mini_dean | First day on the job...

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First day on the job...

Just because it was spring didn't mean it wasn't still cold in the morning. Ben had left early from the apartment, told that he had to be at Mitch's garage by 7am. A bagel and a cup of coffee later, he found the address on the paper he was carrying.

Looking around it was still pretty dead in the place, but there was a car parked outside and Ben could hear some music playing. He walked around the side until he found the back door and knocked.

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"Two subway stops. Least for now until I can save up money for rent and a security deposit. Not looking to live off my uncle forever."

"Fair enough," Mitch said with a nod, before heading out onto the street and starting to lead the way towards one of the ritzier sections of town. "How're you liking the city so far?"

"I haven't really had a lot of time to explore," Ben admitted. "And it's not like I really have a lot of friends to go visit and hang out with."

In fact, it was probably best he didn't talk to any of the "friends" he had made since coming to NY. They probably wouldn't be the best influences. Well, except Elle but that was a different story.

Mitch nodded slowly. "Gotcha. Yeah, making friends in this city isn't always the easiest. Not a lot of people will really take the time to talk. Just a matter of knowing the right people -- or hanging out in the right bars."

He paused for a moment, exhaling slightly as he went through the mental Six Degrees of Separation from Dean to see if there was anyone their age who was worth hanging out with that he would have had the chance to meet. "Have you met Anna yet?"

"Heard of her, yes. Met her, no. I know that she's my half-sister's best friend, so I'm pretty sure that when I do, she's already going to have formed opinions about me."

"She's a bit more open-minded than you think," Mitch said with a shrug. He would know from personal experience. "She's a smartass, but she's generally pretty nice. She also works at a bar, which is a good place to start if you want to meet people."

"Well, let's hope so." Ben had a lot of things in his past people would need to be open minded about.

"She sounds like a good person."

"She is," Mitch nodded. "Through her, you could meet pretty much anyone. She knows too many damn people. And, if you hit it off with Pete well enough, his niece Miranda is about our age. She pops around on occasion, and she knows tons of decent people. But that's more because she would talk to a wall if it was talking back to her."

Ben chuckled a bit. "If the wall starts talking back, I'd be worried."

He was grateful for the names of people to talk to, but he wasn't sure he was ready yet to go out and make a load of friends.

"Never know with her sometimes," Mitch admitted slowly, before shaking his head. He led them around one of the corners, before coming up up on a very tall building. Mitch waved to the doorman before heading inside, stopping at the front desk and flashing the receptionist a smile. "Can you tell Mr. Stone Mitch Toth is here to see him?"

"Sure thing," the blond said with a peppy smile, before turning back to the phone. She had a brief coversation with someone on the other end, before looking back up at them. "Mr. Stone said that if you'd wait by the elevators, he'll be with you in a second."

Ben looked around the place. So *this* is what a building with a doorman looked like on the inside. VERY nice. He had no chance in hell of ever living in a place like this, but still, he'd have no problem working with someone living here.

He gave the receptionist a smile as well, nodding his thanks and just staying close to Mitch and trying not to act nervous.

Mitch led the way over the elevators, leaning back against one of the walls as he spun the keys in his hand. "So -- Indiana. Drove through there on my way out here. Didn't seem like it really had a lot going on, though."

"No, it doesn't. But I worked down in Indianapolis and made money on the side working in pit crews during NASCAR season. When you're on Dale Earhart Jr.'s pit crew, you get a lot of new clients. Tried to get onto a different team every year. Of course that's how I lost my driver's license too."

Ben smirked to himself. Tide hadn't been laughing though when he decided to test run the engine out on Highway 25 in the middle of the night. To be fair, though, Kyle Pety the 3rd was in the car beside him keeping pace. Of course HE only got a warning...

Mitch laughed. "Okay, that's pretty fucking cool. I've always wanted to try something like that, but -- I value my license. That got me away from my parents and out here. Frankly it's the best thing that ever happened to me."

"It was pretty damn fun. Kyle wanted me to come down to Florida where they had the race car experience and really go head to head with him. Never got around to setting that up."

Ben realized he was jonesing for a cigarette again and reached into his pocket for a thing of tic tacs. Surprisingly he was able to deal with those, but he went through 3 a day. He took a few, then offered it to Mitch.

"I still have my motorcycle license. Took it on a whim a few years ago because my friends and I were joking about doing this Harley month long ride. Never got the Harley or on the tour either, but we all have the licenses in our wallets."

Mitch shook his head at the offer before crossing his arms in front of his chest. "Another friend of mine -- also named Ben, oddly enough, has a bike at his sister's place in LA. It's better weather for it out there -- in the city? There isn't really any room for it, and the weather's shit all the time."

"I've watched how the cars drive down here from walking. Maybe not a Harley, but a good Kawasaki would do fine on the streets. And with the traffic it's less likely for the cops..." Ben worked his jaw, laughing a bit.

"Probably not the best kind of conversation to have around a boss..."

Mitch laughed, "No, probably not. But don't underestimate the cops, dude. If they want you, they will get you."

With that, the elevator doors opened and a tall, dark haired man stepped off the elevator and started heading towards them.

"Mitchell!" his voice somewhat boomed through the lobby as he shook Mitch's hand. "What can I do for you?"

"Just wanted to drop by, bring you the mechanic I told you about," Mitch said with a nod. "Ben Braedan, this is Pete Stone, Pete -- Ben Braedan."

"Nice to meet you," Pete nodded, turning his hand towards Ben, and clapping him on the shoulder as he shook his hand.

Ben tried not to stumble forward with the shoulder swat. But he shook the man's hand nice and firm, but letting Pete be just that bit firmer.

"Nice meeting you too, sir."

"I'm tellin' ya, you're doin' me a huge favor here," Pete said with a grin. "I really loathed having to fire the last guy, because he did good work, but there are lines you just don't cross. You don't screw with a guy's Caddy."

"I don't believe in screwing with anyone's car, if that makes you feel any better. Classic cars are works of art."

And he actually wasn't bullshitting there.

"That's what a prospective employer wants to hear," he said with grin, before jerking his thumb back towards the elevator again. "Wanna come down and have a look?"

"I probably should. I mean, I have to see the cars to work on them." He gave Pete a small smirk. The guy seemed like he could enjoy a bit of gentle sarcasm.

Pete chuckled slightly, hitting the button for the elevator, as he pointed back at Ben. "I like this guy."

"I thought you would," Mitch nodded.

Ben let his grin grow a bit, relaxing. This wasn't so bad after all, and he felt he could get along with both Pete and Mitch nicely.

He stepped into the elevator and leaned against the wall. "So I'm told you have a nice collection of classics..."

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