
I try not to grit my teeth at the intrusion, and wince-smile at Renee instead.
“I’m mostly vegetarian. Pescatarian some days.
Not that I never ate meat, or that I hate everyone who eats meat!
” I laugh nervously. “It’s two parts I don’t want to participate in how we handle animals before slaughter and one part my gall bladder despises me.
I plan on having it ripped out one day, just to show it who’s boss here. ”
She chuckles. “I get you. But they also do a Maplewood grilled trout that’s lake caught right here and it’s so good. You can get it in tacos, or as a burger, or a salad. Does that work?”
I guess with the right people, food differences don’t really get in the way at all…
I smile. “Sounds perfect.”