I brought the pickup back to the lot. Susie asked what I thought. “It handled well enough, but I really don’t have much use for a pickup, since I don’t do a lot of carrying things.”
“Maybe you want to try one of our SUV’s or minivans, a Suburban or Traverse, perhaps??”
“That might work better. I once had a 1996 Blazer, and liked it a lot. The four wheel drive was helpful, since it snowed a lot where I lived in the northeast then, and I could carry a lot of stuff inside it.”
Susie smiled. “Too bad they quit making the Trail Blazer. That might have worked for you. Just curious, what color was the Blazer??”
I smiled at Susie. “Purple.”
Susie laughed out loud. “You had one of those?? That was the oddest color!!”
“Yeah it was, though in certain light it looked more blue. I used to get a lot of people looking at me at traffic lights, pointing out the color.”
“I had seen a few of those, but never was able to get one.” Susie seemed genuinely taken by my odd style of vehicle, and tickled to meet someone who had actually had one.
“They didn’t make very many, and I think quite a few of those went to western PA, since there’s a Plum Township near Pittsburgh. They were pretty popular there. Bet you don’t have a purple Traverse.”
Susie laughed again. “No, I don’t. But I’m sure I’ll find one you like,” she said, laying her hand on mine across the center console. Our eyes met for a moment, and I could see something beyond just a car dealer fishing for the sale.
Susie got the keys for a Traverse next, and we took it out. I like the visibility of a lot of glass, and the van worked well in that regard. We talked about the van as we drove. I asked if the rear seats came out.
“All of them do,” said Susie, “and there’s underfloor storage in the tailgate.”
“That might be helpful. I do a lot of photography, and sometimes carry tripods and such. It can be a lot easier to just pick it up and toss it in the back than break it down. So taking out one row of seats can be helpful.”
“What kind of work do you do??” Susie asked.
“I’m happily retired, but I do some freelance-very freelance-photography in the transportation industry. I’ve had photos in several publications, as well as in some calendars for railroads and truck lines. I like to get their operations in scenic locations, which really shows off what they do in an attractive way.”
“That sounds fascinating. I’d love to see some of your work some time.”
“I’ll bring by some of the calendars I’ve had photos in. You never know, maybe I can do a calendar for your dealership,” I said, figuring, why not, maybe Susie won’t be the only one making a sale today. I returned to the task at hand. “The great thing about the removable seats is that when I take the grandkids out, I can just lock the seat back in, and off we go.”
“How many grandchildren do you have??” asked Susie, smiling. “I bet they’re adorable.”
“Six, and one coming around Christmas. The oldest is 8, the youngest is 2. They’re quite a bunch.” I looked at Susie, who was glowing. “I know you have a few yourself, I’ve seen them in the TV ads” I said.