Frank nods from the back.
“It sounds like you’ve got that section down then, sweetheart,” he growls.
April merely laughs merrily. “Yes, but I need to be a lot more specific with my business plan, and not just for you guys, but for myself too. I want to have a roadmap laid out so that if I get lost, I can find my way back.”
I nod thoughtfully.
“Yes, but plans change when it comes to new ventures, sweetheart, so even the best roadmap can end up being tossed in the trash.”
She gasps, turning to stare at me.
“Are you serious?”
I nod, keeping my eyes on the road.
“Yes, and it’s just how these things work. That’s why I always say not to get too tied to a plan because who knows? The world could change, your supplier could shut down, or maybe even schools close unexpectedly. Even the best-laid plans get destroyed by black swan events sometimes.”
She nods.
“Totally get it,” April hums thoughtfully. But then she turns to us with curiosity in her eyes. “Did you guys have a business plan when you started Lube It All?” she asks.
I laugh. “Nope, not even a little bit, so yeah, we’re pretty much “do as I say, and not as I do” guys. It’s different with a body shop though because honestly? There’s only so much experimentation you can do. Our offerings are the same as our competitors, we just do it faster, better, and for a lower price.”
“That makes sense.” But then her eyes widen as she stares out the window at a huge sports arena that’s whizzing by. “Hey, it’s the Meadowlands! Have you guys ever been to a Giants game?”
“That was quite a transition,” I say, laughing.
She points out the window to where the stadium is. “No but look! It’s the MetLife Stadium. Oooh, cool!”
I chuckle.
“Yeah, we actually have season tickets to the Giants,” I tell April. “We love football, even if the team hasn’t been great lately. Why, honey? Do you enjoy sports?”
She giggles and shakes her head.
“I definitely don’t play sports because I’m so uncoordinated that it would be really embarrassing if I even did intramurals. But it’s also crazy because I’ve actually never been to a professional sporting event either. Sure, I’ve attended kiddie soccer games for my nephew Aiden, but definitely nothing where you have to pay money. The tickets are just so expensive!” she says wistfully.
I take the chance to look at her sideways.
“We’ll take you to a Giants game this year if you’re interested, sweetheart. It’s no trouble. The team is shit right now, but the games can be a lot of fun.”
Her pretty face lights up and my heart contracts with an unnamed emotion. “I think I’d like that a lot, Dylan and Frank. Thank you.”
“We’ll make it happen then, sweetheart,” my friend growls from the backseat. “It’s no trouble.”
The rest of the drive into Manhattan is peaceful and serene. We chat idly, but there are also long stretches of comfortable silence. It’s nice being with April, and we don’t have to fill the air with words just for the sake of noise. Even more, I love learning new things about April, like how much she knows about flora and fauna. But I guess I shouldn’t be surprised because it turns out our girl is an amateur naturalist on the side.
“OMG, there’s a white birch!” she says, pointing to a copse of trees off by the side. “And maple and spruce!”
I shoot her a sideways look.
“How do you know all this?”
She giggles.
“Well, you know my friend, Colleen? The one I’ve mentioned before? Her dad taught me whenever I went to her house. He’s a computer engineer by trade, but a naturalist at heart, so he took every chance to teach us. Colleen wasn’t interested at all, but I absorbed some of it.”
Frank nods in the back seat
“It is interesting,” he notes. “I see trees every day, but I’ve never bothered to learn their names, much less learn their identifying characteristics.”
April giggles.
“I suppose there’s no reason to, really. But maple and oak are easy to identify, trust me.”
“And birch,” I growl, remembering the trees that surrounded us that time we made love in the forest. The white trunks make it easy to recognize those, too.
“Exactly,” she smiles naughtily, reading my mind.
Once I pull off the exit that brings us into the city, I let Frank and April chat so that I can focus on the road. I’m confident in my skills as a driver, but in the urban jungle, you can never be too careful. We finally manage to park in a garage just two blocks from our destination, and escort April down the sidewalk to La Fontaine.
“After you,” I say gallantly while holding the door open for the buxom brunette.
“Oh wow, this restaurant is really nice,” April says nervously as we enter and give the hostess our names. The interior is dimly lit with flickering candles, pristine white tablecloths, and waiters decked in black and white bustling about. “Are you sure I’m dressed okay?”