Chapter 2: A Calling to Serve

...depicting Linda's boyfriend at work ...

The creases of Joseph’s blue coveralls were sharply pressed and the built-in belt cinched tight and flush against his flat stomach. He knew he cut a dashing figure in the oil change shop and had long since gotten used to catcalls from the other guys.

The advantages outweighed the trouble. The manager allowed him, clipboard in hand, to approach customers as they sat in their cars to take name and payment information. It didn’t hurt that he spoke English better than the others or that he presented a smiling friendly face to the clientele. He felt a cut above the rest and it brought a few dollars more an hour.

It was just after eight in the morning when the first rush of business came in. Three cars lined up in the driveway leading to the servicing bays.

The first was an old white Cadillac. The elderly man had gotten there early and had been sitting for half an hour. He was a regular. Joseph took down his license number, scribbling it in the appropriate box on the form. He moved to the driver window, greeting him professionally, verified his credit card number, then stepped away. The man drove to Bay Three where Hector waved him in.

The next vehicle drove up, a small black Nissan pick-up. The man was in his thirties and wore dark sunglasses. Routine. Carlos directed him into Bay Two. The third car though was something special. Through the tinted glass, Joseph saw blonde hair framing a face. It gleamed like gold in the sun.

He raised his hand, palm forward, and the driver stopped. “Please shift your car into park and put the handbrake on,” he called to her. He stepped in front of the car, his legs as though astride a mighty river. He looked over to Bay One. “Corvalis! Can you take another one?”

“Si, of course!”

Joseph scribbled on the form and went to the driver window. The blonde turned towards him, her large candy red sunglasses dwarfing her face. He smiled as his eyes sallied down to her cleavage.

“Name and address, please.” She told him and he said, “Stacy. That’s a nice name.” Her red lips betrayed the smallest twitch of pleasure. “I need to check your mileage,” he said, opening the door. She sat passively as he thrust his head into the compartment between her body and the dash. He noted smooth tan legs, tight white shorts and a bare midriff. He glanced at the odometer.

He stood erect and shut the door. “Bay One.” Corvalis waved her in and Joseph jogged behind as she positioned the Toyota sedan over the service slot. When she shut off the ignition, he opened the door. Her open-toed heels clattered onto the concrete floor as she got out and sashayed to the waiting room.

During the thirty minutes it took to service her car, Joseph made small gestures such offering more coffee or advising her how much longer it would take. When she left he smiled as he put a slip of paper in his pocket, a promise for another day.

They started closing down the shop at six, though they stayed open until seven. He climbed out of his coveralls, revealing a white t-shirt and jeans. He hung his work clothes neatly in his locker. He and the others were going for a beer. It wasn’t a bad job, he thought.

Chapter 3 will be posted on November 22.