{"id":2608,"date":"2024-02-10T17:11:23","date_gmt":"2024-02-11T00:11:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/?p=2608"},"modified":"2024-02-10T17:11:23","modified_gmt":"2024-02-11T00:11:23","slug":"rare-occasion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/2024\/02\/10\/rare-occasion\/","title":{"rendered":"Rare Occasion"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

prompt: Write about a cynical character who somehow ends up on a blind date.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

available at Reedsy<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eric pulled two more beers out of the cooler, opened one and handed it to Trey before opening his own. \u201cDude, you have to get back in the game at some point.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSays who?\u201d Trey took a sip of the cold beer, enjoying the long afternoon\u2019s relaxation after a hard day of labor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSays everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNot everyone. I don\u2019t say that.\u201d Trey shook his head. \u201cI\u2019m happy on my own, thank you. I\u2019ve got plenty to keep me occupied and I don\u2019t need you trying to hook me up with your Aunt\u2019s coworker\u2019s friend\u2019s niece.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eric took a long pull on his beer. \u201cIt\u2019s not like that, dude. Do you really think I\u2019d just throw some rando at you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes. That\u2019s exactly<\/em> what you\u2019d do.\u201d Trey leaned back. \u201cBesides, it feels like you\u2019re saying I\u2019m not good enough for someone to want to date without being pushed into it. \u2018Hey, I set you up for a date with this guy you\u2019d never date if you saw him first, but he\u2019s okay once you get to know him.\u2019 It\u2019s demeaning<\/em>, man.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou really think that\u2019s what I\u2019m saying \u2014 or is this just another pity party?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trey gave Eric a playful punch in the shoulder. \u201cDon\u2019t come at me with pity party, ass. I\u2019m happy being single, you just don\u2019t want to believe that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou\u2026happy? Compared to who? Eeyore?\u201d Eric finished his beer and dropped the bottle into the box of empties next to the cooler. \u201cYou\u2019re definitely a glass-half-empty sort.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m more, \u2018The glass doesn\u2019t exist unless you prove it to me.\u2019 Anyway, I can be realistic, maintain a healthy skepticism, and still be happy. Besides, if I always expect the worst, no one can disappoint me, but I am<\/em> pleasantly surprised on the rare occasion.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eric pointed at Trey. \u201cSee\u2026that right there. You say you expect the worst and people rarely do better than that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe just have a difference in how we see the fundamental nature of mankind. You see some sort of rainbow happy land where everyone is good and sweet and kind, and I see the actual self-serving and short-sighted nature of humans.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDamn. Why am I your friend again?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trey dropped his empty in the box with the others. \u201cBecause I was the one that protected you from the bullies from grade school through high school.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh, yeah.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHow does your \u2018People are good by nature\u2019 fit into that story?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eric laughed. \u201cOkay, yeah, people<\/em> are generally decent, but kids aren\u2019t people yet, they\u2019re just little assholes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ll allow it,\u201d Trey said. He stood and stretched out his back. \u201cI should get home and get cleaned up. Besides, your wife\u2019s going to be home soon, and I don\u2019t want to get roped into another session of \u2018I hate your ex\u2019 with her. I swear she acts like Vic left her<\/em> rather than me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cConnie likes you and doesn\u2019t like it when her friends are hurt.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOkay, but it\u2019s been a year now, she could let it rest.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eric stood. \u201cYeah, it\u2019s been a year, and you still haven\u2019t even tried<\/em> dating again.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe barracuda\u2019s been keeping me busy. Driving okay now, and ready for paint, but still trying to get the computer dialed in. It wants to stall at idle when it\u2019s warm.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou need to see a mechanic who knows how to tune those heli whatever engines.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHEMI\u2026it\u2019s a Mopar HEMI, 426, supercharged.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eric laughed. \u201cWhatever. I heard you revving it up yesterday. Sounds fine to me. Just don\u2019t idle.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI wish it was that simple.\u201d Trey waved as he walked away. He crossed through the yard to the road, then walked across to his house. They hadn\u2019t planned on living across the street from each other, but it worked out that way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trey showered and sat in front of the television. He wasn\u2019t paying attention to what was on, it was just noise and distraction. Eric was like a brother to him, but sometimes he was annoying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He cleared his mind and watched a nature show about dugongs and manatees, followed by one about humpback whale migrations. He turned off the television and was considering going to bed when Eric called him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d he answered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI might know a mechanic that could help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYeah, if you can meet up at the Rockin\u2019 Arms Diner tomorrow at noon, you might have the fix for your tuning problem.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd you know they\u2019re a good mechanic because\u2026?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBecause trust me. If you don\u2019t think so, you can walk away.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhy don\u2019t I just go to his shop?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cJust\u2026meet up for lunch and see what you find out.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf this is a setup, I\u2019ll kick your ass.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhatever. Tomorrow, noon, Rockin\u2019 Arms, be there, they\u2019ll find you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trey pulled into the parking lot of the Rockin\u2019 Arms Diner, a light toe on the gas pedal to keep the engine from fully idling into a stall. He pulled into a spot in front of the diner. He made his way inside and took a booth  where he could keep an eye on his \u201969 Plymouth Barracuda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The sound of another big block caught his attention, and a mid-50\u2019s Ford F-100 rumbled into the parking lot and pulled in next to him. From his vantage point, he couldn\u2019t see who was driving or who got out, but judging by the truck, he thought it might be the mechanic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He was looking over the menu when a woman walked in and approached his table. \u201cTrey?\u201d she asked. She had long, dark hair, large, brown eyes, and a constellation of freckles across her pale face. She was dressed in slacks and a loose blouse, holding a sweater over her hands while she fidgeted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYeah, I\u2019m Trey.\u201d She looked familiar in the sort of way that he might have seen her in passing. \u201cYou from around here?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo, just got here. My sister lives here, though.\u201d She sat down across from him, her hands hidden under the table. \u201cI\u2019m Coleen. I\u2019m, uh, new to this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTo what? Mechanic work?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Confusion clouded her eyes. \u201cNo, um\u2026blind dates.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trey let out a sigh. \u201cYour sister wouldn\u2019t happen to be named Connie, would she? Married to Eric?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Coleen looked down at the table. \u201cYeah, sorry. I can\u2026I can go if you want.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo, no. Trey told me he was sending a mechanic to meet me about the Barracuda. Figures he was just trying to set me up.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She sat upright and eyes grew wide. \u201cThat\u2019s your<\/em> car? The 1969 Barracuda out front? I\u2019d love<\/em> to work on her.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYeah? Yeah.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat power plant?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c426 HEMI, supercharged crate\u2026about 150 miles on it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She leaned forward, her hands on the table. \u201cWhat\u2019s the issue?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIdles rough, and stalls sometimes, but only when it\u2019s warm.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd the gauges look fine, though?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYeah.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI bet it\u2019s the coolant sensor. If that\u2019s bad, the computer thinks the engine is still cold and the AFR gets too rich.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAF\u2014right, air-fuel-ratio.\u201d Trey looked at her hands; rough and oil stained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She saw him looking and jerked her hands back under the table. \u201cSorry. Mechanics hands\u2026gross, I know.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trey put his own rough, scarred hands on the table. Stains from metal work made dark lines in the creases. \u201cLook, you\u2019re Connie\u2019s sister, so you know I work with Eric in the fab shop. Working hands are working hands, there\u2019s nothing gross about them. They never mentioned you were a mechanic, though.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey never mentioned you had a sweet ride.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trey laughed. \u201cWait, was that your 50-something Ford?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Coleen smiled. \u201c\u201956\u2026with a 502 Stroker. My grandfather left it to my dad, but he\u2019s not mechanical at all, so he gave it to me to restore.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cStraight restoration?\u201d Trey asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRestomod. Modern engine, new frame and suspension, disc brakes, back-up camera, touchscreen system, the works.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trey nodded. \u201cSame. Who built the frame?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYour shop. Hell, you and Eric probably worked on it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cProbably. I built the frame for the Barracuda in the shop, on my own time, with my own materials. Plus the motor mounts, and a bunch of other small parts.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m opening a shop here, doing restorations, restomods, and hot-rods. Wanna bring the Barracuda over and we can check it out? Maybe get it on the dyno?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trey nodded. \u201cSounds like a plan. Let\u2019s finish lunch and then go.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGood. I can get out of my sister\u2019s \u2018date clothes\u2019 then.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhere\u2019s your shop?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou know Wonder Automotive?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trey chuckled. \u201cAs in, wonder<\/em> how it stayed open so long. Yeah, I know it. You bought it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYeah.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhere are you staying?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn the shop. At least until I get it up and running and get some income.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhy aren\u2019t you staying with Eric and Connie?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHave you seen their spare room?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh, yeah, the quilting stuff\u2026forgot about that.\u201d Trey thought for a moment. \u201cIf you want a comfortable place to stay while you\u2019re getting up and running, you can stay at my place. Connie and Eric are right across the street so you can bother them whenever you want.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Coleen smirked. \u201cYou know what would really bother them? If they see my truck parked there every night and we don\u2019t say a word to them about it. Just refuse to talk about it at all.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trey laughed. \u201cThat\u2019d get right up Eric\u2019s ass.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou still mad at him for setting us up?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNah. Can\u2019t stay mad at him. Besides, if he\u2019d just introduced us, I probably would\u2019ve asked you out, anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cReally?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cReally. Speaking of which\u2026what are your plans for tomorrow evening?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNothing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHow about we go to the classic car show over in Lester?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Coleen smiled. \u201cIt\u2019s a date.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trey looked at her and a wide smile crossed his face. \u201cIt\u2019s a rare occasion.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat is?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis. I\u2019m pleasantly surprised.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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