Page 12 of Business Casual

“I’m not—”

“You can’t bullshit a bullshitter.”

I looked between the two men and as they stared at one another, I saw the silent conversation taking place. My godfather was never going to give Avery his blessing and it was killing him. I could practically see the wheels turning in his head as he tried to come up with something to say to grant him favor. Avery Hughes hated not getting his way and my godfather, like my father, was stubborn as hell.

Might as well give it up,I thought with a smirk.

Jimmy knew exactly what went down between us.

Since I was a kid, I kept him up to date with my life. He was easy to talk to and he always had the best advice. A year and a half ago, when I realized I’d been cheated on, I sat with Jimmy while he changed my oil. I told him how Avery cheated, how he didn’t support or believe in my business, and how I was leaving his ass. He was ready to beat Avery’s ass, but I explained to him why we ended cordially. Once Jimmy calmed down, he told me to always trust who a man is when he’s with me.

A man will show you who he is when he’s with you. When he’s trying to get you, when he thinks he’s losing you and when he’s trying to get you back, he’ll pull out all the stops, but that doesn’t last. Trust what he shows you when he actually has you and there’s nothing else he can gain,I silently recalled the words my godfather told me.Trust who he is when he’s with you.

It was such a simple warning, but it was impactful.

“He’s just paying for the damage that his girlfriend did to my car,” I clarified. “There is nothing between us anymore. It’s been over for a year and a half.”

Jimmy winked at me. “Smart girl.” He paused for a moment. “Aight we’re going to get started on your car, Imani. Are you sure you don’t want to borrow one of mine? You know you’ve always wanted to drive The Mustang.”

My eyes widened. “The Mustang?”

‘The Mustang’ wasn’t just any Mustang. Jimmy’s black 1967 Ford Mustang was one of his prized possessions, and I’d only driven it once in my thirty-three years of life.

“I couldn’t,” I gasped. “It’s The Mustang.”

He laughed. “You can’t be without a car for a week.”

My mouth hung open in shock. “But…oh my God! I can’t!”

He pulled the keys from his pocket and held them up. “Well, the Jaguar is out of the question.”

“Well, yes, obviously the Jag is out of the question,” I giggled in agreement. “But…”

“A rental car isn’t going to feel right. You start a new job this week. I need you to roll up in there in style.”

He was right.

I wouldn’t exude the same confidence if I arrived to work on my first day in a basic car, I would carry that same energy throughout the rest of the day.

“You know I’m right. So, take The Mustang.” He shook the keys. “Take it.”

“If you don’t want to take it and you need a ride, I’ll be available to run you around the city until you get your car back,” Avery offered.

Hearing that made my decision a little easier. I bounded over to Jimmy and threw my arms around him. “Thank you!”

“You know you’re like a daughter to me. I’d do anything for you.” He gave me a tight squeeze before letting me go. “So, Avery, you need to make sure you have your girlfriend in line because if any scratches, dents, flat tires, or damages whatsoever come to my Mustang, I’m coming to see you, youngblood.”

“You don’t have to worry about that happening. The situation has been handled,” Avery assured us both. He looked at me. “And when you get your car back, you don’t have to worry about it happening again.”

I nodded. “Okay. I appreciate you getting this taken care of so quickly.”

He gave me a contrite look. “It shouldn’t have happened in the first place. I really am sorry.” He reached out to shake my hand and then he shook Jimmy’s. “It’s good seeing you again, sir. And just so you know, people can change. And I will win your goddaughter back one of these days.”

I rolled my eyes. “I don’t want you back. We exist within the same friend group, but we are barely friends.”

Jimmy patted me on my back. “Smart girl.”

With a laugh, I hugged my godfather once more. “Thank you for letting me borrow The Mustang, Jimmy. I’ll take good care of it.”

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