Genevieve
Copyright© 2023 by Old Man with a Pen
Chapter 27
“You built this.” Not a question.
“And designed it,” Gen said.
“Your father didn’t help?”
“Nope,” said the newly arrived senior Austin as he walked in the back pass through door. “She did it all.” He was followed by Gen’s future stepmom.
Bethanne sat down at her seat in the Design Bureau and commenced scaling her new car. The Chief noticed.
“You’re building one?” Roberts asked. That got a nod. She was nibbling on her Number 5H drafting pencil ... a sure sign of frustration.
“Me too,” said David.
He asked Gen, “Where is the new batch of wheels?”
“Show me the money, mister. Wheels ain’t free.” Genevieve was rather proud of cornering the market. “It takes two bikes worth for a set.”
“Brat!” “How much?”
“Twenty-five a wheel and no guarantees. You go choose a set and you’re stuck with ‘em.”
Daddy took a Franklin out of his wallet and handed it to Gen. He started to mosey towards the pile. David had been on his legs all day and his limp was pronounced.
“Hold up, Slick ... two fronts and two rears ... and I’m watching.”
David paused and asked, “Chief, you married?”
“Divorced ... she couldn’t handle me gone.”
“Have kids?”
Roberts looked at Genevieve Austin in her role as ‘shady businessman,’ grinned, as he realized how blessed he truly was, and said, “No.” The ‘Thank God’ was left unspoken, but a discerning person could read it on his face.
“Want mine?”
A look of horror crossed Roberts face. Gen was just beginning the change ... sweet to teen.
“That’s a no,” daddy said. “Heck.”
A sly grin and Gen moseyed over to the wheel pile. She grazed. She found four matching Hodaka Ace wheels with good tires and set them aside. “I’ve got your wheels, Bethanne!”
“I’ll pay tomorrow.”
“Nah ... Daddy paid.”
Bethanne, who had been listening, cracked up.
The Chief looked at David, fumbled in his wallet, handed Miss Slyster a hundred bucks, and said, “I’m building one too.”
Gen gave him back three twenties.
“Ten each, Chief. Remember ... two fronts ... two rears.”
“Why are you charging me 40 and your dad a hundred?”
“Because he made me use my money for school clothes...” Heavily chagrined, she added, “I’ve grown. Big girls clothes are expensive ... and not well made.”
David isn’t very fast, the Chief beat him to the pile, picked out the only pair of flat-tracker fronts and a pair of Kawasaki 125 rears. Flat track race bikes don’t have brakes and their front hubs are works of art.
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