“Good.”
“I probably could have gotten the part for less if I’d waited.”
“Do you think that is important to me? The bargain?”
She looked at him, at his tailored suit and blinding white shirt. He looked like a successful executive…a very handsome executive.
“No one likes to be taken,” she said.
“Agreed, but there is a time and a place to barter. I doubt there is a huge market for parts for my car, but what market there is will be competitive. I want you to win.”
“I’ll remember that.”
“But you do not approve.”
“Why do you say that?” she asked.
“Your expression. You would prefer to bargain and wait.”
“I want you to get your car at a fair price.”
He smiled. “An excellent idea. I appreciate the fairness of your concern. Perhaps a balance of both would be easiest.”
He had a great smile, she thought absently. She hadn’t spent a lot of time thinking about princes, but she supposed she would have assumed they were stern and serious. Or total playboys. She’d seen plenty of those during the season in Aspen. But Qadir didn’t seem to be either.
“I’ll do what I can,” she said. “It’s just I’m used to getting the best price.”
“While I am used to getting the best.”
With his family fortune, he always did, she thought humorously.
“Must be nice,” she murmured.
“It is.”
Maggie smiled. “At least you’re clear about it.” She rose and walked to the printer. “Here’s a list of all the parts I’ve ordered so far. I’ll start disassembling her tomorrow. I haven’t seen much rust, which is great. Once I get her into pieces, I can figure out exactly what needs replacing. For now, I’ve just been ordering the obvious stuff.”
She handed him the printout. Qadir studied it, even as he was aware of the woman next to him. She was an interesting combination of confidence and insecurity.
He knew from personal experience that many people were uncomfortable around him at first. They did not know what was expected. He’d asked one of the American secretaries to help Maggie get settled, but only time would make his new mechanic comfortable in his presence.