Eleanore

“Yo, bro! Do you work here?”

I looked up from my phone, straight into the eyes of Gary, my boss.

“There’s a fish on the lot and you’re here playing Candy Crush!”

I looked through the grimy window and spotted the guy right away; mid forties, balding, overweight and wearing glasses. If you looked up fish in the dictionary, this guy’s picture would be there.

“Get out there, and if you can’t close this one, you’re fired.”

I stood, straightened my thick, ugly, faux silk tie and strode out onto the lot with all the confidence of a champion bullfighter.

“That one’s a beauty,” I said, gesturing at the seven year old Ford Fiesta he was standing behind.

I reached out my hand, “Jake.”

He didn’t take it. He didn’t say a word and didn’t look at me. He turned and walked towards the back of the lot.

“The further back you go, the older and, don’t tell my boss I said this, but the worse they get.”

I hustled to catch up.

“That Fiesta back there is a sweet deal. I could probably knock a few hundo off the sticker.”

“This one. How much does it cost?”

He was standing in front of Eleanore.

“Umm, She’s not for sale.”

“Everything’s for sale son,” he said, “even HER”

He looked at me for the first time.

A chill ran down my spine. He knew about Eleanore, but how, nobody knew about HER.

I looked around and saw Gary in his office, hunched over his computer. We were alone on the lot. I reached into my pocket for my knife.

“So, you lost the fish,” said Gary.

“I guess, sorry.”

My eyes scanned the lot and settled on Eleanore, she was safe for now. I’d deal with the body later.