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Standard disclaimer.
On the drive over to Will's, on his own, because, Mercedes told him she didn't want to leave her car at the community center, Sam pondered her strange mood.
He chalked it up to her being a woman, and they got moody sometimes.
But he intended to keep that thought to himself, so he didn't get into any trouble.
His mother has told him, on more than one occasion, if he had a stupid thought about a woman, it was best to just shut up about it.
It had turned out to be good advice. His mom was pretty smart.
He pulled into the lot, with Mercedes right behind him, taking the spot next to his.
Though they'd fixed George's immediate problems, Sam still didn't like the way the car sounded.
"You're frowning," Mercedes said, as she got out.
"George shudders and coughs. It sounds like he's in death throes."
"He's old. Cut him some slack."
She pocketed her keys and started into the restaurant, giving him no choice but to follow.
He gave George a long look, but the car didn't make any more sounds, so he headed inside.
It was late, and the restaurant was nearly empty, which meant they had their pick of seats.
Mercedes chose a booth near the wall, and Sam slid in across from her.
Heather Stilton headed over, pulling her order pad out of her pocket.
"Hi, Heather."
"Hi, Sam," she said, giving Mercedes a look. "New girlfriend?"
He laughed.
"This is Michelle Jones'...I guess, she's Michelle McCormick now. I have to get used to that. Anyway, this is Dr. Michelle's sister, Mercedes."
Heather's eyes widened.
"Oh. Hi. I'm Heather. I have a pug named Citizen. I take him to see Dr. Michelle all the time. Well, my parents and I take him, anyway. I go to Hope High School."
"Nice to meet you, Heather," Mercedes said.
"You're the sister who lives out of town," Heather stated.
"Yes."
"You must have hung around, because, Mrs. Jones got hurt. How's she doing? We sure miss seeing her here at Will's."
"She's doing a lot better. Thank you for asking."
"You be sure to tell her I said hi."
"I will."
"What would you all like to drink?"
"I'll just have water," Mercedes said.
"I'll have a Diet Coke," Sam said, then, picked up the menu when Heather hustled away to get their drinks.
Mercedes studied the menu she had picked up.
"So, about the whole 'girlfriend' thing," Sam said.
She looked up from the menu.
"What?"
"Heather asked if you were my girlfriend."
"Oh, that. Typical teenager. They think any man/woman combination, is automatically a couple. I didn't think anything of it. Don't worry about it."
She went back to studying the menu, while he worried she'd been offended, he hadn't automatically acknowledged her as his girlfriend.
Women could be confusing.
A lot of women he'd dated, would have had their feelings hurt. Mercedes hadn't.
Maybe, because, she didn't think of them as a couple. Or in a relationship. Or whatever people called it these days. He had no idea.
When Heather came back, he gave her his order, and Mercedes decided to have a cup of soup, which made him feel better, since he didn't want to be the only one eating.
"How are things going at work?" she asked.
"Good, actually. I have an interview next week with a body guy. I'm hoping he might be the one."
She arched a brow.
"Body guy?"
"Someone to do bodywork on the cars. We've gone through several in the shop here in town, with no luck. It's hard to find a guy who's good with his hands."
Her lips quirked.
"Indeed, it is."
He laughed.
"Anyway, I've heard this guy has good skills, so I'm hopeful. I'm tired of searching...and replacing."
She nodded, then paused, while Heather delivered their food. She took a spoonful of her soup, then a sip of water.
"I know how it is to have to hire good employees," Mercedes said. "I've been in that position several times over the years, when I've been put in charge of hiring, at some of the places I've worked. It's never a fun job."
Sam bit into his cheeseburger, then popped a couple of fries into his mouth, washing them down with his pop.
"It's my least favorite part of the job. Unfortunately, it's a necessary evil to keep things running smoothly. If it were up to me, I'd be out there with my head in an engine."
"The price of growth, I'm afraid."
"Tell me about it."
"You have...what...four shops now? Maybe you should hire a business manager to do all that paperwork and the hiring and firing for you," she suggested.
"And then what would I do? Play golf?" He shook his head. "I don't think so. I know the kind of talent required to do all the jobs necessary for the shops. A business manager might know the numbers and paperwork part of the job...and believe me, that takes up a lot of my time...but no one knows the inner workings of a car better than I do...or hiring the right kind of talent to get the job done."
Mercedes leaned back and wiped her lips with her napkin.
"You're so confident in what you do," she said.
"I know my job and what it takes to get it done."
"And you love your work."
He smiled.
"Most days."
"Describe your best day to me."
"What is this, an interview?" he asked.
"No. Just tell me what you would consider a perfect day."
"First, everyone shows up for work. The bays in every shop are filled. There's no goddamn paperwork on my desk, so I have time to visit all four locations and see that all the operations are running like well-oiled machines. I end up at the shop in Hope, where I have a few minutes to roll up my sleeves and stick my head in a tranny rebuild, or maybe work with the body guy, on some cool new paint scheme, before quitting time."
"Sounds like a great day. And what keeps you from doing that?" she asked.
"That's easy. Paperwork. Inventory. Bills to pay. Taxes. Forms to fill out. Sales and marketing issues. Personnel issues..."
"It sounds to me, like you're one business manager short of having the ideal job."
He sat back and pondered her suggestion for a few minutes, studying her, until an idea popped into his head.
"You know what? You're right. You want the job?"
Her eyes widened.
"Me? No."
"Why not? You've been managing offices all over the country for years. You've got the accounting, sales, and business skills to tackle the job."
"That's true, but..."
"But what? You don't think you're qualified?" he asked.
Mercedes lifted her chin.
"If anything, I'm overqualified. I could get you organized in a matter of months. Then, you'd be free to visit each of your shops, hire staff, handle the day-to-day paperwork and any hands-on repair work you wanted."
Sam liked seeing that fire in her eyes, the confidence in her abilities.
She was right for the job. She knew it, and he sure as hell knew it.
"Exactly. So what's the problem?"
"You know what the problem is, Sam. Actually, there's more than one problem."
"Your mom, of course. I didn't mean you had to start tomorrow. I'm willing to wait."
"That's not it."
"You mean the fact you're not planning to stay in Hope, after your mom is back on her feet?"
Mercedes hadn't voiced her plans to move on, once her mother was better, but obviously Sam...and probably everyone else, just assumed it. And they were right.
"Yes."
He shrugged.
"I think that's just your standard go-to, because, it's what you've always done. Why not deviate from the norm? Or better yet, consider Hope your next stopover point, in your trip around the world."
She was at a loss for words.
"I don't know what you mean."
"So, you still feel like traveling, like picking up and moving every few months, finding that next new place to live and that next new job, right?"
"I...guess so."
"Okay, fine. Why not make Hope your next new place to live, and a job with me your next new job?"
"But..."
"Then, when wanderlust strikes again, you can pack up and move on," he continued.
Sam looked so sincere, with a glint in his eyes that Mercedes read, as just a bit of a challenge...as if he expected her to say no, that it wouldn't surprise him in the least if she did.
Well, dammit, maybe she would surprise him.
Maybe she'd shock the hell out of all of them and stay.
Wouldn't it amaze him, and this entire damn town, if she didn't take off, as soon as her mom was able to move around, without help?
What if she did stay?
At least for a few months.
God knew he could use the help, and who better to organize his work life than her?
It would be a challenge, and she loved a job that presented an opportunity to learn.
She'd streamline his operational systems and create a dynamic sales and marketing plan for him, that he'd be excited about.
Then, once she was satisfied...or when the itch to move on became too great, she could do just that, move on, like she always did.
Only this time, she'd leave Hope on her own terms.
She wouldn't be running. Not like last time.
"You're serious about the job offer," Mercedes said.
"I wouldn't have made it, if I wasn't."
"Then I'll take it."
Sam's brows rose.
"Really?"
"Yes, really. Does that surprise you?" she asked.
"Maybe a little."
"Okay, that was honest. But I'll still take it, because, I think you'll benefit from my expertise," she said.
"And I like your confidence in your abilities, so I'll hire you."
Mercedes studied him, wondering what instigated his job offer.
Maybe she was second-guessing his motives, but she figured he'd been baiting her, that he'd never imagined she'd agree.
Too bad. Now he was stuck with her.
She liked the idea of it, though.
And she intended to show him that she was damn good at a job.
She might not have stayed long at all the other jobs she had, but she left each company in a better place, than they were, when she'd started.
She'd do the same for his company. She'd swoop in, take over his paperwork headache, organize his systems and develop a sales plan.
Then, when she was satisfied everything was in working order, she'd leave.
By then, she'd be easy to replace with someone competent enough, to take over for her.
She'd done it countless times before. It was easy.
Though, as she looked over at Sam, the thought of working closely with him, warmed her.
And the thought of leaving him behind left an ill-feeling in her stomach.
Better to stay in the here and now and not think about the future. Staying in the present was always best.
She'd worry about tomorrow and the next day...later.
Stay safe!