Consultant
Daryl
You're working on the generator because it was running rough the last time it was turned on and you have experience with motorcycles and other engines. You hope it's something like a clogged fuel line or dirty ignition because if an important part is needed, those weekly hot showers are going away and you love them as much as everybody else does.
The generator specs are so small you have trouble reading them. Glenn remembers seeing a pair of magnifying glasses and runs to the house for them. They work fine and you suspect they belonged to Grandpa Prentiss and that pisses you off because you've never had trouble with your eyes before. Glenn says you must be far sighted because distance is no problem and your aim is still accurate. He's supposed to be helping you by holding the flashlight and handing you tools but he's amused by the idea of you needing glasses and that's making you short-tempered.
"You're like Sawyer," he says.
"Tom Sawyer?" You think you're more like Huck Finn.
"Sawyer on Lost. He needed reading glasses."
"No fucking idea what you're talking about."
"You never watched that show? It was a global phenomenon."
"On TV? How does that compare with the real global phenomenon we've got going now?"
"Okay, you're not a fan. But I like thinking about things before life got so dark."
"You know what else is dark? Behind this generator. Where's that flashlight?" You look around to see that Glenn is aiming the light between your legs, for christ's sake. Does this kid think about sex 24/7? "You're fired. Go get someone who can keep their eyes off my crotch."
"Sorry, won't happen again."
It probably will but you let it go because under other circumstances you enjoy the attention.
"Remember when we talked about if the ZA hadn't happened? If you moved to Atlanta you could fix motorcycles and generators."
"It's not fixed yet. And I don't think I could work in a shop all day. It was a part-time job in Benford."
"What else would you want to do?"
Glenn likes to think about the two of you if the world hadn't changed but you've played the game twice and it's his turn. "You make something up. I'm busy here."
"Maybe you could be a hunting and fishing guide."
"Sounds good. Tell me the story."
"No, that's too obvious. It should be something unusual."
"I'm still waiting."
Glenn
I don't deliver pizza to hotels very often but tonight is the night. The front desk waves me by. They don't give outside delivery people a hard time. Room service menus are overpriced and not very exciting and a lot of people don't want hotel food anyway so it's good service to offer another option by putting takeout and delivery menus in their rooms. I go to a suite with two men and two women on sofas and chairs. They look at each other like no one wants to be the one to take the food and get stuck playing waiter for the others.
There's a table in the corner. "Why don't I set it up over here?" They jump on that idea so I open the boxes and set out paper plates and napkins. Liters of soda come with the pizza and I offer to get ice from down the hall. I better get a big tip for this.
I've been listening to them talk and figured out they're the prelim team for a movie. They're here to scout locations and contact local casting agents and generally make themselves useful in pre-production. They're not completely happy with what they've seen of the script so far. The script isn't their responsibility but they have an opinion and they think guns and knives have been done to death. A different weapon would freshen the action genre.
"Crossbow," I say, thinking of Daryl. I didn't mean to say it out loud but they hear and one of them says, "What?"
"A crossbow is cool and it's quieter than a gun. And it hasn't been used much. Buffy had one but that's been off the air for years."
They look at each other, wondering if they should make the suggestion as a group or go behind each other's backs and try to take all the credit for a good idea. But what if it's not a good idea? What if it's been considered and rejected already? They don't know everything that's going on with the script. Besides, they're all right here and no one is going to let the others get in ahead. Plus they don't know from crossbows and it's best to have info available when you make a suggestion so you can answer any question that comes up.
"Do you have a crossbow?"
"No," I tell them. "But I know a guy."
They give me a huge tip and say they picked Scooter's Pizza because delivering pizza by scooter sounded like a fun gimmick. I can tell they think it was a lucky choice.
I call Daryl and tell him to bring his crossbow tomorrow.
He doesn't bother to dress up and the team almost wets themselves with excitement when they see unshaven Daryl in work pants and boots and a shirt with the sleeves cut off. His hair is messy from the helmet and it doesn't hurt when they find out he rode his motorcycle to Atlanta. I feel the same way when I see him but I've gotten used to the effect. The women are checking him out personally. I don't tell them he's taken.
Daryl brought bolts and arrows and loads each of them while explaining the crossbow. He also brought a small target in case they want a demonstration. They do. He places it on the wall and takes aim from across the suite and suddenly one of the men stops him. "What if you miss and fuck up the wall?"
"I won't," Daryl says and proceeds to put three arrows in the center of the target one after the other.
They love it. One of the women has filmed the whole thing. The team says they'll make a proposal. If it flies, Daryl might be a crossbow consultant and do the actual shots that are used. They like to hire locally when possible. It's all hypothetical at this point. Hollywood's ways are more mysterious than the Lord's and the whole thing could fall through just as easily as it came together.
Still, it's pretty exciting. Movie magic just waiting to happen.
I had told Daryl I was thinking about getting a different job, something with a future and better pay. But the thing is, I like delivering pizza. Scooter's has three locations and everyone fills in where needed so I get to go all over the city. You never know when a shortcut might come in handy. The pay is low but I can get by if I don't repeat the mistake that got me in trouble before. I don't want to work in an office. Daryl understands that. I don't know what else I could do that I'd want to do. I never decided what I wanted to be when I grew up. Not everyone wants to change the world. People would probably say since my parents are rich I don't have to worry about it because I'll have money eventually. But that's not a sure thing at all. I can see them leaving everything to charity or at least tying it up in a trust fund. I've always felt like I had to make my own way and I don't mind that. I don't expect my parents to support me financially. Emotionally might be nice but I can't count on it. Besides, I have Daryl now.
And Daryl has a new job, at least for a few weeks. The powers that be loved the idea of a crossbow, the script has been revised, and they want the guy in the video demo to be the local consultant. They got him a SAG card so he can do stunts. I visit the set a few times and Daryl looks like he's having a good time. He fits in with the other stunt doubles because they're as crazy and reckless as he is. The official line is that they're all about safety, and they do follow the rules, but really they just love the challenge and the risk.
One day I see Daryl's brother, Merle. We don't meet but I know who he is from Daryl's description. Merle came to watch his little brother shoot a crossbow from a moving motorcycle. It's a complicated shot because there's other action to coordinate at the same time. Merle is bigger than Daryl and looks mean but he tenses up during the stunt and I can see he's worried that Daryl might get hurt. It goes perfectly but of course the director wants to do it one more time for extra angles and coverage. That one goes well, too, and then they're done for the day. Daryl glances at me and I nod and leave. We've been together a lot lately and he needs to spend time with Merle.
I don't have any brothers or sisters but watching them I got a sense of what it would be like. They love each other although they've probably never said it and sometimes don't act like it. But they're brothers and that might be the only answer they could give if anyone asked why they put up with each other. It makes me wonder if I've tried hard enough with my parents. I think so, but I haven't felt like I could reach them in years. It wasn't like this when I was younger. It started when my father's business took off and they suddenly had a lot of money and an image to create and maintain. And big expectations for their only child. Kind of cliché but that's how things get to be a cliché. They happen a lot.
Daryl tells me later that Merle got drunk and before Daryl could drag him out he told everyone in the bar about his brother in the movie business. Merle's been behaving better recently and working regularly. Daryl's getting good money for this job. I bet he'll buy his brother a new motorcycle. Well, why not? One of us should have a decent family relationship.
Daryl
You smile because you're finished with the generator and you wish your next job was a weapon consultant and stunt double on a movie.
"You like it?" Glenn asks.
"Yeah. Never happen of course, but I like the idea."
"Why not? You think that only happens in movies?"
"Exactly."
"Maybe it gets into a movie because it happened in real life."
"I guess I think it only happens to other people."
"Wrong again. It happens to unlikely people. And then someone puts it in a movie."
He's right, it could happen. You need to stop arguing with this kid because you aren't going to win.
"Okay, but I'll keep my day job fixing generators until the new career takes off."
"Your life now is the new career. Hunting with a crossbow, riding your motorcycle, life and death situations."
"The difference is I'm not getting paid for this shit."
The whole group troops to the garage for the moment of truth. You turn on the generator and everyone holds their breath, listening ... to the quiet hum of a perfectly tuned generator. They laugh and clap and say thank you.
"You get the first shower for fixing it," Dale tells you. He turns to Glenn. "And your able assistant is second."
You and Glenn look at each other. You're both thinking that if you shower together you'll have twice as long and that will be enough time to fuck while you get clean. You can lather your hair and let the soap run down your body with hot water sluicing it away while you kiss Glenn and your slick bodies press together. You realize your fingers are curving as you imagine cupping his ass and pulling him close, looking down at your cocks trapped between your bellies. Or pushing him against the tile wall, pressing against his ass, sliding between his legs ...
A few feet away Glenn is looking at your crotch. Again. This time you don't mind.