HAPEVILLE, GA – HERTZ-RENT A CAR – SALES LOT

…. The transaction is smooth. Syl shows her a low-mileage red 1982 Mustang, driven across the country from California, with only 48,000 miles on the odometer. Price: $2,480. It has a manual transmission—the way her father taught her to drive at fourteen. Manual shift cars aren’t in high demand in America. Scarlett buys it without hesitation, a mix of nostalgia and satisfaction settling in. Syl handles the paperwork, and when he finally hands her the keys, he surprises her with a brief, warm hug before she can react. “Good luck, Miss Scarlett. You made my day.”
She slides into the driver’s seat, fingers resting on the wheel, and smiles to herself. You made mine, too.
[Chapter 17 — Wednesday March 7, 1984]