Chapter 8

We were exhausted when we closed up and went home at just after 10. I considered shutting down the sign, but Becky said to leave it lit, at least for now. “We are new, so we need people to see we are open and what we offer.” I nodded, that made a lot of sense.

We were up the next morning, and I grabbed my uniform and stuff and we drove to the shop. Once we were opened up, I set my blouse on the table and started to prepare it for Friday. I was wearing my gloves as I put my gold Eagle, Globe, and Anchors on the collar, and Becky was watching closely as I pulled out a booklet I had and a ruler and was lining up my awards. Navy Commendation Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal, Navy Achievement Medal with stars to show third award, and my Good Conduct Medal. Then on the other side, my Overseas Service Ribbon. I had to explain to her what each of them was, and then why I had an Air Force medal since I was a Marine.

I hung my blouse back up and stuck it in my clothing bag, and Becky was playing the keyboard as I started writing up an article on computers. The program I had gotten the year before was a big help, as it lets me press a button and make up as many characters as I wanted. Or put in a character and stats, and it put on it everything from saving rolls and bonus skills to spell charts and things like thief abilities and cleric undead turning numbers. I added in a few simple programs to do the same thing, and also a random number generator for several systems, from the BASIC included in an IBM, to a Commodore or Apple II.

And just after 10 a couple came in as I was hanging up the second adventure on the wall, and Becky went to help them. I finally had it hung up and went over to quietly watch. They had been thinking of getting a computer, and Becky was doing a great job showing them what it could do. Together we had loaded in a bunch of programs, from a word processor and spreadsheet to a few games, and even one with over 300 recipes on it. She assured them that all of them had the same programs installed, and then explained the differences were mostly in speed and monitors.

They left with a $275 XT with CGA monitor, and seemed happy. We exchanged another hug and kiss, and we had barely finished when somebody else came in.

Dee came over a bit later, as did Rosie. She apologized, saying she got tied up at work and could not make it the day before. I told her it was fine, and we sat down and I asked her how much she was looking to spend. Rosie looked at me sharply, and I smiled.

“Rosie, if you just want to buy a computer and go, just pick one of those out on the floor. Mandy said you wanted a custom one, that means I need to have an idea of what budget you are working with. It does no good if I give you the price of a top-end system, but you are only working with the budget for a midrange system. This is just to get us on a common page.” She smiled and said that made a lot of sense.

“Like if I went to a car lot and the guy showed me a bunch of Lincolns and Cadillacs, but my budget was for a Ford or Chevy.” I smiled and told her exactly.

Well, turns out she was looking in the under-$3,000 range. I smiled and described what I could do. A CD-ROM, 4 MB of RAM, VGA, and a high end 386-25. “In fact, it is almost exactly what I use at home, and it can do anything I want to be honest. It will take me about four days to get all the parts and assemble it, at $2,500.”

“Wow, that actually is cheap, how much are you making off of it?”

I blinked. “Nothing. Rosie, you are family to me, I do not charge family more than things cost me.”

“Oh bullshit, add in your mark-up Pete, how much?”

“$2,500.”

At this time Dee and Becky came up. Dee smiled, as if she expected this. But Becky simply said “Rosie, how about this? Pete charges you $2,500, and you give him back the one he gave to you last year? His profit can be in selling the older one to somebody else.”

Rosie blinked, then smiled. “Actually, that sounds more than fair. OK, that’s a deal.” We shook hands, and I told her to go ahead and back up anything she wanted to save off of it, and I would pick it up when I had the new one finished. She gave me a hug and kissed my cheek, and headed on home.

I walked next door, and forgot Cliff was closed today. I laughed, and when I went back in I said that we should work out a schedule. Dee said she would take Sunday through Tuesday, I would take Wednesday through Sunday, with Dee filling in if I had an appointment if Becky was not available.

Of course, I already knew that would mean little, Dee really liked working out of here instead of at home. She said she got more done, and was less lonely. And I was loving spending time with her and Georgie. And unless Becky was off of work I would still be there on my “days off”.

One good thing, we sold another 286 that day, and half of the adventures were signed with at least my signature on them. Dee went ahead and headed home, and we now had all four adventures hung in frames on the wall. I took a quick inventory and saw we only had three 286 systems left. Well, actually four, once I got the one back from Rosie.

The next day I opened up with Becky, she did not have to be at work until after lunch. Dee came over at 10 with Georgie, and I gave them all hugs and kisses and changed into PT clothes and headed to Long Beach. Physical Torture was about as expected, and the therapist was a good one. After my shoulder and neck were iced down I changed to civies and headed to the shop. But suddenly I remembered the other shop Cliff told me about, so I drove to Canoga Park. He told me the intersection, and it was easy to find, in a strip mall like ours, and I went on in. Herb was a guy in his 60’s, and he asked how he could help me. I introduced myself, and said that Cliff sent me. I filled him in on what I was doing, and why. We then explored his back area.

Good god! It was twice the size of Cliff’s, and twice as full of junk. I looked around, and he told me that he was actually looking to close up at the end of the year, and hoping to sell the business. I looked around, and a lot of stuff I did not even recognize. He had one of the old washing machine-sized mainframe disk drive packs. Four 12” record sized disks, an entire 10 megabytes, an HP microcomputer built into a desk, and there must have been over two hundred IBM systems, over three hundred monitors, and boxes of everything from tapes and TRS-80 systems to Kaypro and IMSAI boxes. It was almost overwhelming. I pulled a few computers out at random, and four of the five worked. Like Cliff, he bought a lot of stuff from closed or relocating businesses, that had decided to just junk or sell then and get new stuff.

In the corner was a stack of 35 Apple II systems, all with “Property of LAUSD” branded into the cases, obviously he got those from the school district. He then made me an offer I could not refuse. Haul it all away in the next month, and it was all mine for $6,000.

I asked him if I could return tomorrow with an answer as I had to talk this over with my girlfriend first, and he nodded. I then went back to the shop, my head spinning. I could choke on this large of a haul, and much I had no idea what to do with. But if even half of the IBM systems worked, that was a huge profit! And surely the Apple systems would sell good also, along with the rest. I would dump the stuff like that cheap, even throw ads into the Recycler, a kind of local rag where the ads were free, but people paid $1 an issue to get the paper.

I told Dee what I had seen, and what I was thinking. I admitted that it was almost overwhelming, but could I afford to pass up a deal like this? I would for sure though have to rent a storage locker to hold a lot of the stuff, it would overfill this place.

“Pete, talk with Becky. But you can store some with us, and you have her garage. I like your idea of the Recycler, and you should think of some kind of ‘Grand Opening’ event, maybe next week. Hot dogs, balloons for the kids, try to bring people in. I sold another system today, so you are already seeing there is money to be made.” I thanked her, and went next door to order the parts from Cliff.

Once he had placed it, I asked him how reliable Herb was. He laughed and said very. “He is one of the few, where if he says something works I do not question him. Why, what did he offer?” I told him his proposal, that basically I empty his backroom, for $6,000 flat. But I had to take everything, including some things for mainframes, and some old minicomputers. “So he is finally gonna do it. He has been talking about going back home for years, Let me make a call, hang tight.” He went in the back, and about ten minutes later came back to the front smiling. “Herbie will be here shortly, I wanted to show him what you did here, and what you got going next door. He is as honest as the Grapevine is straight, but he ain’t too sure about anybody else. I will come over when he gets here.”

I went back and was talking with Dee about an hour later when Cliff and Herb came in. He looked around and nodded at the setup we had. He asked if Georgie was mine, and I laughed and said he was my baby brother, and introduced him to Dee. He looked at the setup, even the prices we had on everything. “You sold many yet, young man?” I told him we had sold four since Saturday, and then Dee popped in and said five, plus a Commodore 64.

I offered him some popcorn and a Coke and he smiled and accepted but asked for grape or orange soda, and we sat around the table in the back. Then it was almost like an interview, as I explained my training in the Marines, and the last four years including my accident. “I am getting out in a few months, medical retirement. I started originally with the idea I would help Cliff, and it just kinda went from there. He told me outright he had no interest in selling his old stuff himself, and I figured we could help each other. He gets an empty stockroom, I get some stock to sell, we both make money. If somebody comes in wanting a new system, I send them to him. And he does the same if somebody wants a cheap or used system. He then told me of others that I could talk to and see if I could do the same thing, you just happened to be the first one I talked to.”

“OK young man, here is my new offer. I got a soft spot for us vets, 1st Armored in WWII. And I saw what you did for Cliff, it’s impressive. So this is my new offer, but this time it’s a take it or leave it one as we sit here. I leave this table without this, then it’s all off. I want you to clean me out, the entire store, it’s all yours but the location. Get it all out by the end of the month, $3,000.”

I saw Dee jerk her head up, a look of shock on her face. “Are you sure about that sir? Everything?”

“Yep, everything. Leave only the light fixtures, walls, and toilet. Cabinets, stock, cash register, take it all. If you can do that, I can get the hell out of here and return home and tell LA to kiss my ass as I look at it in the rear-view mirror.”

I laughed, and I knew Becky might kill me, but she also might kill me if I passed this chance up. I stuck out my hand and told him he had a deal. We shook, and he was grinning from ear to ear. “I am gonna hold some stuff back, so in the next day or so I will start loading up what I wanna keep and stick it in my trailer. I like what I see, you are trying to do a good thing here. And I agree with Cliff, selling it to you would be best for both of us.”

“Where are you going to sir? Where is home?”

“None of this ‘sir’ stuff, call me Herb. I doubt you ever heard of it, a little hole in the wall known as Soda Springs.”

I laughed out loud and stuck out my hand. “Pocatello boy here, Herb, we were almost neighbors.” He laughed and shook my hand, and asked how I had ended up here. I gave him a Reader’s Digest version of my life, and how my dad and I came out here to rebuild our lives after my mom died. Then about last year buying my old family ranch back, and he and Dee planning on moving back in a few years.

Herb just nodded. “I wish I had done that. Lost my oldest to drugs about two years ago, and just can’t stand it here anymore. You and your husband got that right Missus, get your little one there outta this damned city and state, let them grow up in fresh air and mountains. A real river to play in, not a cement ditch with street drainage running down it.”

“Herb, I just wanted to say, I was not trying to knock down your price, mostly I was wanting to know if I could trust what you said. You said almost everything worked, I was only asking Cliff if your word could be trusted. I will still pay the $6,000, I was just going to clear it through my girlfriend first.”

“No son, it’s yours, for $3,000. But tell you what, if you come up sometime you can pay me back by going fishing with me. Deal?” We shook again, and I got him to promise to come by our place also. I gave him the address, and told him my sister lived there. “It is kinda hard to miss, it’s right on the highway, huge stone building that looks like a French chateau. Dee and my dad will be set up behind it on the hill, eventually my place will be there too. Oh, and about 20 angus.”

He laughed, and when he asked what it was known as, I said the Peterson Ranch when my grandfather had it. Then he asked who the cows belonged to. When I said my uncle Dave Littlebuck, he nodded. “Yep, I don’t remember much of little Davy, but I knew his dad. Fine cowboy, used to rude bronc back in the day. He’s your uncle?” I explained the close family friend relationship, and he nodded. “Yep, knew your grandfather also, mean poker player. Well, now I feel even better selling to you. But let me give you some advice kid, start planning on your escape now. This city is going to hell, I bet within twenty years it will be unlivable.”

He left, and Dee gave me a big hug. “Oh Pete, this will set you up for years I bet! What are you going to do?”

“Well, I guess this weekend I rent a moving truck and get some guys to help me move computers. I will store them in the garages for now I guess, and bring them over here and check them as I go. Hell, I may even have to have a sale just to get rid of a lot of it.”

Cliff came back in, and I told him I was shocked. “Pete, I knew what you were asking. And yes, he is a real God-fearing Mormon. Honest as you can get, and I knew he wanted to get out of here. And yes, his first offer was shockingly low. But you also told me he wanted to try and sell the rest off over the rest of the year, and I think that might kill him. Now he can leave in less than two months, and you get everything.”

“Cliff, do you want the new stuff? I know we agreed to not compete, and I don’t want to compete with you.”

He grinned at me. “Tell you what, you and I will go over there and let me pick what I want. We will come to a fair price, and call it even for what I set you up with. That way everything you make is yours, and I get some new stock. Win-win for both of us the way I see it.”

I was sitting at home with steaks and potatoes for each of us when Becky got home. After a kiss, I served us both, and she smiled. “Uh, I spent some money today Becky.”

She looked at me sharply and nodded. “How much, and what on?”

I sighed, she was in serious mode. “$3,000, and I am buying the entire inventory of a computer store in Canoga Park. And before you get mad, I got a basic inventory here.” I pointed to the paper on the table, which I made up after going back and making a fast count. “At least 245 PC compatibles, over 80% working, mostly XT, about forty 286 systems, around a dozen 386. Thirty-five Apple II’s, a dozen TRS-80’s, fifty dot matrix printers, over three hundred monitors, about half CGA, the rest Monochrome or EGA. A dozen VGA.” And the rest, from keyboards and software, to cabinets, fixtures, and furniture.

She whistled, and nodded as I told her about Herb, and how I had originally been offered $6,000, and I had said I needed to talk to her first. Then the rest after talking to Cliff, and his returning and the second offer. Then the fact we were both from Idaho, only a few dozen miles apart. She was smiling at the end.

“Good call, thank you for saying you wanted to talk to me first. But you’re right. If you had passed that up I probably would have killed you! Holy crap, do you know what that means?”

“Yep, and I made a deal with Cliff. I get everything, a lot of it is new stuff. Since Cliff and I have an agreement that I do not sell new computers and parts, he will take a bunch of that off my hands, in exchange for his share of the profits on what we got from him to start with. Baby, everything in the store is now ours, all of it!” We hugged and kissed, and we started to make plans.

She agreed with the grand opening, but to hold off another week or so and get the new stock first. “Grab two of the workbenches from his shop and set one up in each of the garages. Then start going through them all, just a fast sort. Type of computer, condition, just a ten minute check, tag, and stack. Hit the best ones first, get them over here, that is where we are weak. I will see who I can get to help us move the fixtures, I want those in the shop soon. I’m off tomorrow, let me call Dee and see if she can watch it for us, I want to meet Herb and see what he has.”

She called Dee, and she said she would open for us. And once in bed, she pushed me down, and after sucking me to make sure I was stiff she rode me fast and hard. I did not even try to hold back, only keeping my orgasm in check until she had her own.

The next morning after showers we grabbed breakfast on the way to my dad’s in Becky’s car we hopped into the Scout. And after a quick stop at the bank, we drove to Herb’s. I introduced them, and Becky was in awe as she looked around. I handed Herb the cashier’s check, and he grinned in surprise. “I should have known you would not fiddle about when it came to paying. Are you a Saint son?”

“Nope, but living there all my life it’s hard to not pick up the values.” Becky looked at us in question. “Baby, ‘Saint’ means ‘Latter Day Saint’, LDS, Mormon. In some ways, their reputation is like the Jews. Hard businessmen, strike hard bargains. But also fair and honest, rarely crooks.” Herb laughed and said that was not always true, but close enough.

And she was blown away again when we went into the back room. Herb was watching with a kind of puzzled grin, and I explained how we had met. About her selling computer stuff at Federated three years before, then dated briefly while I was home on leave the year before from Japan. “I came back last year, and things have been going great ever since. She is not as up as I am on the tech part, but she really does know computers. Believe it or not, I was only thinking of doing this for the rest of the year until I get my discharge. Then go work for one of the aerospace companies. But it is looking like I might have fallen into a new career.”

I let Becky pick a bunch of items. And whatever she pointed at, Herb and I loaded into the back of Scout. Twenty Apple II systems and monitors, and two disk drives for each. All the VGA monitors, a few that were EGA, and all the 286 and 386 systems. A dozen printers, a TRS-80, and a few other things. I told him my plan to rent a truck on the weekends and starting to move the rest, and he said to hell with that. “Son, I got an 18 foot box trailer. You can tow it behind that rig just fine, It will take more trips, but cost you nothing but more time and gas.” I thanked him, and he said he would park it in the back the next day, and when it was full I could pick it up and take it all with me.

We went back to dad’s place and Becky got her car, and soon we were at our garage, and I was checking the systems. Ten of the twelve 386 systems worked perfectly, and all had 80 MB hard drives and at least 2 MB RAM. I checked half of the 286 systems, and nineteen of the twenty worked fine, most had 1 MB RAM, a few had 2 MB and one even had 4 MB. All had 20 or 40 MB hard drives.

The monitors all checked out, and she checked my notes. Then one at a time she handed me the 386 machines, until half were loaded in the back of the truck. Then all of the working 286 systems, and all the monitors and printers. She asked me about the Apple computers, and I pointed out the big brands on them. I had grabbed all of those without brands, and a few that had them. She shook her head, and we headed back to our shop.

Dee was surprised when we started bringing everything in. “Holy cow, you guys were not kidding!” Becky started moving systems around on the tables, putting many in the back room, as they were largely copies of other systems, they were only out so it looked like we had more stock. Then as I placed them on the tables I understood her idea.

The blue tables had the best four 386 systems, the rest we put in the back. Then the 286 systems, from best to worst, and a few in the middle, those went on red tables. Then the back row was XT systems, almost all the same, but cheap. She was typing out price and data sheets saying what each was and handing them to me, telling me where to put them. Then she had me move the synth which was under the framed adventures on the wall to where Mandy had her computer. “The display cabinets are going there, one in back facing the front, then along that wall towards the window.”