Better Than Nothing: Part 3 of On the Edge Series

Chapter 32

When I bought a car alone, it took most of the day. The car salesperson led me around the lot, looking at cars I had no interest in buying until finally he gave up and agreed to sell me the vehicle I had shown up to purchase. At that point, I had to sit at his desk filling out paperwork, waiting for it to be processed, and then fill out more paperwork. It was indeed the most time-intensive way to spend thousands of dollars.

When Tim and I arrived, my expectations were low on anything different, but I was very wrong. If anyone were to slow us down, it was Tim, with his fixation on the donut holes available.

"Tim, can you focus? We have enough paperwork ahead of us that donuts shouldn't be your focus," I chided in a darting whisper.

"The paperwork is all in order. I need identification and signature from the new owner, and you're good to go," the salesmen offered as he slid the papers across the desk to me.

"Tim," I Impatiently shot out to him, "he needs your signature."

"Um, no, the car is in Lily Turncott's name," the salesman, an overly smiley middle-aged man named Bob, sneered at me.

"Oh, it's in my name, not Billy...." I cut myself off, realizing that Billy may not want his name discussed.

The salesman gave me a belittling smile before adding, "Mr. Collins was very clear that the car was to be solely in your name."

"Oh, okay," I mumbled as I struggled to get my driver's license from my wallet.

"I'll be right back with your keys." His smile still came as a sneer.

"Is it me, or should that dude smell like cabbage?" Tim joked as he plopped in the chair next to me with three donut holes in his hand.

"What does that mean?"

Tim shrugged. "I guess I don't like him." He shoved a donut hole in his mouth and, after a moment of chewing, added, "you smell like jellybeans."

I smiled to myself at the very Tim compliment.

"Can I drive it back to the house? I love Audis." He added before popping another donut hole in his mouth.

"Sure," I shrugged.

"You don't care about cars at all, do you?" Astonishment filled Tim's voice.

"No, but I appear to have a proclivity for mechanics. Well, one retired mechanic."

"Retired mechanic, not one of his more usual titles," Tim smirked.

The conversation was muted once Bob, the salesman, returned. I only had to sign a few papers, and then he handed me the keys, which I promptly gave Tim.

"Well, enjoy your new car," Bob said with a final sneer of a smile.

"Hey," Tim started as we pulled from the dealership. "I know you're trying to make things work with Billy this time, but you know that doesn't mean just do everything his way, right?"

"Of course I know that." Annoyance slipped into my tone.

"Good, because as much as he wants to win, he loves you because you push him."

"Tim, things like a car and office aren't important enough for me to honestly really care about. If me driving the safest car he can think of and working across the hall from him gives him even the smallest sense of comfort, I'm happy to concede on those things."

"What do you want? What comforts you?"

I let out a sigh. "I'm not sure if it's fair to Billy to discuss them with you, but there are aspects of our relationship that fractured us in the past that I'm trying to figure out how to either make peace with or fix."