The Bikini Car Wash Read Online Free Page A

hot lunch every day.
    “I’m sure it’s fine,” she agreed. “But it’s not the same as home.”
    Since the dish was hot, Andi dolloped out generous portions around the table.
    “What is this?” Jelly asked, wrinkling her nose.
    “It’s Mom’s chicken-asparagus casserole,” Andi answered. “Remember, you always loved it.”
    Her sister shook her head. “It’s something, but I don’t think that’s what it is.”
    “Jelly, just say grace,” Andi ordered.
    The three joined hands around the table and bowed heads.
    “Dear God,” her sister prayed. “Thank you for all the stuff we get. And please make Andi’s cooking taste better than it does.”
    “Jelly!”
    “Don’t interrupt me, I’m praying.”
    At the head of the table, her father was loudly clearing his throat to stifle his laughter.
    “And please make sure the D.A. sends that perp to Rikers Island for twenty-five to life. Amen.”
    Her father was still trying to hide his grin as the family began eating.
    “Where did you go today?” Andi asked him. “I really don’t think you should leave Jelly just sitting alone in a restaurant like that.”
    “I wasn’t alone,” Jelly piped in. “The waitress was watching me. Her name is Tiff.”
    “I had an appointment,” Pop answered. “And your sister is perfectly safe sitting in a public place.”
    “I don’t think so,” Andi said. “And what kind of appointment did you have. I could have taken you.”
    “I can get around town on my own, thank you very much,” he said. “And you and Jelly got to spend some girl time together.”
    “I’m perfectly happy to spend time with Jelly, but I don’t want her being left on her own waiting for me,” Andi said. “I don’t think Mom would have allowed it.”
    She saw her father raise an eyebrow, but he didn’t argue. Instead he changed the subject.
    “How goes the job search?” he asked her. “Any luck?”
    “Not yet,” Andi answered. “My interview with Guthrie’s was a complete waste of my time. I am so overqualified, they should have gotten on their hands and knees to thank me for applying. But the old biddy who was doing the hiring was just totally negative.”
    Her father nodded.
    “Well, I want you to know that I admire you going out there day after day trying. I never cared for that sort of thing at all,” he said. “It goes against my nature to make myself look good in somebody else’s eyes. And that’s what you’ve got to do if you want to get hired. I guess that’s why I always worked for myself.”
    Andi sighed. “I’d be delighted to work for myself,” she said. “I could be the first self-employed corporate contributions professional. All I’d need is fifteen or twenty million dollars and I could really find some wonderful charities to give it away to.”
    Her father laughed. Jelly did, too, just to be sociable. Andi was certain that she didn’t get the joke, but getting it wasn’t the point to Jelly, it was all about laughter.
    “I walked by your old place today,” Andi said. “I’m surprised that Guthrie hasn’t used that corner for a gas station or something.”
    Her father hesitated as he finished a bite. He had a strange look on his face, before he set his fork on the edge of his plate and pushed it forward and out of his way. “He hasn’t used it because he doesn’t own it,” Pop said.
    “I thought you sold that property to them years ago.”
    “I thought I did, too,” Pop said. “Hank agreed to everything but just never got around to signing the deal and paying me the money. So I still own it. I still pay taxes on it.”
    “Really.” Andi was intrigued.
    “Yeah, I don’t know what happened. I called the man and his attorney both a dozen times over two years and nobody would ever say anything more than it was still ‘in process.’ I finally gave up. I guess they just changed their mind.”
    “They changed their mind? Pop, don’t you know there are legal remedies for that kind of