voice. “It sounds like you have been through a lot. I’ll tell you what I’m going to do.”
Immediately the wheels started turning behind Velvet’s eyes. This was it. A big miracle was about to land in her lap. A handout bigger than any government could make. It was priceless.
“I’m not going to make you suck my dick. Here.” I handed her the four twenties she had seen me count out for her at the warehouse. Leaning across her lap I opened the passenger door and watched as her face became a mass of confusion and pain. I could barely keep myself from laughing out loud.
“You take care now.” I said nodding toward the open car door. Velvet started to cry, crumpling up the dollar bills and stuffing them deep into her coat pocket she got out of the car.
As I drove away I laughed so hard I had to pull over for a second just to regain my composure.
I have to say that Velvet earned every penny of that eighty dollars. I was happy to pay her. She was a good sport and gave me a pleasant experience to fantasize about as I sat through the boring state of the business address by my brother. But Velvet’s expression when she got out of the car was too much and I couldn’t hold back the chuckle during Marty’s meeting.
“Anything you’d like to add, Josh?” he said, glaring at me.
“Nope. I’m good.” I said, smiling and looking at my watch.
“Yeah, well. It’s been a long morning. We’ve got lunch on the way. Why don’t we stop here and pick up after we’ve all had something to eat.”
Of course, the sound of the dinner bell got every hog at this table running.
I needed to talk to my brother but as soon as the door opened his pitbull secretary Denise was there with half a dozen messages, her little notepad to scribble in and an attitude toward me that made me want to slap her across the face. When she finally went back to her own corner like a spider scurrying back into its web, I slipped into my brother’s office.
We had a nice little chat about the new secretary that had been working here for over six months now. How was he going to feel knowing I got her hired?
“Well, it proves it is possible for you to do something right.” He said, barely looking up at me from behind the great oak desk that used to be our father’s, and that was now Marty’s.
“So, you like her?”
“Yeah. She’s very good. So stay away from her on your visits. You know how you have the tendency to disrupt things.”
I laughed. My brother was always such a kidder.
“I’ll do my best, Marty, but I can’t promise she’ll stay away from me. We’ve been seeing each other pretty regularly and well, things are starting to get serious.”
It was amazing. My brother, for the first time in a long time stopped what he was doing and looked right at me.
“What did you say?”
“Well, you can’t tell me you didn’t know? I mean our picture has been in all the local papers on the celebrity pages. Oh, that’s right. You don’t read those. I forgot.”
I stood there smiling down at my brother, the great Marty Reid and thrust my hands in my pockets, rocking back and forth on my heels.
“Do you have anything else to tell me, Josh?”
“Looks like I told you too much.” I said laughing just a little. “But, there is one more thing. I would like to invite Natasha to the cabin in Aspen next week for our six month anniversary. Give her Monday and Tuesday off when she asks.”
My brother didn’t say a word as I left.
I didn’t go back to the board meeting. Instead I called Natasha who didn’t answer her phone. I left her a beautiful message about my feelings growing and wanting her in my arms. Then I left the building and paid that cute waitress a visit at the bar where Natasha and I had met. Once again, she helped me out.
MARTY
Ray Peppers had been a part of my life for decades. He worked for me. His official title was that of chamberlain but he was old fashioned and had no problem calling himself the butler.
“Marty, I know you pretty well. This fishing trip isn’t for relaxation, is it?”
I looked at him a bit surprised as I tilted a bottle of beer in my mouth. Shaking my head no I looked up at the sky letting the bubbly, bitter taste of the hops fill my mouth. I swallowed hard.
“No, Ray. I’ve got a problem. A big one. And I’m really stumped this time.”