Dreamland

Cougar

I'm young again in Dreamland tonight, maybe eighteen or twenty years old. I recently got a job in a garage fixing cars and trucks. It's a really big outfit (not like my uncle's place where I used to work when I was a kid in real life). There's six bays with lifts, with five other guys plus me and the lead mechanic working here.

I show up for work late, a little hung over, out partying with my buddies again. I'm getting changed in the locker room when Ted, the lead man, walks in and yells at me: "You're late for the meeting, Steve! You'd best get in there right away or Bonnie will fire your ass!" (Bonnie is the boss's daughter: Late 30's, divorced, business degree, she pretty much runs the place for the old man.)

I hurry into the meeting room and take a seat at the back, next to the other guys. Ted walks up to the front and sits next to Bonnie and the boss at the table that faces us. The old man is giving a speech about how we need to improve our performance time or some boring bullshit like that. After he's done, Bonnie starts talking about paperwork we all need to sign for insurance. She calls out one of the other guy's names and he walks up front to sign his papers.

About this time I realize I was in such a hurry to get to the meeting that I forgot to put on my pants! I hurry out the back door and run to my locker. I pull out my uniform pants and start to put them on when I realize someone's played a prank on me and switched the pants with a pair that's way too small, I can't even get them past my knees! I look in my locker and see the joker also took my street clothes!

I hear Bonnie calling out my name from the meeting room. ! search frantically for something to wear but all the other lockers are locked. I find a greasy pair of ripped jeans in the corner and pull them on. They're a little tight, I can't quite zip them up all the way, but they'll have to do.

I run back into the meeting room. All the other line guys are gone. Ted is standing next to the table talking to the boss, looking like he's getting ready to leave. Bonnie is looking at some paperwork. I rush up her and say "Sorry I'm late, is there something I need to sign?"

She looks at my name tag and says "Yes Steve. Please sign this insurance form.... And you are aware you are required to wear a full company uniform, including the uniform pants? We have rules around here that must be followed."

"Yes Ma'am, sorry, it won't happen again," I say, feeling kind of embarrassed, as I sign the form. "Is there anything else?"

Bonnie looks down at my ripped jeans again, but I get the impression she is checking out what's in them this time. She takes out a business card and writes something on the back. "Come to this address at 8:00 tonight, I think I need to give you a personal lesson in proper business behavior. Oh, and be sure to shower and shave first, I like my boys clean..."