"Then I can wait."
"Sir—"
"I can wait."
There was something in Daniel's voice that made further argument seem pointless.
Blake turned sharply and walked toward the manager's office.
As he disappeared behind a glass door, Marcus approached Daniel.
"Sir, I'm sorry about that."
Daniel gave him a small smile.
"You don't have to apologize for another man's behavior."
"I work with him every day. I should have said something."
"Perhaps."
Marcus looked down.
Daniel placed a hand on his shoulder.
"But you can decide what you do the next time."
Marcus nodded.
It was a simple sentence.
Yet he remembered it long after the showroom emptied that evening.
The manager of Sterling Motors was a man named Richard Lawson.
He was fifty-six, with silver hair, an expensive suit, and the calm confidence of someone who had spent decades negotiating contracts worth more than most people earned in a lifetime.
He had built his reputation on numbers.
Sales figures. Profit margins. Customer retention. Quarterly targets.
In Richard's world, almost every problem could be measured.
And almost every mistake could be corrected with a conversation.
When Blake entered his office, Richard was reviewing a financial report.
"What is it?"
"There's a customer causing a problem in the showroom."
Richard looked up.
"What kind of problem?"
"He's refusing to cooperate with the sales process."
"Then explain the process."
"I have. He keeps asking for a manager."
Richard sighed.
"Is he threatening anyone?"
"No."
"Damaging property?"
"No."
"Then what exactly is the problem?"
Blake hesitated.
"He's interested in the Escalade."
Richard glanced at the report again.
"And?"
"He doesn't appear to be a qualified buyer."
Richard slowly put down his pen.
"Did he apply for financing?"
"No."
"Did he say he couldn't afford it?"
"No."
"Did he ask about the price?"
"Not really."
Richard stared at him.
"Blake, what are you telling me?"
Blake shifted his weight.
"I'm telling you that he doesn't look like the kind of customer who buys a vehicle like that."
For several seconds, Richard said nothing.
Then he leaned back in his chair.
"Did you hear yourself?"
Blake frowned.
"What?"
"You just told me that you decided a man couldn't afford a car because of how he looked."
"I'm trying to protect the dealership's time."
"From what? A conversation?"
Blake's expression hardened.
"With all due respect, Richard, you know how this business works."
Richard stood up.
"I know exactly how this business works. That's why I'm asking you to explain why you believe our customers must dress a certain way before we treat them professionally."
Blake had no answer.
Richard walked toward the door.
"Show me the customer."
When they reached the showroom, Daniel was still standing beside the Cadillac.
Richard approached him with an apologetic smile.
"Good morning, sir. I'm Richard Lawson, the general manager here at Sterling Motors. I understand there may have been some confusion."
Daniel turned.
"Good morning, Mr. Lawson."
Richard extended his hand.
Daniel shook it.
"I'm sorry if our process has been unclear," Richard continued. "How may I help you today?"
Daniel reached into his pocket and unfolded the paper.
"I'd like to discuss purchasing this vehicle. But before we do that, I want to know whether this dealership is prepared to sell it to someone who doesn't fit your usual expectations."
Richard glanced at Blake.
Blake looked away.
Richard returned his attention to Daniel.
"Sir, we sell vehicles to qualified customers. We don't have a dress code for buyers."
"That's good to hear."
Daniel handed him the paper.
Richard looked down.
At first, the document appeared ordinary.
Then his eyes stopped at a name printed near the bottom.
He read it once.
Then again.
His expression changed so quickly that Blake noticed immediately.
"Mr. Lawson?" Blake asked.
Richard did not answer.
He turned the paper over, studying the details on the back.