I need a fixer (Matt)

[Arlene Baines]

Arlene had found the flyers around town and taken a number. She wasn't sure what had compelled her to do so since she knew who could fix her things and how much it cost but she also remembered her grandfather occasionally would hire local workers or artisans to do some work because he wanted to support the local economy. So she'd taken the number and was sitting on an ancient rotary phone in the office of the antique shop listening to the soft beeping of the ringing.

When the phone picked up she smiled and tried to project warmth to the other end of the phone. "Hello, is this Mr. Davis?" she asked politely.

[Matt Davis]

Matt was laying down in the bed and staring up into the sky. Booooorrrreeeeedddd. His books were sprawled out around his head from where he had been rolling over. He squirmed some, trying to get comfortable until he leaned to the side and reached back, plucking a calculator from behind his back. He looked at it and sighed. It was like a sign… Or a sine… Matt suddenly laughed to himself before setting it behind his head.

Suddenly his phone burst out into Mambo #5 and Matt jumped up. He didn’t care who it was, what it was, or what it could be, but Matt was going to answer it and be distracted!

He grabbed the phone and answered before slapping it to his ear. “Hello?” He paused, listening to the response. Mr. Davis? Well, he hadn’t been called that unless it was sarcastically or by his old principal.

“Oh… well… Yeah. Matt Davis...Can I help you?”

[Arlene Baines]

Oh my but the voice on the other end of the line sounded young. "Excuse the sudden call, but my name is Arlene Baines and I own an antique shop in town. I'd like to speak you regarding what sort of repair work you offer and what your prices might be?" she asked curiously as she graceully pulled over a pad of paper and picked up a fountain pen that had belonged to her great-grandmother many years ago.

[Matt Davis]

Matt raised a brow as he listened to her. Before she even started explaining why she was calling. He looked over his shoulder at his books and his eyes went wide. ‘...My Math teacher could tell I wasn’t doing work..fuuuuuck.’

When she finally suggested that she might be a potential client he suddenly became a bit more excited. “Oh!” He exclaimed, perhaps a little too excitedly and he sat up straight. “Well...I… I dunno… I don’t think there’s anythin’ I can’t fix. Mainly mechanical workin’s you know… Not much into chairs, but… like...ol’ lights or somethin’? Or clocks...I can fix’m well enough, I guess. As far as prices?” He looked to the ceiling and thought. This was the first business business he had had. Everything else was just for...people. He could really milk this…Nah.

“...Well… I don’t really charge any particular price… Y’know… Church based pricin’... Pay what you’re able to afford, and pay what y’think the work is worth. Iffin y’business aint doin’ well or nothin’, I can still get out there, y’know…”

[Arlene Baines]

Arlene was silent for a moment as she processed this information. "Well, I have a few items I'd like you to take a look at nonetheless, is it possible to meet after 4 on Tuesday?" she asked politely. "There's a cafe named 'Kali's' in the area. We could meet there and discuss the items and any compensation necessary," she suggested agreeably.

[Matt Davis]

“Let me check really quick…” Matt stood up and made his way to the wall and looked over the calendar. It was new, and was actually probably for kids. It looked sort of vintage but it was new, and it had the cast of star wars on each picture. Matt hadn’t changed the calendar since the month started. He flipped the old month up and looked over the completely blank calendar.

Huh. I should really get to work writing this stuff down. I didn’t even right down PJ’s birthday. Matt grabbed a pen fromt he desk and scribbled in his brothers birthday before moving to Tuesday and writing in ‘Meet Mrs. Banes at Christies- 4’.

“Alrigh’, we can do that if y’want...Never been to Christies. What kind of food are we lookin’ at?” He asked to the woman on the other side. “Aint too big a fan of coffee… They have danishes and tea?”

[Arlene Baines]

If Arlene wasn't already convinced she was dealing with a student (the probable age varied) she would have been an idiot not to realize it now. She smiled at the question anyway and was quick to reassure him. "No, it offers different kinds of foods like pasta's, sandwiches, hamburgers and salads. Though I daresay you can have a danish if you'd like," she chuckled. "I'll meet you on Tuesday at five at Kali's," she informed him, writing the date down in her own day planner which she'd pulled from her nearby purse. "Thank you very much for your help," she added as she bid him goodbye and set the phone gently back on its cradle.