Who: Mike Lane mikelane & Joshua Washington joshes What: Meeting a Friend of a Friend When: Thursday, August 4, evening Where: AoSA (Art of Sustainable Action Coffee Shop in Huntington Harbor Mall Shopping Center) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: None except maybe boys bantering while being boys. Status: Closed/In Progress
~*~
Deliveries were on Mike's list of favorite things. He loved seeing the look on his client's face when they got to see their custom furnishing art installed for the first time. There was a sense of completion in placing each unit where it "belonged" in its new home; Mike was careful to make certain his installations were as close to perfect as any man could make them the first time around so as not to spoil the experience. It'd taken him one trip with an expanded dolly to get the AoSA's new condiments counter brought in.
Someone else had already been helpful enough to move the cheaper table out of the way for him.
Putting into its new place, Mike got out his drill to anchor it, wiping down the sides, the top, each part so the wood gleamed even through the sealant he'd used to protect it from careless customers. He unwrapped the stainless steel containers which each had a housing in the counter. All of them were labeled with space for new options as the shop expanded its menu. Mike had made them a deal on the steel labels by offering to keep a set handy to swap them out free of charge at any time over the next five years.
Mike took pride in his work. He wanted people to love what he made for them and that meant standing by his work for longer than it took to wheel it in, wipe it down, and wander out with cash in hand.
It helped he got free coffee for life in exchange though Mike always tipped as much as he'd have been charged. He figured it was only fair since he wasn't doing anything for perks or money. All his art was simply that: art.
"I think you look nice here. At home. You feel at home? Good. I thought you would," looking to the side, Mike realized someone was staring at him as he talked to the new installment and he vaguely recognized the guy, "Hey, aren't you a friend of Sam's?"