A YOUNG MAN'S DILEMMA
CHAPTER ONE
A COLD AND CLOUDY DAY
It was a gloomy day. Jim O'Brien stood at the corner in front of the candy store. All of his pals had drifted off and he was alone, smoking a cigarette. He was miserable. Here he was twenty years old, out of a job, and out of money. He wanted to live with his girl friend, Linda, but what was the point? He couldn't afford an apartment for the two of them. Instead he had to live home with his parents while Linda lived with her father. He took a drag of his cigarette, blew out the smoke in frustration, and ran his hand through his unruly blond hair, a frown crossing his handsome face. He was at a dead end. No job, no apartment, no money - a failure! Jim shivered as a cold wind blew down the almost empty street.
Suddenly, he heard a greeting.
"Hey, Jim O'Brien!"
He looked around. A car had stopped across the street and a familiar face smiled out the window.
"Tom Flanagan!" responded Jim happily.
His old friend from high school pulled his brand-new luxury car around to Jim's side of the street, and the occupant, a handsome fellow, got out to embrace Jim. They had an excited conversation full of reminiscences and questions about the old high school gang.
Jim looked over Tom's car and said,"Jeez, look at the car! You're doing pretty good, huh, Tom?"
"Yes, Jim," said Tom self-importantly, smoothing the lapels of his expensive suit. "I'm a high-level manager at Acme Limousine and Taxi, the largest business of its kind in this city."
"Wow!" exclaimed Jim, impressed. "How'd you do that?"
"Well, Jim," said Tom, "I just graduated from college and got outstanding grades there - I know that a lot of the old high school gang had no intention of going on to college, but I knew that I wanted more than what the old neighborhood could give me. Anyway, as soon as I graduated I landed a fine job at Acme, and I'm quite happy there."
Jim blushed to think that he hadn't given a thought to college - another failure! Tom had graduated from high school early because he was an outstanding student whereas Jim had been left back. A frown came to his handsome face, and Tom noticed it.
"What's the matter, Jim?" he asked. He ran his eyes over his old friend's worn-out leather jacket. "Let me guess - down on your luck?"
"Well, yeah," admitted Jim, his hands plunged deep into the pockets of his old jeans. "You know how it is now - there just ain't any jobs around. A lot of my pals around here are out of work too."
"It's a bad economy, Jim. A lot of people are out of work, and the employers have the upper hand - and they take full advantage of it too!"
Tom looked Jim up and down in a strange way and said, "You know, Jim, maybe there's something I can do for you."
"Jeez, Tom, if you can do anything...I mean, I'm desperate!"
"Acme Limousine and Taxi has openings for dependable drivers," said Tom. "But they only take new employees based on recommendations. I'm placed pretty highly in the company. If I recommended you, I'm pretty sure they'd take you."
"That's great, Tom!"
Tom took a card from his wallet, found a pen, and jotted a phone number on it. He gave the card to Jim.
"Call that number. The owners are two brothers, Tony and Guido. They're good guys, but...". He hesitated. Jim looked him, waiting for him to finish. "Well, you know that, being new, you'll have to work nights..."
"That's okay," said Jim. "I'll do anything!"
"Well, there's a little more to it than that." Tom hesitated again.
Jim was puzzled. "Jeez, Tom, is there something about this job I should know?"
"Well," said Tom, "Remember I said that the employers have the upper hand - and they take full advantage of it? Tony and Guido -they know it's hard for guys like you to find work, so they...well, so they kind of get their kicks at the drivers' expense because they know that guys like you need the job and don't dare say anything."
"What kind of kicks?" asked Jim suspiciously.
"Well, if you want the job, you kind of have to let them get sort of...intimate with you," said Tom with obvious embarrassment.
Jim took a step back in alarm.
"Wait a minute, Tom," he said, "Are these guys...queer?"
"Not at all, Jim!" said Tom as he put his wallet away and looked at his watch. "It's just their way of having fun, that's all. All the guys have to go along with it."
"Did you have to do it?" asked Jim.
"Of course not," said Tom proudly. "Only lower-level employees like drivers have to be...initiated."
Tom checked his watch again.
"Look - it's a swell job and there aren't too many jobs around these days. You have the card with all the info you need. I have to go to an important meeting now, Jim. Sorry to rush off. If you take the job, we'll probably come across each other at the company."
The two old high school friends shook hands, and Jim watched Tom speed off in his luxury car. He felt a little jealous about Tom's great job and really nice suit. Even his gold watch was beyond Jim's means. He looked at the card.
ACME LIMOUSINE AND TAXI THOMAS FLANAGAN - ASSISTANT VICE PRESIDENT
Jeez! An Assistant Vice President! Maybe with Tom as a friend in the company he could start as a driver and work himself up. Maybe he could even edge Tom out and be an Assistant Vice President himself! After all, Tom had only been a hanger-on to Jim and the popular guys in high school. In fact, he would have been left out in the cold if Jim hadn't befriended him. Of course it helped that Jim made Tom do his homework for him!
Jim looked at the card. It seemed hopeful. But still, that stuff about "kicks"... Were these guys really queer?
Jim lit up a cigarette and began to walk to Linda's parents' house. Jim knew that he wasn't queer. Why, he could walk right into Linda's place right now, throw her on her bed and screw her, and she'd love it! That showed right there that he wasn't queer!
He was half tempted to ditch the card but put it in his pocket instead. On his way to Linda's house he thought about the pros and cons of calling these guys. Initiation? Jim bristled at the idea. He didn't have to undergo any initiation! To hell with the job!
Then a cold wind blew into his face and Jim shivered. Still, it was a hard world and he had only a few dollars in his pocket. Maybe he should call for an interview. He recalled Tom's words:
A lot of people are out of work, and the employers have the upper hand - and they take full advantage of it too!