“Heard you had a minor mishap on the job last week?” Shades asked Gator, hoping to distract him before he decided to retaliate against Hammer for that stunt.
“Yeah,” he grunted out.
“Minor mishap? Is that what they call it when you dig through an underground power-line and cut power to half the fuckin’ grid?” Griz taunted.
The guys all snickered openly this time.
“Weren’t you up for Supervisor, Gator?” Heavy asked, pulling a beer out of his saddlebag and popping the top.
“My career path may have taken a minor detour,” Gator admitted.
“Yeah, off a cliff,” Griz added with a snort.
Gator shoved his arm. “Shut the fuck up.”
Hammer and Spider walked back over, Hammer leaned an elbow on Ghost’s handlebar. “My bike’s makin’ that damn noise again. You got a socket wrench I can borrow?” he asked Shades.
Before he could answer, they all heard the roar of another bike approaching and turned to look as JJ pulled into the lot and parked next to them. He sat astride his bike and pulled his helmet off, revealing a newly shaved head.
Ghost blew out a stream of smoke, trying not to grin and asked, “You listenin’ to that little voice in your head again, JJ?”
They chuckled.
JJ ran a hand over his smooth head. “You don’t like it? Tink told me I looked sexy.” His eyes moved from Ghost to Hammer and he grinned, knowing the dig would eat at Hammer.
“You little shit,” Hammer growled and made a move toward him, but Heavy pushed him back.
“Take it easy, bro. Tink wouldn’t waste her time.”
Hammer relaxed back, but pointed a finger at JJ. “Steer clear of her. She’s mine.”
“Oh, really?” Shades asked, turning to Hammer with brows raised.
“Yeah….she…ah…just doesn’t know it yet.”
“Right.” Shades dr
ew out the word sarcastically and smiled at him. “Come on, I’ll get that socket wrench. Pull your scooter in.”
Shades moved toward the door, walked in and hit a button on the wall. An overhead garage door began to slowly roll up. Hammer rolled his bike in, and Shades walked over to a big red tool chest and opened a drawer, retrieving the tool.
The rest of the guys wandered into the shop to get out of the sun.
Shades turned to hand the tool to Hammer. “So, you and Ashley?”
Hammer took the socket wrench and ran his other hand down his face. “Yeah. Me and Ashley.”
“What made you want to fuck that crazy bitch?”
“Well, somebody had to do it. And you know me, work, work, work.”
Heavy almost spit his beer out laughing at Hammer’s response.
Shades stifled a grin. “Come on, seriously, Hammer.”
“Hell, I don’t know. She was looking to hook up with a brother, and I was the only fool in sight.”
“You got that right,” Heavy snickered. “The fool part I mean.”