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“Someone will be here within thirty minutes.”
“Thirty minutes,” I repeat the words back to myself, and then take a deep breath. I can handle that. “Hopefully, they won’t take longer than they promise,” I mutter under my breath.
“I don’t think they would do that,” he says with a tinge of innocence as I look at him cross-eyed.
“Haven’t you gotten a tow before?”
“Never.”
“But you pay for a free service?”
He shrugs his shoulders. “You never know. Plus, there are other benefits too. You should do the same, especially with this piece of work.” He hits the dashboard of my sedan twice.
Did he just insult my car?!
“Hey! Excuse you!” I raise my voice in outrage. “My car is just fine. Thank you very much.”
He raises one brow in dispute, but his voice remains calm. “That so?”
“Yes! I haven’t had a problem in a while.” It’s mostly true.
“I don’t know why you don’t ask your brother for a new car.” His voice is still calm.
“Excuse me?” I say, an octave higher.
Did Calvin take special lessons in how to piss off a woman? Because he’s excelling at it.
“Just have your brother buy you a new car,” he says, a tad slower, like I don’t understand the stupidest question asked of me today.
“I can buy my own car,” I scoff.
“Clearly,” he says with a note of sarcasm. “Are you going to replace this car then?”
I stay silent because I don’t plan to at all. I wasn’t planning on making a large purchase, especially in October, since the holidays are coming up and I plan to buy nice gifts for my family.
“That’s what I thought.” He’s silent for a second, but quickly adds, “Why don’t you ask your brother for a better salary then?”
I shoot him a look intended to make him cower, but it has no effect on him. I have to work on my frightening face, especially since he smirks at me instead.
Smirks!
“Yes, I know how much you earn, and it’s not enough for your experience and expertise.”
“I make enough.” My voice is firm, but he quirks his brow again. “I have no degree or experience. If anything, I’m underqualified,” I tack on.
I’m just a nepo sister. I don’t deserve my job; it was handed to me because my brother is successful and took pity on me. I don’t have a single degree or certification, and I barely had work experience before the foundation. And my salary is very generous, but I save most of it, especially since I didn’t have any income for years. I’m not going back to that feeling ever.
I am extremely fortunate to be in the position I’m in right now. I don’t need a new car or new anything, really.
I don’t say those words out loud, but for some weird reason, I sense I don’t need to.
“You are overqualified. You deserve every penny.” He pauses, shakes his head, and then, under his breath, adds, “You don’t see how amazing you are. Please never underestimate your worth.”
* * *
“There’s a restaurant around the corner,” Calvin says, glued to his phone.
It’s the first words spoken in half an hour. We’ve been waiting for a tow for fifty-two minutes, but who’s counting?
