Page 54 of Real Good Love
“She’s the best there is.”
Del nods. “I bet. You wanna see what we did? We just finished up an hour ago, and it’s all waiting for you in the back.”
“Hell yeah.”
He waves me back, and I slide around the counter to follow him into the shop where a dozen people sit behind sewing machines designed specifically for upholstery. He leads me to a corner, where all the seats sit on canvas tarps.
“What do you think?”
The red-and-black seats with contrast stitching and brass-knuckle accents turned out better than I could have ever imagined.
“Holy shit. That’s incredible.”
“That’s why we get the big bucks. Helps that your design didn’t suck.”
His “big bucks” comment seems off to me considering the price they quoted me could have been much higher and I would have paid it.
“I’ll get a few guys to bag them up in plastic, and we’ll load them in your truck for you.”
“Appreciate it.”
“You and I can settle up the bill, and you’ll be on your way.” Del walks back toward the counter, and I follow him. “You gotta let me know when you’re going to be in town with the finished car. I want to make sure to get pictures for my marketing materials.”
“Yeah, sure. This Saturday, you can see the Olds in all her glory.”
“Glad your girl called, because there’s no way anyone else could’ve pulled off this project but us on this short of notice. We’re the top-of-the-line auto-interior experts for restoration in the South.”
“Shit, it sounds like I might have to bring more of my business your way,” I tell him as we reach the counter and I pull out my wallet. “What’s the total damage?”
Del types something in on the computer. “Let me pull up this invoice and make sure. I can’t remember off the top of my head. All I know is that your woman covered a chunk, so there’s not much left for you.”
Just like that, all the good feelings I had about this place crumble.
“What did you say?”
He looks up at me from the computer and then back down at the screen. “Never mind, man, that’s not important.”
“What the hell are you talking about? That my woman covered a chunk? She told me what the price was, and that was that.” Suspicion and anger come to life.
Del hits a key, and the printer spits out an invoice. “Nothing. Forget I said anything.”
I reach across the counter to snatch the paper off the printer tray.
The only amount on it is what I figured would be due. There’s nothing about a deposit or any other payments being made. I don’t know what Banner did, but it’s going to be undone. We’re going to have a come-to-Jesus talk about this.
I pull out my wallet and toss my company credit card on the counter. “You can charge me for all of it. And you’re gonna tell me how much she paid, because she needs to get refunded.”
“Dude, I wasn’t supposed to say anything. I swore I wouldn’t.”
I wait in silence because the alternative will burn this bridge faster than a Hellfire missile strike.
Del finally speaks again. “Do you really think any shop would take on a project and have employees pull all-nighters and not charge you some kind of premium? Come on, man.”
“How much?” I ask through my teeth.
“The rush fee was triple the normal cost. Your woman paid it so you only had to cover our regular price.”
“So you’re telling me I’m paying you a total of four times what you’d normally charge for this job? The regular price plus a triple rush fee?”
