Free Made to Love by Syd Parker

hadn’t seen in a long time. She felt at ease in her company, and the banter between them seemed natural. “The woman who inspired this sudden revelation.”
    Mason’s cheeks turned red immediately, and she smiled sheepishly. “We haven’t known each other long enough for you to see right through me, Marly.” She dipped her head shyly, before fixing Marly with a bright smile. “Nikki. She’s a friend of a friend.”
    “Ah.” Marly pushed off the doorjamb and stepped inside. “You want to talk about her?”
    “Nah.” Mason opened the valve of the acetylene tank and grabbed the blowtorch. “I’d rather work.” She turned quickly, not wanting Marly to see the smile that she couldn’t keep off her face. It didn’t seem nice to talk about women and one-night stands with a woman who was still grieving her mother’s death.
    Marly chuckled softly. “Can’t we do both? I’m in need of a distraction.”
    Mason studied her face closely. She noticed the dark circles under her eyes, the hollow look Marly hid behind her smile. She looked to Mason like someone who needed a reason to wake up in the morning. “Sure.” Mason pulled gloves on, grabbed a striker and lit the torch. She turned the valve on the oxygen tank, matching it to the acetylene flow. She nodded toward an extra set of gloves and a mask as she pulled the faceplate down on her own. When Marly was ready, Mason handed her a piece of rebar. There was no need for words. The two women worked around each other with the ease of two people who had known each other for years.
    Mason communicated with gestures as she and Marly worked together to create the first part of a woman’s body. Before long, they melted and forged four pieces of metal into a shape that resembled the long arms and legs of a dancer. Mason closed the valves on the tanks then turned the needles on the blowtorch head, releasing the remaining gas. She flipped her mask up on her head and ran her finger over the joints. Satisfied, Mason gestured for Marly to remove her mask. “Whaddya think?”
    Marly’s face broke into a smile. She didn’t have Mason’s eye for envisioning the finished product, but she felt a swell of pride at what she’d accomplished so far. “It looks good. What else needs to be done?”
    Mason set the heavy piece against her work table and pulled her gloves off. “I put her head on then I need to fashion some kind of footing for her. I’m thinking some kind of T-bar for stability. I think I will need that for balance.”
    “Hello?”
    Marly cocked her head. “Are you expecting company?”
    “Not that I know of.” Mason pulled her mask off and set it on the bench next to her gloves. She slipped passed Marly and poked her head out the garage door. “Oh.”
    Marly wasn’t sure who caused the reaction, but she could tell from the inflection in Mason’s tone that she was pleasantly surprised by the visitor. She waited until Mason was a few feet away before she poked her head out of the door.
    “Hey, Nikki.” Mason stuck her thumbs in her pack pocket s and shuffled nervously.
    “Hi, Mase.” Nikki leaned over and planted a quick kiss on Mason’s cheek. “Lex told me where to find you.” She pulled Mason’s wallet from behind her back and held it toward Mason. “You left this at my house last night.”
    Mason went to grab her wallet, but knocked it out of Nikki’s hand. She bent over quickly to pick it up and slammed her head into Nikki’s, making her stumble. “Oh, shit.” Mason reached forward to grab Nikki’s hand but missed and knocked her to the ground instead.
    “Oomph!” Nikki landed with a thud, the force of the fall knocking the wind out of her. She grabbed Mason’s hand and pulled herself off the ground. “I should have known you’d knock me off my feet.”
    “Damn it, Nikki. I’m sorry.” Mason’s cheek s burned red hot. She reached out to comfort Nikki, but Nikki grabbed her arms and pushed them to her sides.
    “I’m okay, honey.”