Chapter 12

After joking with Nathan about the "new" car I wanted having died on the test drive, I called Katie to let her know it would be a while before we were back. While she waited, I asked her to check with the general manager to see if he could locate a blue one somewhere in Georgia.

"Did you wreck it already Joe? No wonder you can't have nice things," Katie joked.

Before I could really answer her, the dealerships tow truck showed up and was making so much noise I could not hear her anymore. The tow truck driver was shaking his head at all of the chunks of metal, fluids, and random parts under the car as he pulled it up onto the flatbed. I mistakenly thought it was his disgust that this car would do that on a test drive.

You know better than to make assumptions.

Turns out it was because he had to pick up every single part he could find to take back to the dealership for analysis. I felt pretty bad about him having to walk all the way back to where it started dying looking for anything that seemed important. He was definitely mumbling something angrily about this car all the way back to the dealership. The truck's diesel engine covered up his grumbling so I couldn't hear any details. Katie was there watching us pull up and demanded, as only a lawyer can, I tell her exactly what happened. I waited until the general manager brought over the service manager so I only had to go over it once. Nathan had been sent inside to be interrogated later. He was still being grilled in the manager's office when an older man in shop coveralls came over to them holding something in his hands. I moved over just close enough to hear what he was going to say.

"Weren't no factory defect," he started explaining before the service manager shut him up.

I got a look from Katie when she asked, "That does not sound good. Did you blow the engine?"

"I don't know what happened to the engine or brakes. The car's power started to fade about one thousand RPM before redline. It did that in every gear when I was laying into it on the long straightaway. I was on a short stretch when something blew. These models are made to run hard right out of the gate with no mods. I looked it up when I was getting my geek all over the car specs. Redline on it is two thousand RPM higher than the gauge shows. Something is definitely fishy here. I wonder if that is why the sales manager did not want to let me test drive it, but let you since you are a woman. They would never expect you to lay into it as hard as a man wanting it for the raw power and handling," I told her.

Smiling she said, "Joe, before we have any grounds to press this matter further, we must allow them time to do a quick analysis of the problems. If they drag their feet or give us a load of bullshit, we walk. They deal with us honestly or not at all."

She was completely on target. Anyone this willing to screw over a prospective customer was not to be trusted. I did not need that crap at all. She said we waited long enough and were heading to Katie's car when the general manager came out with his phone to his ear and waving for us to stop. A few seconds later he ended his call.

Looking really pissed about something, he took a couple seconds to calm down before saying, "Son, that car was designed to be pushed a lot harder than what you did on your test drive. My computer tech dumped the data off plug we install for all test drives to stop theft. He said you were out taking a nice Sunday drive. Kids out in LA are taking street races with stock models. I got something squirrelly going on around here and I am not about to insult you into asking if you would give another try to earn your business. Now what I am going to do is to send you over to Carriage Nissan in Gainesville. They have what you really want at a price you won't believe."

"I am talking with him right now. Let me see what I can do for you, ok," he said quickly answering speaking to whoever just called him.

"Now the boys over there will be waiting for you," he continued saying to us. "They have one of the hundred and fifty 2014 GT-R Track Editions all decked out in Gun Metal Grey with blue and grey leather trim. Now it is used, so they are willing to bend over backwards to make a deal. I will let you work it out with them to get all the specifics. My boy over there promised me that if they can't get you interested in it at their best price; they will sell you a new fully loaded 2015 GT-R Black at the same price they are asking for the 2014 Track Edition."

I shook his hand and said that I was about over it for today. He just told me I needed to go take a look at it before I called it a day. It would really be worth my time.

What the hell. It has been one of those days and he has actually been upfront with me from the start.

It took a while to get to the Gainesville dealership, but he was spot on. The trip was worth it. The reception we got was both warming and honest. The general manager came right out to meet us at the car, greeted us by name, and asked us inside to "chat." Before he started his sales spiel, we were offered sodas, bottles of water and snacks.

"Katie I was warned I had better be sure my deal was solid with no fluff. You are not going to have to rake me over the coals to get what was promised. The paperwork is drawn up already for that fully loaded blue 2015 GT-R Black down in the showroom for the same price I put on the 2014 GT-R Track Edition," he said talking only to her. "I have already signed everything. Sign, pay and it is all yours exactly as promised. I ask you to hold onto both sales contracts to show you how serious I am about what I am offering."

Ok now I am offended. Does he just think I cannot make my own deals?

He saw my look and said, "Sorry Joe, I was warned that I had to diffuse your negotiator before we could get down to our business. So here is what I am offering. I am sure you know they only made one hundred fifty of the 2014 GT-R Track Editions. One of the Falcon's players ordered it, drove it a week, and then realized he was too large to fit into it comfortably. He said he would sell it back to me for only eighty grand since he was too stupid to listen to his father and never took a test drive before he bought it. My problem is that I have is that no one wants to pay for a 2014 when they can get a 2015, no matter how good the price. I have been paying interest on that eighty grand for four months now."

Katie interrupted to as a couple questions on the paperwork she was looking over. He called up someone to go over all the legal stuff with her on it while we got back to chewing the fat.

"So I want it gone and you want an all-wheel rocket. It had every possible option and only has five hundred twelve miles. I am willing to throw in a five year, full bumper to bumper, zero deductible Nissan extended warranty for a total price of seventy grand. Of course, that is after you get a chance to take it out for a spin. This one won't blow the engine on you like the Subaru," he told as he handed me a set of keys.

Walking out to the parking lot I quickly found the GT-R.

Shit that is fucking cool! Why did I not even consider one of these? I won't be paying for it when all was said and done.

I noticed it was a bit loud inside the cabin from the engine noise. Out on the road I felt ever single crack, piece of gravel, bump, and cigarette butt. The thing is, this car stuck to the corners like it was attached to a metal guide track. We ripped down a number of twisting country roads faster than I would have felt comfortable doing in the WRX. The raw horsepower was a little intimidating, but damn it was fun as hell to drive!

We came to a nice long section of straight road where I really laid into it. I was over a hundred before I realized it. Laying into the brakes and downshifting had me stopping a lot quicker than even my old car.

I want this car, but I have to look over the 2015 just to be sure.

Back at the dealership, the fact that the 2015 only offered red/black leather and the 2014 had grey/blue, plus the blue LED accents, did it for me. Katie said it was up to me as both deals were rock solid legally. The biggest selling point she made for 2014 was that it had a five year factory extended warranty while the 2015 only had the standard three.

"So do you take cash," I asked the general manager.

He shook his head and said, "Well I can't accept funds from any customer, but my cashiers can."

We laughed at one liners as I went through the paperwork and did all of the signatures. Faster than any other car deal I had done in my life; I was out of there in my new car in ten minutes. I was told I would be called if any of the cash turned out to be missing from the stacks of fifty.

Katie gave him a dirty look without explaining why. "Don't you dare get a speeding ticket on the way Joe, but you have to really get going if you want to have tags done for it today," Katie told me as I got in my new car. "Call your insurance agent on the way so they can update all the required systems at the DOT. I am going to call Penny so that she can reach to her friends in Atlanta to make sure the DMV doesn't try to pull something on you. You can put your fees on your corporate card if your personal cards will not permit it."

Damn this is going to be hard to keep just a bit over the speed limit!

One good thing to be said for being a geek is that I knew the Georgia speed laws and the cops usually relied on people not knowing them. Right on time, there was a Hall County cop on my ass. There had been dozens of people passing me doing well over eighty, at last one who flipped me off, as I cooked along with cruise set to seventy five. He stayed on my butt even after I passed a line of cars stuck behind an old grandmother driving forty. People continued to blow past us. He waited until I got a mile short of the county line to turn on his lights.

You are so going to hate me asshole.

So I rolled down my window to get, "Sir, do you know how fast you were going?"

"Not precisely officer. I just bought this car and was headed to get it tags for it. The speedometer was showing somewhere between sixty-five and seventy-five. The navigation system was saying between sixty-nine and seventy-two," I replied. "Since the speed limit on this section of I-85 is seventy, then that is well below the ten miles per hour over required for a speeding ticket to hold up in court. Plus you were passed by a number of vehicles driving well over ninety. I know they told you to go out and get them for the Super Speeder revenue."

Yeah I bet you are going to come up with something anyway.

After he finished laughing he said, "Actually sir, I wanted to make sure the speedometer was working correctly now. The last time I pulled this car over, the driver was doing over one twenty five. Said he just bought it too. Now you sure don't look nothing like him. I had to check that you did not just up and steal his car. Got you any paperwork that proves this is yours?"

"Yes sir, here is the sales paperwork. I was on my way to get tags for and pay the taxes before they closed for the day. Looks like I will get to do that tomorrow after all. There is no way I am going to be able to get there in time now, not without exceeding the posted speed limit," I told him.

As he was looking over the paperwork a Georgia State Police car pulled up in front of me. The two of them started chatting for a bit before the GSP office came back to my window.

Shit now I am going back to jail again. What the hell is up with my bad luck anyway? I would think I was still in that hot, sexy dream I was having before, if not for all of this normal bad luck.

"Mr. Johnson. I am told you were driving the posted speed limit while travelling to the tag office to register your new purchase. Is that correct," he asked me.

I just nodded, knowing better than to say anything now, lest I end up in court for who knows what. I really did watch the whole video about what to do when dealing with the police, not that I always followed it.

He smiled back at me and said, "Well it might just be your lucky day. I just so happen to have a partner with me today. Now, say, you are willing to let me get behind the tail of this fine automobile, I will see if we can get you there before they shutter the office for the night. I have to verify that your speedometer is not mis-calibrated."

"Sure thing officer. I am curious what this car can do myself. I was looking at a Subaru WRX STI, but the one they had blew the engine during the test drive. This was a deal too hard to pass up," I told him as I took off my seat belt, got out and moved over to the passenger side.

A few minutes later he handed me all of my paperwork back and strapped into the driver's seat. His partner turned on his patrol car lights and started to roll as we entered into traffic. Once we were able to get into the fast lane, the partner started laying into it hard. We were easily up to eighty in a few seconds. As fast as the lights and siren could get people out from in front of us, we were speeding up. The cop had it up to one ten easily.

I found out that even going this fast I could still feel the road though the arm rest and seat. It also showed that this car was not great to keeping out the engine noise. Now I know why it has a high end stereo setup in it, but I was not about to turn it up with the cop driving. We pulled up to the tag office at ten to four.

"Mr. Johnson that is one nice vehicle. You should get that down to the track south of Atlanta to really open it up," he told me as he handed over the keys. "Now you watch your speed out there. It has a lot of pedal left and I barely had it out of fourth."

This car can move when I need it. I never want to have to need it!

Inside the tag office, the line was non-existent. I walked right up with the title the dealer from the original owner, dealer title transfer paperwork, and then a stack of forms I was told to have ready for them if they asked. Not seeming to give a flip about how expensive the car was, they took almost seven grand in TAVT from me and gave me the next tag off the stack. I could expect to get my title sometime in the next six months. The lady was very dismissive of me when I asked about it.

I was exhausted when I drove up to my house. I pulled into the garage and headed inside to get comfortable. I had on a pair of sweat pants and a t-shirt when someone knocked on the door.

Who the hell is coming out here to knock on my door at this time of day? Why didn't the security system trigger that someone was on the property?

Keeping the security bar in place I cracked the door to look out.

"May I help you," I asked to the back of what looked like two girl scouts.

With the lights still out behind me I could see them as they turned around without then being able to see my too well.

Shit! What the hell are Pam and Cassie doing here? Who in their right minds would let them into the Girl Scouts?

"Mister, we are from Girl Scout Troop ninety-seven from Decatur, Georgia. Our troop is trying to sell fifteen thousand dollars in Girl Scout Cookies this year to try to win a trip to Epcot. There are a lot of troops in our area, but none all the way out here, so we came here to try to sell cookies to you," Pam told me.

This has to be some sort of trick, or entrapment.

Looking carefully out toward the road and around on my driveway, I did not see anyone. There was nothing tripping the cameras around the side of the house or back yard.

Talking quietly I asked, "May I see what you have that I can order please?"

Cassie did not miss a beat as she pushed the order form through the door. I looked it over and they had almost a full page of orders from the houses and farms all over this area. All of them were in different hand writing. I recognized at least two of my neighbor's handwriting from notes they had left in my mailbox from time to time.

What is the possibility they are actually all the way out here just by chance? This is a lot of work to just come to see me. I still worry that this is about to get me into a lot of trouble. Might as well order some for the office. No way I can get in trouble for that can I?

Both girls were wearing the short-sleeved shirt and skirt Girl Scout uniform. It was a lot windier and colder today than normal for this time of year. The least I could do is to ask if they were allowed to come in to warm up while I made my selections. No way did I want to go to jail, again because I let them inside without permission.

"I don't see anyone from my office on here and I know they all like your cookies too. Can you ask the leaders or parents taking you around if is ok for you to come in to warm up while I call them," I asked. "It may take me a while to get figured out what I want to order."

Both girls looked at other before whispering back and forth discussing it. Pam pulled out her phone and dialed.

"Mrs. Edmond? This is Pam," she said into her phone. "We are down at the fifth house on the left side of the road. The man that lives here wants to call some people at his office to see if they want cookies too. The wind is making us cold. Is it ok if we go just inside their front door to get warmed up while they call ... Yes they have a storm window ... Cassie is with me ... Yes she has it ... I will make sure ... Yes ... Ok ... We will go to the road and call when done ... I will have him do that too ... Ok"

The part of the conversation made it sound like they had been given permission to come in for a short while at least.

"Mister, our leader said that it was ok for us to come inside for a few minutes while you call your office. You have to keep the front door open all the way so everyone can see us through the storm door," Pam told me sounding very sure of herself.

I closed the door, removed the chain, opened it back up, and then quickly moved away so they could not see me. The way the lights were right now made it so they could only see the sheet in my hands as I backed away from them a good ten feet. I made a quick call to Katie to ask her what she liked and what I should order for the office. I realized I was going to buy way more than I should, but I knew I needed any tax deductions I could get this year.

"How many boxes are in each case," I asked with my back to them.

"Twelve," came the quick reply from them both.

Doing some quick math I wrote down that I wanted five cases of Thin Mints, and four cases each of the other five regular ones. I also ordered 2 cases each of the two new gluten free ones.

"Give me a minute and let me get some money to pay you for the order," I told them as I slipped off through the kitchen get the required eighteen hundred and twenty-four dollars.

While I was double checking the cash I heard Pam ask loudly, "Mister, would it be ok if we used your bathroom?"

I wonder what they will do if I tease them a bit? They have no idea it is me.

"Don't you need to stay near the front door so you can be seen from the road and be able to quickly get away if I am some scary creep," I asked back.

There was some silence before I heard Cassie yell back, "Yes sir. But we both really, really have to go. We have to go so badly that we will risk any horrible things you may want to do to us over going outside to do out business in the bushes."

Besides fucking the shit out of Katie last night, I had managed to make sure to get plenty of plant food into the few house plants hardy enough to survive not being watering for weeks on end. Katie came out looking for me when I did not come right back to bed while she used the bathroom. She was really ready to go again when she found me out in the living room and we ended up fucking on the couch. When I answered the door for the girls I saw that I had not put away the two large cups I used to water the plants.