CHAPTER 1
Jim met Betsy Lee at an auto mechanics shop on highway I ninety eight in Lakeshore Florida. He had gone there to I see about the repair of a motor cycle tire, but they didn't work on motorcycles. As Jim approached, a lady walked out the door of the shop. When they greeted each other as she passed by, he thought, "Wow! What a lady." He knew some of the people there, and thought she must be the wife or girlfriend of the owner. He left that day and never returned to that business. They had directed him to Sammy's motorcycle shop, and He had the tire repaired there. He didn't know then the lady was Betsy Lee.
Several years later, He was looking for someone to repair his gold Sun Bug Volkswagen. He had purchased it after he and his first wife divorced. He traded his Plymouth Fury for it because he was driving almost continuously, and it reduced his gas expenses substantially. Roy's Volkswagen repair shop was recommended to him so he decided to go there. He was standing at the counter talking to some of the clerks when this lady walked in. One look at her and her response to him just knocked him off his feet. She went out as quickly as she had come in. He asked one of the clerks: "Who was that?" One of them replied: "That's Betsy Lee Harding, Roy Harding's wife, that's who she is." "Who is Roy Harding?" he asked. "He's the owner of this business," She replied. "That's too bad, too bad." he said. She had really caught his attention. Jim went away hoping he would meet her again. He went back several days later to check on his Volkswagen. It was late that day, toward closing time when he arrived. His nephew dropped him off. He knew it would probably be ready. He opened the door and stepped up to the counter. Betsy was seated just inside an office behind the counter. She came out to the counter as she saw him enter. "I came in the other day and left my gold sun bug Volkswagen for Roy to work on. Do you know if it is ready yet?" He asked. "Let me check a moment outside and see." Betsy opened the side door and stepped outside to the work area. Standing there, he thought to himself, "I don't think I have ever seen a person so pleasing to look at. She is so beautiful." He thought about how he had felt when he saw her here the other day. Jim was a bit uneasy there, as he anticipated her reentry. She came back through the door with a big smile and said, "Yes, it's ready Let me step back into the office and complete the invoice and I'll be right back out." He waited, and after a moment she came back out to the counter with the invoice. "The mechanic will bring it around to the front for you. Look over this invoice and sign it down at the bottom." "Will you take my check?" He asked. "Sure," she said. "Do you need my driver's license?" "No. I won't need that. I know who you are." "You do? How do you know that?" Jim asked. "Well, I remember you from our old place down on ninety eight. I remember you coming in there one day asking about a motorcycle tire." "Oh yeah," He said. "I remember now." Gosh He thought to himself. That was over three years ago. "I saw you there, too." He said. "I just didn't realize that you were you." "I hope I'm me." She laughed. They laughed together, and he could feel a relaxed, shared attraction flow between them. He looked over the invoice. He saw where she had signed it at the top. "Betsy". He signed it at the bottom in bold strokes. He gave her the invoice and proceeded to write the check for the work. As he wrote, he noticed her looking at his signature at the bottom of the invoice. She was fidgeting with her pencil as she looked and had a contemplating expression on her face. He was moved by this. Their eyes met when he handed her the check, and emotion surged through him. He knew she could sense it. She did not resist or turn away. It was a brief but shared moment. "Thank you very much." She said. "Come back if you have other work later on. We appreciate your business." "I will." He said, and looked around to see if his car was there. "It's right over there by that Pontiac Trans Am." She said. "Oh, I see it. Is that your car?" He asked "Yes, it is. That's what I've been driving lately." She said. "I'll see you again one day, as he turned to go out the door." "Ok." she said. He walked over to his gold Volkswagen by the Trans Am. Jim knew she was in a class above him. He was struggling just to keep up with his bills and child support, and He didn't own a home. He had given it to his ex wife when they separated so the children would have a familiar atmosphere after their separation. Jim glanced back inside as he started to open his door. She waved as she saw him look. He waved back, got in his car and left.
Jim went back many times after that to have repair work on his car. As their relationship grew He found excuses to go there, and they talked together often. She drove the Pontiac Trans Am for a while, and then a 280Z. Jim didn't try to see her anywhere else, just at the shop. She was such a kind and considerate person toward him. He didn't know what her personal or social life was like. She was married, though, and he would respect that. She was always very active around the shop, zipping around taking care of business. All of the men around liked her and competed for her attention. Jim believed Roy and one of his colored workers had begun to realize he wasn't coming there just to get his Volkswagen repaired, but they liked getting the business. Jim made a casual relationship with Roy and had begun to like him. He was there one day while they were working on his Volkswagen and walked out into the shop. His car was on the rack. Roy was there. "Well, Roy, are you about to get it?" He asked. "Yeah — he's finishing up. It will be ready in a little while." "You really drive that little car a lot don't you? It has a lot of miles on it since you were here last and that wasn't long ago." "Yeah, I am on the run all of the time. I work three jobs and it keeps me running." Jim said. "I thought you were a teacher." He replied. "I am, but I'm divorced and have children with child support. I work two more jobs to keep up." "What else do you do?" He asked. "Well I work part time at County General Hospital on the weekends and teach Aviation Ground School on Tuesday and Thursday night." "You are a pilot?" He asked. "Yes, I am a civilian pilot. I have an old J3 that I fly a lot. I rent it through a club I have at Lakeshore Airfield. Do you drive race cars?" Jim asked. "I see the race car over there that is being overhauled." "Yes, I build my own cars. I have raced at the Fire Ball Speedway in Lakeshore. I won there one time." He replied. "I race, but it is usually on the highway. There's always somebody that wants to try to get ahead." Jim said. "That's a lot more dangerous than driving the speedway; you never know what they will do next." He chuckled. Jim looked around the shop. He saw a punching bag hanging up over in the corner. Roy was short, stocky and well built. Jim thought maybe he was, or had been, a boxer at one time. He didn't ask him though. He needed to go to the restroom, so he asked Roy if he had a restroom he could use. Roy said, "Yeah, right over there in that corner. You can see the door right there. "Thanks." He said and walked that way. When He opened the door, He got a shock! Pasted on the inside of the door was a full sized, almost completely nude female model with a big smile on her face, and right over the toilet was another one. He moved on out quickly but the experience had started his pulse racing. He looked around for Roy but he was gone. He went back inside where Betsy was and Roy was there with her. It was kind of matter of fact that evening. She just took care of everything and they didn't say much to each other. He could tell she was a little apprehensive with Roy there with them. He went on out to his car where they had parked it over by the road and left for home.
Several weeks had past after that, and one Saturday afternoon as He returned home from work at the hospital on his motorcycle, He saw her car parked at the shop and decided to stop. The parking spaces in front of the shop were empty. He rolled up and parked his bike right in front by the door. He stepped through the door and Betsy was there. No one but the mechanic outside was there. "Hi Betsy, how is everything going?" Jim asked. "Ok." She said. "Everything is a little slow today. What are you doing here? Your car is not here." She asked. "Oh, I just stopped by to say hello. I saw your car parked outside." "Yeah, I'm here by myself this afternoon. Roy went this week to Mexico to see about his family there. He'll be back next week." "You know, Betsy, I thought I might better stop and talk to you a little. It is really great being around you here, but I know it's getting a little stressful for you when I am around. I wouldn't cause you any trouble for anything in the world. I don't want to do anything that would offend you. I respect you too much for that." Jim looked directly into her eyes and said, "I won't come back here again if you will just tell me now not to." She just kept looking straight at him with those beautiful blue eyes of hers, glistening in the evening light, her gaze never wavered, refused to say anything, and let him know in the most moving way, she wanted him to come there. Well, some people talk about cloud nine, Jim was on cloud one hundred! He couldn't believe it was possible; this beautiful lady was really interested in him. He was almost speechless. She said she was always glad to see him, and they appreciated his business. Jim knew even for her, it was more than that. She had made that clear a moment ago. Stumbling for words, he managed to ask her if she would be his friend. She said yes. She would be glad to be his friend. Jim left the shop that evening with mixed emotions. He knew what he wanted more than anything, but he also knew himself and the difficulties that lay ahead.
From then on when they greeted one another, their eyes would always meet with a warm embrace. As time passed by he began to realize he was falling in love with her, whatever that could really mean for him under the circumstances. He could not keep her off his mind. As wrong as it was, he still wanted to be the one in her life so bad. Jim knew he would respect her marriage with Roy though. He knew what had happened to him in his marriage, and wouldn't wish that on anyone.
Jim visited the shop often now, sometimes without any particular reason other than to see and talk with Betsy. They conversed freely with one another, often sharing personal concerns and experiences. Jim came in late one day on his motorcycle, close to closing time. Roy's colored mechanic, Clayton, was there. He was friendly with Jim though and didn't bother Betsy and Jim when they were together. He knew they were friends. He had seen them there together too many times. Jim went through the shop garage and said hello to Clayton and then went on through the side door into the shop. Betsy was in the office working on some papers. You could see into the office through an open entryway. "I just came by for a moment. I didn't know if you were here or not." Jim said. "I'll be out in a moment. I have some work here I need to finish. How have you been?" She asked. "Oh, I've been ok." Jim said. I'll just wait out here until you are finished." "Ok." She said. Jim looked around in the shop at everything. There was a large life size poster of Roy and Betsy standing on a mount next to the counter. Roy was holding a racing trophy, and Betsy was standing close beside him with her arm around his waist. Jim took a seat in one of the chairs, concentrating on the photograph. He thought they really looked great together. The car and background depicted a racing ceremony. He knew Roy must love her and she must love the excitement and attention she gets, he thought. He pondered this with a little remorse. He liked Roy and was a little more than uneasy with his reasons for being there. After a few moments Betsy came out. "Well it's been a while. Where have you been? She asked. "Oh, working mostly. I stay pretty busy. How is everything with you?" He asked. "I've been a little aggravated lately, like just now. I have to do most everything around here now. Roy stays out of the shop a lot, and I have to keep up with all of the paper work and everything." She replied. "I know it must be a difficult job, but you do a good business here. The shop usually stays full." "What good is all of this if you are aggravated all of the time and are not really happy? Roy is so frustrating. You know we lost the house." "No. I didn't know anything about that. I thought you were staying around upstairs to be close to your business at times." "Oh no, I had a wreck back a year or so ago. I rear-ended another car. It really wasn't altogether my fault. We thought we had settled it, but the woman sued. She had whiplash and claimed back injury. We had to sell the house to keep the business and everything. We improvised and made the upstairs an apartment. We've been living up there for a while now. Roy has been so difficult after the lawsuit. It just hasn't been the same. We were happier back at the old place. Sometimes I wish we had never left." "I'm so sorry to hear that, Betsy. It seemed to me that you had everything here." "It has been really difficult. Roy is going his way and I am going mine. It's just been hard for me. Roy gets aggravated at me. He want keep up with everything like he should, which leaves me to do it. I do it right, and sometimes he doesn't like that. You know, taxes and the like. It's not the way I do business. He says not to worry. He'll take care of it and runs off to Mexico. I just don't feel comfortable here anymore." Jim had so many mixed emotions about what he was hearing. He wanted to reach out to her in some way, but he really didn't know what she expected. He knew she was looking for the "good" life, money, affluence, the ability to go when and where she wanted. He also knew she could get anything she wanted. She has long, light sandy brown hair, a gorgeous smile and the most beautiful blue eyes. Her magnetic personality just radiates a warm charisma. She is very considerate and kind, intelligent, ambitious and hard working. No woman had ever touched his heart like she had. "I know what you are looking for." Jim said. "You know I don't have anything don't you?" "That's too bad, too bad." Betsy said. She knew he had two children from his former marriage because he talked about them a lot. "I have a lot of respect for you, Jim. You just might be what I really need." Jim wanted to say, "Yes! Yes!" — He knew he could give her what she really needed, but he wasn't sure if she thought he could give her what she really wanted. "I really think I could do anything with you by my side" Jim said. "I have so many friends, Roy is aware of that. He knows a lot of men are interested in me. He isn't concerned too much about things like that though. He cares for me I know, and I worry sometime about what he might do. It's not just because of me though, Jim. It's everything that goes with this business and our life together." Jim looked outside and saw Clayton, coming toward the door. "Here comes Clayton." Jim said. "I'll talk with you again sometime soon. I'll have to be going on now. I have to meet with my father at home and he is expecting me." Clayton came on in. "I've got ever thing shut down, Miss Betsy. The 75 green Volkswagen is finished. He can pick it up tomorrow. I'm going on to the house. I will see you in the morning, Miss Betsy." He turned to Jim. "How are you doing, Mr. Josephson? It's sure good to see you here." "Thanks, Clayton, take care and be careful out there." Jim said. "I certainly will, Mr. Josephson, and you take real good care yourself too." He replied. Jim turned to Betsy as he left. "Well, I need to be going. I have to get this old motorcycle back to the house. I know Dad will be waiting for me. I'll see you again next week sometime probably. You take care and be careful." Jim said. "That Clayton! He's something else." She said. "Bye, Jim. I'll see you next week." Jim went out the door to his red motorcycle parked outside. He backed it up, fired it off and zipped out of the parking lot.
