Chapter 1
June 12, 1973
Kokomo, Indiana
“Bernadette!”
Bernie hunkered lower in her seat. Could she manage to slide under the lunchroom table and sink into the linoleum floor? The last thing she wanted to do on this break was talk with her stepmother. The clack of heels on concrete echoed through the garage, though, and told her this woman was on a mission.
“There you are.” Roberta Sawrey rounded the corner, coming through the doorway in all her glory. As usual, she’d dressed to the nines, not a hair out of place in her gorgeous, highlighted gypsy shag. And her makeup done to perfection.
Bernie glanced down at her oil splattered work clothes. But what in the world should she wear when her job entailed either crawling under cars or leaning over their engines to find the mystery problem? She for sure didn’t want to go out in the tow truck dressed as a glamor puss. Despite that, the contrast glared.
Bernie sighed. “Yep, you found me. What is it, Roberta?”
“Could we talk, please? It’s important.”
What could she say? Especially when her dad’s new bride got a certain look in her eye. No wonder he seemed to do whatever Roberta wanted. “Sure. I’ve got a few minutes. Grab a seat.”
Roberta pulled out a chair at Bernie’s table, swiped a napkin, and wiped it off before sitting. Her smile appeared a little nervous. Must be something big. “Ah, how are you doing today? Are you having a good day?”
“You didn’t come all the way down here to ask me that. What do you need, Roberta?”
Her stepmother leaned closer, her hands folded in front of her. Could she be praying? “So, I’ve been working with the City Council. Right?” Roberta was the latest female to break through the Kokomo’s men’s club, bringing zeal and determination to hang on longer than the last woman.
Bernie nodded so that she’d get on with it.
“Well, I followed up some of my business connections, and now we’ve got a film company coming to Kokomo. Our town gets to be the backdrop for their latest movie. They want to film lots of things in this location. But here’s the big deal.” She paused as if trying to build up anticipation. But all she built amounted to irritation.
Bernie glanced at her watch. Did she get the message?
Apparently, Roberta did, because now her hands looked more like she was pleading rather than praying. “You know the actor, Garrett Lomas?”
Who didn’t? A hunk too gorgeous to be real, but what really got to Bernie, what sent her heart to pitter-pattering like some teenaged groupie, was the way he drove. Well, she assumed he drove. It might be part of her daydream, but letting her stepmother in on her secret wouldn’t help matters. “Go on.”
“This will be one of his movies. And the executives and I have been talking. We’ve come up with an idea I think you’re going to love.”
Doubtful. Just her tone convinced Bernie’s stomach to tighten into little, itty-bitty knots. No way she was gonna love this.
“We decided he needs to escort a local girl around town to all the publicity events. We figured—”
“Whoa there. Hold your horses. Ain’t gonna happen. You can’t convince me to do this. Don’t try. Don’t even ask.” Bernie would melt into a puddle right on the spot if she got forced into meeting him face-to-face.
Only now Roberta looked like a freshly-kicked puppy with her big brown eyes all round, making Bernie’s steel-toed boots into the bad guy. Those big eyes of hers would make anyone feel sorry.
However, Bernie would not fall for it this time. She would not give in. She would not be some kind of experiment on par with My Fair Lady. They had no rain, no plain, and they definitely weren’t in Spain.
“Fine, then. Had to ask. Like I said, this is very important to a lot of people.” Roberta pushed away from the table and stood. “Sorry I bothered you.”
Oh, great. “Wait, Roberta. I’m sure you’ll find someone else. I guess it does sound like a good idea, and I’m honored. Thanks for thinking of me. It won’t work, though. You understand, right? I’m not cut out for wearing mod clothes and hanging onto some movie star’s arm.”
Her stepmother turned at the doorway. “You underestimate yourself, Bernadette. Really, you are very attractive. Besides, this is the kind of thing you could tell your kids and grandkids about in the years to come.”
She didn’t get it. They had nothing in common between them outside of Bernie’s dad. No doubt Roberta loved him. And Bernie adored him more than she could say. However, that was where the commonalities ended. “Roberta, I don’t see any kids or grandkids in my future. There’s no man. And to be honest, I’m not looking. I’m quite content right here where I belong. Again, thank you for thinking of me.”
“That’s your final answer?”
Before Bernie could assure her, the phone rang in the office adjacent to the lunchroom. She held up a finger to Roberta as she grabbed the receiver. “Sawrey’s Garage. What can I do for you?” She slid a pad of paper closer and wrote down the pertinent info from the caller. When she hung up, she peeked back at the doorway.
Roberta had left.
Bernie couldn’t help but silently cheer. She’d been saved by the bell. Or rather this time, the telephone’s jingle.
What could her stepmother be thinking to even ask? No way she would walk around Kokomo all dressed up holding onto the arm of some heart throb—a staple in Tiger Beat Magazine—and not fall flat on her face or do something equally embarrassing. And besides, she wasn’t talking about some smokin’ hot hunk. No, Roberta said Garrett Lomas. Garrett. Lomas. The guy who starred in Bernie’s dreams. Of course, he was so pretty to look at, and he said his lines so well, but when he got behind the wheel of a car and drove in those races, Bernie had to fan herself. Talk about heat. My, oh my.
She better get ahold of herself.
The message. Oh yeah, she needed to take the note in.
“Hey Lenny, you got a second?”
A skinny, blond, thirty-something looked up from where he checked spark plugs on a Chevelle. “Sure, Bern. What’s up?”
Bernie waved the note in her hand. “Looks like you made an impression on those people you did the work for on the Caddy yesterday. They’ve got a ’65 Charger they’re bringing in for you to give it a once over. They bought it for their son for his sixteenth birthday, and they wanna make sure everything’s in top running order.”
Lenny grinned around his chewing tobacco. “Sounds fun. Glad to. I like those folks.” He took the note, glanced over it, and stuffed the paper in his pocket. “I’ll make sure to be free this afternoon just for them.”
The phone rang again. Bernie gave him a quick wave and headed back to the office. “Sawrey’s Garage. What can I do for you?”
“We’ve got a flat, and the spare is in no shape to help. We’re going to need a tow truck to pull us in. I’m calling from a farmhouse out on County Road F.” The caller gave some more information, and Bernie wrote everything down. These folks got stuck way out of town, so it’d take a bit to get there.
“Hang on, and we’ll have someone to you as soon as possible. They’ll be leaving right away.”
“Thanks so much.” Whoever the guy was, something about his voice did funny things to Bernie’s stomach. Tiny little flutters. Most likely leftover insecurities from her talk with Roberta.
She stepped out of the office and looked for her father, finding him rolled under a Ford pickup.
“Hey Dad, I need to take the tow truck out. Got someone with a flat and a messed-up spare.”
“Make sure you dress right.” He dragged himself from beneath and sat up. “You be careful, you hear?”
“Aren’t I always?” Bernie leaned over and kissed his smudged cheek. “I’ll be back in a bit. And I promise to do just what you’ve told me.”
She headed around to the rear of the building where they kept the tow truck shaded underneath a canopied tarp, unlocked the door, and hoisted herself in. She might as well get in her costume.
If it weren’t for the one guy who tried to make a pass at her, none of this would be important. But whatever put her dad’s mind at rest. And hers too, she admitted to herself.
Before starting the truck, she slipped the faded blue overalls over her feet and pulled them up, wiggling and squiggling until she got her arms into the sleeves. Then she zipped it up to her collar. Good thing Dad added an air conditioning unit in the cab. This summer was turning out hotter than blazes.
Next, she pulled out her red Farmall ball cap, taking care that all of her short brown hair got tucked beneath. Then she donned the aviator sunglasses and fake mustache her father insisted on. Like anyone bought the notion of a five-foot man driving this tow truck. However, nobody outside the garage would believe a five-foot-nothing female could handle it either. But Bernie could. And as cockeyed as this disguise looked, at least it did something.
The drive out to the country didn’t take long, especially with WLS playing good music on the radio. She turned up the volume as Jim Croce sang about “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown.” Dad’s garage was located on the north side of Kokomo, so slipping up to where cornfields filled the vista for miles around proved easy.
The man mentioned someone had let him use the phone at their house. Even that close to town, the call would’ve ended up being long-distance. Talk about some real neighborliness in action. Wonder if it cost the guy anything?
Bernie followed the directions the caller gave and soon spotted the brand-new Rolls-Royce at the side of the road. She slowed while her heart stopped in her throat. Boy, she hoped they could at least fix the spare if not the tire at the garage, because ordering a wheel would take weeks, and she had a feeling the driver wasn’t gonna be the patient kind.
Everything for that car needed to be special ordered.
Wow.
Just as she coasted to a stop, she spotted a guy walking up to the driver’s side of the Rolls, opening the door to climb in.
Bernie shook her head. No weird or wacky way.
It couldn’t be.
Except Roberta told her just an hour ago he was going to be here in town.
Bernie’s palms were slick, and now her teeth started to sweat. If she’d known he was the driver, she would’ve talked her dad into making this trip. Or any one of the guys in the shop. Anyone but her.
But then they’d ask why.
And she couldn’t explain if she had to.
There was no justice in the world. Did Roberta arrange this?
Nah. Just her stupid luck. Like always.
Bernie should’ve figured out why his voice sounded familiar, but never in a million years would she have guessed this pick up was for Garrett Lomas.
Gabe Lomas sank into the leather driver seat of the studio’s Rolls he’d borrowed. Stupid. Might as well be tattooed on his forehead. Spending so much time in LA checking on the cars to be used in the film, and yet the idea never occurred to him to investigate this behemoth. Gotta ride in style, they said. Take the Rolls, they said. “They” would be getting a piece of his mind when he got back.
If he ever did.
“Guess you got through to someone.” His brother Gary had slipped down in his seat with his cowboy hat covering his face. “They almost beat you.”
“Figured they might. Thought I walked forever. Finally spotted a farmhouse and took a chance. The lady let me use her phone, though I think she might’ve recognized me. Or rather, you.”
Gary didn’t even move his hat. “Doesn’t matter if they recognize one of us. For all of this”—he waved his hand in the air—“we are basically the same.”
“Try telling that to Debbie. I bet she’d notice a definite difference.” Gary’s girlfriend and leading lady—soon to be fiancé—grappled with his twin having all those female fans.
“She better not have any way of comparing.” This time, Gary peered at his brother.
Outside of their family, the world pretty much merged the two of them together as Garrett Lomas, the movie star. But Mom and Dad well knew these identical-twin brothers were very different on the inside.
“The driver is taking a while to climb out. Wonder if he needs some help.” Not that Gabe had any desire to return to the humid summer heat, but the sooner they got the Rolls to the garage where it could be fixed, the better. What remained of his Coke consisted of a brown melted ice puddle in the bottom of his paper cup from the Dog ‘N’ Suds. Lunch had been a while ago, though the look on the chick’s face when she skated out to a shiny new Rolls Royce with their orders would be indelibly printed on his brain.
The driver finally jumped down from the tow truck and sauntered toward the Rolls’s driver’s side. Actually, his movement appeared more like a dawdle or a super slow stroll. Obviously, the guy had nothing to do and all day to do it. Gabe shook his head. Not going to work in this situation.
He opened his door, but then Mr. Tow Truck Driver really booked. Practically flew.
“Stay in the vehicle.” The guy’s hand emphasized his words. Still, he repeated, “Stay in your vehicle.”
Something was off about this dude. Even his voice sounded strange. Gabe climbed back in and closed the door. “Gary, move the hat and take a look. This is weird.”
Gary sat up, put his hat on his knee, and peered where Gabe tried to point without being seen pointing. “What? So the guy’s short. He’s doing the job. Not everyone has to be six – foot tall, ya know.” He slid back into position and settled his hat on his face again.
His brother had a point. The driver hooked things up as if he’d done this his whole life. And as Gabe watched, this guy did stuff the correct way. He shook his head. “I don’t know. Guess I was wrong. For a minute I’d have sworn that dude was a chick.”
Gary snorted but didn’t say anything.
In short order, the Rolls got pulled onto the truck bed. Gabe waited for an invitation for him and Gary to ride along with the tow truck driver, but the invite never came. Guess they were to stay in the vehicle. Yeah, that made him feel real safe. Ha!
Just when Gabe was sure this bozo planned to break all the safety rules, he headed back toward the Rolls and waved them out to join him in the tow truck. Shouldn’t he have done that before they hooked the car up onto the flatbed?
“Come on, lazybones. We’ve been informed we’re riding with the driver.”
Gary adjusted his hat and slid his sunglasses back into place. “Why didn’t we climb out first?”
“Thinking the same thing. Should we say anything, or should we just keep our mouths shut and hope he doesn’t like your movies?”
“Totally on you, big brother. This is where ten minutes older counts. I’m disguised enough though. If anyone’s getting the fan treatment, it’ll be you.” Gary touched the brim of his hat as he laughed.
There’s what Gabe got for trying to run interference for his brother. If that’s the way he wanted to play it, Gary could ride in the middle. It’d serve him right.
They both jumped down from the truck bed and headed for its passenger side. Once inside, the dude never glanced their way but shifted into first and started the tow.
The ride bounced along. He ground his teeth at the lack of conversation, which on its own would’ve been mind-numbing. However, added to the itch beginning to grow in the center of his back reminding him he wasn’t in the driver’s seat? It made him want to scream.
The driver turned up the radio, and at times his fingers tapped the steering wheel—like when Three Dog Night sang “Shambala.” Gabe tried hard to focus on the music and not on the fact someone else drove. Now Billy Preston went round in circles, making him dizzy. Like nails on a chalkboard in his gut.
Gabe forced his thoughts to the driver, who remained silent. Again, one more thing to make Gabe wonder if maybe this guy could be female. But then, how did she grow a mustache? Maybe if he ruminated hard enough on that mystery, he’d make it to their destination without reaching across Gary and yanking the steering wheel out of Tow Truck’s hands. He tucked his fingers beneath his thighs for insurance.
Once back at the garage, Gabe hopped out, still shaking, and Gary followed.
Their driver disappeared, but an older man with iron-colored hair and a grease streak down his right cheek soon called them to the office. The guy shook their hands but didn’t fawn on them. “Sorry about the snag to your day. We’ll do the best we can to fix the spare so you’ll be able to split quick. If we can’t, then we’ll need to order some parts. I know we don’t have what you need to fix the wheel.”
Gary spoke up. “We’re with the studio that’ll be filming here in town. They’ve got a lot of car stuff and a roster of mechanics, but most of the crew hasn’t arrived yet. If repairs look like they’re going to take some time, maybe we ought to get the Rolls towed to them and see if they can handle it?”
The older guy nodded. “Yeah, makes sense. Well, give me a few minutes, and I’ll let you know what we can do.” He pointed out some chairs in a tiny waiting room and left to keep his word.
Gabe sat where he’d indicated and settled in, expecting a longer wait.
Gary picked up one of the Popular Mechanics magazines from a shelf and combed through it before setting it back. “I need to talk you into something.”
“Well, when you put it that way.” Should he laugh or be scared?
“I am just being upfront with you. It’s kinda important. The studio execs came to me a couple hours ago. They’ve got this publicity plan, and I have to tell you it’s not all bad except Debbie hates the idea. I’m sorta asking you to do what we did in high school.”
Gabe had an inkling he was going to like this as much as he did back at good ol’ Hawthorne High when Gary talked him into things. A lot of things. Which made guessing what activity his twin referred to difficult. He couldn’t imagine what it would be. “I’m still paying penance to our parents for what you coerced me into. This better not be something to get me into more hot water with them. Or anyone else for that matter.”
Gary chuckled, though he ran his thumb and forefinger over the ends of his mustache on either side of his mouth—a sure sign he was nervous. “Well, Debbie and I are serious. In fact, I plan to ask her to marry me as soon as I can get the right moment.”
There was no surprise there for Gabe. He figured his brother would be doing that and already considered Debbie as part of the family. Why Gary hadn’t asked yet being the only mystery. But he’d play along. “Congratulations, and what do you want me to do?”
Gary remained silent a little too long. Gabe punched him on the arm. “Fine. This is it. It’s not a big deal. Except to Debbie. The studio, who we still haven’t let know about us, wants me to go out with a local girl to a few places and drum up some publicity. All very up and up. From what I understand, the chick is pretty nice. Should be easy, because her mom or some relative is setting up all of the events for while we’re here. Simple, really. You just take her out a few times.”
Not what Gabe expected. And the full force of the request hit him like a ton of bricks. “You want me to go on a blind date?”
“It would only be for the first one. Afterwards you would’ve met, so it wouldn’t necessarily be a blind date.”
“And that makes everything okay? Where? How? What in the world made you imagine I would agree to this?”
“Actually, I’m saving you, big brother. Debbie is the one who wanted to talk you into it. And trust me, you would’ve been steamrolled by what she can do. Therefore, I’d take it as a personal favor for you to insure my love life. Nobody says you gotta do anything romantic with this chick. There’s nothing about hearts and flowers or even holding hands. All you gotta do is be a gentleman and escort her to the events.”
Gabe rubbed the bridge of his nose. He had a headache coming on and wanted to share it with his brother. “How many events are we talking?”
“I don’t know. Just for however long we’re here in town shooting. It’s goodwill with the city. You know how the studio can take over, but this person on the city council put the events together to meet those in charge of things and let them rub shoulders with movie stars and big-wigs. They figured if I escort one of the town’s female citizens, it would score more points and put good press in all the newspapers.”
“Please point out to Debbie that I’m already driving your car to keep you safe.”
“And she appreciates your generosity, big brother.” Gary slid his glasses down and peered at Gabe. Must be a lot of words flashing across his face—words he would’ve gotten in trouble for using back when they were kids.
Gabe clearly possessed none of the acting talent in the family. His role comprised of being the stunt double. However, he hadn’t realized he would be signing on to be a full double. Still, even their mom occasionally checked Gabe’s right jaw to spot the telltale mole whose mate appeared on Gary’s left side. Technically, this could work, and no one would suspect that the great Garrett Lomas didn’t do the escorting.
He shook his head, mystified he would even consider doing this. But he would. For his brother. “Don’t count on a wedding present from me. I think I’ve given you enough gifts. Tell Debbie fine. But I may be calling for a favor in return. Just beware.”
