(iv.)

"So, do you fix the cars, too?" Midge asked, inquisitively.
"Yes."
"You do all of it?"
"Yeah."
"You don't have different specialists for--"
"Look!" he screamed, angrilly, "I'm Joe, okay? I own, and run, Joe's Auto Service, right? That makes sense, doesn't it?"

Midge pulled away from him, practically shoving Lorelei into the door of the antiquated tow-truck.

"Well, I'm sorry," Midge explained, with a tinge of insincerity, "I just want to make sure you don't, y'know--"
"I don't what?"
"Well, y'know, screw up her car."
"Listen, Midge, there is nothing I can possibly do to that car that it has not already suffered through. And were it not for the fact that Lory and I are old friends from high school, I would have left you out where God lost his shoes."

At this, Lorelei's attention snapped away from the window.

"I'm sorry, what?"
"Aww, nothing."

"Wait..." Midge began, "you guys went to high school together?"

"Valehtelija," Lorelei snapped.
"What?" Joe asked.
"You know as well as I do, that I--"
"Yeah, yeah, I know. Idle chatter, okay?"

Lorelei sighed, annoyedly.


[Chapter v]