“Even better and you can bring Alexis over for a ride on Friday. I have no plans beyond packing,” suggested Tasha.
“She’ll be thrilled. Thanks, Tasha, see you tomorrow.”
After hanging up Tasha turned her attention back to Sandra, ready to continue their interrupted conversation, but again they were disturbed, this time by a knock at the door.
“I’ll get it,” Tasha told Sandra already heading for the door.
She threw it open and found Mike standing there with a couple of other men and a very shiny red sports car behind them.
“You are joking! He is a bloody menace,” she declared looking between the men, Mike and then the car.
She stepped out towards the vehicle and could immediately see that this was a top of the range car with a full spec’.
“How much are we talking here?” Tasha looked back at Mike.
He shrugged but still said nothing. Tasha turned her attention to the two other men now. “I assume you’re from the garage, so give me the low down, starting with the price.”
They exchanged a glance with each other and then Mike before one of them spoke. “I don’t have the actual price paid ma’am, but it’s probably around $65,000 as a starting point.”
“Could you sign here, please?” the other one asked, thrusting a piece of paper in her direction.
“Not a chance.” Tasha looking at the Audi sports car. “This is too much. Mr Fucking Moneybags has gone too far this time. $65,000, for a car?” She was still shocked by Jim’s extravagance in general but specifically in relation to his obvious dismissal of her feelings on a car.
“Tasha, please let these guys talk you through it and then they can go,” implored Mike.
“I won’t sign for it,” protested Tasha with a huge pout but a real sense of determination.
“You don’t have to. So long as someone signs for it…” his voice trailed off.
“You’ll sign for it regardless,” she said half as a question and half as a statement.
“I will, or Sandra, or—” Mike left another statement unfinished.
“Or we have instructions to call Mr Maybury direct,” said one of the men from the garage.
“Then you do that!” Tasha went back into the house slamming the door behind her.
“Are you okay?” asked Sandra with a note of concern in her voice when she saw Tasha’s angry expression when she returned.
“No, I am not. The bloody man I have stupidly agreed to marry has bought me a car.” She felt and sounded totally exasperated.
Sandra laughed. “He’s such a terrible man,” she teased before adopting a more serious tone again. “And that’s bad, the car?”
“Yes, very. At least $65,000 worth of bad,” explained Tasha dropping down onto the sofa.
“Wow,” replied Sandra, unsure what else there was to say.
“Wow indeed. I’ve refused to sign for the bloody thing but Mike informs me that he or you can sign for it and the bloke from the garage said they have instructions to call Mr Maybury if I refuse. So, he knows it’s too much.” Her words were getting louder.
“What did you say?” Sandra sounded slightly amused at Jim’s plans to ensure Tasha couldn’t refuse the car but was more amused at the prospect of what Tasha had said to the man from the garage.
“I told them to do just that.” Tasha huffed and then laughed at Sandra. “If you’d been right about me in the first place this would all be so easy.”
“I was well off the mark about you being on the make,” she admitted and then stared down at Tasha’s phone as it began to ring.
Tasha hit the reject button and looked up at Sandra who eyed her nervously.
“If that was Jim he will not be happy about you not taking his call,” she said rather obviously.
