On Amanda’s last day on the construction site, Larry insisted on making a big deal of it. He brought a grill with him and cooked hamburgers, hot dogs, and chicken wings for lunch. There were bags of chips and a cooler of drinks. Larry even brought a bag of Oreo cookies for dessert because they were her favorite.
“We’re going to miss you around here, little girl,” Larry said, proposing a toast with a can of Mountain Dew. “Having a lady around made us raise the level of our game.”
“How’s that?” Amanda asked.
“Fewer dirty jokes,” Lupe said.
“Less cussing,” Larry added.
“Well thanks, guys,” Amanda said.
Though she was excited about her new job, it was good to know they’d miss her. The cookout was a small thing but it did make her feel like she had a foothold in this world, like she belonged there in North Carolina.
When the food was eaten, Cole stood. “I guess we need to get back to work. I figure you guys will be useless the rest of the day after everything you’ve eaten.”
“One more thing,” Larry said.
Cole looked at him like he was trying to delay returning to work.
Larry smiled. “I got you a present.”
“You didn’t have to do that,” Amanda said.
“I didn’t do it because I had to,” Larry said. “I did it because I wanted to.”
Amanda stood up and hugged him.
“Don’t be hugging me yet,” he said. “You might not like it.” He ran off to his truck and came back with a hastily wrapped present complete with bow and handed it to Amanda.
“You even wrapped it,” Amanda said.
“I don’t do things half-assed. Present has to be wrapped even if the person wrapping it has ten thumbs and uses leftover Christmas paper.”
“I think it’s beautiful,” Amanda said.
Lupe and the other framers cackled.
“Well, you better open it before your old man starts grumbling,” Larry said.
Cole was watching with interest, apparently recognizing the size and shape of the box.
Amanda tore into it, finding a black plastic box inside with Smith & Wesson on the outside of it. She looked at Larry curiously and he gestured for her to open the box. When she did, she found a handgun just like the one she’d admired when shooting with her dad.
“It’s a Shield,” she said. “Oh my God.”
“Just for you, little lady,” Larry said. “You’re not old enough to carry it concealed but this way you’ll be very proficient with it by the time you are.”
“You didn’t have to do this, Larry,” she said.
“We’ve already chewed that once,” he said. “I didn’t even have to go out and buy it. I bought the damn thing on sale and just never shot it.”
“Can I keep it, Dad?”
Cole nodded. “It has to stay in the safe for now and you can only shoot it with supervision. I think it’s a damn nice gift.”
“Me too,” Amanda said, jumping up and hugging Larry again.
Cole clapped his hands. “Now, everyone back to work.”
Cole stood with his daughter while Larry gathered up the leftovers and put them in a cooler.
“I’ve enjoyed working with you guys, Dad. Can I come back and see this house when you guys finish?”
“Sure.”
“It was amazing to see how one goes together. Now I feel like I can know what the bones of the house look like under the drywall and siding.”
Cole nodded. “It’s been good having you here. I understand you wanting to work with people your own age. You’ll make friends and it will make this place feel more like home.”
“Can you put this in your truck?” Amanda asked, handing the pistol case to Cole and following him to the truck. “I probably need to get going, if that’s okay. I need to fill out some paperwork for the new job. Ben says his mom does that paperwork so I have to come by during her hours and get it done.”
Cole leaned forward conspiratorially. “Don’t tell Larry you’re going to fill out tax paperwork or you’ll get an hour long lecture about how taxation is theft.”
Amanda laughed, then stopped abruptly. “Is it?”
“I’ll ask you what you think after you get your first paycheck,” Cole said. “I’ve been paying you in cash and not taking out taxes. When you start getting your first legal paycheck with deductions I think your opinion will be different than it might be today.”
Amanda kissed her dad and said goodbye to the crew. She hugged Larry yet again and assured him she’d see him on the shooting range soon. She’d driven the Wrangler that morning because she had to leave early. She climbed in and immediately had mixed feelings about leaving the crew.
She whipped out her phone and took a selfie in her work clothes, her hair pulled back with a bandana. The light was soft as it filtered through the pines. She posted it. #EveryEndIsANewBeginning #mynewlife #nomorecarpenterchick #nomoresawdust #startinganewjob
Amanda could barely control her exuberance when she walked into the bicycle shop. While moving to North Carolina had seemed like a new start, in other ways it merely felt like an extension of visiting her dad. She kept expecting she’d get up one day and it would be time to return to her mother in Virginia. Getting this job at the bike shop finalized the move. This was her new home and her new life. Starting today, she would make new friends.
She gave an animated wave and flashed a broad smile at Ben. “I’m here.”
Ben smiled back. “I’m glad it worked out. I think you’ll enjoy working here.”
An older lady walked from the back of the shop, dressed in shorts and a t-shirt, her hair pulled back in a ponytail. “Is this Amanda?”
“Yes,” Amanda replied, walking to the lady and extending a hand.
The lady took her hand and smiled warmly. It was a mother’s smile and for a moment it hurt Amanda’s heart to even look at it.
“It’s so nice to meet you, Amanda. My name is Penny.”
“Nice to meet you too,” Amanda replied. “I’m so excited to start.”
“Well, as soon as we get this paperwork out of the way we can figure out your schedule,” Penny said.
“Great. Let’s do it.”
Penny led her back through the private area of the building to a neat office. There were several computers, as well as shelves of guide books and catalogs.
“Take a seat,” Penny said, gesturing at a padded metal chair across from the desk.
Amanda did so and Penny dropped into the desk chair. She pulled a generic job application form from a desk drawer and slid it across to Amanda, then placed a pen on top of it. “This is just a formality. I need an application on file with your basic information on it. I also need a copy of your identification.”
“I have a driver’s license,” Amanda offered.
“That’ll do,” Penny said.
Amanda fished it out and slid it across the desk. While Amanda started on the application, Penny spun her chair to a combination printer and copy machine to make a copy of the license.
“Virginia?” Penny asked. “Ben said you just moved here.”
Amanda kept filling out the application, talking as she went. Dividing her focus made it easier to talk about the painful subject of why she moved. “It’s a little complicated. I grew up here but my parents divorced. I ended up going with my mother to Virginia. She passed away a few weeks ago and I’ve come to live with my dad.”
“Oh sweetie, I’m sorry,” Penny said with genuine concern. She slid Amanda’s license back to her and Amanda tucked it into her purse.
Amanda shrugged. “It’s still kind of a fresh wound. I didn’t mind coming here to North Carolina though. In some ways this feels more like home to me because I lived here when I was young. Most of what I miss about Virginia are my friends and, of course, my mom.”
Amanda could feel tears beginning to let loose from her eyes. There was an onrush of emotion, of loss, at the mention of the love and community she left behind. Penny, both observant and maternal, changed the subject skillfully. She didn’t want to make Amanda uncomfortable.
“You’ll find that not a lot changes in a small town,” Penny said. “You’ll probably get to school and find a lot of the same kids you remember from when you were a child.”
“I’m sure we’ve all changed a lot since then.”
“Even so, it’s a start,” Penny said. “You’ll also meet a lot of folks through the store.”
“That’s what I’m hoping.”
Penny helped Amanda finish the application and then slid the tax withholding form to her, explaining how to fill it out. Amanda started filling in the information, smiling as she heard Larry in her head ranting about taxation.
“I don’t remember that form as being so funny,” Penny said, catching Amanda’s smile.
“Just remembering something a friend of my dad’s said. He complains about taxes all the time. Says it’s the government stealing your money.”
“Have you ever had a job with federal and state withholding before?”
Amanda shook her head.
“You’ll probably agree with him when you open your first check,” Penny said.
When all the paperwork was out of the way, they started working on Amanda’s schedule. It was easy since she had no other commitments and could work anytime they needed her.
“We have a rush in the morning, when people come in to rent bikes and board the shuttles,” Penny said. “It’s always hectic. A lot of people make reservations but some people just show up hoping to find space. Then it gets busy at the end of the day when people start trickling back in from the trails.”
Amanda hoped she’d get to work with Ben. In fact, her fingers were crossed in her lap.
“My husband Dwight and I usually cover the mornings. We’re both early-risers. Ben usually comes in around noon and works until we close. We have a few other folks who cover shifts a couple of days a week but most of them have other jobs too, so we’re always working around other schedules. What I’d like is to have you come in Tuesday through Saturday and work until closing. We’re open Sundays but I have a girl who does Sundays and it’s working well. You’d be working with Ben most days and he can train you.”
Amanda beamed. “That sounds fine with me. I’ve been wanting to start riding my bike some in the morning so this would give me time for a ride before work.”
“Mornings on the trails are beautiful,” Penny said. “The trails are less crowded.”
“Is this temporary work or would I be able to continue into the school year?”
“Well, as long as it works out and we’re a good match for each other, you could continue to get some hours during the school year. While the weather is still good in the fall, you could pick up some hours during the weekend or occasionally on a weekday. In the dead of winter we slow down a lot and I can’t promise you any hours then, but during riding season I can keep you busy.”
“Sounds excellent. I’m excited,” Amanda said.
“Now that we’ve got that crap out of the way, let’s take a tour of the shop.”
“When do I start?”
“How’s tomorrow?”
“Fine,” Amanda said. “And thank you very much for the opportunity.”
Penny showed Amanda around the shop. There was something comforting about Penny and it put Amanda at ease. She thought she would like this woman. At the end of the tour, Penny gave her a selection of t-shirts advertising the bike store.
“That’s as much of a uniform as you get around here,” Penny said. “Just wear it with whatever pants or shorts you want. Everything is casual around here.”
Amanda thanked everyone again before she left. She could barely contain her enthusiasm. Out front she held one of the t-shirts up in front of her and draped it across her body like she was wearing it. She took great pains to compose a selfie that captured the logo on the shirt and the shop’s sign. When everything finally aligned correctly, she took the pic. She posted it to her social media account.
#mynewlife #mynewjob #nomoresawdust #mtnbikelife #westernNC #rentabikefromthisgirl