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Tej's Garage, Miami Florida
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I ease the Supra into the front lot of Tej's operation. Tej's place is abuzz with activity between the car wash out front pulling a line, girls dancing with hoses, music bumpin some water misters misting people to help in fighting against the heat.
I can't help but laugh, "Yup, this is the kind of setup Tej would put together and manage to pull off… half entertainment hub, half grease-stained Tuner heaven." I mutter as I pass by a stretch of indoor and outdoor garage bays doors wide and open.
There's lifts, racks of tires, welders throwing sparks. Out back behind the garage are the docks and it is absolutely packed with speedboats, and various other watersports.
A crowd's already building for what looks like a Jet ski race.
I pull up near what looks like a king's throne but is actually a life guard observation chair and kill the engine before beginning to step out of the Supra.
"Act like a normal car Supra and I'll change your oil with premium synthetic oil…misbehave and you'll get a cheap bargain brand 30 weight." I tease the car gently and it locks and unlocks the doors like it is nodding okay.
"That's my good girl." I pat her steering wheel and get out of the car.
Humid air hits me like a Mac-Truck, my shirt immediately sticks to my body and it feels like fifty pounds just dropped onto me.
'Damn, no wonder Letty and Mia wanted to stay home today.' I spot Tej before he sees me, braids tied back in corn rows, comb in his frow catching the sun, his arms and hands gesturing wildly in the air as he barks orders at some dude being rather uncareful of the paint job on a Z06 Corvette, while leaning into it's engine bay.
"Yo Tej, looks like you could use some decent help around here!" I holler, Tej turns towards me and freezes.
I can read his lips so I know that he's saying "Brian… motherfucking… O'Connor."
I nod to him, a massive grin stretching across his face, "Brooster!" Tej shouts at me and I groan. It's a nickname that the guys gave me after one of our teachers explained how hens and chickens acted and I already had a reputation for being a man whore and nailing anything that could walk.
"Tej." I groan as Tej walks over to me. He's got an expression on his face that tells me he's not sure if I'm real.
Then he pulls me into a bro-hug and his voice cracks. "Damn, you O'Connor you went dark for a month I was worried you were dead or in prison…then I saw what happened at Race Wars in the newspaper, do you know that you're wanted for questioning?"
"Yeah, L.A. went sideways fast, went undercover to infiltrate a street racing crew that was jacking millions in tech." I start to say and Tej inhales sharply.
"Brian…did you infiltrate Dominic Toretto's crew? I don't know much about him but Toretto's got connections even here in Miami. It's a massive mixed Italiano/Latin family…you could seriously have a price on your head right now." Tej says and it's out of pure concern for me I can tell Tej is very genuine.
'Damn, I mean I knew the Toretto's were a massive family thanks to Fast & Furious Spy Racers…but not to this extent.'
I shrug uncommittedly to show how at ease I am, "I didn't make enemies with Dom…I'm dating his sister…practically married into the family…I didn't know about them having family in Miami though guess I should question Mia some later."
Tej blinks at me as he takes a couple steps back, "You…Brian O'Connor have settled down…" Tej murmurs disbelievingly and looks anywhere but at me and his eyes land on Supra.
"That your ride?" Tej asks changing the subject, I know it's probably because he always hoped that I and his sister would end up together, his mom and sister still send me Christmas presents for fucks sake.
"Yeah."
"Looks mean. Black with red? You always had a thing for looking like trouble."
"Was either that or neon orange…" I joke, which makes Tej laugh and do that mock bow thing where he puts his hands together, "You chose wisely, Brian." He tries to mimic Master Splinter's zen voice and he gets pretty close. We both laugh at that.
"Come on, let's grab a beer." Tej says and we head inside of the Lobby, Tej walks over to a fridge and grabs out a Heineken, the a/c is wonderful.
Tej motions to a table and we sit down, both of us with almost identical movements lean back against the backs of the chairs we're sitting on, and turn watching two speedboats launch off of a starting line.
Water sprays behind the boats and the crowd roars.
"As happy as I am that you're here Brian…what do you need?" Tej asks, while giving me the side-eye.
I sigh, "New papers for me and my two companions, a job/jobs for all three of us just enough to get by both are competent mechanics, one's an exceptional painter, and has a mind for balancing books…even when they shouldn't be balanced. The other is a top of the line tuner and racer…we also need a more permanent place to live and lay low, maybe a warehouse that we could make liveable with sewage and water lines we can connect to an RV to."
He raises an eyebrow, "You…don't want much do you O'Connor?" Tej tries to be serious but the corners of his mouth twitch as he tries to fight back against the smile trying to appear on his face.
"Heh, I know you can handle it." I say playfully and Tej nods his head slowly, "So…when did you learn to turn a wrench? Cause last time I saw you try to fix something on a car you accidentally set it on fire…" Tej busts my balls about the first car I ever owned, an old ass Monte Carlo that someone lit a blunt inside of and left unattended while I was changing the rear brake pads. The car was up in flames before you could even form an idea of what to do.
"Come on man, why you gotta bring up Brenda like that?" I pretend to be hurt and aggrieved.
Both Tej and I stare at each other seriously for half a second before breaking down into laughter.
"But seriously Brian, you looking to work…here? Are you looking to race? Or is the plan to lay low?" Tej asks me very seriously all of a sudden.
"Honestly I'm not sure yet, Tej." I admit. "But if I'm staying in this city, I'm gonna need a good clean under the table job, and a place to live comfortably with two other people."
"Shit O'Connor nothing's ever easy with you…but you came to the right place." Tej says as he pushes himself up out of his chair. "Come on I'll take you to a place that has everything you mentioned should be able to fit a 68 foot trailer inside so an RV should be no problem." Tej says and I follow him towards the garage, we get into an old Chevy Nova…that looks like a pimp mobile I turn and look at Tej.
"Zebra print carpeting…Tej come on man…" I say in mock disapproval.
"Oh come on man, the ladies love the smooth ride." Tej jokes back.