DEALING WITH THE HEAT... & more (Part 174j)

DEALING WITH THE HEAT… & more (Part 174j)

I’d left the purloined panties in the trunk of my car to dry out and retrieved them before heading for home. I was a bit mad at myself for not having done the inspection of them while still in the back yard. If I had I might’ve thought about checking the other panties. On the way home I gave some thought about taking another visit next door but quickly decided against it. There was always the chance that Elle might’ve gone over on her own and picked the wash up. I decided it was better to be safe than sorry… and I did have a pair of Martha’s.

It was truly refreshing to have the temperature at around 80 degrees and with little humidity when I got home. It told me that work on the race car that night would at least be somewhat comfortable. The wind was out of the North and the back side of the shop faced that direction. There were no buildings out there, only a farm field, so we’d have the advantage of any air movement that was around. The mood of the guys was definitely upbeat. There was some ‘chatter’ and some laughing which was decidedly different than on Monday night. Robob didn’t get there with the new rear end tube until it started to get dark. I was ready for him and the two of us tackled the job with vigor. We got it ready for Dick to weld the brackets that held it in the car in no time at all. All the other new parts were being installed by Cliffy, Alan, and yes, even Buster while we waited on Dick to finish.

Both the front and back doors were open and it seemed strange to see headlights pull right through the front door. It was "Fairlane John”. He seemed comfortable in talking with Cliffy, Dick and Alan but when Buster, Robob and I were nearby he seemed to ‘clam up’. So, with Dick busy welding it was only Alan and Cliffy who went over to his car. I caught a glance of him handing something to each of them. I could see his ever present cigar bouncing up and down in his mouth as he talked. He was a close friend of Cliffy’s father but none of the rest of us knew exactly what he did for a living. I’d never seen him other than behind the wheel of his hardtop convertible. When Dick finished up his work on the rear end he joined the other two with John.

It needed three of us to jockey the rear end under the car so it could be bolted in place  It was while doing that we heard “Fairlane John” start his car and, as usual, rev up the motor like he was getting ready for a drag race. As heavy as that car was we joked that a VW mini bus would beat him. It was around 11pm when we started cleaning up around the car. Cliffy’s father had one hard and fast rule… don’t leave the shop unless every tool is back in place and the floors are swept up. Whenever Buster showed up the floor was his responsibility. The rest of us were sort of gathered around the car when Cliffy put a piece of paper on the hood of it. It was a flyer announcing a 100 mile open competition race at the brand new Dover (Delaware) International Raceway. I knew it was built for the big NASCAR race cars and that Richard Petty had won the first race held there just a short time ago. If we were going to race there we would be a whole different ‘breed’ of race car and we’d have no knowledge on how to prepare for it. Before I could say anything he said that if we wanted to go that “Fairlane John” would buy us the tires. Since tires were the main expense it certainly caught my attention. Cliffy went on to say he needed more information than was on the flyer but was looking for our thoughts on the possibility of attempting it. It would be only the second race held at the track and it would get a lot of publicity. Cliffy added that we might be able to get a sponsor for the race because of it. In looking back on that night I remember one thing more than any other… no one mentioned how much faster the cars would be going there than at the two other one mile tracks that were around. But, by the time we left for the night it was all but decided that we’d be going.

Sleeping that night was a pleasure. I didn’t even hear Elle’s alarms and never felt her get up to use the bathroom. It gave me hope that the interior of the bank would be a reasonable temperature when I got there. The women who had dressed to be comfortable (dresses and blouses with exposed shoulders) found themselves wishing they had a sweater to put on. Even with some wearing shorter hems on their skirts and dresses I honestly never really got a good panty peek. A couple of ‘flashes’ as Alice ran up the back stairs was about the extent of it. Lobby traffic (as well as vehicle traffic in town) increased with the lower temperature. I was glad to see things getting back to normal and when my friend, Paul, showed up it was like old times. The last time I’d seen him he was with a close friend of his wife’s who was the manager of a cottage colony on Bermuda. Paul had been given a five day vacation at the colony but with the launch of his new business (a newsletter focusing on high rates on Certificates of Deposit) was unable to go and had offered it to me. Elle and I’d been to Bermuda the previous Fall and, as much as we liked the place, there was no realistic way we could go again. Plus, we’d gone to Florida earlier in the year as guests of my parents. So, because I didn’t turn down the offer on an outright basis Paul was back to offer it to me again. Our main cost would be the airfare just like it was for the Florida trip… but it was still money that, up to then, I didn’t have.

Without talking to Elle I told Paul we’d take him up on the offer. It was for the second week of September, the last week of what the Bermuda tourism bureau called “the off season”. His friend had given me materials on the place when I met him but I had no idea what I’d done with them. But, it wasn’t all that important right at the moment. Getting the money from my grandmother’s account was now the priority so I could get the plane tickets. However, I was a bit reluctant to pester “Gee”, the Trustee/attorney, about the document he said he’d get for me. I thanked Paul, profusely, and told him I’d find a way to reciprocate. He told me not to worry about it and to make sure I had a good time while there. As far as I was concerned that was a ‘given’. As he walked out the front door it came to me that I hadn’t checked the vacation schedule to see if the days were available to me. I headed straight for the vacation list, holding my breath as I did. I had to  check the dates Hobie had put in for knowing that he had preference. I was next in ‘rank’ with Bret and Trish following. My hope was that I didn’t have to bargain with either of them.

Things had been going too good on that day for that not to be a problem. Trish was the one who had penciled in that week for her vacation. Trish and I’d been working extremely well for an extended period of time. But, I still ‘walked on eggs’ any time I had to ask her to do something I knew she didn’t like to do. I knew this was going to be even more difficult. Time was of the essence for me so I steeled myself for a bit of a battle as I sat down at her desk. From the look on her face I could see she knew something was up. When she folded her arms across her chest I was tempted to get up and leave… but I didn’t.(74)

To be continued…