I started the morning by dropping Wendy off at work. She was all smiles and kissing which was fine with me. It always amazed me how the simple things were what made these women extra affectionate and loving. I understood this was probably something she never dreamed of. The low bar was shocking at times. 

 

After that I stopped by the auto shop. For once it was closed. Some cars still out front there were a few lights on in the back. Knocking a few times Jess eventually came to the door. I knew immediately something was wrong…she was crying so it was kind of obvious. 

 

“What’s the matter?”

 

“Jaimie died last night,” she said, holding back a sob. He owned the shop and was who I bought the Chevelle from. I had hoped to show it off to him, but mainly Jess. 

 

“Jeez, I’m sorry,” I said, stepping forward I opened my arms and she fell into me for a hug. She was a complete mess for a while. Sobbing uncontrollably I carried her to the sofa in the back and let her cry it out. It took time but she was eventually intelligible. 

“Sorry, I didn’t think I’d react this way,” she admitted, wiping her eyes. 

“It’s fine,” I said. “He was your dad, right?”

 

“Yeah, I didn’t know him growing up, but the last couple of years we got close,” she said. “Again I’m so sor-” 

“Don’t worry about it,” I repeated. “Tell me about him.” Leaning back I pulled her to me and she rested her head on my shoulder. 

 

“Like what?” 

“I don’t know. Did he grow up here? Have any other kids around? How he died maybe,” I said. 

“He had a bunch of kids,” she said. “I know that for sure. From what I understood he was from Florida, but when he was a kid they shipped him up here when he was 13.”

“Shipped him up here? How’s that work?” I asked. 

“This was before the Lineage Bracelets. They had to make sure you weren’t making kids with cousins,” she said.

“Ah, I think I remember hearing about something like that. So what? He didn’t have anyone here?” 

She shook her head. “He’d talk about it when he had a few. Government showed up at his folks place, grabbed him and left. They didn’t tell him where he was shipped off to until he was like 25. Saw his mom for the first time in years, but he had built a life here and came back.”

“Holy hell. Damn government,” I mumbled. “When’s the funeral?” 

“I don’t know. The government is taking care of all that.”

“What? Why?” 

She shrugged. “He didn’t have a will. He’s been on the government payroll since he was a kid. They’ll take everything. Auction it off. Probably give-”

I moved her off of me and stood up. An opportunity presenting itself. Moving to a phone on the wall I dialed the number I had memorized. It rang a couple of times but she eventually picked up. 

 

“Reels, I need you,” I said. 

“Russ, what the hell? Please tell me you didn’t ruin my whole day already,” she groaned.

“Not yet, you hear about a guy named Jaimie Chamberland dying yesterday?” I asked. 

“Yeah, I was at his place till late. Why?” 

“I want to buy his auto shop,” I said.

“What?” 

“His shop. I want it. I know there are a bunch of programs to get men working. Loans I can take out. I want to take advantage of all that before you guys auction his crap off.”

“Russ, I don’t really handle that side.”

“Then get me who does,” I said, growing excited. “Come on, Reels. This is for my longevity or whatever. Isn’t that supposed to be your thing?” She grumbled but she said she would call me back. 

“What’s up?” Jess asked. 

“Didn’t you say that Jaimie was looking at selling this place?” I asked. 

 

“Yeah,” she said. “Neighborhood is on the edge of the commercial area. They were going to bulldoze it for a McDonald’s or something.”

“Perfect,” I said thinking quickly. “You still want to work here?”

“I uh-I hadn’t thought of that,” she said. “I mean, yeah?” 

“Good. Say hello to your new boss,” I said with a wide smile. 

 

—

 

“We can’t do that,” Ms. Kunkle said. She was one of the many accountants at the Department of Longevity. 

“I think you’ll find you can,” I said. “Under Section I.12.23.J men have priority over other parties when it comes to businesses.” 

She thought quickly. “That was an addendum for farmers’ land,” she said. “That doesn’t work for-”

“It doesn’t say that,” I said. “The big businesses use this crap all the time. They hire a man to do the acquisition under a shell company. Get the business for cheaper than it would have gone for on the open market.”

“That doesn’t happen,” she said, getting a little angry.

“Do you live under a rock?” I asked, getting angry myself. “The business over on Trent. Prime location. Same damn thing happened. The guy with the shell company bought it, and it will sit there for a year, like he is legally obligated to, then on a year and a day he will sell to the company that bribed him to buy it.” 

 

Reels and Kunkle shared a look. “Really?” Kunkle asked. 

“Yes, that’s what I would do,” I said. I didn’t know for sure but I’d read the laws. I’d been working on my own loopholes for a while, and since this world favored the men it was easy to see the patterns. “I want this business. And I want to keep it as it is. I won’t be selling and I expect to pay half the current offer.”

“That I definitely can’t do,” Kunkle said. “He has an offer for $200,000. That’s just the land evaluation.” 

“But you’re forgetting the first time home buyer incentive for men,” I said. “Section M.4.3-”

“Enough with the sections,” Reels cut in as she rubbed the bridge of her nose. “We will take your word for it.”

“Fine, but first time home buyers for men. They are able to purchase a home for half the price. The government pays the other half.” 

“This isn’t a home,” Kunkle said.

“There is a couch that has a pull-out bed in the back. There is a small kitchen and bathroom. If you look at the zoning for this place it is actually 2 lots of land. The back lot that he used for storing cars is residential. So…yes, I can.”

The girls were silent for a bit. “I see why you warned me,” Kunkle said as she rubbed her temples. “I’m double checking all of this, but fine. Let’s say you can purchase it. How will you pay?” She pulled out a few binders. “There is the Donor Loan which would-” 

“Allow me to start donating early and assign my payments to the loan, I know. And I’m not interested,” I said. “I will be doing the simple business loan.”

“You would need 20% down,” she said. “And they’ll still be taking your monthly payments.”

“But I wouldn’t have to sign up for donation early,” I said. “I have the 20%. I want to pay in cash.” 

“Do you have the cash?” Reels asked, squinting as she studied me.

“If you look at my bank transactions you’ll see I’ve taken out almost $20,000 in cash. I’ve been keeping it for a rainy day,” I lied. I’d spent a lot of that, but with my windfall from the thefts I had to launder money somehow. “How soon can you get this done?”

“A week?” Kunkle asked. “Kind of easy since he just passed and I haven’t had any calls on it. I’ll verify the information and send you the documents by Friday. If you can get them signed, you should be able to start it up early next week.” 

“Perfect, thank you,” I said. Shaking hands with her I was already making plans. After I mentioned needing my own help with businesses Farrah had helped me look into a few I was interested in. Since the American government wanted men active there were a hell of a lot of programs and incentives out there at my fingertips. It looked like my first money laundering endeavor was on the way. 

I could make up customers and work, have these “customers” pay in cash, then pocket everything but the taxes. Which of course I paid a little less in taxes being a man since I would be considered a small business. If I could increase my network I could maybe use the shop for smuggling too. Order custom and expensive parts that would be good for shipping drugs or whatever in. If I remembered right I had some protections for search warrants too, so I would have to dig into that. 

Along with illegal affairs I could turn the business profitable as well. There were a lot of metrics that having men at the front office increased traffic. Girls curious about the opposite sex would try to hang out just to see one. I didn’t plan on gouging people either. Even better is I should be able to wrap the cars out back in the deal. 

 

I hated to admit it but it was all coming together. I left Reels and Kunkle at the front and walked back to find Jess sitting at a small table by the small kitchen.

“You don’t waste a second, do you?” She asked, shaking her head. 

“Sorry,” I said. “I know, insensitive but-”

“No, I respect it,” she said with a long drawn out sigh. “I know Jaimie would have preferred it too. Just…hard. You ever lost a parent?”

“My mom,” I admitted. “But she was a bitch.” 

“I’m…sorry?” She asked. “Yeah, I guess I knew that since you live with a guardian. I’m taking this harder than I thought.” She leaned back in the chair. “I barely knew the guy. I saw him everyday though. I had more of a relationship with my dad than most anyone else I know.” 

“I believe it,” I said. “And I’m sorry for your loss. I know you’re working through it, but I do plan to keep this place going, and I’d like you to keep working here…along with other things.”

“Like what?” She asked, her eyes watching the DOL agents as they left.

“I’d be amenable to keep our current relationship going…I know a boss shouldn’t take advantage of his employees, but…” 

“Oh, so you own the place now?” She asked, smiling slightly. “You know it was just me here, right? Jaimie didn’t turn much of a profit either.”

“That’s fine. I expect to…restructure and renovate a little. But I do have school and need someone I can trust to run the place,” I admitted. 

“Got anyone in mind?”

“Don’t know. One at least, but I don’t know much about her,” I admitted. “Like if she wants kids someday? Is seeing anyone?” 

“That doesn’t sound like a conversation a boss should be having with an employee,” she quipped. 

“True,” I said. “I guess I’d need an employee okay with invasive questions and other…penetrating aspects of the job.”

She barked a laugh, then wiped a tear away from her cheek. “I would be up for all of that. But not here. I want a date.”

“Oh, now who is the one crossing the employee and employer line?” I asked. “Let’s plan it for early next week. When I will for sure own the place.”

“Deal,” she said, wiping her nose. I doubted I was getting laid but for some reason I was fine with it. Looking around the small kitchen I knew I had to do a lot of renovating but with my car project done it was nice to have something else to take my focus.