Untitled chapter
1
Pete Navarro was sitting at his desk working, keeping the books in order at Taylor’s Autos. Being a skilled mechanic his primary function was fixing cars. Having also a natural aptitude for numbers, the boss appreciated him being the accountant, too. And, as he liked Tony and always received a handsome monthly bonus, he did it without complaint.
Today, however, for various reasons, he didn’t have a head for mathematics. First, the sub standard music on the radio was bugging him; even with the door closed he could still hear it. Second, the spicy potato wedge and two burritos he’d had for lunch almost four hours ago, were now engaged in a Mexican standoff in his stomach; sitting like rocks and each unwilling to yield. Third, it was Valentine’s Day, Thursday 14th February 2008 and Pete Navarro was an unhappily married man; 27 years of age, 5 ½ years married and miserably unhappy.
He couldn’t concentrate.
He rubbed his eyes and looked at the clock; coming up to 5 p.m. In two hours he had a dinner date with his wife and he was dreading it.
Bonnie McKinley had been a year below him in high school. They met at a baseball game and the attraction was instant, perhaps a rush of spring time fever. Bonnie was a head turning beauty; 5’10” with brown eyes, brown hair, medium build, very stylish and clothes conscious, and with a really out-going personality.
They dated for over two years and got married on her 21st birthday, Pete was going on 22. She was still a beautiful woman but, almost from the day she became Bonnie Navarro, she’d changed. The out-going personality had become abrasive and volatile. The sharp mind and quick wit were now often devoted to scathing put-downs of her husband and being the wife of a skilled mechanic who earned a decent living, was no longer good enough; she wanted better and he should, too.
He threw his pencil on the desk and then stood, pacing around the small office; his office when it was accounts time, otherwise it was Tony’s. But the boss was pretty cool and even let Pete hang a framed poster on the wall; an old one he’d got from a ‘Custom Cars and Hot Rods’ magazine belonging to his dad.
The poster was a black and white shot of a 1965 Mustang. The plate read JMZ 303 and it seemed to be photographed inside a barn, with hay bales and tools in the softer focused background; stylish composition, very nice car and leaning against it was Janey Lee Harlow, ‘the hot-rodder’s dream girl’, from Manhattan Beach, California; showing her fine figure with cut off jeans and an ‘Oily Joe’s’ T-shirt and barefoot too!
‘My word, she sure is pretty’ Pete thought, losing himself in the picture. Sometimes he did that. Some days he would stare at that poster for several minutes and imagine the exact shade of green the car was painted – the same as her eyes, and imagine how tall she is – 5’11” and wonder where the photo was taken. Today was one of those days; a day on which he needed a distraction.
He sat down and tried to resume the bookwork, but knew he could go no further. Tony gave a knock on the window and came in.
“What’s up, big guy, you don’t look so good.” the boss man said with a friendly smile.
“Then I look exactly how I feel.” Pete replied solemnly as his stomach began to rumble.
“What’s wrong?” Tony asked.
“Bellyache, the burritos aren’t sitting too good.”
“Oh. And you’ve got a dinner date tonight...Bonnie’s not gonna be happy!”
“Yeah...so just like any other night, then.” Pete said with a sigh of resignation.
“Well here’s something that might make you feel better.” Tony said as he dropped an envelope on the desk.
“What’s this?” Pete asked.
“Mossman came by and picked up the roadster. That’s your share for a job well done!” Tony said, impersonating the customer.
“What do you know? He finally picked up his car and paid us!” Pete opened the envelope and a thick wad of bills fell out. “A bonus too?”
“No, are you insane? It’s mostly in smaller bills, that’s all.”
“Oh yeah,” Pete said with a frown “and look at this one...it must be as old as Abe himself.” he added, holding up a worn out $5 bill.
“Ha ha, sorry, Pete, I’ll get you a fresh one, take that to the bank tomorrow.”
“No that’s okay; it’s a piece of history. Thanks anyway, Tony...that saves me a trip to the ATM.”
“You’re welcome. So how’s the book-keeping coming along?”
“It’s not” Pete replied “I mean, it was, but I think I’ve got as far as I can for today.”
“Hey don’t worry about it, man, finish it tomorrow. Why don’t you change your clothes and get going.”
“Yeah, I’d better do that. Do you mind if I leave my car in the yard overnight?”
“That’s fine, I’ll see you tomorrow.” Tony said with a wink as he left the office.
Pete sat in the comfortable chair and searched for the will to get going. He told himself ‘maybe tonight will be different’ and ‘maybe Bonnie will be in a good mood’. He was right about one of them; tonight would be different, very different…life changing in the truest sense. But for the moment he changed clothes, splashed a little aftershave and counted the cash; $1,850, which he folded back into the envelope and put inside his jacket.
