[Modern Family] Ch: 50 [From Luxury Cars to Mobile Games] (Patreon)

[Next day] 

Jason pulled his white Nissan 370Z into the Audi dealership's parking lot shortly after ten in the morning.

He'd spent most of the previous night researching luxury sedans, comparing specifications, watching reviews, and reading through owner discussions. By the time he went to bed, he'd already decided what he wanted.

An Audi A8 L.

He'd briefly considered the S8 because a 450-horsepower V10 sounded incredibly tempting. However, after thinking about what he actually needed, the longer, more comfortable A8 L made considerably more sense. His Nissan already satisfied his desire for a sporty car.

The W12 was another option, although Jason had dismissed it after looking at its fuel consumption. There was no reason to feed twelve cylinders when the 4.2-liter V8 already produced 350 horsepower.

Besides, he wanted the best luxury experience possible without breaking 200 grand or stopping at a gas station every 3 hours.

Inside the showroom, a salesman in his late thirties was organizing paperwork behind a desk. He looked up when Jason entered and immediately approached with a professional smile.

"Good morning, sir. Welcome to Audi. I'm Michael. Is there anything particular you're interested in today?"

"Morning, Michael. I'm looking to buy an A8 L, preferably the 4.2 quattro."

Michael's smile became considerably more interested.

Most customers who'd entered the dealership lately were looking for smaller vehicles, discounts, or ways to get out of their existing payments. The financial crisis had made selling expensive luxury sedans considerably harder, and a young man walking in specifically asking for an A8 L was an unexpected development.

"Absolutely, sir. We have an A8 L available for you to look at. Would you like some coffee or sparkling water while we go through the options?"

Jason considered the offer. "You wouldn't happen to have a cherry Slurpee, would you?"

Michael paused.

"A cherry... Slurpee?"

"Yeah, from 7-Eleven. Preferably a large one."

Michael looked briefly confused before laughing. "I'm afraid our refreshments aren't quite that extensive, sir."

"Well, regular water's fine."

Michael led him toward a silver A8 L sitting near the showroom windows and signaled another guy to bring in a water bottle.

Jason spent the next twenty minutes examining the car before taking it out for a test drive. The cabin was exceptionally quiet, the seats were really comfortable, and the suspension absorbed road imperfections beautifully.

Even with its considerable size, the V8 had more than enough power to make acceleration enjoyable.

By the time they returned, Jason was satisfied.

"I'll take one," he told Michael as they stepped out.

Michael straightened immediately. "Wonderful! Would you like to discuss financing?"

"I'll do a direct bank wire transfer. There's just one problem. I want Ibis White and pretty much every upgrade available."

Michael stopped walking.

"Every upgrade?"

"Yes. I want the fully loaded version."

Michael took a moment to process the request before guiding Jason toward his desk.

They spent another half hour reviewing the available packages and equipment, making sure the selections were compatible.

Unfortunately, when Michael checked their inventory, there wasn't anything remotely close to Jason's requested configuration.

"We can absolutely arrange a factory order," Michael explained. "However, with this combination of options and your preferred color, you're probably looking at three to four months before delivery."

Jason leaned back in his chair.

"Four months?"

"Possibly sooner, although I'd rather give you a realistic estimate."

Jason considered that for a few seconds. He really didn't want to wait until October for a car he'd decided to buy today. "Can you get your manager? I want to try something."

Michael excused himself and returned several minutes later with the dealership's sales manager, a well-dressed man named Richard Bennett.

After introductions, Jason explained what he wanted.

"Could you run a dealer-trade search across the entire United States? I'm willing to pay extra if another dealership already has the exact configuration."

Richard considered the request before nodding.

"We can certainly try. Finding that particular combination won't be easy, though."

"That's fine. Run the search."

Richard returned to his office while Michael continued discussing the car's features with Jason.

Nearly forty minutes passed before the manager returned.

And this time, he was smiling.

"Mr. Miller, I believe we found your car."

Jason immediately put down his water.

"Seriously?"

"There's a dealership in Miami, Florida, holding an Ibis White A8 L 4.2 quattro with fully loaded upgrades you requested. It was prepared as a fully optioned showcase vehicle for a private customer."

Richard placed a printed specification sheet on the desk. "The buyer recently canceled the purchase. From what I understand, he's holding off on several major expenditures because of the economy."

Jason examined the sheet carefully.

Everything matched.

The technology package, Bang & Olufsen sound system, seat ventilation and massage, upgraded leather interior, solar sunroof, acoustic glass, and other comfort features were all there.

Even the interior color was correct.

"That's the one," Jason said. "How quickly can you get it here?"

Richard tapped his pen against the desk. "Normally, we'd arrange standard vehicle transport. That could take considerably longer, depending on the carrier's schedule."

"What about expedited enclosed transport?" Jason asked.

Richard studied him for a moment. "We could arrange a dedicated enclosed carrier with team drivers. That would be expensive, especially bringing it all the way from Miami. So, I'd strongly recommend considering waiting a few weeks."

Jason smiled. "Mr. Bennett, I came here because I want to buy a car. If you can get me the exact one I want within five days, I'll happily pay for the convenience."

Richard looked at Michael.

Michael looked back at him.

Neither man seemed particularly interested in arguing with a customer who was offering to spend that kind of money during a recession.

"Let me make some calls," Richard finally said.

Another hour passed while the manager negotiated with the Miami dealership and arranged transportation.

Eventually, everything was confirmed.

The vehicle would be transferred to their dealership's inventory, inspected, and shipped directly to Jason's house using a dedicated enclosed vehicle transporter. Two drivers would handle the cross-country journey, with an estimated delivery time of three to four days.

Jason reviewed the final paperwork carefully.

The figure included the vehicle, factory options, dealer-trade premium, expedited enclosed transportation, shipping insurance, California sales tax, registration, title, processing fees, and the separate insurance policy arranged for the car.

TOTAL PURCHASE COST: $136,956.00

Jason stared at the figure for several seconds.

'Jesus Christ. I could buy another rental property with that money.'

It was considerably more than he'd originally expected to spend, especially considering how much of the total came from upgrades and getting the vehicle delivered quickly. Still, he had sufficient savings, investments, and rental income to justify the purchase without putting himself in financial trouble.

And he really wanted that car.

"Alright. Let's do it."

Michael's expression brightened immediately.

Richard extended his hand across the desk. "Mr. Miller, it's been an absolute pleasure doing business with you."

Jason shook it before reaching for his pen.

"Likewise. And Michael?"

"Yes, sir?"

"Next time I come here, you guys should seriously consider stocking cherry Slurpees."

Michael laughed. "I'll pass that recommendation directly to management."

Richard looked toward him.

"I am management."

"Even better," Jason replied.

...

[Friday] [Jason's House]

Three days later, Jason received a call shortly before eleven in the morning.

His Audi had arrived.

He walked outside just as a large enclosed vehicle transporter slowly approached his driveway. The truck stopped near the entrance, and two men climbed down to prepare the unloading equipment.

Jason watched with considerable interest as the rear doors opened and the loading ramp extended.

A few minutes later, his new Audi A8 L emerged from the trailer.

The Ibis White paint looked beautiful beneath the sunlight. Its long body, chrome accents, and polished wheels gave it an expensive, understated appearance.

The transport driver carefully lowered it onto the pavement and brought it to a stop.

"Mr. Miller? We've got your Audi here. Could you inspect it before signing?"

"Absolutely."

Jason spent several minutes walking around the vehicle, checking the paint, wheels, glass, and interior against the condition photographs provided before shipping.

Everything looked perfect.

He examined the leather seats, tested the electronic controls, checked the trunk, and confirmed the vehicle's documentation.

After signing the delivery paperwork, he accepted the keys and thanked the drivers.

Once the transporter departed, Jason climbed into the driver's seat.

The cabin smelled of new leather.

"Smells like money."

He pressed the start button, and the V8 came to life with a quiet, satisfying rumble.

Jason adjusted the seat, explored the multimedia controls, and tested the Bang & Olufsen sound system before selecting a comfortable driving position.

"Okay, I can definitely get used to this."

He pulled the Audi into his garage and parked it beside the white Nissan 370Z.

For a moment, he simply stood there looking at both cars.

One was a fast, compact sports coupe, perfect for enjoying the road. The other was a luxurious, spacious sedan that could comfortably carry his girlfriends and enough luggage for a proper trip.

As for the bike, it was catching dust in the corner.

'I should take it out sometimes,' He thought. "Anyway..."

Jason took out his phone and snapped a picture with his new car.

'One hundred and thirty-seven thousand dollars. Goddamn. Thank you, God, for this new easy-going life.'

He knew he'd paid a ridiculous premium for convenience. Nevertheless, looking at the finished product, he couldn't bring himself to regret the decision.

His garage had officially become a considerably more expensive place.

"I should upgrade the security system."

.

Jason spent another few minutes admiring the Audi before finally leaving the garage. He'd been tempted to take it out for a drive, but there was something he needed to do first.

Once inside, he grabbed his laptop, settled onto the living room sofa, and opened his financial spreadsheet.

"Alright, let's see how badly I just assaulted my bank account."

He entered the Audi's purchase price, including shipping, taxes, registration, and insurance, then opened his online banking account to reconcile the remaining transactions.

His last major financial review had put his bank balance at approximately $460,000 after the lottery winnings. Since then, he'd spent money on dates, groceries, fuel, bills, and equipment for The Grid Lab. There was also rental income from his apartment building.

After checking his statements and sorting everything into the appropriate categories, Jason leaned back and examined the updated figures.

Personal Cash Flow | May to June 2009

Opening bank balance: $460,000

Rental income (3 units, June): +$2,550

Audi A8 L, all costs included: -$136,956

Technology and recording equipment: -$2,850

Gas, parking and tolls: -$420

Dates, restaurants and entertainment: -$1,160

Groceries and household purchases: -$820

Utilities, internet and regular bills: -$960

Rental property expenses: -$480

Miscellaneous spending: -$410

Remaining bank balance: $318,494

Jason stared at the final figure for several seconds.

"Well, there goes a hundred and forty thousand dollars."

He scrolled through the entries again, checking whether he'd accidentally counted something twice. The Audi's insurance was already included in the purchase total, and the tenants' security deposits were kept separately since that money technically belonged to them.

Everything looked right.

His brokerage account was still separate, holding approximately $25,000 in stocks and another $25,000 in uninvested cash. The investments had fluctuated a little, but he wasn't planning to touch them anytime soon.

That brought his readily accessible cash and brokerage assets to roughly $368,000, without counting his house, cars, rental property, or collectibles.

"Still doing pretty damn well," Jason admitted, closing the banking tab.

Nevertheless, the sudden reduction in his balance bothered him a little.

For a brief moment, he considered visiting a casino again.

After all, one lucky jackpot spin had once earned him $700,000 after taxes. And more recently, a couple of scratch-off tickets had delivered another ridiculous windfall.

'Should I just...'

He opened a new browser tab and searched for casinos in Vegas.

Several results appeared.

Jason studied them for almost a minute before laughing at himself.

"Damn it, I'm actually considering gambling because I spent too much money."

He closed the tab.

There was no guarantee another visit would end like the first, and losing money just to chase another jackpot sounded incredibly stupid. He had rental income, investments, two YouTube channels, and plenty of opportunities to grow his wealth without putting it on a roulette wheel.

Still, he couldn't completely dismiss the temptation.

"Maybe someday, with a strict budget," he murmured. "Or after testing Penny's magic lips a bit more."

Jason saved the spreadsheet and closed his laptop.

For now, he had enough money, and the expensive white Audi sitting in his garage wasn't going anywhere.

"Besides, if I lose a hundred grand at a casino, I'll probably have to explain that to three girlfriends."

He considered that possibility.

"Humm... Wait a minute! I can create a mobile game Fuck, I wasted so much time. With my information processing adaptability, I can create Fruit Ninja in like 6 weeks or so... Then there's Candy Crush. With the new phones shifting to full touch display, I can make fucking millions. Heck, I can even promote them through my channels."

--

Next: Penny, Burgers & Mystic Warlords of Ka'a