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“Great, pick one, and I’ll take it.”
Now Roland laughs and shakes his head. “No, that’s your job, Maggie.”
“As long as it starts when I want it to and doesn’t die on me, I’m not picky. Oh, but I do like red.”
“Let’s start with the red one, then.” He explains all about heated seats and backup cameras and a bunch of things that I’m sure Maggie doesn’t give two fucks about.
“What about a moonroof?” Roland asks her.
Maggie looks up. “There isn’t one.”
“Not in this vehicle, but it’s an option. Also, have you thought about lane assist, which cruise control you’d like, if you would like a heated steering wheel—”
“Whoa.” Maggie holds up her hands and stares at Roland as if he just told her to get ready for the biggest test of her life. “A heated steering wheel?”
“That’s right.”
“I don’t need any of those things. I don’t care if I have to use a key to unlock the door, and I have to roll the windows up and down by hand as long as the engine starts.”
“I don’t think I even have a vehicle on this lot with manual windows,” Roland says with a laugh. “How often do you buy yourself a new car? I can tell that you’re not an every-other-year kind of person.”
“No, I think I purchased the last one eight years ago.”
“Exactly,” Roland says, and I smile. I see where he’s going with this, and I couldn’t agree more. If I were making the purchase, I’d make sure she had every bell and whistle possible. “So, why shouldn’t you get all of the amenities offered, all of the safety features, and enjoy them for the next eight years? You can plug your phone in and listen to any music you’d like, or—”
“Wait.” Maggie turns in the seat, excited. “I can listen to the music on my phone?”
“That’s right. You can plug it in or use Bluetooth.”
“Plugging it in sounds easier.”
Roland smiles. “It is. You can also use the maps for directions if you want.”
“Okay, maybe the fancy car is starting to sound good. I think I even want the moonroof thing.”
“Great. I don’t have that specific vehicle on the lot, but I can have it transferred from another location by tomorrow morning.”
“Okay.” Maggie hops out of the car and walks around the vehicle once. “And I want it in red.”
“We can do that,” Roland confirms. “If you’ll just come inside with me, we’ll get everything started.”
“I’m paying cash,” she informs him as we set off for the office. “So don’t bother with financing and all the other stuff. This should be quick and easy.”
I smirk behind her.
Famous last words.
“Why did that still take another ninety minutes?” Maggie demands as we drive away from the dealership.
“There’s a lot of paperwork involved in buying a car.”
“But I’m paying cash,” she insists. “I should just write the check and walk out with the car. As if I’m buying a couch or some chips at the store.”
“You’re cute.”
She narrows her eyes at me dangerously.
“You know there are registration and warranty things. You were there.”
“It’s a pain in the ass,” she grumbles. “But at least when we come back over in the morning, all I have to do is sign for it, and we can leave.”
Maggie glances around and then turns back to me.
“Why aren’t we headed for the ferry?”
“Because we aren’t getting on a ferry,” I reply. “We’ll stay in Seattle tonight and head back after we get your car tomorrow.”
“A mini-vacation,” she says. “Fun. Let’s get Italian for dinner.”
“I think we can manage that.”
“Do you ever wish you lived in the city?” I ask as Maggie holds my hand, and we walk from the restaurant, where we stuffed ourselves with bread and pasta, toward the hotel. It’s a beautiful evening, so we decided to hoof it. I’m glad we did because I have to work this food off.
“Not really,” she says. “Why, do you?”
“Sometimes, I wish we had some of the conveniences closer—like the airport, restaurants, and stuff like that.”
“Seattle isn’t that far from the island.”
“Far enough that it’s a pain in the ass sometimes. Don’t get me wrong, I love the island.”
“If you could just snap your fingers and live anywhere in the world, where would that be?” she asks.
“I don’t know. I’ve been almost everywhere there is to go, and I don’t know that there’s anything better than this. Maybe Ireland.”
Her face lights up. “Really?”
“I do love it there.”
“I do, too. That’s the only other place I would live, too. But I don’t think I could move away from the family, especially now that everyone’s having babies. I don’t like being out of the loop.”
“Your parents are good at having a foot in both places,” I remind her.
“They’re retired,” she says with a shrug. “Someday, I’ll retire there, too.”
“Are you still thinking that you’re content at the pub?”
