Image of A Girl

By R. Richard

Now, it’s my turn to be serious. I lecture, “I worked in the machine shop that my father ran, back when I was in high school. I learned what I needed to know to earn a living, a good living. However, I wanted more. I learned how to program the numerically controlled machines that produce the high end machine products. I also learned how to produce the specialty items that would enable me to start and maintain my own business. I produce parts that I design and build for specialty applications, mostly automotive applications. I know how to build the best and also what will sell to the market that I service. I still need more learning in the design area, but I not only continue to learn theory, but also to turn theory into actual products.”
Brenda then analyzes, “So, you don’t have a college degree, but you run your own company and also do some engineering work.”
Sensing what the lady wants to hear, I say, “I don’t have a college degree, yet. However, I’m still working on that.”
Brenda says, “You must have learned something already. That book I got for you is an advanced engineering text.”
(Brenda notices the details of what goes on around her, interesting. Brenda isn’t bad looking at all, but she doesn’t look like a movie star. Then again, I don’t look like a move star either.)
I laugh and lecture Brenda, “Lots of people think that hot rodders are dumb. However, if you get very deep into hot rodding, you get involved with some very complex engineering ideas. If you want to make changes to a vehicle, to improve performance, you better know exactly what you’re doing, or disaster results.”
Brenda asks, “Then, just putting a more powerful engine in a car isn’t the way to go?”
I again lecture, “A modern car is a fairly complex system. If you put in a heavier engine, it can affect handling, even if the new engine produces the same power as the previous engine. If you just dump in a more powerful engine, you may destroy the transmission, the differential, or even the drive shaft. All of the pieces of a car need to work together. You need to know what you’re doing.”
Brenda says, “Then, that’s why you got the engineering book.”
“Yes. I study all the time. I have learned some things, actually quite a few things, but I still have a lot to learn.”
Brenda says, “Do you ever have trouble talking to your customers?”
I laugh, shake my head in disbelief and tell her, “You ought to have to talk with some of the idiots who think that they know it all and want to do something that won’t work at all.”
Brenda smiles at me and says, “I don’t know anything about hot rods, but I’m pretty good at dealing with people. We get people who come into the library and want to check out a book that’s way too advanced for their level of knowledge. I can usually manage to get them to at least try a less advanced book first.”
(I can begin to see that there’s a lot more to Brenda than the girls that I usually date. She may not have some of the flash that the really pretty girls have, but she has other qualities that are more important. Best of all, the other qualities will still be there, after the pretty fades a bit. Something for me to think about.)
“Yes, I can imagine. You realize that you have a built in advantage in dealing with people. You’re a girl. If you have basic knowledge in a subject, some idiot might just listen to you, where he wouldn’t listen to another guy.”

• Language: English
• Publisher: R. Richard
• Release date: May 14, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005861476

R. Richard

I'm the co-author, with Sunset Thomas, of Anatomy of An Adult Film.I have 48 novels and over 299 short stories currently published.I spent my early years in the part of Los Angeles known as the South Central. I was known as Whi' Boy, which was sufficient to indentify me in that place. I'm a skilled kung-fu player, using a system that I learned from a Korean I knew only as 'Pak.' It would be easier to tell you the places that Pak wasn't wanted by the police, rather than the places where he was wanted by the police. Pak's kung-fu system, augmented by some bits and pieces from some Chinese practicioners is quick and effective, or I wouldn't be alive today.My early education was mostly obtained by stealing books from the public library (I always returned them and the Librarian even began to provide me with reading lists.) I did go to high schools, but I never really learned anything there. I eventually graduated from the University of California at Los Angeles, UCLA, with a degree in mathematics.I work as a Systems Analyst and also make a part of my living as a professional gambler (legal in Nevada.) I write science fiction and erotica. My published novels are:Anatomy of An Adult Film (With Sunset Thomas)1. Second Chance: God Killer2. Second Chance: Sky Pirate3. Second Chance: Scroll Seeker4. Second Chance: King of The Islands5. Second Chance: King of Zaya6. Second Chance: Duke of Averon7. Second Chance: King of Golomon8. Second Chance: King Of The Sky9. Second Chance: Warlord of Ifrequeh10. Second Chance: King of Ariby11. Second Chance: King of Mesodania12. Second Chance: King of Avuls13. Second Chance: King of Kemet14. Second Chance: King of Zorran15. Second Chance: King of Two Worlds16. Second Chance: King of Averon17. Second Chance: King's Duties18. Second Chance: King of The New WorldAdventurer: Simulation ProblemAdventurer: Pannar ProblemA Programmer's GambitAmateur StripperBeach MurdersBondage HouseCorporate Sex SlavesFriday NightGo Naked In The SoftwareGrasshopper WinterInvoluntary NudeLayoffNot A HeroPirates of The KeysSummer of SexThe LakeThe Last Moon DanceThe Nude Adventures of Plain JaneThe Secret Life of Wanda WilsonTails of the Pussycat LoungeTo Keep A JobTopless RestaurantToy WhoresVix: The MarineWayward BoyShort Stories:A Christmas Visit

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Image of A Girl

By R. Richard ©

Published by R. Richard at Smashwords

Copyright 2021 R. Richard

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Image of A Girl

By R. Richard © 2021

I was born and grew up, or whatever it was that I did, in the town of Gold Valley. Gold Valley was an okay place for a kid to grow up. The town of Gold Valley was not too big, not too small.

Even if you grew up in the town of Gold Valley and were about my age, you probably don’t remember me. I was the totally anonymous kid who didn’t make friends easily. The few friends that I did have weren’t mainstream kids and they would tend to move away after a year or two and, as a result, I was alone a lot.

My old man ran a large machine shop that was a major employer for the town of Gold Valley. Since I was alone a lot, I worked for my old man in the machine shop, after school, weekends and summers. I got to know a lot about the shop and machining in general. The work in the machine shop and what I learned there was to have a major impact on my life, a few years later.

When I was sixteen-years-old, my old man quit his job and we then moved out to Los Angeles, where the old man would run an even bigger machine shop, for a large corporation. My mother worked as a teacher and she would have no trouble finding work in Los Angeles.

I, of course, moved along with my