Page 32 of Business Casual

“You still have to call me Tre,” he said, flashing his sexy smile at me.

With a serious look, I nodded. “I think I can do that.”

“So now that that’s settled, I’m curious—you have a Ferrari and an old-school Mustang?”

“The ‘67 Mustang is my godfather’s. He’s letting me borrow it while my Ferrari is in the shop.” My lips turned upward. “He wanted to make sure I was driving in style while my baby was out of commission.”

“You really do love your Ferrari, don’t you?”

“I do. I’ve invested so much into it that it’s an extension of me.”

“How so?”

“Time, money, blood, sweat, and tears.” I chewed my food thoughtfully. “It was the last thing me and my dad worked on together. We didn’t build it from the ground up, but we restored it and made it like new.”

“Wait…” He sat back. “You told me at the restaurant you got the car with your dad, but you didn’t say you were a full-blown mechanic.”

I laughed. “I’m not a mechanic. But I can hold my own. Back when I had more time, I liked to do my own repairs.”

“Your dad taught you?”

I nodded. “My dad and Jimmy—my godfather—taught me everything I know. They co-owned a shop, and they spent a lot of time there. So, I spent a lot of time with them growing up. Almost every day after school I was there. Some weekends too.”

“Let me get this straight… you would come home after school and go to the shop with your dad and your godfather?”

I nodded. “Yeah. Cars are my passion. My after-school activities consisted of me working on and learning about cars.”

“Did you have friends?” He asked the question with so much sincerity that I immediately burst out laughing.

“Yes!”

He leaned forward and feigned concern. “Friends your age?”

“Shut up!” I cackled. “What about you? What did you do for fun growing up?”

“I played sports, had two academic extracurricular activities, and then school. There wasn’t time for much else.” He gave me a tight smile. “But when I got to college, I focused on football and schoolwork. That’s when I got the freedom to figure out what else I liked to do.”

“And what did you discover that you liked?” I wondered.

His brown eyes lit up. “Music. I heard Prince’sPurple Rainon a record player for the first time and I was…” He let out a low whistle. “My mom loved Prince and so I grew up on him. But there was something about hearing it on vinyl. That same night I hit my parents up and asked if they would buy me a record player. I wasn’t working because of football and the coaches at Hamilton University don’t play—”

I almost choked on the piece of burger I was swallowing. “Wait, you went to HU?”

“Yeah.” A quizzical expression crossed his face. “Did I not tell you that during the interview?”

“No, you didn’t.”

The crease between his eyebrows deepened. “Hm. I guess I really was distracted. Because I usually give a little background about myself.” He wiped his hands on a napkin. “So, I went to HU for undergrad. I went to grad school in New York. Worked in the Financial District for a few years until it was time for me to come home and participate in the family business.”

“Is this what you want to do?”

“It is now. I’ve been pushing for what we’re doing now for a long time so now I’m feeling like I’m working in my purpose.” He opened his mouth as if he were going to say something else and then took a bite of food instead. Once he swallowed, he asked, “Are you doing what you want to do?”

I analyzed him for a moment. I knew that wasn’t originally what he was going to say, but I didn’t push it. “Yeah, I love being able to connect people with what it is that they need. I love the flexibility of contracts. I love working with new companies and figuring out how to best serve them. It’s like a new puzzle each time. And social media trends change daily so it’s never a dull moment.”

“Is this your dream job?”

I took a long sip of my shake before answering. “Yeah, I think so. I can’t imagine being happier doing anything else. Is this your dream job?”

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