Sitting at the stoplight I'm abruptly made aware of the smoke billowing from beneath the hood of my black BMW.
"Ah fuck!" I exclaim exasperatedly, "bmw really does stand for 'break my wallet."
It's not the first time my car has given me an ultimatum. Fix me now or send me to the chopping block. It's for that exact reason I've created a separate savings for this hunk of metal, so things could be worse. The overheating of my car is momentarily overshadowed by the fact that I'm two lanes away from the curb and only 3 minutes away from home. With some quick maneuvering I make it safely to the side and park my car. I've had a car overheat in the past so I'm not terribly distraught but annoyed nonetheless. I sit and begin to construct a game plan. Wait at least 30mins. Find a mechanic. Get car from point A to B. Mourn the loss of my savings.
Thirty minutes pass and I'm able to get my car into my drive. Barely. I sigh in relief as I can at least check one item off the list. The next task to tackle is finding a mechanic. I spend the next couple of hours weeding through a Google search and making phone calls.
"Sorry we don't service BMWs."
It's what I had expected to hear in the area in which I live but I can't say I'm not starting to panic just that little bit. A few more calls and tips for leads on where I can check out later and I've hit the end of my rope. Just as quickly as I'm ready to call it a day I remember a little auto shop that I drive past every morning. It's literally at the end of my street. I vaguely remember a giant SMOG sign out front and that it's always packed despite the location. I'm able to find the number and send my prayers up.
"Hey I have a quick question and I'm not sure if you can help me," I begin into the phone, "my beemer is on the fritz and I'm not sure what's going on apart from that it's overheating. Please save my life here"
A deep, warm voice laughs and replies "You're in luck then. Why don't you bring her on in."
I'm flooded with relief but then realize I have to get my car from my house to the shop. Even though the drive is short I'm still nervous. I imagine a fiery inferno ensuing but then tell myself to relax and stop being dramatic.
"Do you think my car will be ok to get it over there?" I mean it doesn't hurt to ask I think to myself, "I know you can't see it from there to diagnose it."
"I think you'll be ok. Just pull over if you notice it starts overheating. Park it in the front. I'll be here."
I jump in my car and try to will it to just work with me long enough to make it there. It's a long few minutes and my nerves are on edge. The last thing I want to do is call for a tow truck to take my car the mile to the shop. Luck is on my side as I make it to the shop with the gauge only beginning to bounce up to slightly hotter then it should be.
As I step out of the car I'm met by two men. One the mechanic and the other the manager. I immediately take notice of the manager. He has startlingly crisp eyes and they stand out against the complexion of his skin. He looks at me pointedly with a friendly smile on his face and I feel my nerves from the car die down and be replaced by the flutter of my nerves from his presence.
"Bmw girl," I roll my eyes and tease with a smile of my own.
"Let's take a look shall we. I'll bring her into the shop right now. Keys?"
I hand him the keys and he directs me to go into the front of the office where I wait for him. I can see him park my car into the first bay through the open side door of the office and step out. I realize how tall he is. He's easily at least a foot taller then me. He holds an air of authority and even though he voiced his position, I wouldn't have had to guess if he was the one in charge here if he hadn't. I wait anxiously while they put my car on the lift and start making their assessment.
He comes back into the office, wiping his hands on his jeans. I'm imagining all the things that could be wrong with my car. I'm imagining all the things that...
"Jim," I'm pulled from my thoughts, my name is Jim. Sorry I didn't realize I didn't introduce myself earlier."
"It's nice to meet you Jim," I greet him as I step up to the counter.
He starts asking me questions about the last couple of days. If I've noticed anything off with the car. If I've had any other services recently. I tell him I've just had an oil change but otherwise nothing significant since last year. He then asks me if I wanted to go anywhere while they work on the car or if I'd be waiting there in the office. I think I'll stay with Jim.
He sits at his computer as I sit in a lobby chair and pretend to scan the walls. I've read the standard posters that hang there at least 3 times while sneaking glances in his direction. He swivels his chair slightly back and forth as he stares at the screen before him. I wonder if he's actually working or just pretending to be engrained in something else. There's a comfortable tension in the room but the edges of it vibrate just enough that I feel the urge to break the silence.
"So how's your day going?"
He stands behind the counter before he begins to tell me about work. How he had a customer come in enraged over him not following Jim's instructions and neglecting to do the proper follow up care of a service. The customer then went on to reveal he found Jim's home address and number and is threatening to seek retribution. I'm surprised at how far the customer is threatening to take it but at the same time spending years in customer service I really shouldn't be shocked at this point. As if on cue the angry customer calls and Jim is momentarily distracted before ending the call and apologizing. I assure him it's not a bother to me at all and we continue to talk.
"So your boyfriend wasn't able to help you bring in the car this morning?" he asks feigning indifference.
I think to myself he must be fishing, before smiling at him playfully. I suddenly feel a surge of confidence rise within me. I'm not usually one to be bold enough to be openly flirty. There's something however about being alone in this office with him that has me wanting to test the boundaries.
"No...no boyfriend," I respond with fake innocence.
"Really?" he asked sounding surprised.