Chapter 3

I decided to head over to see the folks. I wasn't making any deliveries that day and Billy didn't have anything set up for us to do together. Mom and pop were glad to see me. I could see they were dying to find out what was happening, but they knew better than to ask me. The only thing I told them was that Gloria was settled in and that she and Ellen got along Ok together.

"Yutch, can I see you outside for a few minutes, there's something I need your opinion on?" I thought I knew what it was he needed my opinion on, but he fooled me again. "What do you think of those new Mustangs, Yutch, pretty sweet cars don't you think? Sporty looking."

"You couldn't ask me that in front of ma?"

"No, because I'm thinking about buying one for her, she loves that car."

"Pop, mom doesn't even drive. You think she wants you to buy her an expensive car to look at?"

"No, I'll drive it, Yutch. She likes the looks of them so I thought I'd get one for her. My Studebaker's getting to have too many problems now. You know that your Uncle Donald told me I should get rid of it because it's all rusted out and used up."

"Sure, then, if that's the case, the Mustang looks nice. I'm glad you're thinking about ma, and what she'd like to see you riding around in."

"Nobody likes a smart ass Yutch. The thing is that I spent all the money I was saving for a new car when Joan got married and divorced. We sent them a nice china set you know. It set me back a bundle." My father had gotten one of his Navy buddies to buy him a set of Noritake china over in Japan and send it back on a Navy flight, a P-3 Orion based out of Moffett Field in California. Then, he had another Chief drop it off in Santa Barbara on his way through there. The china set probably cost him less than a hundred dollars. The favors cost him nothing.

"So what do you need pop, a loan? How much?"

"No, not a loan, I need a job for a short time that's all. Maybe driving one of your trucks or something." My father had retired at half pay from the Navy, but his pension wasn't nearly enough for all the living expenses. He had a little piece of this and a little piece of that, but nothing that produced a steady income stream.

"Pop, I might have just the thing for you if you have some time you can put into it. Billy and I are starting up a small hardwood supply company. We sell lengths of seven or eight types of wood to cabinetmakers and other small wood shops in the immediate area. We need somebody who talks good and can get out there and get us some orders at a decent price. You think you could do that?"

"I don't know Yutch. I'm no salesman. Plus, I don't know diddily squat about wood. Don't you have any truck driving jobs you could use me for?"

"Not a sales job pop, you'd be the head of the whole shebang, a part owner. Equal shares in the profits with Billy and I. We'd start you off with a salary at first, until the money started coming in regular. Would $100.00 a week be Ok to start with? You don't need to know about wood either. All you need to know is what kind of wood, how long the log, how wide, and how many they want. Billy and I made a call a couple days back and walked away with about $400.00 in profits over in Stonington. If you don't like it, after say a month, I'll put you on as a delivery driver. Pop you know everybody, this would be a great fit for you."

"I don't think so Yutch. It still sounds like a selling job to me. I don't care for salesmen much, don't think I'd like being one."

"Ok pop, you just think about it for a few days. I'll talk to Billy about it. Maybe we can come up with something you could do for the new company that didn't involve selling. Of course, then you'd be just an employee, not a part owner like us."

"I'll give it more thought if you want me to. So Yutch, how you making out at home? You getting any strange yet? If that Gloria's anything like her mother, you're in for a treat, I can tell you that much. That woman has a snapper."

"Don't start up with me pop. I'm not interested in hearing any of your reviews or in talking with you about anything involving that part of my life. You want vicarious thrills, you go talk to Ray. He'd love to give you an earful, I'm sure." We headed back into the house soon after that, and I took off as soon as I said my goodbyes to my mom, in order to run over to Billy's to talk to him about my brilliant idea. Pop did know everybody. If he didn't know them personally, he knew someone that did. Neither Billy nor I wanted to go out beating the bushes for new customers. Billy had done a little of it already and was determined that he didn't want to do more. I knew that my dad valued ownership over employment. I figured he'd come around with a little priming of his pump.

"So Billy, if we throw in a company car, a new Mustang, I don't see how he could possibly refuse the deal. You know my dad, he could get in to see whoever he wants to. Once he's in front of somebody, the deal we're giving on the wood should get us the orders. If he doesn't get us enough business in the first couple months. I'll eat the money I'd be advancing him. Whatever we make we split a third each."

"Jackie, you're taking all the risk here, not me. I'd love to have Uncle John in on it with us. He knows how to get things done and I'd trust him not to take our idea and go out on his own with it. I'm Ok with everything you've said, count me in. Now tell me how's it going at home? You tapping her keg yet? You are the luckiest bastard alive, you know that? First you have a great wife that loves you, and then she goes out and finds you some new pussy too. Theresa is busting to find out if you've started up with Gloria yet. I get a boner just thinking about you having two of them under the same roof."

"Billy I came here to talk some business with you, not to feed your perverted little brain with smut and dirty stories. Get up out of the gutter for a minute and give some thought to the business we're trying to get going here." I could see that his mind wasn't on business anymore, so we went inside and had Theresa make us some lunch. I hadn't gotten fed at home or over at my mom's either, so I was pretty hungry. Theresa made us some Italian Grinders just like her mom used to make sometimes. I'd eaten a few of those when I was a kid. Maria used to make a little extra money sometimes making up sandwiches for the single workers out at Electric Boat. She brought home what she didn't sell and would sometimes give me one or two for running to the store for her or watching her two youngest kids if Theresa had to be somewhere for something.