"A cherry red convertible? 1965?"
"Yep, six coats of base under six coats of clear."
"And completely rebuilt"
"Yep, all genuine Pontiac GTO parts. A 389 V8 trimotor, four-speed manual, with 3.73 gears. I'm telling you you won't find a honey classic GTO like this anywhere else for much under a hundred grand."
"Can you hold it for three hours? No, two hours. I'm in Asheville. I can be in Knoxville in two hours. Can you just hold it that long? I'll bring cash."
"Well, OK—unless, of course, someone comes in offering more for it than I listed. I doubt that will happen . . . but no one ever can tell, can they?"
"$85,000. If it's what you say it is, I'll go $85,000, if you'll just hold off on any other offers until I get there."
"You'll be needing directions then, I guess. I live just south of the city on . . ."
That started Craig's long journey out of his hermit-like existence. It seems ironic that this is how it started, because developing a love for collecting classic muscle cars was what Craig had chosen to sustain himself in his life of isolation in the first place.
Craig hadn't always been a recluse. He had been an open and friendly guy, with few cares in the world; a good, if not great, job; and comfortable in having come out in his late teens and established that he was who he was and going to get his sexual enjoyment where his inclinations led him. And he had quite an appetite for what men could give him.
Then he'd been so lucky that it drove him into seclusion and a life of distrust. He'd won $20 million in the North Carolina lottery. From that point he'd become one of the most popular guys in Asheville. And suddenly he was everyone's friend and he was the most handsome and studliest guy at the local gay bars.
He now had his pick of men. And it wasn't more than two months until he'd met, Franco, the love of his life, the golf pro at the Grove Park Inn resort, and that Franco had moved into Craig's new mansion out near the Biltmore Estate. Franco was a classic car enthusiast, so Craig started buying classic cars and added a ten-car garage at the rear of his new mansion. Franco liked name-brand tailored suits, so Craig bought him a closet full of those. Franco liked expensive wines. Craig didn't care much for wine, but he bought Franco a wine cellar full. Franco liked Rolex watches; Craig was happy with his own Timex, but he was happy to buy Franco a Rolex.
Then one afternoon Craig visited the Grove Park Inn golf club unexpectedly and found Franco liking one of the women members too closely and intimately on top of the desk in his pro shop office.
When Franco was gone, along with Craig's trust and self-respect, Craig was left with a collection of classic cars. They at least still pleased him and didn't laugh at him for his naiveté. So, he shut himself off from the world and concentrated his love on his cars.
"I'll take it, Mr. Williams. It's exactly what I needed for my collection." Craig had hightailed it over the Great Smoky Mountains from Asheville to Knoxville in record time and had fallen in love with the GTO convertible the moment he laid eyes on it. He'd been looking for exactly this car for a year; he'd just recently been to a car show in St. Louis where he heard one was for sale—but it never was brought forward there.
He'd had a little trouble finding the place south of Knoxville, although it was a nice enough place when he got there. No more classic cars about, which Craig had found surprising. But the house, a log cabin affair, but of a modern design, was sitting in a nice stand of forested land, and the owner was a young, clean-cut guy. Actually, he was quite good looking, and, from the looks of his muscled body, Craig would have believed he'd built the log cabin himself. He had a nice, friendly smile.
"You can call me Bob, please. Well, I'll sell my baby to you on one condition."
"What's that, Bob. I assure you that I'm offering top dollar."
"And don't I know it," Bob said. And then he laughed. "But I really wasn't lookin' to sell this honey, except for the economy bein' the way it is, ya know. I'll sell it to you, but I'd like to visit it occasionally."
"Well . . . that's not a problem, of course," Craig said. "But isn't it sort of far to come over the mountains just to visit a car?"
"It ain't just a car," Bob said, his voice dripping with shock. "It's a 1965 Pontiac GTO. It's the classic muscle car of all time. But it so happens I'm resettling near Asheville anyways—down near Hendersonville."
"Well, then, it's a deal," Craig said. "I have the cash here, and I'll arrange for delivery."