1. Fix-It Guys
One
Fix-It Guys
Bullet
After two years of prospecting for the club and trying all kinds of jobs within it, Crush and I need to decide where we want to earn our keep.
Blade, the other prospect, who became a full member not long ago, knew exactly what he wanted: a mechanic shop of his own where he would specialize in high-end motorcycles and cars.
Guard and the club didn’t hesitate to back him up.
They invested in his dream, and Blade’s never been happier.
Blade met Emryn around the same time, and he’s made her his old lady.
Everything just seemed to fall into place for him, and I couldn’t be happier for my brother.
Emryn’s very cool, and so are the other old ladies in the club.
The leader of them all is Ava, Guard’s wife.
She’s incredibly kind, smart, and beautiful.
Ava and Vi, Orion’s wife, started the Lady Pride.
The Lady Pride are the equivalent of the Pride men, but prettier and nonviolent…
mostly. Vi is feisty and would never back down in a fight, but it’s Orion’s job to make sure that situation never arises.
Orion is our VP and our technical genius, a big man with tons of skills who runs a computer company as well as multiple security systems. He’s teaching Wildcard, another brother, all he knows.
The Pride has a ton of talented guys as members.
Saint is our doctor and runs a clinic in town.
War is the club enforcer and an accounting guru who keeps the club’s books clean while running security for his wife and her band.
Maddie and the Smoking Guns are known everywhere, and War makes sure they’re always safe.
Risk is a general contractor who is fantastic at designing the perfect home.
Demon is a mechanic, but he also runs a music studio.
He was once part of a very popular band, but when his best friend died of an overdose, Demon spiraled into a terrible depression.
Guard was there when he needed help, and now he writes and performs his music on his own terms.
We have brothers who work in the shop, and we have a bounty hunting business that keeps the club hopping.
Ghost is the main man running the business, but Roscoe, Priest, and Hammer are heavily involved in catching bad guys.
Thunder can do it all and floats between jobs where he’s needed.
He likes variety, and it works for the club.
When Guard first accepted us as prospects, he made us take courses at the local college.
We worked with Risk for a while and got a taste of all the different trades in construction.
I loved college. I became enthralled by business administration.
It’s just a fancy word for running the day-to-day operations of a business.
I loved it so much that I saved up, and now I’m taking economic courses at night to get my degree.
Crush isn’t a books kind of learner. He hates sitting for too long and wants to keep his hands busy. But one thing we decided years ago, and even when coming into the club, was that we were going to work together.
“I can’t sit behind a desk all day,” Crush says with frustration.
“No one is asking you to,” I answer calmly. With Crush, you have to let him get it all out, then give him time to process the information.
“You want to start a business, and there’s no place for me.” Crush looks down at his boots, shaking his head.
“Are you kidding?” I throw my hands up in the air. I’ve spent hours designing a business plan tailored to his talents. “You are the business, bro.”
Crush stares at me blankly. I get it; he got caught up in the financial graphs and shit I put in the plan meant for Guard and the brothers, and he never moved past that part.
“Let me break it down. You’re an electrician by trade, thanks to Risk.
You understand the basics of plumbing, and we can both do simple repairs.
We both paint, can both put up decks and fences, make repairs, and so on.
” I point to the business plan on the table.
“This is the business. All I did was make the numbers come together to present to the club. If they invest, then we start this together. I’ll handle the contracts and paperwork and do as much as I can in the way of work, but you’re the fix-it guy,” I explain.
“I’m the fix-it guy?” he asks incredulously. He looks down at himself, then back at me. “Who the hell would believe that?”
“I would.” Guard’s voice is loud enough for us to hear as he walks into the main area of the club, his eyes set on Crush.
“In the last six months, you’ve been the go-to man for repairs.
Rose’s cooler for the florist shop, Ava’s air conditioner for her dance studio, repainting Vi’s place.
Twice, I might add, because the aqua wasn’t aqua enough.
” He rolls his eyes, laughing. “Anything that needs attention right here, we call you and Bullet. Lots of people in town who either don’t have time or the ability to do the work can use men like the two of you. ”
As Guard steps closer, I open to the business plan I designed.
“I think a subscription model will work. We can offer basic, medium, and elite service models. We can contract with senior communities and give them a discount rate to make it affordable. We have most of the tools. We don’t need a physical office yet.
The real cost is the backend stuff, like computers and scheduling software, and accounting software,” I say.
I am so jazzed about this idea. I’m positive it’ll work. I look to Crush. “What do you think?”
“What if I can’t figure out how to repair something? What, then? I’ll make you look stupid,” Crush says.
I’m stunned, because there hasn’t been a damn thing up to this point that we haven’t been able to figure out.
“Do we have to have another talk?” Guard asks, his focus once again locked on Crush.
“Okay, it hasn’t happened yet. But, what if—”
“Then we’ll hire someone who can and move on. In the meantime, you learn a new trick along the way,” Guard answers.
I push the papers aside and step in front of Crush to get his attention. “It’s something we can both do. If this isn’t right for you, though, then it’s off the table, and we’ll do something else. I won’t do it without you. We’re a team, just like we promised.”
Crush turns to Guard, who, with a sly grin on his face, gives him a nod to urge him forward. Then Crush turns to me. “I’ll be the fix-it guy, huh?”
“The business is called Fix-It Guys. Stress on the S.” I laugh out loud, putting my arm around his shoulders.
“I’ll call a meeting for tomorrow to make it formal, but I know the brothers in the Pride, and they’re going to be behind you all the way,” Guard says before he walks out, leaving Crush and me to brainstorm how to advertise.