The bar was packed decently for a Saturday night. A group of younger kids had found the place, filling it with a louder than usual charm. All three pool tables were occupied and the eighties music was ebbing nicely from the speakers overhead. The bartender kept a collection of old bottles, a Darwinian display of shapes and sizes through time, above the storage shelf where all the booze was kept, and the postage stamp-shaped dance floor housed a large statue of Elvis.
“What’re you having there, Danny?” the bartender asked.
“Where’s Billy tonight?” Danny countered. It was his younger sister Paula serving the drinks.
“He’ll be here after.” She answered, grabbing him an Old Milwaukee from the glass-windowed fridge beside the sink.
He nodded approval and took the beverage. “Thanks. Hey, you know how to change a car battery, right?”
“Sure. Can change tires, too, and with some help I can do a decent brake job.” she answered, wiping down the counter where his drink lay.
“They teach you that in school?”
Paula nodded. “I took two semesters of auto mechanics in my senior year of high school. Plus Billy’s taught me a thing or two since then.”
He was impressed. “Good. It’s important to know those things.” Danny sipped his beer. “You know not to touch the battery contacts too, right?”
Her face scrunched. “Of course. Unless you got the cables and know how to tell the difference between red and black.”
“There’s a good girl.” Danny said.
“Why do you ask?” Paula asked, handing another patron a beer. She aptly removed the cap with a bottle opener without looking.
“Some girl was stranded in front of my house last night. Nearly got zapped.” He explained the whole scenario, shaking his head the whole time.
“Princess.” Paula commented. “Did she have long fingernails and stiletto heels?”
Danny chuckled. “Yeah.”
He suddenly remembered the look on her face after using the bathroom. “She’s definitely not my type.”
“You never know.” Paula countered.
“Well, we’ll soon find out. She’s supposed to be meeting me here.”
Paula lifted a brow. “Is she late?”
Checking his watch, Danny sucked his teeth. “She is now.”
“Sucks being stood up.” Paula said matter-of-factly as she poured a cocktail for a waiting customer.
“You get that a lot?” Danny asked conversationally.
“You gotta date to get stood up, Danny.” She chuckled jokingly. “I was referring to a friend of mine who’s always getting left in the dust. She tries too hard. Me, I don’t try at all. The way I figure it Mr. Right will find me or I’ll find him. No amount of dating is going to change that.”
“I suppose you’re right.” Danny smirked. “When was the last time you dated someone?”
Paula drew in a breath, as if in deep thought. “About two years I’d say. I’m quite happy living the single life. I like not having anyone to impress, you know?”
Danny nodded as he sipped his beer. When he swallowed, he answered, “I know exactly what you mean.”
“You miss her at all?” Paula asked.
Danny stiffened. “Who, Maggie? Hell no.”
“Not ever?” Paula pressed.
He nodded and scrunched his face. “Never.”
She gave him a look indicating she wasn’t buying it and decided to change the subject. “Speaking of cars, I think the engine mounts on my pickup are loose. You think you can take a look at it for me on Monday? I’ll bring it by the shop first thing.”
“How are you going to get to work?”
Paula frowned. “I can call in sick.” She said casually. Her day job as a pharmaceutical assistant was not her first pick. What she truly loved was DJing, but it was difficult to get gigs in a small town, and without experience she could forget about ever going on the air. Billy let her man the tunes at the bar most Fridays and Saturdays but it didn’t pay.
Danny waved. “Your wheels out back?” he indicated with his thumb. “I can go check it out now.”
“Sure.” she said, pulling her purse up from behind the bar. Her keys were sitting on top and she tossed them at Danny. “What about your date?”
He rolled his eyes and walked away. As he walked outside and found Paula’s truck parked at the side employee lot, he saw Billy pull up in his truck and waved at him. Billy was a stocky, dark-haired man compared to his younger sister, a petite yet strong and attractive woman. He towered over Danny despite his soft personality and disposition.
“Danny, my boy!” he patted his friend on the shoulder affectionately. “Paula told you this pile of junk was giving her trouble, eh? It’s been weeks and she wouldn’t let anyone look at it until she saw you first.”
Danny’s modesty shone; he blushed. “No big deal, my date stood me up anyway.” he said, trying to sound like he was joking when in fact he wasn’t.
Billy laughed loudly. “Always the joker!”
Unlocking the Ford pickup, Danny climbed in, leaving the door open. He inserted the key and started the engine. It rattled immediately and Danny began to shake his head. “Lifters are loose.”
“So it isn’t the mounts? Damn steering wheel was shaking and shimmying like nobody’s business when revved over thirty miles an hour.” Billy interjected.
Danny fished in his pocket for his keys. Separating his car keys from the rest he tossed Billy the metal ring holding the keys to the shuttle pickup. “I’ll drive this to my place and take a better look. Tell Paula to drive the shuttle home and come by tomorrow afternoon.” he explained. “I’m better off doing the lifters at home so I don’t take up a bay for the whole day.”
“You sure? Seems like an awful lot of trouble for you.” Billy said cautiously.
“No trouble at all, I haven’t done lifters in a while.” he winked, tossing Billy Paula’s house keys.
***
Danny was awakened by his phone ringing. He turned over in bed and picked it up. “Hello?” he answered groggily.
“Hey, Danny. Larry. Did I wake you?”
“Nah. Gotta get up anyway.” Danny grunted as he planted his feet on the carpet. His bedroom was tidy; no dirty clothes were on the floor and the bed was only half-messed, having been made the previous day.
“Were you over at Jimmy’s last night?” Larry asked conversationally.
“Yeah. For a bit. Paula’s got car trouble so I brought her clunker home. Gotta replace the lifters.”
Larry pursed his lips. Danny made no mention of meeting up with Lisa. “Anything eventful happen lately?”
“No, not really. Why you ask?” Danny had forgotten about the prissy princess already.
“No reason, just making conversation.” Larry segued. “You wanna come over and watch the game later?”
“Sure.”
“See ya.”
Cracking his neck and stretching, Danny pulled on a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt, and stuffed his feet into a pair of warm woollen socks. After heading to the washroom, which was now completely free of fingerprints and grime, Danny ate a toasted tomato sandwich and drank a glass of orange juice before heading to the double-width custom garage.
It was surprising how many alarming sounds came from passing cars, Danny realized as he stood in his garage all morning, fixing Paula’s pickup truck. After the experience he had with Lisa only a few days ago, he began training himself to ignore the sounds, figuring he was better off waiting to be approached for help.
Time passed by quickly and before he knew it, noon had come and gone. His stomach begged for food and Danny relented as he went inside to wash his grimy hands in the kitchen sink. He had just finished his soup and sandwich when the doorbell rang. Pleasantly surprised he saw Paula on the other side of the door. She was dressed casually in jeans and a waist length leather jacket. Her brown, medium length hair was pulled up in a pony tail.
“Hey,” she nodded towards the garage. “Anything I can help you with out there?”
He walked away, indicating for her to come in and close the door. “Nah, I just have to throw a few more pieces back together and take it for a test run. You hungry?”
“I just ate.” she observed the living room, “Wow, did you hire a maid?” she joked.
Danny smiled. “Very funny.”
“I wasn’t trying to be funny.” she said, “If she’s any good you should send her my way. My place is a disgrace.”
He glared at her light heartedly. “I cleaned it myself, for your information.”
A snorting sound came from her throat. “You? That I would have paid to see.”
Picking up his dishes, Danny placed them in the sink. “You’re a real thrill.” he commented sarcastically.
She giggled. “I’m just kidding. Hey, listen, have you got a suit?”
Turning around, his brows knitted together. “What do you mean, like a suit suit?” he gestured up and down his body with his hands. “Like a tux?”
Paula nodded. “Yeah.”
“I have one from when Maggie and I got married. Why?”
“There’s this stupid pharmaceutical convention I have to go to for work. We’re supposed to support the company’s donation to help this cause…I forget what it was, but my boss was pretty serious about it.” she explained unceremoniously.
Danny craned his neck. “And you need to borrow a suit? Aren’t you supposed to wear a dress?”
Paula laughed out loud, bending at the waist, “Danny, you are so clueless. I love it.” she gasped. “My boss told me if I bring a date I don’t have to stay long.”
He was even more confused. “What? You want me to be your date? Are you serious?” his face looked like he’d just eaten a lemon.
“I know it’s stupid.” she agreed. “But I can’t bring Billy. You and him are about the only two guys I’d consider taking to this thing. I hate getting dressed up for men, it gives them expectations, you know?”
Danny lifted a brow. “Whatever. When is it?”
“Next Saturday. You don’t have any plans, do you?”
Folding his arms over his chest, Danny shook his head no. “I don’t even know if the tux still fits me. Have you got a dress?”
She stared at the floor. “No. The only thing I have is my graduation dress and I am NOT wearing that thing!”
Danny waved. “Ah, come on. It was nice.”
Her eyes bulged. “Yeah, maybe fifteen years ago it was nice.” She averted her eyes to the window. “I’ve filled out a little since then anyway.”
“Oh, please.” he argued. “I bet you twenty bucks that thing still fits you.”
Paula cocked her head to the side slyly. She tipped her chin towards him, “I’ll bet you twenty bucks your tux still fits you.”
“You’re on.”