Chapter 110

We went to our truck and Melissa asked, "Why are we doing this?"

"When the younger brother rides with us, listen to him. His older brother has beaten him at everything his whole life. He's finally going to win one. That's worth something. Makes me appreciate my brother even more."

Fifteen minutes later we had his truck loaded and covered. We were on the road. An hour later we passed the brother. He was driving conservatively and watching for his brother. His brother was in our sleeper peeking out a very small window.

He told us the story and I had been right. Mark was the younger by four years and Mike never let up on him. Everything was a contest. Mike's wife had a baby and it was an eight pound nine ounce boy. Mark's wife had her first and it was a six and half pound girl. Mike's first job out of high school paid a dollar an hour more than Mark's first job. Mike pitched for the high school. Mark played center field.

Melissa listened and then gave him an idea. "Go home and get the whole family. Take them with you to the gas station. Let Mike fill your truck and you pump gas into his. Let the whole family watch as he loses. It ought to quiet him down for a while." Mark looked gleeful.

In Sheboygan I pulled into a truck stop and we unloaded Mark's truck. He gave us two hundred and asked for my cell phone number. I asked why.

"Someday I may want to see which truck is the best after a few thousand miles."

I gave him our number. He thanked us and drove off. Back on the road Melissa said, "I almost want to be there when they go to fill up. It must be about two hundred miles from where they filled up to Green bay. Mike's truck could be going on fumes by then."

We stopped for the night less than a mile from our delivery point in Green Bay. Melissa and I slept well. I loved starting the truck with the smell of sex in the air.

I laughed when I saw who was opening the gate at the trucking company where we were delivering our load. It was Mike. His red Dodge truck was parked next to the Ford F350 that had been on our truck yesterday. I backed up to the dock and his dock rats scrambled to get the load off my truck. Melissa and I followed Mike to the office. As we passed the trucks Melissa asked, "One of these yours?"

"Yeah. The Dodge."

"Know the guy who has the Ford?"

"Yeah. My brother. Why?"

"I heard that model gets really good mileage. I wanted to ask him about how he's getting."

"Sumbitch made it from Chicago to here yesterday on six gallons of gas! That's impossible!"

"You sure he didn't get some gas on the way?"

His head shook. "We had locking gas caps. I had his keys. No way he could cheat. I'm gonna sell that damn Dodge."

"Did you make the same trip?" Melissa was leading him. It was like watching a master fisherman set a hook.

"Yes. I had his gas cap keys and he had mine."

"And the Dodge didn't do well?"

"I used twenty-two gallons for the same trip!"

"How old is the Dodge?"

"It's got less than five thousand miles on it."

Melissa turned to me. "Honey, I love that truck! Look how great I'd look driving it. We won't drive it much so the mileage doesn't matter all that much. I'll blow you tonight if you'll buy it for me."

I thought Mike's head would snap his neck with how fast he turned to look at Melissa.

"Ok, Mister. How much do you want?" I asked.

"I paid, forty three."

"I'll give you twenty-five."

"Fuck! No. Thirty-five."

"Thirty-three."

"No."

I whispered in Melissa's ear. "What do you want me to do?"

"If I suck him off and get the truck for thirty will you be angry at me? Will we be through?"

"No. We can laugh as we drive away knowing Mark just screwed his brother again."

She left me and walked to Mike she pulled his collar until her mouth was at his ear. His eyes went wide and he said, "Ok."

She turned to me and said, "Handle the business. When the boys load the truck watch them." She faced Mike and said, "I'll be in our sleeper."

We went in the office and Mike told the dock foreman to load his truck on my flat bed. We concluded the payment for the delivery I just made and then I paid him thirty for the Dodge. He gave me the papers to transfer title.

As I was leaving Mark burst into the office and said, "Why are the guys loading your truck on the flatbed outside?"

"I sold that fucking truck to that guy. Piece of shit truck! Beat by an F350!" Just then the phone on his desk rang.

When I got outside the Dodge was loaded and tied down. I checked everything and everything was tight. Mike was still inside. I climbed in the truck. Melissa was waiting, fully dressed on the shotgun seat.

"I cheated. On his desk was a note: "Call your wife and it gave the number. I got back here and called her. I told her that Mike had a surprise for her and wanted to take her to lunch to give it to her. I recommended she call him so he didn't get all into his job and forget."

"Then I guess we can go."

An hour later my cell rang. I answered. Mark was laughing.

"Mike is still on the phone with his wife. She's pissed that he sold the truck. She's pissed that he didn't take her to lunch and give her the surprise she knew he bad for her."

In Dubuque I sold the fifty year old John Deere for sixty thousand. The collector added it to his collection. I also sold the Dodge for thirty eight. I gave the eight to Melissa. She bought a new pair of boots and opened a saving account.

We picked up a load of hay and drove it to North Dakota. Two weeks later we were in Southern California. On the back of the truck I had two model "A" Fords I'd found in North Dakota. I got them pretty cheep and sold them to a restorer and a guy who wanted to make it a hot rod. We made thirty-six thousand profit on those two old cars.

We spent a week on the beach between Los Angeles and San Diego. One night in a really nice hotel. The hotel night didn't cost us any money. They needed some furniture delivered to another hotel in Palm Springs. In Palm Springs we stayed for half price.

It may not work for everyone, but barter is doing Ok for us.