"A Jeep? Good idea. One of those really big ones, right?"

"No. It's a new, smaller one called a Liberty." "How did you find out about it?" Shelley asked

as Jane trailed along while Shelley headed for her own kitchen door.

"I looked it up on the Internet. Called Mike after he got out of his nine o'clock class at college andasked him a few questions about what I needed for choices. Boys in their twenties always know this stuff and love showing off about how much they know. Then I called several dealerships to find out if they had what I wanted. Fortunately, the closest one to our neighborhood did."

"Start us a pot of coffee while I change, please,"

Shelley said.

The coffee was poured and Jane had found some stale vanilla wafers to snack on.

"What color are you choosing?" Shelley asked when she came back in black silk trousers, low-heeled gray patent heels, and a white linen blouse with a gorgeous scarf draped to perfection.

"Red. But only if I like it when I see it. Maybe taupe. They have both options with what I want on the lot."

"What did Mike say?"

"After he screamed 'Whoopee!' you mean?" Jane replied. "He told me to pick a certain kind of brakes. I've got it all marked out on the sheet I printed out. Heated leather seats. A sunroof. Fancy tires. A CD player and tape player both. The best that they've got at the dealership."

"Jane, you amaze me!"

"Why?"

"Because you've always been so stingy with yourself. First that big television set in your bedroom, now an expensive new car. I can hardly believe it. Good for you."

"For one thing, it isn't as expensive as you're

imagining. Not even close to the cost of a Humvee, which I almost considered until I found out the price. I would look so good driving a Humvee.

"Secondly," Jane went on, "it would have cost several thousand to fix up the old station wagon, and it wouldn't add anything to its trade-in value. I donated because I can take the book value off my taxes, and that's a lot more than it would be worth if I turned it in. And I'd be deeply embarrassed to let a car dealer even see it."