Page 92 of Business Casual

Hm. Alex.

Clearing my throat, I looked over at the matriarch. “Mrs. Franklin, I heard you’re a great cook and that you also make a delicious coconut pie,” I mentioned with a friendly smile. “Is that your signature dessert?”

She grinned. “You heard about my desserts, huh?”

“Yes ma’am. I heard nothing but good things about your cooking. But the coconut pie in particular stood out to me. It’s one of my favorite dishes.”

“Well then it looks like the next time I make it, I’ll have to send one to the office for you,” she replied.

“That’s so generous of you. Are you sure? You don’t have to, but I appreciate the offer.”

“No, I insist.” She winked at me. “Not many people like coconut pie so any excuse I have to make one, I’m going to take it.”

I put my hand to my chest. “Thank you so much. I appreciate that kindness.”

“Think of it as a thank you,” she returned. “From what I hear, your presence and skill at the company has elevated my son’s vision and helped it gain traction much quicker than anticipated.”

“Thank you for saying that. The vision is a brilliant one”—I glanced at Tre— “and it’ll do great things for the community as a whole.”

Josephine cleared her throat sharply and when I looked at her, she was giving me a look.

Did she see a spark?

“How do you like working in an office setting?” Theresa asked, saving me from falling down the rabbit hole of stressing. “You’re a freelancer, correct?”

“I enjoy the flexibility of my schedule, but in working on a project of this nature, it’s been great to have an office to work from within the company. It makes it easier in case any questions arise,” I answered her.

“What do you do in your free time, Imani?” Chase questioned. “Outside of social media, who is Imani Jones?”

I am not about to tell these people all my business.

“I guess the most unique thing about me is that I’m a bit of a car enthusiast,” I disclosed.

Theresa’s date perked up. “What does that mean exactly? Do you go to car shows? Do you collect cars?”

“It can mean different things to different people but it’s essentially just a love of cars. I don’t work on them as much as I used to because of work and life. But cars are works of art. I like the look of them, but I also think it’s cathartic to work on them. Find the problem and fix it.”

“That’s how I feel about painting,” Theresa chimed in.

Everyone took turns sharing what they liked to do outside of work as we ate. Because it didn’t have anything to do with work, everyone participated in the conversation and the time flew by. Whenever Tre was speaking, I couldn’t look at him for more than a few seconds at a time. And I would never look him in the eyes. I couldn’t risk anyone seeing whatever it was Josephine saw.

“Imani?” Sydney called my name, pulling me from my thoughts.

I blinked rapidly. “I’m sorry. What was that?”

“Oh, I was just admiring your dress,” she stated.

“Thank you. Yours is beautiful,” I returned. “Did you get it at House of Rah?”

Her big brown eyes lit up. “I did!”

I nodded. “That’s where mine came from as well.”

“Looks like you both have the same taste,” Josephine remarked from beside me.

I froze.

Tre cleared his throat.

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