Beast groaned. “He is, but had some information for us.”
Jake wouldn’t give it a rest though. “If it’s information a prospect can have, why was I not included? I mean, with all due respect, prez, I’ve been here much longer.”
Beast’s brows twitched, but he waved his hand at Vars. “We were done questioning him anyway. Is there any job that should be done fast, Jake?”
Jake licked his lips, instantly perking up, as if getting orders was the sunshine of his life. “Some of the cars used for the off-road trip need cleaning.”
“Then you two should get to it.”
It had been a while since Vars had washed a vehicle—even his own—but an order was just that. Becoming a member of this club was the condition Magpie had named in exchange for Vars’s new life, so no matter how much he detested being told what to do, he’d bear with it for the sake of breathing.
“You know where to find me if you have any other questions,” he said and joined Jake outside.
This time, the triumphant smile on Jake’s face was making Vars cranky.
Chapter 7 - Jake
There was a certain satisfaction to seeing Vars get his hands dirty. The garage was a fridge because of the door being constantly opened, which was an extra layer of misery. Jake poured warm water into the buckets so that their fingers wouldn’t freeze, but that would remain their only comfort.
Still, Jake couldn’t stop thinking about the sting of being excluded from the meeting. Vars was no better a prospect than him. In fact, Vars was shit at washing cars.
“You’ve gotta do it in a circular motion, or you’ll leave streaks,” Jake said. The night’s turmoil left him unsure of what he felt for Vars. They kind of made up, had a weird tension going on, and yet Vars would backstab him by talking to the members on his own?
Vars glared at him, bent over with hands in thick rubber gloves as he brushed the lower part of the car body with soap. “Christ, nobody cares. It’ll all even out once we do the wax polish. And why aren’t we using the hoses anyway? Would be much quicker that way!”
Jake frowned at him. Within just a couple of sentences Vars had managed to sum up why he was getting on Jake’s nerves so much. Shitting all over his prospect duties yet still expecting special treatment. “To do a good job. It’s not difficult to understand. These cars are to shine when the guys take them out.”
“In my usual car wash they can finish a large vehicle within twenty minutes. Never had a complaint about the job they did with hoses. We’re not in the fifties anymore!” Vars growled, his accent getting harsher now that he was irritated.
Jake shook his head and walked around to the other side of the vehicle so that he wouldn’t have to look at Vars. This was Knight’s car, and maybe Vars didn’t understand this, but Knight was very particular about having things done to perfection.
“Knight wouldn’t appreciate spots all over his car. There’s a certain attention to detail that’s required for this position, and I assure you, people do fucking care.”
Vars’s head emerged across the metal roof like a worm in a hammer game. “No. You are obsessed with this, because they might offer you some dick to polish if they’re happy with the job you’ve done on the cars!”
Jake stalled as heat rose all the way up to his ears. “There is a job to be done, and I don’t want it to be half-assed. It’s got nothing to do with sex!”
“Of course not. You like doing what you’re told. Bet it turns you on when Knight touches his clean, neatly polished car. Almost as if he were touching you,” hissed Vars, slapping the sponge on the roof of the car, which ended up with soapy water pouring out of it and staining a surface Jake had already cleaned.
Guilt flooded Jake’s whole body at the truth behind Vars’s mean words. He did love the praise from Knight. He did love seeing Joker wear the freshly polished boots. “What can you possibly know about being a prospect? You haven’t even been here for a week. And for the record, no, it doesn’t turn me on. I do what I’m told to do because I’m working for my patch.”
Vars laughed, shaking his head as he stepped away from the car. “Whatever. It’s your fetish, not mine.”
Jake went tense and brushed the fresh spots off before walking over to Vars’s side. He pointed out the side mirror. “See? You missed the actual mirror. It should be spotless.”
Vard rolled his eyes, already soaping up the next vehicle. “Give me a break. If you get off on it, just lick it clean and stop moaning. You’re giving me a headache.”