I was doing good, real good for a change. I had a great job as a chauffeur and, finally, was making enough dough to make me think about saving some of it to buy myself a new car, well, not brand new, but a new used car, a Ford Falcon, after my car died. Once out of prison, my life turned around on a dime, thanks to John, my rich employer, who is a real, nice guy. He was okay with the fact that I made a mistake, paid for my mistake with 12 years of prison time, and that I was working hard to change my life around with his help as my sponsor.
Only, things soured when John split with his wife, the la-de-da, pain-in-the-ass, queen of bitches, prissy miss, Godzilla Priscilla. John made the mistake of telling her that I was an ex-con and was in prison because a dozen years ago, when I was young, dumb, and full of, well, you know, it rhymes with rum, which I was full of that, too, I, kind of, tied up a woman, my stepmother. She deserved it, and I had my way with her. Man, let me tell you, I could write a story about that, the time that I tied up my stepmother. That was almost worth my 20 year sentence and my 12 year prison stretch behind bars and getting out early for good behavior.
My life started to take a turn for the worst, again, when John told me that I would be working for his wife, soon to be his ex-wife, now. After arguing with John over her settlement and losing, she was in a foul mood. This broad after being married to John for only two years thought that she was entitled to half of everything he owned. Hey, he earned his wealth way before she came along. Luckily, John was smart enough to have her sign a prenuptial agreement before they married and one that was ironclad. She still was getting a nice chunk of change but, no where near half of his estate.
So, here I am driving her to the country club for her golf lesson and she starts raggin' on me.
"Spike? What kind of name is Spike?"
She did not even give me a chance to reply before she went off on me and insulting me.
"Why would your parents name you after a piece of hardware? Did you father work for the railroad? Or was a spike the first thing that your mother saw and decided to name you that? The American Indians do that? You're not an American Indian, are you? Do you have a real name?"
"Everyone called me Spike or Spikie ever since I was a kid, Ma'am. It's just a nickname."
"Well, I cannot be referring to you as your nickname, Spike, if you are to chauffeur me. What is your given name?"
"Given name, Ma'am?"
"The name that appears on your birth certificate and driver's license, which I, certainly, hope you have a valid driver's license."
"Clarence, Ma'am. Yes, Ma'am, I have a driver's license that is valid."
"Very well, then, from this point forward, I shall refer to you as Clarence."
"Yes, Ma'am."
"And Clarence, what are all those?"
"What Ma'am?" I said looking at her in the rearview.
"Those," she said pointing her manicured finger at me as if she was pointing to dog shit.
"My tats? My prison tattoos?"
"Yes, Clarence, why do you have them on public display?"
"It was hot outside when—"
"The limousine is air conditioned, Clarence. You will dress appropriately when driving me and must always wear your jacket and cap."
"But, John—"
"Who?"
"John, your husband," I said with a look that questioned if she forgot him already.
"Well, perhaps, my husband allowed you to call him by his first name but you shall only refer to me as Mrs. Pine or as Ma'am."
"Yes, Mrs. Pane, Ma'am."
"Pardon?" She shot me a look that shrunk my manhood.
"I said, yes, Mrs. Pine."
"And all of those people that my husband allowed to visit with you in your private quarters over the garage are no longer welcome and allowed on my property. One fellow tore up some of my prized flowers with his motorcycle."
"You mean, my friends?"
"That gang of animals and ruffians are your friends?"
"Yes, and John said that they could—"
"You work for me, now, Clarence, and will abide by my rules."
"But, they are my best buddies and because I don't have a car, yet, to drive to see them—"
"I should hardly call those criminal types best buddies."
"They are not criminals and they are my best buddies. They would do anything for me if I was in a jam and needed a—"
"What can that element possibly do for you other than to get you in trouble with the law, again? Haven't you learned anything from your mistake? Why on Earth would you risk jail time hanging around with those people? Matter of fact, I sent one woman, and I used the term loosely, away when she appeared at the front gate with a bottle of wine, and I use that term loosely. As she was, obviously, of questionable morals, the jug of wine she was holding was of a questionable vintage."
"You sent my Rose away?" I looked at her disbelieving that she sent my girlfriend away. All this time, I thought she stood me up. "It was my birthday. I invited her to have a drink with—"
"She was your girlfriend?" She said it like I just told her that I was gay. "I am sure that you can do better than that." She looked at me through the rearview. "You are not a bad looking type, in a brutish sort of way.
"But, I love her. She stood by me when—"
"Well, I don't think she'll be back, again. I told her that you were out with the maid."
"Out with the maid? I was not out with the maid. I drove the maid to pick up groceries per your instruction." I could not believe this woman torpedoed my relationship with Rose. "You make it sound like I was dating the maid. Now, Rose probably thinks that I was stepping out on her. That explains why she is not taking my calls."
My head hurt I was so mad. This broad in a matter of minutes was able to push all of my buttons. First, she started shit about my name, Spike, then, my tattoos, then, my friends, and now, my girlfriend. What the fuck? I was seeing red I was so mad. I was surprised that I could drive, I was so angry.
"Working with me, Clarence, you will meet a better class of people and, once you get to know and rub elbows with them, they will become your new friends, your real friends, and not some fly-by-night hoodlums."
"My friends are not hoodlums. They would do anything for me, if I needed help."
"Really, Clarence, what can they do for you? They have nothing. Do they even have jobs?"
"No disrespect intended Mrs. Pine but I would put my life in their hands, if it depended on it. After meeting some of your, so called, friends, I would not want to depend upon them for help."
"I beg your pardon. My friends, all of my friends at the country club, would help me no matter the emergency, especially, Biff, Muffy, Buffy, Sport, Duke, Ducky, Spider, and Bolo."
"Are those all their given names? Surely, those are not nicknames, are they?"
"Don't be smug with me," she said with a glare. "I don't like your tone."
"We'll, Ma'am, I do not appreciate you insulting me, my friends, and ruining the relationship with my girlfriend."
"I did no such thing. I just sent that trashy woman away. She smelled."
It took all the control that I had not to pull the car over and choke her to death.
"I will put my friends up against your friends, any day."
"Oh, goodie, a wager, I just love a competition." She actually clapped her hands. It was so annoying to watch his college educated and supposedly refined woman acting like a schoolgirl bouncing on the backseat of the limousine clapping her hands and giggling. "How should we go about this, then? And what should we wager? Oh, I know. If my friends come to my rescue and your friends do not come to your rescue than I will fire you. And if—"
"I have an idea."
I was on the far grounds of the golf course and pulled the car over, prematurely.
"Clarence, this is not the clubhouse entrance. We are in the middle of the woods." She peered out the window. "This is the eleventh fairway, I think, way over there."
I got out, opened the trunk, pulled out some roped, walked to her door, and opened it.