Going around the tight curve, I leaned the heavy Harley just a little more and rolled back on the throttle as I came out of the turn. A minor scraping sound from the crash bar dragging on pavement indicated I should have taken that turn a little slower. A little wind therapy on my off day was just what I needed after what seemed like a longer than normal week at work.
I pulled my bike into the parking lot of the local hardware store. I usually didn't work on my bike myself as I'm not the gearhead type, but some things were just not big enough to take it to the shop. Since I don't usually work on my bike, I usually have to buy tools for the small things I decide to take care of myself.
While walking up and down the aisles looking for what I needed, on a couple of turns I noticed the cashier watching me. Okay, I know bikers have a generally bad rep, but I don't consider myself a biker. I'm a guy who rides a Harley. In black jeans, black shirt, and leather vest other people probably don't know or care about the difference. I regularly get those looks and usually don't care. This guy kept watching and staring. As I passed another aisle, I caught him taking a picture with his cellphone. I guess in case "things went bad" he would have a shot of the "criminal" to give to the cops.
Since I couldn't find what I needed, I went to the cashier to ask. "I'm looking for T handle Torx wrenches."
The nametag said the guy's name was Robert. He was still eyeing me in a weird way. "Yeah, I have just what you're looking for. Just one second."
Robert went to the front door and locked it while flipping the sign to CLOSED. "I'm the only one here today, and since you're the only customer, I don't need someone ripping the place off while I help you out."
I followed Robert through the doors labeled Employees Only. Rows and rows of tools, hardware, and lawn and garden equipment were passed in the warehouse area. We came to another door and went through into the manager's office. Robert walked over and sat on the front of the desk. I'll admit I was a little confused and looked around to see if there were Torx wrenches anywhere in sight.
"Do you not have any? Would you need to order them or should I go somewhere else?" I asked.
"No, Brad, you don't need to go anywhere. I've got just what you need." The strange employee rubbed his crotch through his pants as they started to form a tent.