Chapter 17: Sabotage
Maya was rewriting her follow-up list when Denise tapped on the glass partition of her cubicle.
"Your couple is here," Denise said, her voice low. "The nervous ones from Tuesday. Derek and Priya."
Maya's pen stopped. "Where are they?"
"With Chad." Denise folded her arms. "He met them at the door. I heard him say you were tied up with a delivery and he'd be happy to save them some time."
Maya felt heat climb up her neck. "I am not tied up. He knows I'm not tied up."
"He also introduced himself first," Denise said. "Before they got a word out."
Maya stood, her chair rolling back. Across the showroom, near the champagne-colored Halcyon coupe, Chad stood with the young couple. Derek was nodding the way people nod when they are being talked at instead of talked to, and Priya was glancing toward the front desk like she was searching for someone.
"They asked for you at the door," Denise said. "I heard Priya say your name. Chad told them, and I quote, 'Maya's new, she might not know the inventory the way I do.'"
Chad saw her coming and his smile widened, the easy showroom smile that had closed a hundred deals.
"Maya," he said, warm as sunshine on chrome. "I was just keeping your customers warm. Derek had questions about the trunk space, and I figured—"
"My customers," Maya said. "They're my customers, Chad."
Chad spread his hands. "Relax. Nobody's stealing anybody. You were on a call." He nodded toward her empty cubicle.
"I wasn't on a call and you know it."
Derek cleared his throat. "Actually, we did ask for Maya. The girl who helped us on Tuesday. She said there was no rush and to come back whenever."
"That's right," Priya said, quieter, but her eyes stayed on Chad. "She gave us her card."
Chad laughed, a short practiced sound. "Of course, of course. Maya's lovely. I just didn't want you two standing around waiting. But hey, if you want to hang back while she finishes up..." He let the sentence trail off, a door left open.
She looked at the couple. Derek's shoulders had risen an inch since Tuesday. Priya's hand rested on his arm, the way it had when they first walked in, nervous and excited at once. Maya remembered them: Derek checking the price sticker and laughing too loud, Priya running her fingers over the seat stitching and whispering, "It's too nice for us." Maya had said, "It's not. Take all the time you need."
She took a breath. "Chad," she said, keeping her voice level, "if you put one more hand on my customers, I'm going to Elena."
Chad's smile didn't move, but something behind it did. "Careful," he said softly, for her ears only. Then, louder, for the couple: "Tell you what. You folks are welcome to work with whoever makes you comfortable. That's the policy, right?"
"That's right," Maya said. "The customer decides. So let's ask them."
She turned to Derek and Priya. "You came back because you wanted to pick up where we left off. Is that still true?"
Priya nodded at once. "Yes. Please."
Derek hesitated a half second, glancing at Chad's gleaming watch and tailored jacket. "Yeah," he said finally. "Yeah, we'd like to work with Maya."
Chad's jaw tightened. "Your loss. She's four months in, folks. Just remember that when you're signing." He walked away, like a man who had meant to do exactly that.
Maya turned back with a smile that had survived a fight. "I'm sorry about that. The coupe's right here. Let me show you the trunk."
Across the floor, Denise was already at her desk phone, her eyes never leaving Chad's back. She punched in Elena's extension and spoke quietly.
"Denise," Elena said when she picked up.
"He just tried to take Maya's customers," Denise said. "Right in front of me. Derek and Priya, the Tuesday couple. He told them Maya was busy, told them she was too new to know the inventory. Maya held her ground, but Elena, he meant it."
There was a pause on the line. Then Elena said, "He's on a written plan, Denise. This is documented now."
"Do you want me to write it up?" Denise asked.
"Yes. Time, place, exact words. Bring it to me before close." Elena's voice was steel wrapped in calm. "Thank you, Denise."
Denise hung up and looked out at the floor. Maya had Priya in the driver's seat now, and Priya was laughing, a real laugh this time, while Derek leaned in through the window asking questions. Chad was at his own desk, tapping at his phone, his posture perfect, his numbers slipping through his fingers like everything else.
Denise opened a blank incident report and began to type.