After showing Ma the brochure of the car Edna had picked out, Tim left the home and headed for the car dealership.  Ma liked the Tercel all right, but she didn't seem as interested as he was in the repair record and safety features.  She liked the color red almost as much as Edna did.

In the sales manager's office, Tim looked over the loan papers while the manager tried to break in the new girl he had hired to be the receptionist and do the bookkeeping.  As Tim watched, it seemed to him that she was being asked to do things in addition to the usual work, and she didn't much like it.  She was sorting car mats that the manager thought would make the used cars on the lot look more desirable.

"No, Mia, " the manager called out from his office, "Put the Ford mat in the Ford car."

Turning to Tim, he sighed in exasperation.  "She's lazy.  She knew when she took this job it would be more than desk work, and she said she understood I wanted her to help with the cosmetics."

"Cosmetics?," Tim asked.

"Yeah, you know," the manager said, "Making things look nice, -- presentable.   In fact, some of them aren't just ordinary cocoa fiber mats.  These are tatami mats imported from Japan. They are just for the Toyotas."

The girl was hauling car mats around the lot in her high heels and Tim knew this wasn't her idea of cosmetics.   Out of the corner of his eye he could see that she had tired of dragging mats around the lot and was beginning to toss them towards the cars, aiming them at the front door so she could put them in later.  Well, it was none of his business, so he began reading the fine print in the contract.

Suddenly, the manager caught sight of Mia throwing a tatami mat meant for a Camry at a Geo and he rose out of his chair and ran out of the office, yelling to the girl,
 "_  _  _    _    _  _  _  _  _  _    _  _  _  _  _  _    _  _  _    _  _    _    _  _  _  _  _  _,   _  _  _!"
(3 letters, 1 letter, 6 letters, 6 letters, 3 letters, 2 letters, 1 letter, 6 letters, 3 letters)
 

 Copyright 1998 J.J. Schnebel
All rights reserved

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