46 To Work in this City

Bring Martin back? Was there really such a chance?

Steve's heart leapt with excitement, but he wasn't going to show it.

"And why should I be interested in this?" Steve asked Jack in a completely neutral tone.

"Because the boy introduced a good atmosphere. Don't say you didn't like it when his smiley face greeted you. It was even nicer for me to get out of the car when he cheered me on and I was not his idol. "

"Idol," Paxton repeated softly.

"Well, wasn't it nice to be greeted enthusiastically by a real fan?"

"I don't have time to think about such nonsense," Steve cut short.

"Yeah sure, just make sure you focus on driving. That boy you don't want to think about can be thought of after training! "

Paxton was no longer going to listen to Lambert, much less arguing with him. He actually had to concentrate on driving, especially since they were leaving for the first start tomorrow. First, of course, there will be qualifying rounds, so Steve will have to do well in order to get a good start. He knew he had a chance even for the first line. A good starting position is half the battle in the race because you don't waste any time overtaking. Steve was a driver, a pro. He couldn't let any unnecessary thoughts distract him when he needed to focus on his work.

But getting Martin out of Steve's head wasn't that easy. As he pulled onto the track, Paxton remembered that special thrill he felt when Martin waited for him on the track. The kid wasn't a pro and it was the first time he'd ever been in a car of this class, but he was doing pretty well for the first time. And he certainly had that spark of passion that made a good driver. Every driver should race out of love for the sport, not out of love for money or titles. Martin had just that about him.

Steve was suddenly furious with himself. Why is he even thinking about Martin ?! It was neither the right place nor the time! Until the end of the first grand prix, Paxton's head should have room for nothing and no one else than a race.

He pushed the gas. The first grand prix will be his!

Martin looked at the map on his phone and then at the sign of a small car repair shop. Everything seemed to be in the right place. It was not as difficult as he had expected at the beginning, because although he did not know this part of town very well and the workshop was on the sidelines, his old sign was visible from a distance. Besides, the characteristic smell of engine oil, gasoline and lubricants from afar directed the young mechanic in the right direction. It was Martin's second favorite fragrance worldwide, so he couldn't help but recognize it.

Martin took a deep breath and walked over to the two young mechanics who were bent over the raised hood of the car. It seemed they were discussing the ignition problem. Martin involuntarily glanced over their shoulder.

"I would try this first ..." he showed the boys his idea for solving the problem.

"You, it might work. We will try?" one prodded the other. They both looked younger than Martin, and one seemed to be still in school.

The boys followed Martin's advice and the engine started.

"You're good, Bro!" praised the elder. "Are you a mechanic?"

"Yes. I saw your advertisement and I came to apply for a job ... "

"Teddy! Teddy !!! " the same boy roared.

"I'm going, I'm going ..."

An old man with almost completely white hair and a face completely covered with the wrinkles of a noble age scrambled out of the office. He wiped his hands on his work trousers and slowly narrowed his eyes over to the three young men.

"Good morning!" Martin greeted enthusiastically. " I'm on a job advertisement."

"How young?" the first question was asked.

"Twenty years old."

"After what school?"

"None. Life and car repair shops taught me. I grew up in my father's workshop, then on amateur racetracks. Recently in the Fergus Stables ... "

The younger mechanics moved enthusiastically at the sound of the latter. The old man narrowed his eyes.

"Abe sent you here?" He asked.

"You know Abe Allen? Well, everyone in the area knows him. No, I saw the job offer and thought I'd give it a try. "

"Huh!" he muttered.

"Teddy, take him!" the one who called him asked. "He's good, and it's not like doors and windows are pounding at us."

Martin politely pretended not to hear.

The old man, however, was probably not entirely convinced.

"Are you fired from the Stables?" he asked a little provocatively, but Martin only smiled politely.

"No, sir. I was there on a short contract, you could say that to learn something. My contract expired yesterday. "

"If you have a clean sheet, why aren't you looking for a job in a better place? Even a week in GP2 is highly qualified. How long were you there? "

"Two months. And yes, I have a clean sheet. As for work, I just moved to this city, and although I'm here for not so long, I have some friends here," Martin blushed. "I don't want to move yet."

"He's got a girlfriend," the student-looking boy chuckled.

"Rather, he hopes they take him back to the Stables," the old man smiled bitterly.

"Not at all!" Martin denied vehemently. "I had a chance to stay," he announced, "and I don't have a girlfriend ..." he blushed even more.

"Teddy, don't make it hard," the older boy asked.

The three young mechanics looked expectantly at the old man, who smacked a moment and finally extended his hand to Martin.

"Welcome to my workshop, kido! But I can't pay you much. "

"Thank you!" Martin rejoiced gratefully and respectfully shaking his hand. He really wanted to work in this city.

"I'm Dave," the older boy introduced himself, "and this one here is Sid. Actually, only we work here, but we both still go to school. There was one more, one in his forties, but it's a pity to talk. Only he was the only one other than Teddy who really knew engines. So when he left ... "

"He has been arrested, f*cking thief! To spoil people's reputation like that! "

Martin was very interested in the topic but did not dare to ask. Luckily he didn't have to, because Dave was one of the talkative ones.

"He was combining with parts from stolen cars. As soon as Teddy found out, he fired him, and then the police came looking for him. "

"Oh!" Martin seemed to be in an interesting place.

"Enough talk!" Mr. Teddy cut him off. "When can you start?"

Martin looked around the auto repair shop where three middle-class cars were waiting to be repaired, then looked at himself, dressed in good new clothes (he wanted to impress when applying for a job) and smiled happily.

"From now!" he announced.

Sid was seventeen, quiet and shy, but he really loved cars. He himself admitted that he had no head to learn. His mother died when he was little, and his father - it's better not to talk about some fathers, so as a kid, Sid was taken in by the old owner of a car garage from the neighborhood and spent more time here than at home. In fact, this car repair shop was his home.

Dave was eighteen and smart enough to get into college, although his story was not as sad as Sid's, he had three younger siblings and a mother who had recently deteriorated in health. His father worked hard, but keeping a family of six was not easy, so Dave had been working for several years to earn at least himself. In addition to working in the workshop, he also delivered pizza in the evenings.

Martin found out all this in the first hour of work, because the boys were very enthusiastic about him and willing to share their stories. Basically, only Dave was actually speaking, but Sid seemed to like that. It looked like he liked being with people and sharing his experiences with them, but he was too shy to do it, so the talkative Dave did it for him. Martin immediately liked both boys, feeling he had a lot in common with them. He was only a little older than them, but his experience in the professional stable made him almost godlike in their eyes, which they both clearly made him feel. Not only had Martin heard Sid and Dave's life stories, he had yet to share his.

Only about Teddy, Martin didn't learn much. He did not know the history of his life, neither professional nor private, but what he found was enough. Teddy used to help young people and did not tolerate thieves.

Obviously, the boys 'dream theme was Fergus' Stable, but Martin had lived so much there that it was impossible to tell everything. Some things, of course, he wasn't going to share at all, but even if he only focused on the work-related stuff, it would take not two but four months to tell. Who knows, maybe he'll have so much time here or more?

So far, Martin was sure of one thing - although this was his first day in his new job, he had already liked all three mechanics working in this auto repair shop.