“Did anything catch your eye on the way in?” Randall asks as he sits down in his chair across from us.
“Straight to business, huh?” Oliver says, his hand not moving from mine as I swing my gaze to him.
“Figured you wanted out of here quick,” Randall replies without being the least bit rattled.
Oliver grunts.
For a split second, I think we’re going to be out of here before I have a chance to get a car.
“Sorry if I was being rude. It’s nice to meet you, Lulu. Oliver said you need a new car. Did anything strike you on the way in?”
I shift in my seat, uncomfortable with the entire exchange. “It did.”
“Excellent. Which one?”
“The black SUV right outside the door.”
“Ah. Good choice. Do you want to test drive it?”
I nod. “It may be out of my price range, though. I’d hate to waste your time.”
“Ignore the sticker. I can work up a quote while Oliver takes you out there to look on the inside. I’ll grab the key. Good?”
“Perfect,” Oliver answers.
“Good,” Randall says before he pushes himself up from the seat and stalks away.
“Why were you mean to him?” I ask Oliver.
“I wasn’t. Randall isn’t the nicest, but he could at least say hello. We’re not strangers. He’s my stepdad, for shit’s sake. A simple greeting would be nice.”
“Well, it’s his work.”
“If you walk into the bar, does your dad say hello or just ask what you want to order?”
He had a point. “He’d say hello.”
“Exactly. Everything with Randall is business. I deal with him because he makes buying a new vehicle easy, but it would be nice if he could act like a normal human being since he practically raised me.”
“That sucks.”
“Yeah,” Oliver mutters. “He’s always been an asshole and I’ve come to ignore it, but he doesn’t know you and could at least act civilized.”
“I don’t mind.”
“You should.”
“I don’t, though. I just want the SUV and to dip as quickly as possible.”
“Then he’s your man.”
“Keys,” Randall says, shaking them near my side. “You two go look at the inside or take it for a test drive, and I’ll work up that price.”
I take the keys from his hand. “Thanks.”
“No problem,” he says before walking away.
“Come on,” I say to Oliver, squeezing his hands that are still intertwined with mine on the arm of my chair. “I’m dying to see in the inside and try that baby out. If he gives me a good price and I like the SUV, we’ll be out of here before we’re forced to make small talk with him.”
