If you have read some of my other stories, then you'll know I am an office temp and I work in Brighton on the South coast of England. I am no stranger to adventure and some of my adventures have been pretty strange! Anyway, the story I wanted to tell you about today relates to the day I decided to buy a car. It struck me that I might have more jobs available to me if I didn't have to rely on public transport to get me to work. Having said that, I didn't have a whole lot of money to spend on a car, so I'd need to be careful about what I chose.
There's no way I could afford to buy a second-hand car from a dealer-let alone a new car. Temp work is just not steady and reliable enough for me to commit to a car payment. But I had about five hundred quid saved up and thought I could use that to get an old banger that would get me around. I also reckoned that a small car would be easier to park-and anyone who has been to Brighton knows that parking is tricky (and can be expensive).
Well, it turns out I solved the parking problem first: I was chatting with the landlady when I paid her my rent and she said that the bloke who had been living upstairs had left. Well, he was allowed to park his car in front of the landlady's garage; when I told her I was thinking of getting a car, she said I could park where he had. Brilliant. Now I just needed a car.
I looked through the local paper and couldn't see anything even remotely interesting-until I saw a little red Mini Cooper. That would be perfect! It was the original old-style mini; I could really imagine myself zipping around in one of those. Minis before they became little corporate BMWs. The unfortunate thing was the price. It was way out of my price range, and I couldn't even bring myself to call. They wanted so much more than I could afford. Β£2750. I couldn't raise that kind of money. But now my heart was set on a mini.
So I scoured the papers for weeks. I'd take a peek at eBay as well, but that was just depressing. I didn't think I stood a chance of ever having my dream car. Then, walking back up from the train station one day I passed a mini at the side of the road with a sign in the window. "Desperate to sell. Money needed badly, hence priced to move. Β£1000 ono call blah blah blah."
Well, that was still much more than I had, but the seller was keen and... so was I. I called the number right then and there. "Hello?"
"Hi." I replied. "I am standing right next to a yellow mini for sale. The sign had this number."
"Oh yes. Are you interested?"
"I am." I said.
"Hold on a mo." Said the man's voice.
"Oh yes. I can see you now. Wait there-I'll be down in a sec."
So, there I waited and a minute later up strode this bloke waving car keys in his hand.
"Hello," he said, "like the look of it do you?"
I nodded in reply. "I think it's just what I am looking for."
The guy was younger than me-maybe nineteen. Tall and gangly, wearing baggy jeans, a T-shirt and a fleece jacket. I smiled at him and he smiled back-then I saw his eyes flitting across my body; taking in my cleavage (that's always first-especially when I wear a blouse that only just keeps my bosom at bay); then my legs (i prefer black sheer seamed stockings and black stilettos. Then finally he made eye contact. "Cool." He said. "Want to take a look around?"
"That would be great-thanks."
He opened up the driver's side door and held it open for me. The original minis are quite low to the ground and there's really quite a skill to getting in while wearing a skirt-especially if you want to remain somewhat demure. Well, judging by the look on his face he got an eyeful as I got into the car. Then he came around to the passenger side and got in next to me. My skirt had raised up my legs to the mid-thigh point and I was fumbling about to adjust the seat-I didn't need it as far back as this bloke.
"Here," he said, "Let me help you with that."
He showed me what to do to pull the seat in a little and then proceeded to show me around. It doesn't take long to show someone around the inside of an old-style Mini. For one thing the controls are pretty bask, and for another, it's just not very big.
"So, what do you think?" He said, "Oh. By the way, my name's Nigel."
"And I am Nicki." I replied. "And I think it is just the kind of thing I am looking for."
"Want to take it for a spin?"
"Would that be OK?"
"Sure." He passed me the keys. I smiled and thanked him and put the key in the ignition. I put my foot on the clutch and turned the engine over-it started first time, "Well," I said, "That's a good sign." But keeping my foot on the clutch in those heels was really awkward. I made sure I was not in gear and took my foot off the clutch. Then I leaned forward and took off my shoes. "These are more trouble than they are worth." I explained to Nigel. I put my heels on the back seat and put the car in gear. "Off we go!"
Well, it wasn't the best time to go out for a drive. I had been coming home from work along with thousands of other people. And most of them, it seems, had cars. We crawled along the back roads and eventually made it down to the coast where we had a clearer run. Along past the Palace Pier and the roads are nice and broad. Before long we were tootling along in fourth gear and Nigel was chatting away about miles per gallon and when the mini had last had an MOT. I was really enjoying myself. It had been a few years since I'd had a chance to drive (my parents car) and the mini was every bit as much fun as it had been in my imagination. I wound down the window (it was a warm balmy evening) and my hair felt great as it was blown around in the wind.
As we left town and got out into the country, Nigel asked, "So-what do you think?"
"It's a great little car." I said.
"I know. Wish I didn't have to sell it."
I knew the answer, but I thought I'd ask anyway, "So how much do you want for it?"
"Well," he replied, "I am asking a thousand, but I think it's worth more than that. So I am hoping I can get the full asking price."
Bummer. I needed to be able to negotiate on price. I let the silence hang between us. I drove on. I was hoping I could stand the silence better than he could. I turned up away from the coast and along a windy road through the South Downs. "I suppose I could negotiate a little."
Music to my ears. With my left hand I pulled my skirt up just an inch or two-just so Nigel could take another look at my legs, then I turned to him and smiled. I caught him looking at my thighs; he blushed when he realized I'd seen him. I raised my eyebrows in mock disdain.
"Oh. Sorry." said Nigel.
I decided to press my advantage. "So, you think you could come down on price a little?"
It was his turn to pause.
"I suppose so. A bit." He said finally. "What did you have in mind? Make me an offer."
I thought about it. All I had was half what he wanted. And I couldn't start negotiations lower still to get up to five hundred. We were going up a hill; I put my foot on the clutch and dropped a gear into second. I felt like the car was enjoying the run, and I was too. It didn't take more than a few seconds before I was back in third gear and sailing up the hill.
"I could give you four hundred in cash."
"Shit." He said. "Four hundred? But I really need the thousand. I'd be six hundred short. And it's worth much more than a thousand."