“Now in my business,” the man went on, “I can always use a smart boy. Think you’d like to work for me? I pay mighty well.”
“Gee, Mr. Duke,” Joey said, “I’ve already got a good job. I like to work around airplanes, and I’m already starting to take flying lessons. Or I’ll be starting—any day now. No—thanks a lot—but I don’t think I’d like to leave the airline.”
“Who said anything about leaving the airline, kid? What I want you to do is work for me in your spare time—do odd jobs, run errands, things like that. Why, I’ve got a job coming up that will pay you— How does a hundred dollars sound?”
“A hundred dollars!” Joey almost shouted.
“Not so loud, boy! Not so loud!” the man cautioned. “I don’t go around offering good jobs to everybody I see. I don’t want every Tom, Dick, and Harry pestering me for work. This is confidential. Just between you and me.”
“Gee,” Joey said, “I—I don’t know.”
“What do you mean, you don’t know? A hundred smackers would sure pay for a lot of flying lessons, boy. At the rate you’re going, you’ll be an old man before you get your pilot’s license. Look, Joey, I’ll tell you what I’ll do. You agree to work for me, and I’ll give you twenty-five bucks in advance.”
Vicki heard the man flip some crisp bills.
“Look at that, kid. That’s just to show I trust you. And there’s plenty more where that came from!”
“Gosh, Mr. Duke, I’ll have to think it over.”