“You don’t have to get a fuckin’ attitude. Now I want to talk to the owner of this fuckin’ shop. I want to talk to someone who has real authority. You’re a manager, so you probably got to call the owner to make any real decisions,” she quipped.
Seth’s chuckle could be heard behind me. He knew that shit would get real in a second if ol’ girl didn’t chill the hell out. I took a breath as I tried to ground myself. I extended my hand to her with greeting. “Hi, I’m Scott MacLeod, the owner. How can I help you?”
She looked down at my hand, then up at my face that wore a slight smile. There was skepticism in her stare. “You’re the owner?”
Too much time was being spent on her stupid-ass questions. “Miss Williams, I am the owner. In an effort to save time, how would you like to settle your invoice today?”
She sucked her teeth. “I’m not paying that shit. Why the fuck does it cost that much to bump out a few dints? Y’all niggas are trying to get me because I’m a female.”
My jaw ticked, eyes slit, and forehead creased. Her words had me look down at the invoice again to make sure that I wasn’t tripping. At the bottom of our invoices was a statement that told us what happened to cause the damage. This shit said that she was hit on the passenger side of her vehicle. They should have total loss this little ass Corolla, but that’s another subject.
“Miss Williams, your driver and passenger side doors were replaced and painted to match your custom paint job. The paint was a special mix. I can guarantee you that we aren’t trying to get you. The work is the work, and the price is the price. Before we started the work on your vehicle, you approved all of it and were made aware of the price,” I reminded her.
We never start work before we get a sign off from the vehicle owner. It was for this very reason. This bitch probably had the same invoice that I held in my hand in that designer purse that hung off her arm.
“Well, I found out after I signed that shit that I could have gotten it done for half the price. They said that you were overcharging me,” she said with conviction. “I’m not paying to be overcharged.”
My body turned slightly toward Seth, and I gave him that nod. When I turned back to Miss Williams, I only had half a teaspoon left of customer service. “Miss Williams, as stipulated in our contracts and invoices, we wait two business days before we start the repairs. Anytime within those two days, you have the right to contact us to cancel the work order. At no time did that happen, so you owe this invoice. If you truly do not want to pay for it, that is fine. We will return your car to its original state that it was in when it arrived.”
Her eyes enlarged. “What! No the fuck you won’t.”
My head dropped as my fingers rose to pinch the bridge of my nose. “Look. I don’t have the patience or time for this bullshit.” When I lifted my head, I wore a scowl to match hers. “You have two options. You can pay this fuckin’ invoice, or get your car back in a few days the way it came in this bitch.”
The offense sat on her face. She tittered before she spoke. “Yeah, neither of those are going to happen. I got one better. I’m about to call my nigga up here. Let’s see if you talk that big shit when he gets here.”
She was about to get her nigga killed over a bill that she should have paid. This shit was sad. These types of females were dangerous. They wanted to pull niggas into bullshit, then when that bullshit ended with their nigga dead, they were at the funeral, ready to jump on the casket.Bitch, you caused this shit.
“That’s fine. I’ll be in my office when he arrives,” I told her before I turned my back to her. “Jonathan, let me know when her nigga gets here. I’ll be in my office.”
Just as I was about to walk off, Lo’ak walked into the waiting area with two niggas that I didn’t know behind him. It didn’t bother me, because I knew him enough to know that if you were in his presence, you were solid. “Lo’ak, what’s up?”
We greeted each other with a hand dap. “What’s going on, Scotty? It’s been a while. Thank you for taking this meeting. Let me introduce you to Derrick Phillips and Seneca Loris.”
We all greeted each other before I told them they could follow me to my office’s conference room. I offered water, juice, or liquor before we all got settled. Lo’ak and Seneca accepted the water, while Derrick accepted the liquor.
After a sip from his water bottle, Lo’ak started the conversation. “Scotty, I wanted to meet with you because my boy Derrick has an opportunity for you. The last time we talked, you told me that you wanted a change of scenery. I think this is that opportunity.”
“Really? What exactly is the opportunity?” I asked. Curiosity sat on my shoulders.
He was right. For years, I had wanted a change. I felt like that change couldn’t happen to the level that I needed without a change of location. Although I owned four auto body shops, I wasn’t locked into moving, because my shops were run efficiently by the men that worked under me. Grady was the manager of this shop. It was rare that I needed to be here. If I worked on a vehicle, it was because I was bored and wanted to.
Lo’ak glanced at Derrick. “Yeah, so I own a body shop in Charlotte, North Carolina, that was passed down by my father. It’s been up and running for forty years. My previous manager unfortunately took a trip to hell and was unable to return. When I told Lo’ak that I was looking for a new manager, you were suggested. I trust his recommendation, so here we are.”
I heard his words, but something wasn’t clicking. My focus fell on Lo’ak. “I’m an interesting recommendation. Is there a specific reason that you recommended me, Lo’ak? I’m sure that there are men in your city that are more than capable of managing a body shop.”
There was more to this opportunity than just managing a body shop. There could only be one reason why he would have recommended my ass to come all the way to Charlotte, North Carolina. Yeah, I needed more context.
Lo’ak nodded with understanding. “Well, your shops and his have some things in common as far as under-the-table operations. I told him that you would be a major asset to clean up what the former manager fucked up. You’re a solid nigga that’s about your business, loyal, and trustworthy. That’s why I recommended you.”
Under-the-table operations.That was what I wanted to hear. You didn’t come hundreds of miles away to ask for a manager just for body shop management in the environment that we lived in.
For the next fifteen to twenty minutes, we talked more about the under-the-table operations that needed to be cleaned up. If I would even entertain the idea, I needed to know what I could potentially get myself into. Another element that was important to me was the money. Yes, amazing income would still be brought in by my shops here, but I still wouldn’t uproot my life for an opportunity that didn’t make sense.
“The opportunity definitely sounds enticing. I understand your previous manager’s need for his trip to hell. How about I commit to six months to get your operations together? Trust me, it won’t take that long, as long as you give me complete autonomy. I don’t like being micromanaged. If you trust me, then trust me. I do understand that you two don’t know me, so the trust aspect may be hard, but it’s clear that you trust Lo’ak.
“You trusted him enough to fly here and check me out, so I would need you to trust me enough to run your operation to get it to a level that satisfies you,” I told them. My autonomy with how I moved was non-negotiable.
Before anyone else could speak, there was a knock at the door. Johnathan popped his head in after I welcomed the person in. “That chick’s dude is out here. He’s a goofy like her. Oh, Grady said that Seth said it’s done.”
