Chapter 22
Blaze groaned at the estimate from the service department. If preparing the trade-in for resale cost this much, her salesperson had overpaid the client by almost a thousand dollars. How had he overlooked such worn tires?
She forwarded the invoice to the service department manager and asked if his team could watch for used tires in the right size. Swapping the nearly bald ones for a used-but-not-shot set would bring the bill back into the margins she needed if she hoped to improve her department’s profits.
The email sent, her screen returned to the inbox view. She blinked hard, her body craving a nap right there in her office chair. This prescription was killing her. Staring at her screen would be so much easier than talking with the salesperson who’d made the mistake. But movement would wake her up.
She shook her head to rouse herself and pushed back from her desk.
Her phone buzzed in her pocket as she stepped onto the sales floor, but she knew the dangers of distraction. Instead of checking it, she set her sights on Thomas, only to find him with a client. When he looked at her, she pointed and mouthed, My office. He acknowledged her with the slightest nod.
She treated herself to her phone as she headed back for her desk.
At Anson’s name, her stomach swooped.
I set up a motion camera in the youth room. You’ll have to let me know if you spot it tomorrow.
Hard to say whether she’d remember, but her brain did favor Anson. If she was going to remember anything at the right time, it’d be something for him. For example, she could replay almost every word they’d spoken last night.
Will do, she replied. I’m glad it’s up and running.
The next most recent conversation was the one with Marissa.
After he left the night before, Blaze found a message from her friend. Let me know how things go. The string of kiss-blowing emojis had left zero doubt what kind of update Marissa expected.
We’re friends, Blaze responded. We had a good talk, but that’s it.
Her swoopy stomach needed that reminder today. If only, as they’d pulled back from that last hug, he’d cupped her face, been incapable of looking away from her lips, and asked to kiss her. Or, better yet, just gone for it.
He seemed like the type to ask, though. She’d heard that was the respectful, politically correct course, and he was nothing if not respectful and politically correct.
Not that it mattered how her friend—no air quotes—went about kissing people.
She rubbed her forehead and set the phone aside to tackle the paperwork her team had handed in that day. If she procrastinated, she’d fall behind again, and she lacked the willpower to fix it.
She lacked the willpower for anything these days. Even keeping her eyes open.
She exhaled as she rested them for a moment.
“Blaze?” a voice boomed.
Her eyes flew open. Her head swam with disorientation. Ten lines of 1s filled her screen. Had she fallen asleep with her fingers on the keys?
Thomas loomed in her doorway. A smirk tugged at his lips. “Sleeping on the job?”
She wiped her face. Ignoring the accusation might not be the best solution, but what could she do? Admit she had been? “I needed to talk to you about your latest trade-in.” She clicked into the mechanic’s report and turned her screen toward him.
He lifted an eyebrow as he stepped in.
She outlined what she’d done to correct his mistake.
He braced a hand on her desk as he leaned close to study the numbers. “Half of this is stuff no one would account for, short of having service go over it with a fine-tooth comb, which we don’t do. As for the tires, you already arranged a fix. I don’t get why I’m in here.”
“If the service department obtains the right size tires with enough tread left, they can get us out of this bind. But it’s better to use a tire gauge, like you’ve been trained to do.”
He straightened and slid his hands in his pockets. “It’s a common tire size. We’ll have a fit for that car in three days. Maybe less. And don’t forget this trade-in was tied to the purchase of a new car.”
“We are not in the business of salvaging tires. Our policies exist for a reason. Can I trust you to follow them?”
“Sure, but when people take their business somewhere else, you’ll know why.”
“As a salesperson, it’s your job to help them understand and appreciate the value you’re providing.”
Her phone vibrated against the desktop, and she jumped.
Thomas couldn’t look any more unimpressed.
She forced herself to her feet, hoping to regain some of the respect she’d lost. “This impacts your margins, as well as the department’s. If you need a new tire gauge, request one from the parts department.”
“Sure thing.” He rolled his eyes on his way out.
She couldn’t say she deserved better. She dropped back to her seat.
With her new, do-it-immediately system, she turned her reports in on time, but her department still wasn’t meeting the financial goals.
If they couldn’t get there soon, she wasn’t sure what her boss would do.
Especially once he heard about her little nap.