roses and massages
I finally went to have my car's oil changed. I had been putting if off. It wasn't that I waited too long. There were only forty miles past the scheduled mileage on the reminder sticker. I had spend the day before washing the car as cold and windy as it was, just so it would look its best. Even with that, I had been putting off. It was always raining or the weather was too cold, as far as Florida winter's are concerned. It was always too anything for my one person wet t-shirt contest.
My appointment was scheduled in the morning. I always make the appointment in the mornings to get it over with first thing. The coupon didn't say how much could be saved. I'm guessing a dollar, since the price was so close to the final original. The plan was to be finished within an hour. My breath was held until my name is called to pay. There's that fifty fifty chance the service guy comes back to say something else is wrong with it. This was one of those times.
"Miss Janel", he begins. He always addresses me like this in this way. Upon greetings and even on the phone, he cheers out my name with exclamation points attached and in person, adds the half hugs. I have a friend and her mother that also say my name like that. Sing-songy and it's like they're carrying imaginary pompoms in hands while their arms are thrown in the air, waving 'em around like they just don't care. My service man is extemely nice, but his face reminds me of a troll doll when he smiles. It's in the proportion of smile to nose to wrinkle. I know he loves the Yankees and likes shopping for shoes on Saturdays. My sister and I had seen him several times at the store when we, too, were out looking for shoes. Often times, we wanted to duck rather than say "hello". It's strange seeing people out of their normal surroundings and always in that catch you off guard kind of way. When he called my name this time, I knew it was the start to expensive news. He explained my battery was weak, that it was about to die. This would cost $99. Then I had a leak and the part to fix that would be $500. The part would need to be ordered. I gave the go ahead, and I'm expected to return the next week to have it installed. I knew somewhere else to get a battery for twenty dollars less.
My brain felt heavy. I kept thinking about this whole trip to have an oil change and how it was suppose to be one of those easy car services. Not one of those major services costing just as major. My service guy came back around the corner to where I was seated. "You know today is Wednesday and on Wednesdays our masseuse is here if you want a massage" and he pauses after saying this, waiting for my answer. Since when did they start this? I knew daily they offered Krispy Kreme dougnuts. A few years ago during the dealership remodeling, the doughnuts were discontinued, causing a chain of complaints. Sure enough, the doughnuts were reinstated after that. My sister had heard that other car dealers offered women roses when they had their car serviced as a means to soften the blow when they paid their bill. They did this at her dealer. For a fraction of a second when I heard masseuse mentioned, I wanted to reply, "What no masseur? Because really, that would make the ladies happy."
Massages were the new thing. I declined the massage due to an over-ticklish tendency. My parts are extremely sensitive. (not to be implied in another way.) One guy in his 20's overheard me saying that and laughed. An older man, a senior, volunteered himself. When I walked out the door, I saw him lying face down on the massage chair with a woman kneading his back. He was fully clothed, thank God. Any time of the day would've been too early to see old man boobs, saggy bits, and age spots. Not that there would've been a full body massage out in the open, but you never know. And after all, they were trying to please the customers with food and sensual touch. I'm wise to the woo of roses and massages. A massage would hardly soften the fact that my bill of an expected $28 was now a repair of six hundred. Now if they offered a few cd's I've had my eye on, a leather flip case for my ipod, and a heart box of chocolates for an upcoming valentineless Valentine's Day maybe then the shock may feel more abated.
