My Cobra Guy

Episode Sixty-Seven

Johnny could not describe how awkward he felt after that exchange. Any time he walked through the sales floor to get paperwork for Daniel or check if the bonsai trees needed to be restocked, he could feel Anoush and Louie staring at him. He still hadn't forgiven Louie for what had been done to his Firebird, the one that had been replaced with his van.

Let it go, he reminded himself. Louie was Daniel's cousin, and this was Daniel's dealership. He couldn't cause a scene here.

He'd already done his best to sift through the piles of paperwork on Daniel's desk. And right now, Daniel was in a conference held on the internet with someone in Japan.

"Hey, hey, Johnny!" Anoush waved him over.

Louie was engaged with a customer, a middle-aged man eyeing one of the sportier models. What the hell did Anoush want?

"Yeah?" Johnny asked. He'd been told to take a break during the meeting, and thought he might have some of what remained of the buffet. Someone had restocked it; had that been more for the customers than for Daniel? He'd bet Louie had still had the bulk of it.

"You know anything about this line of work?" Anoush asked.

"I know how cars work," Johnny said. But not the new cars that talked, acted as phones, and showed videos of what was behind you. What was wrong with a car being just a car?

"Huh." Anoush surveyed him. "Your kid didn't do too bad here, until he stole one of the vehicles."

"What? You think I'm going to rob Danny and bring one of his vehicles home?" How would that make sense?

"Who knows? Robby ran away from Daniel," Anoush continued. "Even after Daniel gave him everything. Where's your kid now?"

This asshole was trying to provoke him, insulting his parenting skills. They didn't think he was good enough for Daniel; wasn't that it?

"In school," Johnny said with full confidence.

"Oh. Not back in juvie?" Anoush prodded.

"Leave my kid outta this," Johnny said. "If you think I'm trash, just say it."

"Fine, Johnny." Anoush lowered his voice. "But I don't think you're trash. I think you're worse than trash."

Only a few weeks ago, Johnny probably would've punched him in the face. But Daniel was relying on him. What the hell would happen to Daniel's Internet meeting if he heard Johnny left?

Johnny turned to walk away, just as a man in his mid-forties entered, wearing a red shirt beneath a black and yellow plaid button down. He wore overly baggy jeans, the kind that were more popular before Johnny was in a coma.

"We're not done here," Anoush said.

Johnny seized on the customer. If he was engaged with the customer, Anoush couldn't really intervene. The man looked oddly familiar, and Johnny wasn't sure why.

"Hi! Welcome to LaRusso!" Johnny said with the biggest smile he could manage.

The stranger chuckled. "Hah. I like that. Only guy here not in a sport coat. Keepin' it real. You are a salesman, right?"

"That's right, I am," Johnny said as Anoush stalked toward him.

"A very new salesman," Anoush interjected, then beckoned Johnny over. "A word of advice before your first customer."

Johnny had no choice but to humor him. The worst Anoush could do was say something dumb, right?

"What?" Johnny asked as Anoush filled his cup of coffee.