“You’re sloppy, Wilson, and you’ll be paying for those repairs out of your paycheque.”
Dash went to protest, but she knew there was no point. “At least let me fix it myself. Please, sir.”
“Just make sure you do it right this time.” He shook his head as if he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. “The navy sends me girls to fix engines and distract the fellas. What’s next? Gonna give them guns and send them in to fight? Honestly. The world has lost its mind.” He waved a stubby finger in Dash’s face. “I’m watching you, Wilson. One more and you’re out. Now get lost.”
Biting her lower lip against tears, Dash quick-walked to her station, passing a wide-eyed Ginny on her way. She kept to herself for the rest of the day, working hard on the Dodge. She was so shaken she didn’t tell Ginny what had happened until they were almost home.
“But you’d never do that!” Ginny exclaimed. “Everyone knows you’re the best mechanic in the place.” She narrowed her eyes. “Do you think Jim…?”
“I wouldn’t put it past him,” Dash grumbled, opening the door to the house. Mary paced just inside, waiting for them.
“Is everyone okay?” she demanded. “Want some tea? Let me help.”
“We’re fine,” Dash assured her, “though tea would be great. All we have to do is get through the next couple of weeks until Christmas. Things will have to be different after that, don’t you think?”
Dash kept her head down the next day and the next. When she scouted for Jim, she was relieved that he wasn’t looking her way. She dared to believe he’d forget about her and go away for good.
“Look. There’s the boss’s new secretary, Sally,” Ginny said at lunch break later that week. “Jim’s been sniffing after her all day.”
She gestured with her chin toward a tiny thing with shiny blond hair, a tight skirt, and high heels. From the way she was nodding quickly at Jim, her hands fidgeting behind her back, Dash automatically thought of Dot. Without meaning to, she touched the place on her neck where Jim’s forearm had held her captive.
“That poor girl doesn’t have a hope against him,” she said.
Just before their break was over, Sally headed outside for a cigarette, and Dash took the opportunity to offer a little sisterly advice.
“You’ll want to keep your distance from Jim,” she suggested softly. “He’s the boss’s son, and he thinks he can do whatever he wants.”
But Dash was wrong. Sally was not like Dot at all. She scoffed. “Don’t tell me who I can or cannot talk with. If you can’t keep your boyfriend under control, that’s not my problem.”
“My boyfriend? You’ve got me wrong, Sally. I’m just telling you because that fella’s a whole heap of trouble wrapped up in shiny packaging. I’m trying to help.”
Sally’s reply was cool. “Duly noted.” Her eyes fell to Dash’s coverall, stained with grease. “Shouldn’t you be working?”
At the end of the day, Sally sashayed past Dash’s bay and right into Mr. Eisen’s windowed office, giving Dash a complacent smile that confused her entirely. Trying to be discreet, Dash dropped to a squat behind the car she was working on.
“Why are they pointing at me?” she whispered.
Ginny’s face was tight with alarm. “I don’t know, but Mr. Eisen is standing up.”
“What should I do?”
“I think we should make tracks. It’s closing time anyway. Maybe he’ll cool down by tomorrow morning. You ready?”
Dash put all her tools away in record time, pulled on her coat and boots, then she and Ginny almost ran toward the exit.
“Wilson! Thomas! Get over here!”
They froze. With no other options, they turned and walked back to Mr. Eisen’s office, trying to ignore the other men’s stares.
Mr. Eisen sat waiting behind his desk, a storm on his face. Sally stood pertly in the corner, arms crossed.
“You’re done,” he told them. “Pack up and go.”
Ginny gasped, and all Dash’s blood drained to her toes. “Sir?”
“Since day one, you girls have been a pain in the neck and a distraction to the rest of the garage. I was charitable. I gave you a warning, but it seems you can’t help yourselves. Well, you’ve been nabbed. Time to go. I’ll tell your major or chief Wren or whatever it is she calls herself.”
Dash stood at attention as she’d been trained, scrambling for some sort of dignity in her confusion.
