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“How long has it been doing that?” he quizzed.

“Maybe thirty minutes. I stopped and let it cool off a little bit before I came down here. I was right down the street. I didn’t have to drive that far.”

“Sounds like it might be the thermostat. Pop the hood and let me take a look.”

I popped the hood and stood back. “That’s simple, ain’t it?” I asked.

“Usually,” he said, backing out from under the hood. “It looks like the thermostat is shot. We can probably get the part in this evening and have you back on the road by morning.”

“How much will that be?” I quizzed.

“I’m not sure. I just fix the cars, but it usually runs a few hundred dollars, maybe three fifty.”

I groaned. I could easily pay for the repairs out of the money I had made today, but I planned to put the majority of it toward my rent. Getting my truck running was essential to making sure I could get the rest of the money. There was no use in stressing about it.

“How much if I get the part myself?” I asked.

“It’ll probably knock off about fifty dollars.”

“OK, I’ll get it and come back. What time do you close?”

“I wouldn’t advise you to drive this truck anywhere. I’ll make sure they give you the employee price on the part. I know you need your truck.”

“Ugh, OK,” I said, shaking my head.

“I’m just gon’ pull it into the garage. It’s gon’ take a while for our guy to come with the part. We have a waiting area in the office, or you can leave it and come back,” he offered.

“How long is it going to take?”

“At least four hours to fix the truck once they bring the part. That’s actually good.”

“I’ll see if my friend can pick me up,” I said, heading toward the building.

I welcomed the coolness of the air conditioning once I was inside. I called Rhonda and asked her to pick me up from the shop. I hated that I had to shell out more money, but I was grateful that I would be back on the road in time to open the next morning.

“Hey, can you come get me from the shop?”

“Me and Trey came to get my mom from work. I’ll come get you when I drop her off.”

“OK, girl. Thank you again.”

Plopping down in the first empty chair I got to, I focused on watching the home improvement show playing on the TV. The couple were building a backyard deck. They had four kids. I only had two, and I didn’t even have time to think about building a deck. Then again, I lived in an apartment. I had been sitting around for about thirty minutes by the time a woman with a clipboard came out and called my name.

“Yes,” I said, standing from my seat.

“I need to see you at the window,” she requested.

“OK.” I nodded as I walked over to the window.

“It looks like in addition to the thermostat, you need a new radiator. It may take a day or so for us to get the part in.”

“A radiator? I don’t have a day or so. I have to get back to work. I don’t even want to know how much that will end up costing me.”

“He put you in for employee pricing on the parts. That will bring the total to just under three seventy-five for the part. I haven’t calculated the labor.”

“Oh, you don’t have to worry about calculating anything. How do I get to my truck?” I asked her, looking around.

This was crazy. How in the world did the total double right before my eyes before she even added the price of labor. This is why I hated dealing with mechanics. They were a bunch of con men. I had an uncle and a play cousin that were both shade tree mechanics.