Monty
"I just don't see why it's so expensive."
"It's really hard to make parts that small, ma'am," Monty explained for what felt like the thirtieth time. "We only charge what the manufacturer charged for the custom part, plus hour hourly fee for service—"
"Yes, but," the mouse huffed, stomping her little foot on the counter. "Why is it so much? I could go to any other mechanic in the city and get it cheaper."
Then why don't you? Monty thought to himself, taking a deep breath and raising his two paws in a placating manner. "I'm sorry ma'am, I don't make the prices. The part costs $350 and hour hourly service fee is $70 an hour, and the repair took 2 hours so the total price comes out to $490. Then you add tax to that..."
"This is outrageous," the mouse snorted. She rummaged around her purse and pulled out her credit card all while muttering angrily to herself, and Monty slid the tiny card-reader in her direction. "You'd think us girls would stick together," the woman continued, shoving her card into the device with more force than necessary, "but nooo, apparently its just common practice to take advantage of poor, old, little ladies and steal their hard-earned money for no reason. Mechanics."
Monty mentally rolled his eyes, but kept his neutral face, lifting his head from the customer when the bell above the door jingled, announcing someone coming in. "I'll be right with you," Monty called, turning back to the mouse in front of her. "Thank you, ma'am. Here's your receipt and keys back."
The mouse harrumphed, snatched her keys from Monty's fingers, and hopped off the counter, storming out the door. Monty dropped his head in his hands and groaned, rubbing his temples.
"Careful, sweetheart," a familiar voice cooed, "your light's going yellow." Monty glanced up through their fingers to see the bright eyes of his girlfriend staring back at him with a wide grin, Rose bent over to be level with where Monty was leaning against the counter. "Difficult customer?"
"You have no idea," Monty snorted, already feeling better, and standing. "She made us special order a custom part for her car and then got mad when we charged her for it. Hold on," Monty walked backwards and shouldered the door to the workshop open and yelled, "I'm going on break, Rose's here!"
"Got'cha Boss," Tim called back from underneath an elephant's car, only the legs of the Onager visible. "Don't be gone too long, this thing's givin' me trouble."
Monty headed back up front and leaned in for a kiss.
Rose's nose curled and she leaned away. "You smell like sweat and oil."
"I'm covered in sweat and oil," Monty countered back, stealing into Rose's space and pecking her cheek. "Come on, lets head to the office. Pete's not in today so it's all mine." The two of them hurried to the office, where Rose dropped a paper bag dripping in grease onto the desk. Monty took no time digging into the bag and pulling out the contents. "I don't know how you enjoy this crap," he snorted, opening one of the boxes from Buggie King.
"Hey," Rose countered, grabbing her own burger and taking a bite. "You love it too."
"No, I'm just not picky and I'm always hungry. There's a difference."
"Sure."
The two ate in a companionable silence for a few minutes, Rose stealing some of Monty's onion rings while Monty wasn't looking before Monty asked, "I thought you worked today?"
"Decided to close early," Rose shrugged, chugging half of her soda in one go. "We only had one appointment and no walk-ins came in for hours. I was losing more money being open than I earned today."
"Mmm, which means you're gonna hang around here until I'm off? Or do you have plans? I'm sure the guys wouldn't mind the company as long as you don't touch anything. We both know what happened last time."
"It was an accident," Rose giggled, both of them remembering the disaster that was Rose somehow making an entire engine fall out of a car an nearly squish Jacqui. "I won't touch anything, but no, I don't think I'm gonna hang out here today, babe. Vee's been texting me nonstop and someone better go check on them before we're paying their bail again."
Monty gwaffed because they both knew that Vee was more likely to get some innocent bystander sent to jail then themself, but the possibility was never 0. "I haven't heard crud from it today. Which means they're doing somethin' illegal most likely and don't want me to know."
"Which is why they're texting me," Rose agreed, clearing up their trash and tossing it into the small waste basket. "So I better get going before they come home with a stolen sports car."
Monty stood up and this time Rose gave him a proper kiss, arms tossed around his neck before she ruffled his hair and skipped away. "I'll see you tonight, baby! I'll make Vee cook to make up for whatever trouble they've been getting into."
Right as she was about to leave the office, both of their phones dinged at the same time. Monty picked his up out of his pocket as Rose grabbed hers and they looked at the news story. Monty frowned and rubbed his ear nervously while Rose shook her head with a curse or two.
Breaking: Coyote harasses innocent Lemur, Coyote gets shocked.
"I wonder how much of that headline is true and how much is an attention-grabber?"
"It's all probably a crock of bullcrap," Rose growled, shoving her phone back in her pocket like it personally bit her. "You know how us predators are treated like garbage in the news."
"Rose..." Monty reached out for his girlfriend's arm and pulled her in for a hug. " 'S okay, it's probably just trying to get views, I'm sure nothing came of it."
"Still," Rose groaned into Monty's shirt. "It's not fair to anyone."
"I know."
"I gotta go, I'll see you tonight, Monty."
"Love ya, Rose," Monty forced a smile, and Rose returned it as she pulled away.
"Love you too, Monty!" With that she waved and left the office, leaving Monty there. He tiredly rubbed his face and leaned back on his heels, shaking his head.
He had to get back to work.
"I just don't see why it's so expensive."
"It's really hard to make parts that small, ma'am," Monty explained for what felt like the thirtieth time. "We only charge what the manufacturer charged for the custom part, plus hour hourly fee for service—"
"Yes, but," the mouse huffed, stomping her little foot on the counter. "Why is it so much? I could go to any other mechanic in the city and get it cheaper."
Then why don't you? Monty thought to himself, taking a deep breath and raising his two paws in a placating manner. "I'm sorry ma'am, I don't make the prices. The part costs $350 and hour hourly service fee is $70 an hour, and the repair took 2 hours so the total price comes out to $490. Then you add tax to that..."
"This is outrageous," the mouse snorted. She rummaged around her purse and pulled out her credit card all while muttering angrily to herself, and Monty slid the tiny card-reader in her direction. "You'd think us girls would stick together," the woman continued, shoving her card into the device with more force than necessary, "but nooo, apparently its just common practice to take advantage of poor, old, little ladies and steal their hard-earned money for no reason. Mechanics."
Monty mentally rolled his eyes, but kept his neutral face, lifting his head from the customer when the bell above the door jingled, announcing someone coming in. "I'll be right with you," Monty called, turning back to the mouse in front of her. "Thank you, ma'am. Here's your receipt and keys back."
The mouse harrumphed, snatched her keys from Monty's fingers, and hopped off the counter, storming out the door. Monty dropped his head in his hands and groaned, rubbing his temples.
"Careful, sweetheart," a familiar voice cooed, "your light's going yellow." Monty glanced up through their fingers to see the bright eyes of his girlfriend staring back at him with a wide grin, Rose bent over to be level with where Monty was leaning against the counter. "Difficult customer?"
"You have no idea," Monty snorted, already feeling better, and standing. "She made us special order a custom part for her car and then got mad when we charged her for it. Hold on," Monty walked backwards and shouldered the door to the workshop open and yelled, "I'm going on break, Rose's here!"
"Got'cha Boss," Tim called back from underneath an elephant's car, only the legs of the Onager visible. "Don't be gone too long, this thing's givin' me trouble."
Monty headed back up front and leaned in for a kiss.
Rose's nose curled and she leaned away. "You smell like sweat and oil."
"I'm covered in sweat and oil," Monty countered back, stealing into Rose's space and pecking her cheek. "Come on, lets head to the office. Pete's not in today so it's all mine." The two of them hurried to the office, where Rose dropped a paper bag dripping in grease onto the desk. Monty took no time digging into the bag and pulling out the contents. "I don't know how you enjoy this crap," he snorted, opening one of the boxes from Buggie King.
"Hey," Rose countered, grabbing her own burger and taking a bite. "You love it too."
"No, I'm just not picky and I'm always hungry. There's a difference."
"Sure."
The two ate in a companionable silence for a few minutes, Rose stealing some of Monty's onion rings while Monty wasn't looking before Monty asked, "I thought you worked today?"
"Decided to close early," Rose shrugged, chugging half of her soda in one go. "We only had one appointment and no walk-ins came in for hours. I was losing more money being open than I earned today."
"Mmm, which means you're gonna hang around here until I'm off? Or do you have plans? I'm sure the guys wouldn't mind the company as long as you don't touch anything. We both know what happened last time."
"It was an accident," Rose giggled, both of them remembering the disaster that was Rose somehow making an entire engine fall out of a car an nearly squish Jacqui. "I won't touch anything, but no, I don't think I'm gonna hang out here today, babe. Vee's been texting me nonstop and someone better go check on them before we're paying their bail again."
Monty gwaffed because they both knew that Vee was more likely to get some innocent bystander sent to jail then themself, but the possibility was never 0. "I haven't heard crud from it today. Which means they're doing somethin' illegal most likely and don't want me to know."
"Which is why they're texting me," Rose agreed, clearing up their trash and tossing it into the small waste basket. "So I better get going before they come home with a stolen sports car."
Monty stood up and this time Rose gave him a proper kiss, arms tossed around his neck before she ruffled his hair and skipped away. "I'll see you tonight, baby! I'll make Vee cook to make up for whatever trouble they've been getting into."
Right as she was about to leave the office, both of their phones dinged at the same time. Monty picked his up out of his pocket as Rose grabbed hers and they looked at the news story. Monty frowned and rubbed his ear nervously while Rose shook her head with a curse or two.
Breaking: Coyote harasses innocent Lemur, Coyote gets shocked.
"I wonder how much of that headline is true and how much is an attention-grabber?"
"It's all probably a crock of bullcrap," Rose growled, shoving her phone back in her pocket like it personally bit her. "You know how us predators are treated like garbage in the news."
"Rose..." Monty reached out for his girlfriend's arm and pulled her in for a hug. " 'S okay, it's probably just trying to get views, I'm sure nothing came of it."
"Still," Rose groaned into Monty's shirt. "It's not fair to anyone."
"I know."
"I gotta go, I'll see you tonight, Monty."
"Love ya, Rose," Monty forced a smile, and Rose returned it as she pulled away.
"Love you too, Monty!" With that she waved and left the office, leaving Monty there. He tiredly rubbed his face and leaned back on his heels, shaking his head.
He had to get back to work.
