Chapter 2The Mystery Shopper Who Got Overlooked

The moment we walked through the door, Lenny came at us with a smile plastered on like he'd been waiting all day. He led Fleur straight into a private meeting room and came back with a drinks menu.

"Miss, we've got coffee, soda, still water—whatever you'd like. I'll walk you through the insurance options in a bit, and once you've picked one, we can start the pickup paperwork."

I stood off to the side, empty-handed. No one offered me a drink. No one so much as glanced my way.

Fleur, on the other hand, was clearly enjoying herself. She sank back into the couch, took the coffee, and had a sip.

She flashed me a smile. "Babe, I told you this salesman is actually pretty nice."

I didn't say anything. I just pulled up a chair and sat down on my own.

A few minutes later, Lenny came back with a stack of brochures and spread them all out in front of Fleur.

"This trim has air suspension, ma'am—rides incredibly smooth. With your kind of style, this is the one you should be driving.

"So what do you do for work, if you don't mind my asking? Young as you are, and already able to afford a car in this class—that's impressive."

Fleur's ears went red from the compliments. She waved him off, but she couldn't stop smiling.

Watching from the side, I almost laughed. Not once, the entire time, had she said the words "my boyfriend is the one buying this car." She just sat there, perfectly at ease, soaking up attention that was never meant for her, letting the salesman put her on a pedestal.

Once she'd picked an insurance plan, Lenny pulled out the card reader and held it out with a grin.

"With insurance included, the balance comes to fifty-six thousand. Card or mobile pay, ma'am?"

Fleur glanced over at me without thinking.

I clutched my stomach and pretended to feel sick, then stood up. "I need to use the restroom. Go ahead and sign without me."

I grabbed my bag, walked out of the meeting room, crossed the showroom floor, and left the dealership.

Forty minutes later, I was home, changed into pajamas, and had just sat down to order takeout when my phone went off.

An unknown number was calling. I picked up, and whoever it was tore into me before I could even say hello.

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

It was Lenny again.

"You're some kept man living off your girlfriend's money, fine, whatever—but you had the nerve to lock her card? She's standing in the showroom right now, and it won't go through, you know that?"

His voice was so loud it rang in my ear. I pulled the phone away without thinking.

"I'm telling you, get your ass back here and unlock that card! If this deal falls through because of you, I swear to god you'll regret it.

"And another thing—I've seen plenty of guys like you in this business. Can't make a dime yourself and still trying to buy a car like this. Ever look in a mirror? You think you've got what it takes to earn this on your own? You—"

I hung up on him.

I was about to call Fleur to get an explanation when she beat me to it.

"Where did you go?

"Why would you just leave without telling me? That salesman shoved the card reader in my face, and I had no choice but to swipe. Then it came back declined. Do you have any idea how humiliating that was?"

I froze. "What are you talking about? Whose card was declined?"

She cut me off. "Was I supposed to just announce I don't have any money? All I could say was that you'd locked my card. Otherwise, how was I supposed to save face? And you just got up and walked out, leaving me there alone. Where were you while the salesman was pressuring me to pay? If you hadn't left, he never could have pushed me like that."

I gripped the phone and spoke slowly, one word at a time. "So you lied to his face and told him I locked your card, just to shift all the blame onto me?"

"What else was I supposed to do in the moment? You weren't even there."

"You could have told him the truth when he asked you to pay—that it's my car and my money."

There were two seconds of silence on the other end.

"I—I just didn't get the chance to say it..."

I laughed out loud. "Didn't get the chance? He spent half an hour serving you coffee, and you never once got the chance? You looked like you were enjoying every second of the attention."

"Can you not talk to me like that?"

"Like what?" I took a deep breath. "Do you know what that salesman called me on the phone? A kept man. Said I was shameless, living off you. And the first thing you said to me just now wasn't 'why did you leave'—it was blaming me for embarrassing you.

"You make me sick. Dating someone as fake as you—I must have been blind. Let's break up."