Fix the Car

She got into her car. She hoped it would start. Twice in the past month, the car had not started the first time she turned the key. It had started the second time she turned the key, but that made her nervous. Sooner or later, she might have to turn the key three times, then four times.

She had called her mechanic. He said to bring the car in when she had time. When was that, she wondered. She worked two jobs. She was a clerk at a clothing store. She spent five days a week folding clothes or hanging them up on hangers.

People who tried on clothes usually left them on the floor in the dressing room. They rarely folded them or hung them back up on the hangers. The store was only 15 minutes from her apartment, and parking was free.

Also, she worked four nights a week at a restaurant. She was a waitress. She made good money from her tips. Usually, the customers were friendly and interesting. She liked her waitress job, but it was a 30-minute drive from her apartment. The restaurant closed at 10 p.m.

She did not want to be stuck in the parking lot late at night if her car didn't start. Her mechanic wasn't open on weekends. She decided to ask her boss to give her a day off from the clothing store. Then she could still drive to the restaurant that night after her car was fixed. She would miss only one day of work.