Seduced by Pearl White

 Barbara just had to have a new car. Not NEW new, but new to us. We don’t buy new cars. Bonnie, Barbara’s cute little HHR was just way too hard on her bad back, to her way of thinking.

      She had already decided which car she wanted, a Nissan Murano, a couple of years old. She had ridden in one before, belonging to our friend Judy, and she knew it rode well. I told her on the way to Little Rock, this was her buy, her car. I would just be watching.

We went to Lander’s Toyota first, arriving about 10:00 AM. The nice young guy who came out to help us was a very good salesman. Barbara told him she was going to buy a Nissan Murano, today, one or two years old, and asked if he had one. He had three. After she had seen them all, she settled on the one she liked best. But she just could not make up her mind. Said she should probably go to the Nissan dealership, who had already described one he had, on the phone, just to compare. And, it’s just right over there.

     She never, all day long, mentioned the possibility of them lowering the price.  “This car is silver. Well, my last two were silver. I had hoped to change colors.”  The nice young man dropped the price a few hundred. She considered that for a long time. “Well, It IS really nice, and I really like the cute hubcaps and the miles it has. But the inside is dark, and it will really be hot.”  The young man trimmed a few hundred more off the price.
     After a few more rounds of spotting possible drawbacks, accompanied by more trimming, the young man retreated inside and brought out the big gun, the little Lander’s brother. After proper introductions, and Barbara going on about knowing his wife, how she knew her, etc., she went back to work on the car problem. “Well, I just can’t decide this so quickly. I just should drive over and at least see that other one at the Nissan dealership, then it will be easier, and that way I can think awhile. And it's just right over there." The young salesman chipped in from time to time, in more of a begging tone now. Little Landers dropped a few more hundred. Barbara headed for our HHR, saying, “Well, before I buy, I’m just going to drive by that other one and look at it. I really like this car, but I’ve just got to be sure. It will only take a moment."

     As we drove off, the young salesman was hollering, “Just drive by! It will be a lot quicker if you don’t stop at all!”

     As we drove in at the Nissan Dealership, we saw Pearl White, though at this point, that was only her official color, not yet her name, right beside the entrance.  Barb immediately liked her.  A very nice young man came out to greet us. He was also an opera singer, as well as a car salesman. “Hi! We’re going to buy a Murano today, and I love this one!” Barbara said. We looked Pearl White over, and he took us inside to his desk to fix us a drink while our trade- in was evaluated. A quick, easy sale was looming. As she sat at his desk, she got a text.  The little Lander's brother said he’d drop off another thousand.

     We went back out to look at Pearl again. “Oh goodness. Her seats are very light colored. That will get dirty so fast!” Opera man drops 500 off.  “Are the seats automatic?”

     “No ma’am.” Opera man drops 500 more.

     “That pearl white color is sooooo beautiful. But I just can’t seem to get over those light colored seats.”

      “Let me get the manager over here.” Said opera man.

      When he arrived, the problem was explained to him by Barbara. “I just love this car, but the other one we’re looking at has dark seats, won’t get dirty so easily.”

     “Tell you what, ma’am, we’ll take it and get a professional job of scotch guarding done on the whole inside before you leave.”

     Barbara was impressed. “What about that little spot on the seat?”

     “We’ll get it professionally cleaned, too.” He took another few hundred off.

     I had been listening to so much of this, I was beginning to get into it. “Will you fill up the tank?"

    Barbara elbowed me in the ribs. “Stop being so picky over such tiny little money things! That’s crude!”

    “Yes, of course we will.”

     Barbara noticed that the tires seemed to have some wear on them. Opera man walked around showing the new tire tags, still showing on the bottom of each tire. Manager man left.  “Oh no! I just noticed this one does not have automatic lights!  Maybe I should just real quickly run over to Lander’s again. They’re right over there, and I need to see if it's lights are automatic. And it’s much more sporty!  I just can’t make up my mind.”

     “Well, Ma’am, that other car IS a year older. And don’t forget that 68 month power train warranty that a non-Nissan dealer can’t give. But let me  talk to the manager again.”

     He returned. Finally, everyone involved was obviously about worn out, the two cars were about $100 apart in price, and a deal was struck. Barbara had been totally seduced by Pearl White, in only four hours or so. As we waited for the cleaning, scotch guarding, and filling up the tank, the manager walked over to Barbara, smiling, shaking his head and her hand.  “That was the best job of negotiating I’ve seen in a very long time. Just look at how much you got our man to come down.”

    As we drove away. Barbara said, “I don’t know why he said that. He sounded like I was a haggler! I never even mentioned money! Haggling is such a man thing! Oh, my! It’s nearly five o’clock!  And I was planning to eat lunch with Kinley, after we bought the car. This day has just FLOWN by!”

     Barbara had her new car named before we got home; Pearl White.  And a string of pearls now adorns the rear view mirror, but not until after Barbara had considered this move for a few hours.

     “But do you think those pearls are not white enough to match the car? Do they look tacky up there? Do you think they block the view too much?”

      I didn’t say a thing. I had learned that day that sometimes, a little indecision can be a good thing.
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