Requiem for a Heavyweight Ch. 03

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Ken and Roxanne go to see the "special car" that Jeff recommended and that Jake has to sell.

Continued from Chapter 02:

When Roxanne thanked Ken for the drink that Jeffrey sent over to her before he left, he felt the need to make small talk in the way that his friend had done with Cindy. Especially now that he asked her to join him at his table, he felt pressured to make his move. Only, with her so very pretty and him lacking self-confidence, he already had deemed her out of his league. Nonetheless, even if it meant him making a fool of himself, using her as his way to get back in the dating game, he persevered.

"Are you meeting someone?"

She shrugged her shoulders with sadness.

"I was supposed to meet a man that I met online but obviously, he's a no-show," she said looking as embarrassed as she looked rejected. "Feeling a bit rejected and awkward in confessing this to you, a total stranger, he didn't even give me the courtesy of a call," she said checking her smartphone. "Maybe he spotted me from the window and didn't think that I was attractive enough to even bother meeting me," she said with a sad, little laugh.

Ken beamed her a happy smile.

"That's bad for him but good for me. His loss is my gain," said Ken with a laugh. "Otherwise, I never would have made your acquaintance. Actually, now that I take a closer look at you," he said as his excuse to stare at her longer. "Maybe when he saw you, he thought that you were too attractive for him and too good to believe."

Roxanne returned his smile with her smile.

"Thanks, I needed that. You're sweet. I'll drink to that," said Roxanne lifting her glass in toast to him. "Your kind words have made me feel better."

Ken took a sip of his beer.

"Just for curiosity sake, as part of my personal, car survey," he said with a laugh. "What kind of car do you own?"

She smiled her pride. Obviously by the sudden enthusiasm that showed on her face, she not only loved her car but obviously enjoyed talking about her car. In the way that Jeffrey was a car buff and in the way that he used to be a car buff, before he chose to ride a custom built, recumbent bike around town, obviously, she was too. What are the odds, he wondered, of meeting a beautiful woman who loved cars as much as he did?

"A Mustang. I drive a Mustang. I love Mustangs. This is my fourth one," she said. "As if I'm one with the car, I love how they feel and handle."

Ken nodded his admiration of her car choice.

"I like Mustangs too," said Ken. He assumed because she was a woman that she had the wimpy Mustang with a six-cylinder engine with an automatic transmission instead of the faster GT with the 5.0 V8 and the six-speed transmission. "Is it a stick or an automatic?"

Nearly choking on her drink, she made a face as if she had just swallowed a bug.

"An automatic? God, I'd never buy a car with an automatic. I'd be lulled to sleep when I put on the cruise control. Besides, it's a sacrilegious crime to buy a Mustang with an automatic," she said with a laugh. "Of course, I bought one with a 6 speed. A standard transmission gives you the feeling that you're actually driving the car instead of the car automatically driving you."

Ken smiled his admiration again.

"Nice," he said while smiling at her.

Catching more than his eye but his attention too, he looked more closely at her. A beautiful woman who loved cars was a hard woman to find. She was a very good-looking woman, maybe around 35-years-old age, with a smoking hot body. Hard to believe, she was even better looking and hotter than Cindy. Where Cindy had brown hair and brown eyes, Roxanne had blonde hair and blue eyes.

"Pardon my forwardness by my inappropriately personal question, and it's okay for you to say no but, um," he said pausing. In the way that he didn't feel confident about himself to ask Jennifer to go shopping with him, he feared rejection in asking Roxanne to accompany him to see that car that Jeffrey had recommended. He quelled his fear and, albeit beating around the bush, he asked her the question. "Are you doing anything for the next few hours?"

Something he'd never ask of any woman, something that he couldn't even ask of Jennifer, Jeff's hot, sexy receptionist, a woman he had known for years, he was about to ask of Roxanne. Obviously, Jeffrey had inspired him to be more forward with women. Obviously, after watching the sex show that Jeff and Cindy put on in public, Ken was still horny. Suddenly, inspired and encouraged to ask her such a forward question, he felt like the lady killer that he wasn't. Only, sweating bullets that she'd reject him after her blind date had rejected her, he was nervous with anticipation while waiting for her response.

"A few hours?" She laughed a melodious laugh. She looked at him sideways before giving him a sexy look and a naughty smile. "Why? Keeping in mind that I just met you, and don't know anything about you, other than your name, what did you have in mind that would take a few hours?"

In the sexy way that she looked at him and in the naughty way that she smiled at him, now he wondered if he suggested something other than what he was thinking if she'd go along with it. Having not had sex since before his ex-wife divorced him, he imagined her walking around his condo in her sexy, low-cut bra and bikini panties while wearing one of his shirts unbuttoned. He imagined her big tits bouncing and swaying as she walked around his bedroom topless. Screaming out his name, he imagined her naked and having an orgasm in his bed from his mouth, his fingers, and his cock.

Only, when it came to meeting new women, especially when it came to a beautiful and sexy woman, and especially when trying to romance and solicit a woman for sex, he was nothing like Jeffrey. No doubt, Jeffrey would have already propositioned her. No doubt, Jeffrey would have already had her back at his place naked and in bed. No doubt, Jeffrey would already be having sex with her. No doubt, after making his sexual conquest with her, Jeffrey would have already moved on to some other woman.

"Well, my friend, Jeffrey, gave me the business card of a guy selling a car. He recommended a car, but wouldn't tell me the kind of car that it is. I have no idea of the make, the model, and/or the year of the car."

Ken looked down at the business card before looking up at her again.

"I see," she said with a smile of interest and curiosity.

Ken was quick to pick up on her interest and curiosity with a question.

"I'm really curious which car he recommended," he said pausing before asking his question. "If I can arrange to see the car now," he said looking up at her as if begging her while getting lost in her beautiful, blue eyes. "Would you take a ride with me to go see the car?" He further qualified his question. "Being that you seem to be as much of a car buff as I am, I could use your help in deciding if I should buy the car or not. When it comes to making big purchase decisions, I'm always so indecisive. Your opinion would really be of help."

She beamed him a smile as if he had just asked her out on a date, and kind of, he did.

"Sure," she said. "Why not? After being stood up, I have nothing better to do and looking at cars is always fun."

They walked the two blocks down Newbury Street to where her car was parked just after Dartmouth Street. Not pegging her for that before, but by the make, the model, and thecolor of her car, he figured she was a bit on the wild side now. She had an orange Mustang GT with black racing stripes that went the length of the trunk, the roof, and the hood. She also had black, spinner, aluminum wheels and black Recaro, racing seats. Her Mustang GT was just as hot as she was.

"Wow, when you said you owned a Mustang, I figured you owned the six-cylinder, automatic transmission version and not the hot, GT with a six-speed and Recaro seats," he said with a laugh. "I like the orange paint. It looks better than red."

She laughed while firing up the engine.

"Why? Because I'm a woman?" She laughed. "With the GT having 435 horsepower, there's no substitute for horsepower," she said with another laugh. "I love going fast," she said giving him a wink.

'Hmm, did she have a double meaning? Did she mean going fast in a car or going fast in a sexual relationship,' wondered Ken.

* * * * *

Eager to see the car in person, Ken called Jake on his cell phone enroute to Cambridge where the car was stored. While waiting for Jake to answer the phone, soon to find out which car Jeff recommended, Ken wondered again what the make, model, and year of the car was that he had to sell him. He couldn't wait to know. He couldn't wait to see the car. He knew that because Jake, a car broker, was selling the car and not a dealership, that the car would be a used car and not a new car. Nonetheless the age and the condition of the car, various cars flashed through his mind, BMW, Audi, Porsche, Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Jaguar.

"Hello?"

By the sound of his voice, Jake sounded like an older gentleman. By the gruff sound of his voice, he sounded like a smoker. By his impatient manner, bordering on rude, he sounded like a no nonsense type of guy.

"Hello, Jake?"

Jake paused on the other end as if he was trying to recognize Ken's voice.

"Yeah? This is Jake. Who's this?"

A bit short, abrupt actually, and a little crabby over the phone, Ken's first impression of Jake was that he sounded like an old curmudgeon, albeit a character. Now Ken was nervous that the man wouldn't know who Jeffrey was. He was nervous that the man wouldn't care that he was a friend of Jeffrey's. He was nervous that the man wouldn't have a car for him.

Perhaps he never should have told Jeffrey that he was buying a car. Perhaps, he should have just gone to a Porsche or BMW dealership and bought whatever they had on the showroom floor or in their lot. Only, if he bought a car without his best friend's help, he'd not only insult him and hurt his feelings but also he'd never hear the end of it.

"I'm Ken, Ken Lunderry. I'm a friend of Jeffrey's and—"

As soon as he said Jeffrey's name, as if mentioning the man's long, lost son, the man erupted in jubilance.

"Jeffrey! Any friend of Jeffrey's is a friend of mine," said Jake. "He's a good man and a fine lawyer. He's helped me out of several, legal jams. How is he? I haven't seen him in a while?"

Ken felt relieved that not only did Jake remember Jeffrey but also that he deemed his friend as his friend too.

"Jeff is doing well. We just had lunch together and when I told him that I wanted to buy a car, he recommended me to you. He said that you had the perfect car for me," said Ken.

Ken wondered again what car Jake had to sell him.

"Is Jeff still driving the Alpina B6 that I recommended that he buy?"

For this man to recommend the best car that Jeff ever owned, he must know his cars.

"Yes," said Ken. "He's still driving his Alpina. He loves the car. He said that it's the best car he ever owned, and if you know Jeffrey, he's owned them all," said Ken. "Which car do you have for me?"

The man laughed out loud.

"I have lots of cars for sale," said Jake. "Which one did Jeffrey suggest?"

Not wanting to spend too much money on a car but knowing Jeffrey as he did when it came to cars, he wondered if Jake was going to try and sell him a hot Ferrari, a sexy Maserati, or a fast Porsche.

"Actually, he didn't say which make, model, and year car. He only said that the car that he had in mind was a special one. For Jeff to say that the car was a special one must really must mean that the car he had in mind is really special," said Ken with a nervous laugh of expectation and anticipation while wondering what would be deemed a special car to Jeffrey.

The man laughed out loud.

"Oh, that one. The special one. I see. I know the exact car that he means," said Jake with a laugh. "I know just the car that he wants you and expects you to buy. Indeed, this is a special car for a special person. Not everyone can pull off driving this car around town. Had he had the room to store it, this was a car that he wanted to buy for himself. For him to be willing to sell this car to you, you must be a close friend," said Jake.

Ken laughed while wondering what the mystery was around the car deemed special. Now he was really curious.

"I am very close with Jeff," said Ken. "We grew up in the same North End neighborhood together. I've been friends with him since I was a kid."

Jake returned Ken's laugh with his laugh.

"He's a sly rascal that one. This way, after you buy the car that he wanted to buy, when you drive it, he'll ride in it too," said Jake with a pause. "So, when can you come to take it for a drive?"

As if he was the proud father, Ken hasn't been this excited since his robot BART took his first steps and said his first few words.

"Actually, I'm on my way to you now. I'm on Storrow Drive," said Ken passing MIT and Harvard, before passing Boston University, on his way to Cambridge.

Along the way to Jake's place of business, half a dozen exotic sports cars flashed through Ken's mind again.

'Maybe the car suggested is something as special as it is rare, an Aston Martin. That's an awesome car,' thought Ken. He sees more Porsches around town than he ever sees Aston Martins.

"Wonderful, I'll see you in a few minutes."

Jake hung up the phone before even telling Ken the make, model, and year of the car that Jeff suggested.

"Wait! What kind of car is it? Hello? Jake? Hello?"

Chapter 03:

Roxanne pulled up to a huge, old warehouse of a rundown building in East Cambridge that looked abandoned from the outside. A historic building built in the 19th century, it used to be a textile mill. With the railroad running behind the building and with easy access from the Charles River, to the Mystic River, and to the Boston Harbor, it was conveniently located to ship goods and receive supplies by rail or by ship in its day.

She parked her car in a gated lot and got out with Ken. From the outside, with no signage to advertise that they sold cars, it was non-descript, five, story, brick building that covered nearly most of the block. The first floor of the building, but for trucking docks, access bays, and staging areas for pickups and deliveries was empty and looked closed.

By a directory sign inside, a dozen, different offices of various companies were on the first floor. There was a fur storage facility that took the entire third floor, various carpentry and cabinetry shops occupied the fourth floor and more than a dozen different artist's studios were on the fifth floor. Once, inside, they took a huge, freight elevator to the second floor to Jake's Exclusive Automobiles that housed the entire second floor. The elevator was wide enough and long enough to fit a car as long and as wide as a Chrysler Imperial Limousine.

As soon as the elevator doors parted, they walked out onto an expansive, brightly lit warehouse filled with dozens of cars with some covered with car covers. From the inside, as if frozen in time, with the entire floor tiled with black, shiny linoleum, and all the walls painted with car murals. The ambience inside felt as if this wasn't the same large warehouse as the outside but more of a car museum. Jake stepped out of his office in the far, back corner and emerged from in between two parked cars, an Auburn and a Packard, both in pristine condition, and walked towards them.

"Ken?"

Ken smiled at the elderly man and held out his hand.

"Yes. I'm Ken and this is Roxanne," he said shaking hands with him and then turning to introduce her.

Roxanne stuck out her hand and Jake shook her hand too.

"I'm pleased to meet you. You have quite the hidden gem of a place here," said Roxanne. "You have lots of interesting automobiles. Do you give tours?"

Jake laughed.

"Tours? I guess I'm up to giving a tour but by appointment only and only if the party is interested in buying a car," said Jake taking her hand in both of his hands. "I can see that your taste for beauty is not limited to cars," he said to Ken while staring at Roxanne.

Apparently used to the unwanted and uninvited attention, Roxanne smiled without saying anything about them not being boyfriend and girlfriend.

"Thank you," he said as if he was her boyfriend and turning to give her an appropriate smile that he appreciated her beauty too.

A fleeting thought, he thought about saying that she wasn't his girlfriend, but why jinx it? Besides, when she didn't say that he wasn't her boyfriend, in the way that he was thinking of her as his new girlfriend, perhaps she was thinking of him as her new boyfriend. Maybe his sexual fantasy of thinking of her in her bra and panties, topless, and/or naked and having sex with him would soon become his reality.

'How hot would that be to have sex with someone who looked like her and who had her sexy body? I'd love to be her boyfriend,' thought Ken. 'A two-for-one type of day, wouldn't that be something to buy a car and be in a relationship with her too.'

Ken awakened from his daydream of seeing Roxanne naked, having sex with her, and them being in a boyfriend and girlfriend relationship to focus on Jake giving them a tour of his vast number of cars.

"Well, as Jeff may have told you, I cater to those looking for special cars," he said turning to Ken to give him a wink. "You won't find any Chevy Impalas, Ford Focuses, Toyota Camrys, or Honda Accords here," he said with a laugh. "I only carry the best of the best. I'm not interested in buying and selling any of the rest."

Obviously, impressed by Jake's eclectic collection of modern day sportscars cars mixed with antiques with a Pierced Arrow, a '39 Cadillac, a '63 Studebaker Avanti, '68 GTO, and a '70 Heavy Chevy SS, Ken looked from car to car. Something for everyone, if a customer couldn't find a special car here, then it wasn't available anywhere. He even had a DeLorean, a Pantera, and a Brinklin. Ken had never seen any of those cars in person.

"I can see that," said Ken.

He pointed from one section to another as he walked the length of the warehouse.

"I store Ferrari here, Lamborghini there, Maserati here, Mercedes here, Porsche there, Aston Martin here, BMW there, Corvette here, and Cadillac and Lincoln there," he said pointing from one side to the other side as he walked along. "Whenever I get them in, Rolls Royce, Bentley, and Maybach have their own section there but they sell quickly," he pointed to the far side of the garage. "Once in a while I'll get a Lotus, McLaren, Viper, or a Ford GT but that's rare and they sell fast too."

Finally, they reached the end where, at the far wall, as if the vehicle was part of a David Copperfield magic trick, was a car covered with a black car cover. Obviously drawn to it, Ken and Roxanne stared at the vehicle as if the car cover would automatically lift up and off. As if the automobile was covered with a shroud, it loomed as large as it was.

"What's that one? An old, Chrysler Imperial or Cadillac Eldorado? It's huge."

Ken turned to look at Jake and Jake beamed him a big smile.

"Ah, it's kismet," said Jake with a laugh. "Jeffrey was right. Without even having seen it, and with all the cars we passed along the way, some with car covers, it's funny that you should ask me about that particular car," he said. "I see that fate has delivered you to me and you to that car," he said pointing to the car as if he had not only designed it but also manufactured it too.

Ken looked from the car to look at Jake before staring back at the car again.

"Kismet? Fate? What do you mean?"

Jake laughed.

"That's your car," he said looking at Ken and beaming him a big, proud smile. "That's the car that Jeff recommended that you buy."