There’s a price for getting smarter
So I pay what I owe
While bridges burn
Let the shadow fall behind me
I am wiser I know
We live and learn
–Michael W. Smith, “Live and Learn”

When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.
–I Corinthians 13:11

Outside Victory Motors
Three days later

“Hello?” Richie called, slowly wheeling his bike up to the open door of the garage. A brand new sign proclaiming “Victory Motors” hung proudly in the opening, swaying a little in the wind as if to answer.

A man appeared then from the glassed-in office just inside the building. He waved the young man in with one hand and a welcoming smile, never breaking away from the conversation he conducted into the phone receiver that was pinned between his left ear and shoulder.

Richie eased the motorbike over the threshold and turned to study the man. He was in his mid-thirties and about half a foot shorter than the young Immortal, but with tightly muscled arms that suggested he’d never let teasing about his size go unanswered. His hair was coal black and short with a bushy mustache under a large Italian nose. He had thick dark eyebrows and large, merry brown eyes set in a narrow olive face that culminated in a strong but cleft chin. Chaya would like him, the younger man felt instinctively.

He turned his attention to the garage, which was unusually tidy, except for the requisite grease. Instead of blinds, the privacy of the office was protected by a large poster of New York City that hung in the window, facing out into the garage. The tools were neatly arranged in a cabinet or hanging on the wall above it.

“So, what can I do for you?”

Richie turned back to face the other man, who was now phoneless. “I was hoping you could give me a hand with my bike.”

The shorter man nodded, holding out a hand. “I’m Victor Centineo. Call me Vic.”

“Richie Ryan–glad to meet you.”

Vic nodded again, this time at the bike. “Looks like you two had a nasty tangle with something.”

The Immortal smiled sheepishly. “Yeah. I, um…hit a tree.”

“Then you’re lucky you didn’t end up looking like that.”

The younger man just smiled. He then proceeded to go over the bike inch by inch, explaining what was wrong as Vic followed him around it.

“Sounds pretty accurate from what I can see,” the garage owner remarked approvingly when he was done. “You really care about this bike, don’t you? Work on it yourself?”

Richie nodded. “Most of the time. In fact, if you’re busy, I can just buy the parts and put it together myself.”

“I bet you could,” Vic agreed. “Since parts are pretty expensive without adding labor.”

The young man smiled again at the astute assessment. “Especially since a friend of mine’s paying for it.”

“Short on cash?”

“At the moment, yeah.”

“Sounds like a good friend.”

Richie nodded. “She’s turning out to be.”

The older man raised an eyebrow, smiling a little. “You know, I might just let you do that, and see how you do. I could use some help around here–maybe I can use you.”

“Really?” the Immortal asked, surprised. His eyes narrowed a little suspiciously. “Wait–do you know Chaya or something?”

“Nope. Who’s Chaya? Your friend?”

“Yeah. Okay, so if you don’t know her…why the job offer?”

Vic shrugged. “I need a hand around here, and you look like you could use the work.” He shook a finger in the younger man’s direction, still smiling. “Besides, you’re not hired yet. Let’s see if your hands are as agile as your mouth.”

******

Victory Motors
The next day…

“Looks good,” Vic commented, circling around the motorbike with an inspecting eye.

“Thanks!” Richie’s voice came from under the bike, slightly muffled. He slid out and stood up, caressing the machine with one hand as he checked with his eyes for anything left undone. Then, standing, he threw one leg over the seat and turned the engine. The bike came to life under him with a happy growl.

Beaming, Richie revved the engine a couple of times and then let it fade. He shook his head, still smiling as he looked down on his work with pride. “If that isn’t the most beautiful sound in the world, I don’t know what is.”

Vic chuckled. “True, there’s nothing so pleasing as the purr of a contented she-cat.”

The younger man looked up with a sly grin. “That too.”

“So, when can you start work?”

“You’re serious?”

“Dead serious, if you still want the job. Want it?” He stuck out his hand.

Richie grasped it firmly, laughing. “You have to ask?”

The older man grinned. “Well then, Richie, it looks like you can go home and tell your friend Chaya you got a job.”

******

Chaya’s house
later that day

“Chaya!” Richie called out as he opened the door. A moment later, the older Immortal appeared at the top of the stairs.

“Oh, there you are,” she remarked, amused. “I was a little surprised to come home to an empty house for the first time since you’ve been here.”

The young man in her doorway just grinned and closed the door behind him, one hand concealing something in his leather jacket. “I promise, I stayed out of trouble.”

“So, why are you telling me this? I’m not your mother, or your wife.”

He shrugged, eyes twinkling. “Maybe not, but you are my friend, so I thought you might care.”

Her expression softened a little. “I do care. And I’m glad to know you consider me a friend.”

“One of the truest friends I’ve ever had,” he confirmed sincerely. The next instant, his mood switched completely from somber back to jovial. “Hey, Chaya, do you drink?”

“Richie, I grew up in a time when wine was safer than water half the time. What do you think?”

He shrugged, the impish glow in his eyes never fading. “Just checking. Because I bought us something to celebrate.” The hand came out of the coat holding a dark bottle with a label that read ‘Jekel Vineyards.’ “I’m no wine connoisseur,” he admitted, “but this stuff looked good.”

Chaya approached him, smiling, and took the bottle. She inspected it briefly before handing it back. “It hasn’t been *as* good since the original family sold the vineyard, but it will do. What are we celebrating?”

Richie’s grin spread across his whole face. “I got a job.”

“Really? Without even looking?”

He laughed. “The guy at the garage hired me. The place I took my bike to.”

“George, that’s great!”

“Even better, he gave me my first week’s salary in advance…” He pulled out a slim roll of bills and flashed her a sheepish smile. “…so I could pay you back for the bike.”

He held the money out to her, but Chaya shook her head. “No. I don’t believe in anyone owing me money. Keep it.”

“But–”

“It’s a gift,” she insisted, gently closing his hand over the money and pushing it away from her. “And don’t say you can’t accept it–” she grinned. “I’d take that as an insult of the first magnitude.”

“I just feel bad.”

“Charity’s only gotten a bad reputation recently, George. Giving used to be considered a virtue. Besides, do you have any idea how many relationships are destroyed over a debt? What’s more important, the money or the person?”

“You make it really hard to argue with you, Chaya.”

She laughed and took the bottle from him. “So don’t try.”

******

Guest room
Chaya’s house
the next morning

There was a light rapping on the door, but to Richie’s pounding head it felt like a sledgehammer. He groaned. “Come in, if you come bearing Tylenol.”

Chaya smiled at him from the doorway and the young man glared at her through slitted eyelids. “What right do you have to look so bright-eyed and bushy-tailed?” he grumbled. “Especially since you were the one who provided the other bottles.”

She chuckled. “Simple. I make it a personal policy never to drink enough to get drunk. And you had about three glasses for every one of mine.”

He groaned again. “Do all older Immortals have an answer for everything or am I just lucky?”

“I would hardly say I have an answer for everything,” she teased in return. “Just a few good habits I’ve picked up over the years. None of which you are under any obligation to acquire.”

The younger man merely mumbled another complaint into his pillow as he rolled over to bury his face in it.

“Something you might like to know, though,” she continued. “A hangover is largely the result of dehydration of the body by alcohol. Next time you get blitzed, just drink a lot of water before you go to bed and you should wake up in near-perfect health.”

In spite of the pain, he managed a weak grin. “Any other good advice, Mom?”

“Yeah, if you ever call me that again, you can forget about ever seeing another piece of Ismail’s baklava.”

“I can think of some other things I’d rather call you,” he teased playfully in return.

Chaya raised one eyebrow in perfect imitation of Spock. Well, perfect except for the smirk lurking at the corner of her mouth. “Oh really? Such as?”

Turning scarlet, Richie shook his head. “Never mind.”

Chaya bent low over him to give his shoulders a friendly pat. Her breath caressed his ear as she laughed and his fingers tightened on the pillow in reaction.

God, he was going to have to ask her to stop doing that–if he could ever work up the nerve!

It didn’t help any that her next act was to let that same hand wander through his short curls. “For now I will, since you’re not yourself. But someday I expect a full list.”

She stood and Richie let out a silent sigh of relief.

“Oh, and one more thing,” Chaya added before she left. “I left a copy of the University of Washington fall class schedule on the dresser, in case you’re interested.”

That got his attention. He sat up. “What for?”

“In case you wanted to enroll in any classes. Besides motorcycle maintenance, that is,” she smirked, “since you seem to have that covered.”

He frowned. “I don’t know. I’ve never really thought of myself as the college type. I mean…I got my GED while I was with Mac…” He shuddered. “…and Tessa, but…I just don’t know.”

“An Immortal’s choices are limited only by what he knows, Richie,” Chaya told him softly, returning to the edge of the bed and seating herself beside him on it. “You have something rare and precious–time enough to do everything you’ve dreamed and a good many things you haven’t. It’s your decision, but do you want to limit yourself?”

“No time like the present?”

“If you want to look at it that way. It doesn’t have to be now, or even any time this century, but you might surprise yourself if you give it a try.”

He nodded and was instantly reminded of why he’d been trying not to move very much. “I’ll take a look at it. As soon as I can see.”