BooksBarbecue
Back Welcome to the Game Save as PDF
Chapters (57)
  1. Welcome to the Game
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright
  4. Dedication
  5. Epigraphs
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. 43
  49. 44
  50. 45
  51. 46
  52. 47
  53. 48
  54. 49
  55. Six months later . . .
  56. Acknowledgments
  57. Back Cover

“That’s kind of out of the question for you,” chuckled Jay. “No, I have a client who’s opening a dealership down in Toledo. Second-generation Pakistani. Did well out of all the Dearborn Muslims who made their money in the restaurant trade. BMW. They like their German cars. He’s having trouble finding someone to head the sales. Wants someone a little different. I’m thinking your Britishness, the racing experience, might appeal. That something you’d be interested in?”

“Toledo?”

“Yeah. He’s got some swanky location. Was doing a complete teardown, so I don’t know where he’s at with it. He’s quite a, uh, unique character.”

Spencer had once delivered a car to a customer in Toledo. It was nice down there. He could commute to begin with, see how things went before switching Abby’s school. Spencer was of the mind that it was because of one of Abby’s holier-than-thou teachers that he had such an intimate relationship with CPS anyway. On that score, if he did move away, it would mean adios to Lonnie. And suddenly Spencer knew it was the right time for that too. He’d known Lonnie wanted more than he was able to give. And she deserved more too. She’d been a step for him.

After Marielle, he hadn’t looked at another woman sexually for a year. He’d hated the fact that his dick didn’t want to grieve as long as he did. So he’d started fucking again. Hookers for a while, then casual lays. Angela’s predecessor had given excellent head. Lonnie had been the first thing that bordered on any form of regular interaction, although he had to consider the possibility that that had been out of necessity. Spencer wasn’t proud of himself. Hadn’t been for a long time. It was wearing him out. Perhaps it was time for a change. Isn’t that what Milt had said? Most people moved away after something really bad. Maybe that’s where Spencer had gone wrong. He’d stayed.

20

20

The Tough Goodbye

“It’s not just our location that makes Fairlane BMW special, Spencer. Excuse me.”

Zaid-call-me-Zed took a call. Slick, thick black hair, chubby cheeked with chubby hands and a tweedy brown jacket and white shirt—dazzlingly white next to his dark skin—Zed was every inch the thrusting, successful Americanized Pakistani nailing the New World dream.

Spencer was glad he’d racked a line up in his car before coming in. That was all going to change though with a change of scenery: from the Motor City to the Glass City.

He’d breezed down to Toledo in an hour and a quarter, bouncing along the western edge of Lake Erie and North Maumee Bay. It even felt good to be back in the uniform of a car salesman, slacks and shirt, albeit with the bruised face of a man who’d been leading a different life.