Laura's New Job

The Accident

Laura’s alarm went off at 3 AM.

She felt more confident about today than yesterday.

            ‘I have a better idea of what to do today,” Laura said to herself.

Laura had breakfast and got dressed. She wore jeans and her other uniform shirt. Laura left the house at the same time as yesterday.

It took her about a half-hour to get to Speedway. Tyler was there to let her in.

            “Hey, Tyler,” Laura said to him.

            “Hi Laura.”

Laura went in first after Tyler unlocked the door.

            “This store looks like s**t,” Tyler said.

            “Apparently, Lois was a little pissed off last night,” Laura said.

The grill still had food from last night on it. The stale tea was still in the urns and the floor was not mopped.

            “We may need to talk to her again,” Laura said.

            “I agree,” Tyler said.

Laura had to use the bathroom. She also cleaned the grill and put fresh food on it. She also cleaned the tea urns and made fresh tea.

            “Damn, this tea smells like piss,” Laura told Tyler.

It took a few minutes to make tea. Laura looked at the schedule.

            “Catherine comes in at 6 A.M.,” Laura said.

Laura noticed Dreama was off today.

            Tyler counted cigarettes and lottery. Laura watched him. Laura also waited on customers until Catherine came in. Christie pulled in to get gas. She also wanted hot chocolate and soft drinks.

            “Hi, Christie. How are you today?’

            “I am doing well. I wanted to get gas on pump five,” she smiled.

Laura told her the total. Laura also swiped Christie’s rewards card.

When the receipt printed, Laura told Christie to have a nice day. It was busy until Catherine came in.

When Catherine came in, Tyler showed Laura how to enter everything into the computer. Catherine took over on the register. It started to slow down at about 8 A.M. as most people were at work.

            “Why am I getting a feeling something bad is going to happen today?” Laura asked herself.

Tyler and Laura went outside to smoke.

            “Tyler, I am getting a feeling something bad is going to happen to me today.”

            “What is it?” he asked.

            “I really don’t know.”

Laura and Tyler went back in. Laura cleaned the bathrooms.

At about 9 A.M. Laura heard screeching and a loud crash.

            “What the hell was that?” Laura asked Tyler.

Laura went outside.

            “Oh, my god,” Laura screamed.

A drunk driver plowed through the parking lot and hit her car. The man got out and fell on the ground as soon as he opened the door.

            “Ma’am, your f*****g car was in my way,” He yelled at her.

            “You destroyed my car. I’m calling the police,” Laura said to him.

            “911, what is your emergency?” said the dispatcher.

            “This is Laura at the Madison Speedway. I need to report a drunk driver. He hit my car and I would say it’s totaled.”

            “We will send a police officer there in a few minutes.”

            “Thank you,” she said.

            “Ma’am, did you call the police?”

            “Yes, I did,” Laura said to him.

A police officer showed up and took a report.

            “I need to get out of here,” the man said.

It was officer Jerry; a person Laura went to school with.

            “Hey Laura,” Jerry said.

            “He’s trying to get away,” Laura told Jerry.

            “Sir, stop,” Jerry said.

The man asked Jerry what he wanted.

            “I have reason to believe you may have been driving under the influence. Stand here, I need to do a sobriety test.

            “Can I go back in?” Laura asked Jerry.

            “I’ll come and get you in a few minutes.”

Laura went into the office, locked the door and cried.

            “What am I going to do? I have to call Dad to drive me around now I don’t have a car,” Laura asked herself.

Tyler knocked on the door.

            “Are you okay?” He asked.

Laura told him no. Laura went back outside and Jerry was handcuffing the drunk driver. A tow truck showed up to tow both cars. Jerry asked where Laura was. Catherine said Laura was in the office. Laura asked Tyler if the accident was recorded. Tyler watched the monitor to see if it was. Laura went back outside.

            “Do you think my car is totaled?” Laura asked the driver.

            “I would say it is. I have seen cars like this they were all beyond repair.

            “Where is the car going?” Laura asked the driver.

            “It’s going to be at Chandler Chevrolet. Do you have your keys?”

Laura had to go inside to get her keys. She had trouble seeing because she was crying so hard. She got a paper towel to dry her eyes. She got her keys from her purse and went back to give the drive her car key.

            “Here it is,” Laura told the driver.

When Laura went back in, she called her insurance company.

            “Hi this is Laura,” she said to her insurance company.

She then told her agent what happened.

            “The car is at Chandler Chevrolet,” Laura cried.

Laura didn’t want anyone to see her cry.

Her agent said that an adjuster will be to look at the car within a day or two.

            “Thank you,” Laura said while still crying.

Laura had to go back in the office. Tyler was there to comfort her.

            “Tyler, I don’t want to lose my job here,” Laura said.

            “You are doing a really good job, and everyone seems to like you,” Tyler told her.

            “Has the money been counted yet?” Laura asked.

            “I have and I am preparing the deposit slip,” he said.

            “Do you need me to go to the bank with you?” Laura asked.

            “Yeah, it would be a good idea. I am training you,” he said.

Tyler had her carry the bag. Laura called her father when she got in Tyler’s car.

            “Dad, are you doing anything later?”

            “No, why?”

            “Some asshole hit my car while I was at work and totaled it.”

            “Are you okay?”

            “I am fine. I wasn’t in the car at the time. But, it was pretty bad. No question it is totaled. The car is at Chandler Chevrolet.”

            “I will be there right before you get off work.”

            “I’ll be right here. I won’t exactly be going anywhere.”

            “I will see you later,” Randall said.

Laura decided to look at cars after work. She has wanted an SUV.

            “At least that asshole is in jail,” Laura said to herself.

Laura had a few customers to wait on. Catherine also waited on customers.

            “A man wanting to get diesel fuel in his truck was at the counter.

            “There three people, but only two cars here?’ he asked.

Laura told him that her car got hit by a drunk driver this morning.

            “Oh, I’m sorry to hear that,” he said.

            “This is only my second day here. Now I must shop for another car. I hope my dad will let me borrow his truck for a few days,” Laura said to the man.

Laura set the pump for him. A woman who works at Chandler who works at Chandler Chevrolet came in to buy a fountain drink and some potato chips. She was a blonde with big breasts.

            “Hi, do you work at the Chevy dealer?” Laura asked.

            “Yeah, I’m Elena,” she told Laura.

“Was there a Cobalt come there a couple of hours ago?” Laura asked Elena.

“Yeah, it was towed in. It had pretty bad rear damage,” Elena said.

“That was my car. I’ve only worked here two days and this happens,” Laura said to Elena.

Elena said that they have a lot of late model cars and trucks.

            “I am thinking about an SUV.”

Elena said that she hopes to see Laura later. Elena gave Laura her business card.

            “Have a nice day.” Laura told her.

            “You too,” Elena said.

            “You have such a cute ass, Elena. I like that skirt suit.”

Laura then went outside to check the mail. Most of it appeared to be junk, but she put it on Tyler’s desk anyway.

            “I better go ahead and get everything out of the car when Dad comes to get me. I am 30 years old and have to depend on Dad.”

Laura then saw Tyler filling out a write up.

            “Oh, What is this?” Laura asked.

            “I have to write Lois up for not doing her job. I would like you in here to witness it.”

            “She is going to be pissed off,” Laura said.

            “I know, but, she has to do her job. It’s not right when we have to do her job for her.”

            “How often does this happen?” Laura asked.

            “About every couple of weeks,”

Laura said that she would witness her sign the write up.

            “I am nervous about when I take over my store. People on third shift calling off all the time.”

            “I’ve had to close and come right back in the morning. Don’t be nervous.” Tyler said.

Laura asked Tyler and Catherine if they wanted anything from Rally’s. They told her what they wanted. Laura went over to get lunch for everyone. She had to wait behind a few people.

            “How are you today?” said the young man at the register.

            “I am okay,” Laura said.

Laura ordered for everyone. She asked him if he saw what happened this morning.

            “It was so loud, I couldn’t help but see what was going on.”

Laura told him that She had only been there for two days.

            “Are you the new manager?”

            “I’m training to be a manager. I will be taking over another store.”

            “Which store?” he asked.

            “The Speedway in Clarksville,” Laura said.

            “Okay,” he said.

When Laura got the orders, she took everything back and handed everything out. Laura and Catherine sat down. She decided to pull up Chandler Chevrolet’s website on her phone.

            “Oh, here’s a 2018 Chevy Equinox. 25,000 miles. It looks like it has everything I could want. Katie is going to want to borrow it.”

She also looked at the Carfax report.

            “It’s a repossession.,” Laura said with surprise.

She showed it to Tyler.

Laura liked the price. She was trying to eat as fast as possible.

            “I am going to clean the bathrooms,” Laura said as she finished eating.

Laura got paper towels and spray bleach. She went to the men’s bathroom. When she saw the toilet, she got sick to her stomach.

            “I need gloves for this. That is disgusting.”

Laura went to get gloves.

            “I’d love to know who did this,” Laura said to herself.

As she finished cleaning the toilet, she had to use the bathroom.

            “Now the toilet is clean, I’ll sit down and pee. Oh s**t, I forgot to lock the door,” Laura said as she sat down.

Laura was praying no one would open the door. She finished without anyone coming in. She locked the door and cleaned the sink.

After the bathrooms were cleaned, Laura washed dishes. Tyler also restocked what needed to be restocked. Laura helped.

            “I should go to the Clarksville store sometime and see if they have a manager now,” Laura said to herself.

            “Would you like for me to go to the parking lot and sweep?” Laura asked Tyler.

            “If you want to.” Tyler said.

Laura got the broom and dustpan and started by where her car was parked. She bent down to see the glass pieces.

            “These are from my car. I had my car for eight years.” Laura said as she almost cried.

She was 22 when she got her Cobalt. Laura swept the pieces up and threw them away. Laura was trying to think about her next car.

            “I need a cigarette,” Laura said as it was slow.

She went inside and got her cigarettes from her purse. She also looked at her phone. No one has called.

            “I am going to smoke,” she told Tyler.

Laura went to the side of the building.

            “If I would have committed suicide six years ago, I wonder who would be here as a manager in training now,” Laura asked herself.

            “I’d like to see Katie when she sees me with a newer car.”

Dreama had to get gas for her car. She saw Laura smoking.

            “Where’s your car?” Dreama asked.

            “It’s at the Chevy dealer. A drunk driver went through here and hit my car. I think it is totaled. This was about three hours ago,” she told Dreama.

            “What matters is you are okay,” Dreama told her.

Dreama went in to pay for her gas and get some other items.

            “I’d like to know how much that asshole’s bail is. Not that I would pay it,” Laura said to herself.

Laura’s phone rang. It was her father.

            “Hi, Dad,” Laura said.

He asked if his daughter was feeling any better.

            “Yeah, a little,” Laura told him.

            “After work, would you like to go get something to eat?” Randall asked.

            “Okay, where?”

Randall let Laura decide.

            “How about Subway?” Laura suggested.

            “Okay, which one?” Randall asked.

Laura suggested the one on Michigan Road.

            “That’ll be okay with me,” Randall said.

Laura also mentioned she wanted to look at cars before going to eat.

            “I did see a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox on their website,” Laura told him.

Randall said he would see Laura when she got off work.

Dreama came back out to pump her gas.

            “My dad is coming back to get me after work. I hate the fact I’m 30 years old and have to depend on my dad.”

            “You didn’t do anything wrong,” Dreama said.

            “I did see a Chevy Equinox at Chandler Chevrolet,” Laura said.

            “Those are nice SUVs,” Dreama said.

Laura told Dreama that Tyler isn’t happy with Lois.

            “What happened?” Dreama asked.

“Lois left the store a mess last night. We both saw it when we came in this morning.”

“Oh, really. I didn’t know that.”

Laura then told Dreama that she would see her later. Laura decided to get a cappuccino.

            “I love the French vanilla,” Laura told Tyler and Catherine.

After she paid for it, she set it in the office.

            “Would you want me to help stock the cooler?” Laura asked Tyler.

            “Yeah, if you want to,” he said.

Tyler and Laura went inside the cooler and stocked the Coca-Cola products. Laura also stocked the tea products and the dairy section.

            “It’s cold in here,” Laura said.

            “It’s only thirty-seven degrees,” Tyler said.

They spent about an hour in the cooler.

            “We’re not busy, but, I hate just standing around not doing anything,” Laura told Tyler.

Laura asked if she told Tyler that she tried to commit suicide.

            “No, you didn’t,” Tyler said.

            “It was six years ago. My parents were going to Tennessee to celebrate their honeymoon. As soon as they got out of site, I went to my bedroom, got a razorblade and went to the bathroom. What saved my life was that my mother forgot her phone. I woke up in the hospital with my wrists and feet restrained. I was in a psychiatric hospital for three months. My parents told me the story several times. I don’t even remember being in the ambulance.”

            “Why did you try that?” Tyler asked.

            “It was because I didn’t think my parents could accept me being gay,” Laura cried.

            “Well, it’s good you didn’t succeed,” Tyler said.

Laura drank some of her French vanilla. Her father called.

            “Hello, Dad.”

            “Hi, sweetie, what time do you get off?”

            “I should be leaving about 2:30. What time will you be here?”

            “I will be there before 2:30,” Randall said.

            “I will see you later,” Laura said.

            “Bye, Dad.”

Laura put more food on the grill. She also made tea. Tyler swept and mopped the floor while Catherine waited on customers. Laura saw the cappuccino tray needed to be emptied. She emptied it.

Laura saw Lois just before 2 o’clock.

            “Lois, I think Tyler wants to talk to you.”

Laura followed Lois into the office. Tyler went in and closed the door.

            “What’s going on?” Lois asked as she clocked in.

            “This morning when we came in, several things were not done. There was still food from last night on the grill. The floor was not mopped. The tea urns were not cleaned.”

            “Okay. I will do them tonight.”

            “Tyler and I had to spend about an hour cleaning what you didn’t do,” Laura said.

            “I just wanted to let you know. Please do those tonight,” Tyler asked Lois.

Everyone left the office.

            “Dad, thank god you are here,” Laura cried.

            “At least you are okay,” Randall said.

Randall wanted to get $30.00 on pump four. Laura used her reward card.

            “It’s still going to be a little bit until I can leave.”

            “Okay,” Randall said as he went to pump his gas.

Laura went to clean the counters before she left. At 2:30, she clocked out and left with Randall.

            “This has got to be one if worst days I have ever had.”

Randall said that he wanted to go see Laura’s car.

            “I already have,” she said.

They arrived at Chandler Chevrolet about five minutes later. Laura found the car.

            “Yeah, Laura, I would say it’s just about totaled. How fast was he going?”

            “I have no idea. I called my insurance company and they said they would look at it Thursday.”

            “I would have to say it’s totaled.” Randall said.

Laura looked at a few SUVs. She liked the Chevy Equinoxes.

She found the one she saw on the website. Elena came out and waited on Laura. Randall introduced himself.

            “This is my daughter, Laura. She is looking for a car,” Randall said to Elena.

            “I would like to test drive this one,” Laura told Elena.

            “Okay, come on inside and I’ll get a copy of your driver’s license.”

Laura got her driver’s license and showed it to Elena.

            “That Equinox is a repossession. It looks like it was repossessed two months ago. We’ve had it about a month.”

            “I just wanted you to know that I am waiting for my insurance company to settle with me about the Cobalt.”

            “Okay, when the insurance company settles, just let us know. You can drive the car for a few days to see if you like it,” Elena told her.

Elena then got the paperwork to fill out.

            “I just need your agreement that you won’t damage the car,” Elena told Laura.

Laura signed all the necessary paperwork. Elena gave Laura the key to the Equinox.

            “This car, there is no ignition. It has a push to start button.”

“Oh, wow,” Laura said with excitement.

Laura excitedly went to test drive the car.

            “25,401,” Laura said as she looked at the odometer.

Laura noticed it only had a fourth of a tank of gas. She went back in to ask Elena if she could put some gas in it. Elena went in to get a company credit card.

            “I’ll go with you,” Elena said.

Elena got in the passenger seat. Laura drove to Speedway.

            “I’ll go ahead and fill it up. It’s the dealer’s credit card,” Elena laughed.

Laura laughed along with her. Elena looked to see the mileage.

            “25,402,” she said.

            “Quit looking at her ass. She knows where you work,” Laura said to herself.

Elena went inside to tell Lois to set the pump for a fill up.

As Elena came back out, Laura was looking over all the features of her car.

            “As long as I can get payments under $300 per month, I will be okay.”

The pump shut off. Elena pumped $42.00. Laura started the car, Elena got back in and Laura zeroed the trip meter.

            “I love this car. I should get about $3,000 for my old car.”

            “My girlfriend is going to love this car.”

Elena didn’t know what to say. They went back to the Chevrolet dealer.

Laura saw her father.

            “Well, how do you like it?” Randall asked.

            “I love it. She said I can drive it a few days until the insurance settles with me.”

            “Okay, did you want to meet me somewhere to get something to eat?”

            “I’d rather drive around for several more hours,” Laura joked.

Laura suggested Arby’s.

            “Okay, I’ll meet you there in a few minutes,” Randall said.

Laura drove around the building and pulled out of the lot. It took about five minutes for Randall and Laura to go to Arby’s.

Laura got out and remotely locked her car door.

            “What year is your car?” Randall asked.

Laura told him.

            “It is beautiful,” Randall told his daughter.

Laura was getting hungry. They both went in. Randall paid for his daughter’s meal.

            “Do you work at Speedway? said the male cashier.

            “Yeah, I am a manager trainee. This was my second day.”

Randall and Laura sat down. Randall passed out the food. Laura crossed her legs.

            “I certainly hope my insurance company pays me off soon. I’m starting to love my new SUV. I forgot to get the plates off my old car.”

            “Well, it’s not yours yet,” Randall told his daughter.

Laura’s phone rang. It was Katie.

            “Hi, Sexy,” Laura said.

            “How are you doing?”

Laura told Katie that her and her father are eating at Arby’s.

            “It’s my second day at work and some drunk asshole came through the parking lot and hit my car.

            “Were you hurt?” Katie asked.

            “No, I wasn’t in the car. They seem to think the car is totaled. I can take some pictures of it and let you see it. My dad took me to Chandler Chevrolet, and I saw an Equinox that I liked. I’ll take some pictures of it.”

            “At least you weren’t hurt,” Katie said.

Laura finished eating. She told Randall that Katie just called.

            “She wants to see my car,” Laura told Randall.

            “Laura, sweetie. Buck’s son, David, really seemed to like you. Why don’t you give him a chance?” Randall asked Laura.

            “Dad, I have thought about it. I am 30 years old and have never dated a guy.”

Laura noticed a young man flirting with her. He appears to be about seventeen.

            “Oh, my god, Dad he is way too young for me.”

            “Hi, sexy,” he said to her.

Laura turned away as she said hi to him.

            “Do you work at Speedway?” he asked Laura.

            “Yeah,” she said to him.

He said that his name is Damien. He asked Laura if she wanted to go on a date sometime.

            “Damien, I am so sorry. But I am way too old for you.”

            “I’m seventeen,” he said.

            “I’m thirty,” Laura told him.

Damien walked away.

            “Are you ready to go?” Randall asked his daughter.

            “Yeah, let’s get out of here,” she said.

Randall said he would meet his daughter at home.

            “I will see you later, Dad.”

Laura then went back to the Chevy dealer to get pictures of her Cobalt.

            “I love how quiet this car is,” Laura said to herself.

Laura then decided to go to Wal-Mart. She decided to get some oil for her new car. She googled the type of oil on her phone.

            “I don’t know where the nearest Wal-Mart is. I better use the GPS. Oh, Wal-Mart is on Ivy Tech Drive, 2.3 miles away,” Laura laughed.

Laura left the Chevy dealer and went to Wal-Mart. She was there about an hour. She went home.