After the meeting, she checked the fleet department's final email. The proposed delivery schedule had been confirmed, with a staged handover over several weeks, and the service agreement now contained specific response times and substitute-vehicle provisions rather than vague promises of priority treatment. The figures were significant, but so were the commitments on both sides. Anna placed the proposal in a clean folder and checked the appointment system one last time. Gloria Hayes, nine o'clock, commercial fleet consultation, fourteen passenger vans.
At eight fifty-four, the familiar diesel rumble reached the front of the building. Kelsey, working reception, looked up sharply as the old yellow bus turned into the lot. Its driver followed the painted lanes, yielded to another customer entering in a sedan, and parked once again inside a marked visitor space. Gloria cut the engine, checked her watch, and stepped down carrying the same leather folder, this time with a narrow envelope of operational notes tucked beneath it.
Kelsey did not greet her. She leaned toward the sales office and called Derek's name in a tone that suggested a joke was about to be repeated. He appeared with his coffee, saw the bus, and let his shoulders fall in theatrical disbelief. "Look through the window," he said. "It's the same yellow bus, right on schedule. I thought she'd have learned her lesson by now."
Gloria entered the showroom at exactly nine. She had changed into clean dark trousers and a plain pale green blouse beneath a practical jacket, but she was still wearing the sturdy shoes she used at the depot. She approached reception and spoke before either employee could begin. "Good morning. I'm here to meet Anna Morales about our vehicle proposal. She confirmed the appointment yesterday."
Derek stepped between her and the showroom floor. "You came back after what happened last time?" he asked. Gloria regarded him without surprise. "Yes.
A salesperson invited me to return, and I have a scheduled meeting." Derek gave Kelsey a look, inviting her to share his amusement. She did, making a small sound behind her hand.
"Before we waste another morning," Derek said, "how exactly are you planning to pay for fourteen vans?" His voice carried beyond the reception area. A couple examining a brochure at the nearest table stopped talking. Gloria's expression remained composed, but she tightened her grip on the folder. "I came to review the proposal and discuss the usual purchasing terms. I did not come to discuss my bank account with you in the lobby."
"An appointment doesn't mean you can afford the vehicles," Derek answered. "And that bus of yours is taking up parking meant for real customers." Gloria glanced toward the windows. The bus sat squarely within its marked space, with clear room for vehicles on either side. "It's in a visitor space. I'm not blocking access, and I arrived at the time your employee confirmed."