She resisted. Instead, she focused on the new expansion agreement, where the practical complications were multiplying faster than the celebratory photographs could circulate. Caine Mobility had promised dependable service coverage, rapid vehicle turnaround, and accurate maintenance records for commercial clients that operated before dawn and long after midnight. A broken van could strand a courier, delay a home medical delivery, or leave a field technician without transportation. Victoria wanted the system behind those vehicles to work before the company began selling its reliability to everyone else.
At the procurement meetings, Peter Ashby continued to question the value of an independent network. He was not a villain, nor was his concern invented; he had seen attractive pilot programs become expensive obligations when the company underestimated training, insurance, and administrative costs. His spreadsheets showed clear savings from using one national provider. What they did not yet show was whether those savings survived a missed diagnosis, a backlog, or a fleetwide delay.
Naomi brought him a revised comparison showing both costs and operational risks. The national chain could absorb a sudden influx of vehicles across several branches, but its repair quality varied by location, and its standard turnaround estimates assumed parts availability that did not always exist. The independent shops offered more direct communication and, in some cases, better diagnostic records, but they also had limited bays and little spare cash. No model solved everything, which made the choice less comfortable and more important.
"I don't mind paying for quality," Peter told Naomi. "I mind pretending good intentions substitute for service capacity." "So do I," she replied. "That's why we're assessing twelve shops instead of handing a contract to the first mechanic the CEO likes." Peter gave her a dry look. "Let's make sure everyone remembers that last part."
The on-site inspection was scheduled for the following Thursday at nine in the morning. Ethan cleaned the shop on Wednesday night, but he refused to hide the disabled lift or move its yellow warning sign. He cleared the clutter from the storage shelves, labeled containers of used fluids, checked the calibration records of his testing equipment, and replaced a burned-out bulb above the workbench. When he finished, the garage was not suddenly modern, but every safe working area was orderly and every deficiency he knew about was identified rather than concealed.
Lily appeared in the doorway wearing her pajamas, having been brought from home by Rachel after an evening at her aunt's house. "Is the important lady coming tomorrow?" she asked. Ethan placed a rag over the oil pan and went to meet her. "Not her. People who work with her."