Page 20 of Give Me a Shot

“Don’t worry about it now, ma’am,” he said. “I’ll settle it with Mo.”

“Oh, okay,” she said. “Well, thank you again for arriving so quickly.”

He shrugged as he walked around Jess’s car in the spot he’d chosen, seeming to check that everything was as he wanted it.

“Like I said on the way, Mo’s good people, raised right. He’s not a talker, so when he does, says something’s important? Means it is. Gonna take care of that right away. You have a good one, young lady.”

He climbed back in his truck and waved at her as he pulled away.

Jess stood in front of her car for a moment and watched the tow truck roll down the street.

Very forgiving. Empathetic. Respected by his elders. Made sure to let me know that I’d be safe with the tow truck driver. Maybe Alice could have a tiny point?

Jess turned toward the shop and caught sight of Mo walking around a raised white sedan in one of the open garages. He was looking up at it, rubbing his hands on a cloth mottled with dark stains. There was a younger man in similarly stained coveralls following him closely, talking to him, but from where she was, it looked like Mo was only nodding or giving one-word replies.

“Doesn’t talk much.” I mean…in a way that’s kind of refreshing. Guess he chooses his words carefully?

By the time she’d woven through the cars exiting the lot and made her way to the small reception area, Mo was well out of sight.

“May I help you?” an older Black woman asked, looking over a pair of glasses, once it was Jess’s turn at the counter.

“Yes, hi,” said Jess. “I’m here about….” She got a little annoyed with herself. She wanted to be precise in naming the problem with her car, but she didn’t know what it was. “My car wouldn’t start a little while ago, and Mo sent a tow truck. We just arrived, and it’s in the lot. He said he would look at it.”

“Oh, you must be Jess. Mo said a friend’s car was coming in. Grab a seat, and I’ll let him—”

“Beverly, I finished the Caddy. Mo’s gonna be busy all day, so—” a different young man in stained coveralls had cut the woman off, approaching her from the side. She’d silenced him with one look.

“David. Did you interrupt me while I was talking?” she asked.

“Yes, ma’am,” David said, dropping his gaze.

“Have we discussed this?”

“Sorry, ma’am,” David said, his cheeks reddening.

He took a step back and tucked his hands behind him. Beverly looked at Jess with her lips pressed together.

“Just grab a seat, hon. I’ll have David let Mo know you’re here.”

“Thanks,” Jess said, turning and following her instructions.

There were several open seats, but they were all next to men. Jess didn’t want to make a thing of it and took a step toward the vacant one next to a nicely dressed gentleman who looked to be in his seventies. A different man got up, freeing a seat next to an earnest-looking woman with a Tupperware-style container on her lap. Jess took that seat.

As she sat down, the woman smiled at her, then returned her expectant gaze to the open door leading to the garage. Her body language was much different from everyone else’s. She was sitting at the edge of her seat, back straight, her leg tapping and shaking the container a little. Maybe she was running late and needed her car. But she didn’t seem annoyed. Jess shrugged it off, got settled into her seat and started to reach for her phone as Mo stepped through the door. Catching her eye, he nodded, then saw the woman next to her. The color drained out of his face.

“Mo!”

The woman leapt out of her chair, knocking it against the wall and made a beeline for him.

“Mo, I had to come by and say thank you!” she said, throwing an arm around his neck and hugging him. Mo looked like he was terrified. Jess had no idea it was possible to return a hug so awkwardly.

“Uh…was nothing,” he said.

“Nothing? No, no, it wasn’t nothing, not at all,” the woman said, letting go of him and wiping away tears that had started running down her cheeks. Jess glanced around. The entire reception area was watching. Mo’s eyes darted around, too, and he turned bright red.

“Um…glad to help,” he said, looking horribly embarrassed. He slowly ran a hand down his beard.

“My lawyer said finding the tracker was so important.” She wiped at her tears again. “You were so smart to have known what it was.”

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