"The Car Park Attendant" is a short story by Jeffrey Archer, published in his 2017 Tell Tale collection.
Joe Simpson has recently finished school, only has a GCE in maths, and doesn't really know what to do with his life. He takes a temporary job at a car park and suddenly realizes he enjoys it quite a lot. After falling in love with and marrying bossy but charming Molly, he gets a sudden idea of working as a car park attendant on a permanent basis – and without having to report to anyone.
Tropes featured in the story:
- Alliterative Family: Joe and Molly's children are called Joe Jr. and Janet.
- Big Fancy House: In contrast to their small council house in Barnsford, the house Joe and Molly own in Majorca is a luxury villa in Pollença.
- Henpecked Husband: Downplayed. In household matters (up to and including choosing a place to retire), Molly is always the leader. However, it was Joe's idea to start the car park, and after initial doubts Molly is very supportive of him.
- Karma Houdini: Joe and Molly never face any comeuppance for their illegal business.
- Mundane Made Awesome: The main characters earn millions with a small car park.
- "Near and Dear" Baby Naming: Joe and Molly's son is called Joe Jr., and his son in turn gets named Joe very Junior.
- Secretly Wealthy: In Barnsford, nobody knows Joe and Molly are making lots of money. As far as their compatriots know, Joe is employed by the town council and Molly is a housewife, and they live very simply in a council house. In Majorca, however, it's a whole different story.
- Self-Made Man: Joe and Molly made their millions purely by their own ingenuity.
- Together in Death: Joe and Molly are buried side by side in Barnsford.
