I never know how to start haggling, so I asked simply, “Isn’t there anything better you can do on the price?”
“I have to talk to my manager,” the salesman said, then went away and came back. He had taken something off the price, but it wasn’t very much, and since the truck was the nicer model, it made sense that it cost more than the bottom-of-the-line Ford.
But I didn’t want to give up.
I told myself to haggle like a grown-ass woman.
So I asked, “Can you sharpen your pencil?” which is something I heard someone say once. It sounds a lot better than, “Can you give it to me cheaper, please?”
The salesman went away again and when he came back, his pencil was sharper, but not sharp enough. The truck was still too expensive.
I came to my senses, and my inner monologue kicked in: I didn’t need the nicer truck. It was right that the nicer truck cost more than I wanted to pay. You can’t get middle-of-the-line for a bottom-of-the-line price, especially not if you’re a lousy negotiator like me.
“Thank you, but no.” I picked up my purse, rose to go, and started walking toward the door.
At which point all hell broke loose.
The salesman started running toward me, and so did another guy in a tie, and both men called my name, so I turned around.
“I’m the manager,” said the guy in the tie. “Please, come back and sit down. Let me give you our blowout price.”
BLOWOUT PRICE?!
“Okay,” I said calmly, knowing that it probably would not be anywhere near what I was willing to pay.
So we sat down.
And very dramatically, the manager took out a piece of paper and actually wrote BLOWOUT PRICE in a Sharpie, and next to that, he wrote a blowout price. It wasn’t as low as I wanted, but it wasn’t as high as before.
It was the Goldilocks of truck prices.
By the way, did I mention that the truck was M&M blue?
And made in the USA?
Dear Reader, I bought my dream truck!
My new blue truck sits in my driveway, right underneath my red American flag.
Red, white, and blowout price.
I realized later that I didn’t have to say anything to get the better deal.
I just had to leave.
So what is the moral of the story—or even of this book?
Sometimes you do the right thing, even when you have no idea what you’re doing.
Even though your brain is saying: YOU CAN’T NEGOTIATE. YOU CAN’T EVEN SWIM. YOU NEED A LIFEGUARD.
We really are our own lifeguard, in the end.
Our feet will walk us right out the door.
Or wherever we want to go.
May you get the truck of your dreams.
May you get whatever you wish for.
You deserve nothing less.
Because you are top-of-the-line.
Acknowledgments
Lisa and Francesca
Time for thank-yous! We love and thank St. Martin’s Press for supporting this entire series from day one to bestsellerdom. The biggest thanks go to Coach Jen Enderlin, our terrific editor, and major thanks to the brilliant John Sargent, Don Weisberg, Sally Richardson, Jeff Dodes, Jeff Capshew, Lisa Senz, Brant Janeway, Erica Martirano, George Witt, John Edwards, Jeanette Zwart, Dori Weintraub, Tracey Guest, John Karle, Stephanie Davis, Brian Heller, Michael Storrings, Anne-Marie Tallberg, Sara Goodman, Kerry Nordling, Elizabeth Wildman, Caitlin Dareff, Talia Sherer, Kim Ludlum, and all the wonderful sales reps. We appreciate you all!
We’d also like to thank St. Martin’s audiobook division for letting us record our own audiobook of this volume, which we love doing. Thanks to the terrific Mary Beth Roche, our director Laura Wilson, and Samantha Edelson. We love audiobooks!
Huge thanks and love to Lisa’s amazing agent, Robert Gottlieb of the Trident Media Group, and his awesome digital team: Nicole Robson, Emily Ross, Caitlin O’Beirne, and Alicia Granstein. Equally huge thanks and love to Francesca’s terrific agents, Andrea Cirillo, Amy Tannenbaum, and Rebecca Scherer of the Jane Rotrosen Agency—you are guiding lights. Thanks to The Philadelphia Inquirer, which carries our “Chick Wit” column, and to our new editor Reid Tuvim.
One of the best people in the whole entire world is our bestie/honorary aunt/resident therapist/genius assistant Laura Leonard. Laura, thank you so much for all of your great comments and suggestions to these stories. We owe you and love you, forever.
Love to our girlfriends! Lisa would like to thank Nan Daley, Paula Menghetti, Sandy Steingard, and Franca Palumbo. Francesca would like to thank Rebecca Harrington, Katy Andersen, Courtney Yip, Lauren Donahoe, Janie Stolar, and right-hand man, Ryder Kessler. We’re blessed in all of you.
Family is the heart of this book, because family is the heart of everything. Special thanks and love to Brother Frank. We still miss Mother Mary and Father Frank Scottoline, though they are with us always.
Finally, a massive thank-you to our readers. You have taken this series to your heart, and so touched ours. Nothing makes us happier.
We are truly honored.
Read on for an excerpt from Lisa Scottoline’s next novel
EXPOSED
Copyright ? 2017 by Smart Blonde, LLC.
Chapter One
Mary DiNunzio stepped off the elevator, worried. Her father and his friends looked over from the reception area, their lined faces stricken. They’d called her to say they needed a lawyer but until now, she hadn’t been overly concerned. Their last lawsuit was against the Frank Sinatra Social Society of South Philly on behalf of the Dean Martin Fan Club of South Philly. Luckily Mary had been able to settle the matter without involving Tony Bennett.
“Hi, Pop.” Mary crossed the lobby, which was otherwise empty. Marshall, their receptionist, wasn’t at her desk, though she must’ve already gotten in. The aroma of fresh coffee filled the air, since Marshall knew that Mary’s father and his fellow octogenarians ran on caffeine and Coumadin.
“HIYA, HONEY!” her father shouted, despite his hearing aids. Everyone was used to Mariano “Matty” DiNunzio talking loudly, which came off as enthusiastic rather than angry. On the table next to him sat a white box of pastries, as the DiNunzios didn’t go anywhere empty-handed, even to a law firm. The box hadn’t been opened, so whatever was bothering him was something even saturated fats couldn’t cure.