Chapter 4
"Mr. Yokama, to what do I owe the pleasure?" he asked letting his boss into the house.
"Just dropping by to remind you that you start tomorrow, and to see what you've done with the place," the gray haired man said as he looked around.
"I haven't done much just move things around a little," David replied as he walked just ahead of his boss into the living room.
"I heard a little rumor that you were a street racer back in North Carolina, is this true?" the gray haired man in full business suit asked as he sat in one of the chairs.
"Yes sir, I lead a team that earned the title of fastest in the county, I must say that even though I like my job, cars are the only way I can keep my restless side and heavy foot under control," David laughed nervously hoping this wouldn't affect his job at all.
"Well it's a good thing I'm here then," Yokama said confusing the life out of David.
"I don't understand sir, what are you talking about?" David asked still trying to wrap his head around not being fired.
"Well I understand you have a car and virtually an entire tuning shop in that garage out there, all you need is a lift and a few places to find American car parts am I right?" the older man said standing and heading towards the garage door in the dining area.
David sat for a moment before realizing his boss had left the room before following him into the three car garage. Once there he noticed his boss looking over the three large tool boxes set in the far corner of the space, and the black Z33 that sat quietly in the center space of the garage.
"You know a better way to lay this out would to be using your tool boxes as a wall for the third bay and have it be strictly a work area, that way you could put a car in there and have some space to move about," Yokama said as he walked back towards the car. "Do you know this car as well as the one in America?"
"Not yet, but we are getting along nicely," David joked before realizing he was standing next to the black vehicle.
"Show me," the older man said as he climbed into the passenger seat.
David climbed into the driver seat and pulled out into the driveway noticing a black Mercedes Benz sitting in front of the door closest to the house.
"That's a CLK 500 right?" He asked before thinking.
"The AMG version, you have a good eye," Yokama replied with a smile.
They drove to the top of Akagi's pass before David turned around and let loose, drifting perfectly through all but the first hairpin where he got a little overzealous with the accelerator and nearly hit the guardrail at the corner's exit.
"That was fun, I haven't had a rush like that in years," Yokama said slapping David on the back at the bottom of the pass, "Listen, if you keep me in on how you do in the races and give me one ride in that Chevelle you told me about, I'll get you the lift for the garage and the names of a few parts places where you can find parts for your car," he said shocking David to the point the young man nearly fell off the car.
"Sir you don't have to do that, I mean I can work on the floor, it's how I built the Chevelle anyway," David said waving his hands in front of him.
"David, you can't stop me, and my wife and I would like to have you over for dinner tomorrow night," Yokama said shocking the young man again.
"I would be honored sir, and I will be moving my tools tonight once we get back, I've never had a three car garage, I really didn't know what to do with that much space," the blonde replied as he watched the older man climb back into his passenger seat.
When they got back to the house Yokama left doing a little showing off of his own by burning the back tires of his Mercedes before gunning out on to the main road sideways and flying off down the road.
Christmas came and went quickly and David had officially made his debut in the Japanese downhill drift scene, in the Nissan 350Z loaned to him by the man hired to be his driver, by winning his first three races in a snow free Akagi. He had the driver explain everything that had been done to the car and how to tune the engine and suspension the way he wanted to with limited help.
David still missed his Chevelle but he was having a great time learning what he would be up against from the driver's seat of one of the cars he would face once his car did arrive. His driver had challenged him to a race; the date was set for two days after the car was scheduled to get here so he could tune it for the high octane of Japan.
The month had flown by and David and Mr. Yokama were standing side by side on the pier waiting for the Chevelle and its chosen accompaniment to disembark from the vessel they were sent on.
"So who do you think brought it," the gray haired man asked as they waited.
"The girl I left in the states I hope but I don't really know," The taller blonde responded as he leaned against his bosses Mercedes. "I hope you trust someone else with your car Mr. Yokama, you were promised a ride in my Chevelle," he said making his boss think twice about bringing his car.
"I'm sure if it's one of your teammates they'll be fine," Yokama responded with a chuckle.
Someone was approaching with a clipboard so the gentlemen stopped talking about the car to see what the man dressed in a pair of coveralls with heavy work boots and a hard hat wanted from them.
"Are you David Crandon?" the man asked looking at the blonde man in a leather coat.
"I am, is my car off the ship?" David responded looking hopeful.
"Yes sir and so is your escort for it, all I need you to do is sign this and you can be on your way with him and the car," The worker said handing him the clipboard.
After all the paper work was signed the worker lead them to where they put the car and its escort. When they arrived David completely ignored his boss and the dark haired man that was standing next to the marina blue Chevelle.
He went over the entire car making sure everything was as he left it David finally slowed down enough to realize who had escorted his car to Japan.
"Jason, where is she?" David asked in English, once again ignoring his boss.
"She couldn't come with me boss, she gave me this before I got on though," The black haired, tall man said somberly as he handed his friend a letter. "David, I don't think she's coming yet," he said as he pulled a fleece jacket out of the Chevelle's passenger seat.
"I'll read this later, but for now Jason, this is my boss Mr. Yokama," David said pointing to the oldest man of the three. "I hope you can shift left handed because you're driving his car back to the house tonight," he said with a chuckle at the man's face.
As the men drove back Mr. Yokama allowed Jason to sit up front so he could get his left hand used to shifting quicker. It was a short distance back to the other car but it took a long time for the young black haired man to get them out of the area using the shift on command idea. Once they arrived though he had the general hang of it, Jason was glad he wouldn't have time to race though.
As they drove back to the house David and Mr. Yokama discussed the modifications made to the Chevelle over the years not even paying attention to the Mercedes CLK 500 that was behind them. When they got to the house David parked the marina blue machine on the brand new lift in the third bay of the garage before getting out and going in.
"Jason, your bedroom for the next four days is at the end of the hall on the left," David said not noticing the awe struck look on his young friends face, "By the way, how is the other car?"
"Your treasure is just fine boss, you think more of it than Emily some times," the black haired man laughed.
Over the next two days Jason helped David set the Chevelle to use the high octane gas of Japan, an easy task for the two men who had gone through automotive engineering together, and getting in a few practice runs on Akagi's downhill. After the second night David left the black Nissan 350Z out in front of the garage with the keys hidden safely away within it, so its owner could pick it up before the race without having to wait for him.