Read a Romance!

Nell was anxious about replacing her old car . . . until she met the car salesman!

Shopping for a car isn’t at the top of my favorite things to do,” Nell lamented to her friend Tony.

As she turned the corner onto Main Street, her small car jerked and sputtered.

“It’s clearly time,” Tony said. “I’ve got a friend in the used car business; he’ll take care of you.”

“A used car salesman? I don’t know.” She crinkled her brow. “They don’t have the best reputation, do they?”

“Charles is as honest as they come. Trust me, he’ll guide you in the right direction. Just keep your options open, and you might be pleasantly surprised.”

Saturday morning, Nell’s car barely made it to the lot. She’d asked Tony to come along for moral support, but he had other plans.

The warm feeling in her heart made Nell feel brave

When Nell entered “Just Like New Cars,” a swarm of salesmen pounced, offering assistance, but she put them off.

Across the room, she took notice of a really cute guy sitting at a desk. When he glanced up, she noticed he had the biggest brown eyes she’d ever seen.

Nell approached his desk. “Excuse me, but could you tell me where I might find Charles?”

He stood and extended his hand. “That’s me.”

His touch sent a tingle straight up her arm. “I’m Nell. Our mutual friend, Tony, suggested I come to see you about buying a new car—uh, well, a new used car.”

“I’d be happy to help you with that,” he said with a quick smile.

With those words, Nell’s worries about car shopping melted away. Her heart fluttered when he caught her checking out his ring finger and flashed a grin. Seconds later, they were talking business.

“What kind of car are you looking for?”

Nell would miss Harvey—that’s what she’d named her car when her father purchased it for her after she graduated from high school. “I’ve driven a little Honda for twelve years. Apart from the regular maintenance, I’ve had little out-ofpocket expenses. But I think he is almost ready to give up the ghost.”

He chuckled. “Okay, it sounds like that’s what you should stick with. I’ve got a few low-mileage cars that you might like.”

Nell breathed a sigh of relief, glad he wasn’t going to pressure her into buying a luxury vehicle.

Outside on the lot, the couple strolled down the aisle of cars. Nell couldn’t help but notice Charles sneaking an occasional glance her way as she checked out the vehicles.

“I like the white one. What do you think?”

Charles nodded. “It’s classy looking and very low mileage. I think it’s perfect for you. Do you want to take her for a spin?”

“Her?” Nell questioned.

“Or him. If you buy it, it can be whatever you want.

Nell smiled. “My old car was named Harvey. Maybe this one should be a girl.”

After tooling around for 20 minutes, Nell was sold. Minus the jerks and stalling, the car felt just like Harvey. Back on the lot, she zipped into the parking space and turned to Charles. “I’ll take it.”

The smile Charles had worn since she’d walked inside the dealership faded. “Don’t you want to test the other cars?”

Nell was confused. Any other salesman would be rushing her to the finance department to seal the deal. “I don’t understand. Don’t you want me to buy the car?”

He smiled. “Yes, but I was hoping we could spend a little time together test-driving the others.”

The warm feeling in her heart made Nell feel brave. “There’s a coffee shop a block away. Maybe we could go there for lunch and discuss other options?”

His smile widened. “Great idea.”

Two hours later, Charles and Nell finalized the paperwork and agreed to have dinner the next evening. As they said goodbye, Charles waved, and Nell smiled, thrilled that she now had a reliable car and a delightful date. She couldn’t wait to call Tony and tell him he was right. Sometimes it really was a good idea to leave all options open!