How Green Becomes Wood

"People want to think they're more rugged than they actually are. That's why people are so into SUVs, aren't they? They like the idea of off-roading while never actually leaving the suburbs. Then everybody else thinks they need one so they feel safe because an SUV will run a smaller car into dust... Is Tobey thinking about getting a car? I know Xander is. He's been wanting a car for pretty much the whole time I've known him."
 
"I went off-roading with a bunch of friends, once. We went out to a campsite and terrified the wildlife on 4-wheelers. That was pretty fun until everyone got drunk for pretty much the rest of the week, and I don't think any of us remembers anything after the first day," Lex remarked, watching the road. "I've talked to Toby about getting a car. That boy loves everything with wheels, so you'd think he'd be all for it, but he's actually more interested in maybe getting a motorcycle." She made a face. "I think nature forgot to install his safety mode when he was in the factory."
 
Cooger chuckled at Lex's story, "Oh man, I've been there. But it's good nothing too severe happened, black out drunk with 4-wheelers? Shoot, an ATV can kill you like it's nothing when you're sober--I was telling the twins about that's why I don't have one, even though it'd make life a whole lot easier. And I'm isolated enough lord knows I wouldn't be found until it was too late, unless I got real lucky. Real damn lucky." He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel, "I think it's a right of passage to be a teenage boy and want a motorcycle. I wanted one, Dark actually got one, I think Xander talked about wanting one, and I bet he still would if Alec wanted to drive, but now he's gotta make sure he can also transport his brother."
 
"Yeah, I don't blame him for wanting one, but I'm still hoping to convince him of the convenience of a car of some type. He's enough like me that if he really sets his mind to something, it's like trying to turn an eighteen-wheeler to get him to change it. Probably some kind of karma for my own stubbornness," Lex grumbled, rolling her eyes. She glanced at Cooger a little curious. "Alec won't drive? But Xander's going to make sure he's got transportation? Damn, that's one good brother. When I was their age, being nice to my siblings was pretty low on the list of things on my mind."
 
"I mean, I haven't been told explicitly that's why he wants a car now, but they are really close. Twins are like that, aren't they? And identical twins, they ain't never been apart. I'd bet their sister will be jealous of it, some day. We are all hoping Alec does decide to learn to drive some day, though. Daizi especially, because she knows what it's like to not be able to get anywhere on her own. It really sucks now that she's got the baby, because ride shares don't really have car seat options, so she's basically stuck at home all the time, now. I'm gonna get a car seat for the truck so I can help her out when she needs it. Probably should've got one back in February."
 
"If she's up for the pain in the ass of putting a car seat in my car, I can always give her a ride," Lex said with a shrug. "Seeing as I work from home, I'm around a lot. If she worries about being a bother to me, I'll just ask her advice on gardening stuff." She grinned at Cooger. "Seems a fair trade to me!" Looking back out the window, she asked, "So, why don't you live in town? It'd be closer to your family and most of your jobs. Or is it because you couldn't be a cat sanctuary in town?"
 
Cooger glanced at Lex with newfound respect, "That would probably be beyond helpful to her. It'd be real kind of you to go out of your way like that. You should bring that up to her, sometime. Although maybe don't lead with it," He laughed, "Going up to a woman and saying, 'hey, if you ever need it, I'll drive you around,' when you don't talk otherwise would probably be taken the wrong way. And the reason I don't live in town is beyond simple--townies are exhausting, and I like having space to myself. I gotta be free to roam, and I want to be able to do what I want with my land. I own a nice bit of land, more than I'd be able to afford in a more crowded place, and anyway, it's not too far. I'm not driving an hour everytime I want to get here, anyway. It's only a distance when the traffic is bad."
 
Lex snickered at Cooger's comment about talking to Daizi, wordlessly agreeing with him. She'd have to come up with some conversational topic when she next saw Daizi out and about. "I thought about getting a place on the edge of town, but there weren't any good options available when I was looking. Then I saw the house I did buy, and I thought to myself, 'Wouldn't it be a lark if I could own the fancy house in the sleek neighborhood like the ones we always envied even when we'd make fun of them?' It felt like buying myself a trophy! Like an achievement in the game of life." She chuckled. "Not such a great trophy now, but I think I'm happier with the neighbors. Most of them, at least. I like my solitude, but I also like people. I've never been good at balancing that."
 
"Personally I doubted if I could find an HOA that would let me keep my chickens and my guard goose. I think the only suburban house I ever would've bought is yours, and then we would've taken down the fence seperating our yards, which I think is something eight year olds plan on doing, and they're from communalist cultures, so it didn't seem absurd. But that house wasn't available and I found my land, and it's right on the lake." He sighed a soft, content sigh as he pulled into the client's driveway, "It's a trophy nonetheless. It'll be a bigger one when it's fixed. Then it's truly yours. Until then, you'll have to settle for what a lotta the neighbors got: the appearance of something swell, regardless of the rotten wood on the inside."
 
"You're quite the philosophical guru, sir," Lex teased as she unbuckled herself. "I can see why you get along so well with cats. I'm going to go talk to the client if you don't mind waiting here." She hopped out and went to the front door.

After a couple of knocks, a chubby fellow opened the door. He talked to Lex for a while, animatedly swinging his arms about while she stood with arms crossed, waiting. He grinned at her a lot, seeming to be trying to persuade her of something. Her expression remained neutral. He wilted and finally nodded. He disappeared inside for a moment and then returned with an envelope and a jacket. They walked around to the side of the house where he pointed out where she could put the gates. Lex nodded, they shook hands, and she walked down to the truck while the chubby man moved a few items out of the path.

"Do you mind lending me a hand getting these things over there?" Lex asked Cooger when she returned to the truck.
 
"No problem," Cooger told her and pressed himself up off his truck, because he had been leaning against it, "It looked like he was trying to get you to accept less money than promised. That's why you need a goon, all good business owners need a goon. Or a henchman if you fell better having someone real loyal to the cause by your side, rather than just someone who is for-hire."

He got into the truck, undid the straps, and pulled off the blanket, but then paused, "Actually, you should probably be up in the bed to help get them down instead of me."
 
Lex chuckled and waited for Cooger to hop down before vaulting into the truck bed. "Are you volunteering to be my henchman, Mr. Cooger?" she grinned down at him. Maneuvering her way around to the end of the gates, she commented. "I don't need a goon that'll run at the first sign of trouble or be easy to pay off. Some amount of loyalty's better. But I'd need to know your real name first. I think it was on that card of yours, but I've just called you 'Cooger' for so long I've forgotten."

It took a bit of hefting to get the gates down, but soon enough, they were down and balancing with only Cooger holding them while Lex quickly climbed out of the truck. Now all that was left was to haul them to the spot by the fence.
 
"Hey, I never agreed to nothing," Cooger said, and would've held up his hands defensively if he wasn't carefully lowering the gates, "But the name's Jasper. People call me all sorts of things, but Cooger or JC are probably the most common. JCC if they're really excited to see me, but that was mostly in my twenties at a sports bar. But I've heard it all."

The gates were unwieldy, but well built, so they weren't too difficult to balance on his own before Lex hopped down and helped to move them to their proper position, "Are we installing them too, or just dropping them off?" He asked in a low voice so the client wouldn't hear and get any ideas.
 
"Dropping them off only," Lex said, matching his lowered tone. "That was actually the conversation we were having. He was trying to get me to install them. I told him fat chance. If it'd been arranged in advance, sure, but not in this scenario." She took a moment to look over each gate, checking for any scuffs or other damage that might have occurred during transit. Finding them still in perfect condition, she stepped back with a satisfied nod.

"Looks like we're good to go!" she said cheerfully. "And they'll fit here perfectly. In shape if not in style." The house was rather plain, and the lawn patchy at best. There was nothing about the existing features that tied well with wrought iron dragon gates, but perhaps they were the first piece.
 
"Should've given him my card," Cooger half-joked, "I'd come back tomorrow or later today to do the work, if I'm paid well enough." While she checked over her work, he hung back and took a look around the yard and at the house. By no means was he an artisan, there was nothing on the gates he thought to look out for. As he did, though, he spied a old, tireless bike propped against the side of the bland house.

"It does look a little out of the ordinary, but it's a start, I guess. I wonder what he's keeping that bike around for, though."
 
Lex glanced toward it with minimal interest. "Maybe he's going to turn it into a planter," she joked. Straightening, she brushed off her hands and turned toward the house. "Everything looks good." She rounded the corner of the house and stopped short to avoid running into the client.

"Everything is in order?" the man asked hopefully. "And you're sure you won't do the install?"

"Sir, I make the things. I don't install the things. However!" Lex pulled a piece of paper and a pen from her pocket and quickly wrote down a name and number. "Here is the contact information of someone who specializes in that sort of thing. He's very good. So good I gave away my last copy of his card yesterday."

"Ooo, thank you," the man said, accepting the piece of paper.

When the client wasn't paying attention, Lex winked at Cooger. Actually, she'd lost his card several days ago, but saying she'd given away the cards sounded a lot better.
 
Cooger replied to her wink with a little smirk, and although he thought about pretending to not be the person whose information he was given, it would be pretty obvious when he showed up when called, "If you want, I could give you an actual card, I've got a fair number. Let me ask you though, and you've got to forgive me for this question, but what're you doing with that bike, there?"
 
Lex wrinkled her nose at Cooger to say, "spoil sport!" but stayed silent. She had been looking forward to the client's confusion when Cooger dropped by again, but this was probably more professional.

"What? Oh. It's you? That's fine, this will probably work," the client said, vaguely waving the piece of paper. "The bike?" He looked around the corner. "I'd forgotten about that. I was going to get some new wheels and give a whack at getting into better shape," he grinned and patted his belly, "but I've never gotten around to it. Why?"
 
It had never occurred to Cooger Lex had intentionally buried the lead, and so didn't even notice her wrinkled nose: he had just worried the client would perceive him, or both of them, as scammers, and he didn't want to risk hurting his business, "Ah, I understand lost projects like that, and wanting to get into better shape, believe me," Cooger laughed, knowing he wasn't exactly the most athletic man anymore either, "but I've got a nephew who had asked me to keep an eye open for a bike. I kinda figure if he's asking me and not for a ride to the store, he's not looking for a new one. Any chance you're willing to sell?"
 
The pudgy man's eyes lit up. "Sure! Of course, I'm not sure what it would be worth anymore. It's a good, solid frame, and all the chains and doo-hickeys are still there." He glanced at the bike, licked his lips, and finally suggested, "Twenty bucks?"
 
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