Chapter 13 #2
"You could build this yourself, you know," Ran commented, wiping tomato sauce from his lip. "You know the specs better than half the guys I went to trade school with."
"I can design it," Liam admitted, taking a swig of water. "I can draw the schematic. I can understand the theory. But I don't have the hands for it. Not like you."
Liam gestured to Ran’s hands, which were currently deftly removing the air cleaner cover.
"My hands are for holding a pen," Liam said. "Maybe an architectural scale. Yours... yours have intelligence in them. Muscle memory. It’s a different kind of genius."
Ran felt a warmth in his chest that had been absent for five years. Respect. Not the fawning admiration of high school fans, but the respect of a peer.
"So, you're an architect?" Ran asked. "Skyscrapers?"
"Mostly," Liam said. "I try to make them green. Sustainable. It’s a fight. Clients want glass boxes; I want vertical forests."
"Vertical forests," Ran mused. "That sounds like something... someone I knew would love." He stopped himself, the thought of Emi flashing through his mind. She would love that. She loved nature.
"She sounds like she has good taste," Liam smiled, not prying, just acknowledging the pause.
"She did," Ran said quietly. Then he shook his head, clearing the ghost. "So, Monday? We start Monday?"
"If you're ready," Liam said. "I know you just got off a plane."
"I'd rather work than sleep," Ran said honestly. "The jet lag is going to kill me if I sit still. Let me tear this thing down tomorrow. I’ll have the cylinders ready for boring by Tuesday."
"Fast," Liam whistled.
"Efficient," Ran corrected. "You're paying for the best, right?"
"I am," Liam laughed.
He checked his watch. It was getting late. The sun had long since set, and the streetlights of Korea town were buzzing.
"I have to head out," Liam said, grabbing his helmet but not putting it on. "I have... a big day tomorrow. Monday."
"Work?" Michael asked.
"And a date," Liam confessed, a boyish nervousness breaking through his cool exterior.
"Ooh, the Monk is breaking his vows!" Michael hooted. "Who is she? A model? An actress?"
"She's a Finance Manager," Liam smiled, his eyes softening in a way that Ran caught immediately. "She's smart. Funny. Loves books. We’re going to a bistro in the Village."
Ran felt a pang of envy. Not for the girl—he didn't know her—but for the hope. Liam looked like a man who was walking toward a future. Ran felt like a man who was just trying to sweep up the debris of his past.
"Good luck," Ran said, extending his hand again. "Don't talk about cam shafts on the first date. Chicks hate that."
Liam laughed, shaking Ran’s hand firmly. "Solid advice. I'll stick to architecture. Slightly more romantic."
"Slightly," Ran grinned.
"I'm glad you're here, Ran," Liam said, holding the handshake for a second longer. "New York can be a lonely place. It’s good to have people who speak the language."
"The language of engines?"
"The language of passion," Liam corrected. "I'll see you guys later in the week to check on the progress."
Liam walked out of the garage and hailed a yellow cab.
He slid into the backseat, watching the neon signs of Korea town blur past. He felt good.
His bike was in expert hands. He liked this new mechanic, Ran.
The guy had an edge, a darkness that Liam recognized, but he was genuine.
He wasn't playing a game.nHe took out his phone and opened the chat with Emi.
Liam: Just dropped the bike off. Met a wizard. I think my Sportster is going to turn into a rocket ship.
He smiled, putting the phone away. He needed to get home. He needed to prepare his suit. Tomorrow was the bistro. Tomorrow was Emi.
Back in the garage, Ran stood looking at the black motorcycle.
"He's a good guy," Ran said to Michael.
"The best," Michael agreed, tossing the pizza box in the trash. "He’s been coming here for a year. Never treats us like help. Always tips well. And he’s lonely, you know? He’s got everything, but he’s always alone. Until this date, apparently."
Ran ran his hand over the gas tank of the Harley.
"I think we're going to get along," Ran murmured. "He reminds me of... I don't know. He just seems solid."
"You guys are gonna be best buds," Michael predicted. "The Architect and the Mechanic. We should get a TV show."
Ran chuckled, but his mind drifted. He was in New York. He had a job. He had a potential friend in this flashy, kind architect.
He didn't know that the "Finance Manager" Liam was going to see was the woman whose photo was in his wallet. He didn't know that the "vertical forests" Liam designed were the kind of places Emi dreamed of living in. He just knew that for the first time in five years, he wasn't entirely alone.
"Alright," Ran said, picking up a wrench. "Let's drain the oil. I want to see what this engine looks like on the inside."
"You're crazy, man," Michael laughed, turning off the main lights. "But I’m glad you're here."
"Me too," Ran lied. He wasn't glad yet. But as he turned the bolt, feeling the familiar resistance of metal, he felt something else. He felt useful. And for tonight, that was enough.