He walked over to the white box mounted on the opposite wall that looked like a thermostat. "Not sure if what plays here gets you in the zone as much as the tunes in your head, but you can have music playing in the booth while you work." He pressed a button and adjusted a dial, flooding the booth with music.
Cole closed his eyes and took a deep breath as his heart mimicked the thump of the bass drum keeping time in the song. He opened his eyes and Ty was watching him again, his smile less forced. He raised an eyebrow and bit back a grin. "Another show's about to start, so you better get back to work before you get all hot and bothered when I start shaking my ass."
Ty laughed with that low rumble that vibrated through Cole's body. "Let me know if you need me," he said before exiting the booth and leaving Cole to finish his work.
They worked seamlessly for the next few hours, Cole sanding while Ty primed. As Cole finished the panels, he'd carry them over to the paint booth and prep them for Ty to prime, then signal him when the new parts were ready. He carried the last of the panels and set them aside. He was ready to jump into painting when he spotted Ty working. He inched back and watched Ty through the small square window. The sweep of his arm as he sprayed the paint back and forth flowed with the grace and elegance of a musical conductor. There was a confidence in each swift motion of his arm Cole hadn't ever seen in another painter. He was mesmerizing.
Ty swept his arm upward and stopped. He looked over his shoulder and spotted Cole. Even through the paint mask, Cole could see Ty's glare fixed on him.
For once, he didn't mind having a pair of Calloway eyes staring back at him.
Ty walked toward the door and pulled the mask off.
Cole shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "I'm, uh, finished and can help with the rest of the priming," he said, turning away, hoping the hard-on he sported wasn't noticeable.
Ty looked past Cole at the clock on the wall. "Have you taken a break for lunch yet?"
Cole shook his head. "Nah, I was in the zone. Didn't want to stop."
"Go eat something then we'll continue," Ty said, retreating back into the paint booth.
Cole held the door open. "Uh, no. If I'm taking a break, so are you."
"I'm good. I still have to finish these."
"You've been painting too long, you need to take a break and get some fresh air."
Ty hesitated.
"I'll sic Stacie on you," Cole said with a grin.
Ty muffled something that sounded remotely like a curse as he disconnected the paint gun then removed his paint coveralls.
They walked back to the mechanic bays, which seemed to be the busiest areas of the shop. The technicians were enjoying the sandwiches Stacie had ordered for lunch and quieted as Ty and Cole approached, their expressions curious. Ty met with Stacie and signed off on a few papers while the techs continued to silently watch him.
"We'll meet back up in an hour," Ty said to Cole before walking toward his office.
Cole grabbed a sandwich and joined the other techs.
"So, how was it working with the boss man?" Wayne asked, pulling up a chair.
"He's a bit of a smartass, but cool," Cole said with a shrug as he bit into his sandwich.
The techs stared at him.
Cole stopped chewing and stared back. "What?" Great, what the fuck did I say now?
"A smartass?" one of the techs asked.
Cole nodded. Had he said something wrong? "But it's good. He's funny."
The techs continued to stare at him.
"What did I say?" Cole asked, finishing his bite.
"Cole, what did he do?" Jeff asked.
What the hell was up with these guys? Cole put down his sandwich, suddenly feeling defensive. "He cracked a couple of jokes and we laughed about it. It's fine. What's wrong with that?"
Stacie reappeared with her clipboard and the other techs began picking up their lunch remains and went back to work. Cole shook his head and took another bite.
"Cole?" Jeff prompted.
"What?" he said, chewing while he focused on the sandwich
Cole closed his eyes and took a deep breath as his heart mimicked the thump of the bass drum keeping time in the song. He opened his eyes and Ty was watching him again, his smile less forced. He raised an eyebrow and bit back a grin. "Another show's about to start, so you better get back to work before you get all hot and bothered when I start shaking my ass."
Ty laughed with that low rumble that vibrated through Cole's body. "Let me know if you need me," he said before exiting the booth and leaving Cole to finish his work.
They worked seamlessly for the next few hours, Cole sanding while Ty primed. As Cole finished the panels, he'd carry them over to the paint booth and prep them for Ty to prime, then signal him when the new parts were ready. He carried the last of the panels and set them aside. He was ready to jump into painting when he spotted Ty working. He inched back and watched Ty through the small square window. The sweep of his arm as he sprayed the paint back and forth flowed with the grace and elegance of a musical conductor. There was a confidence in each swift motion of his arm Cole hadn't ever seen in another painter. He was mesmerizing.
Ty swept his arm upward and stopped. He looked over his shoulder and spotted Cole. Even through the paint mask, Cole could see Ty's glare fixed on him.
For once, he didn't mind having a pair of Calloway eyes staring back at him.
Ty walked toward the door and pulled the mask off.
Cole shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "I'm, uh, finished and can help with the rest of the priming," he said, turning away, hoping the hard-on he sported wasn't noticeable.
Ty looked past Cole at the clock on the wall. "Have you taken a break for lunch yet?"
Cole shook his head. "Nah, I was in the zone. Didn't want to stop."
"Go eat something then we'll continue," Ty said, retreating back into the paint booth.
Cole held the door open. "Uh, no. If I'm taking a break, so are you."
"I'm good. I still have to finish these."
"You've been painting too long, you need to take a break and get some fresh air."
Ty hesitated.
"I'll sic Stacie on you," Cole said with a grin.
Ty muffled something that sounded remotely like a curse as he disconnected the paint gun then removed his paint coveralls.
They walked back to the mechanic bays, which seemed to be the busiest areas of the shop. The technicians were enjoying the sandwiches Stacie had ordered for lunch and quieted as Ty and Cole approached, their expressions curious. Ty met with Stacie and signed off on a few papers while the techs continued to silently watch him.
"We'll meet back up in an hour," Ty said to Cole before walking toward his office.
Cole grabbed a sandwich and joined the other techs.
"So, how was it working with the boss man?" Wayne asked, pulling up a chair.
"He's a bit of a smartass, but cool," Cole said with a shrug as he bit into his sandwich.
The techs stared at him.
Cole stopped chewing and stared back. "What?" Great, what the fuck did I say now?
"A smartass?" one of the techs asked.
Cole nodded. Had he said something wrong? "But it's good. He's funny."
The techs continued to stare at him.
"What did I say?" Cole asked, finishing his bite.
"Cole, what did he do?" Jeff asked.
What the hell was up with these guys? Cole put down his sandwich, suddenly feeling defensive. "He cracked a couple of jokes and we laughed about it. It's fine. What's wrong with that?"
Stacie reappeared with her clipboard and the other techs began picking up their lunch remains and went back to work. Cole shook his head and took another bite.
"Cole?" Jeff prompted.
"What?" he said, chewing while he focused on the sandwich
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