GREED, page 14
Penny was her only real friend, the person she would text or call when something weird would happen or if she had a bad fight with James. Even when she’d visit her mom and had a tough visit, it was Penny who had always been there to talk to and pick her up. While away, she’d ignored all fifty texts and the phone messages that had filled her mailbox.
Maybe she hadn’t made the right call.
The programs she used had barely fired up when her first call came in. “Nine, one, one, what’s your emergency?”
“Hi, I wanted to complain about a fire truck blocking the road. I can’t get down my street to my home. I mean, I know they have a job to do, but do they really have to take up the entire road?”
“Where are you located, ma’am?”
“Five, five, five, Lord Duffy Drive.”
She pulled the area up on the screen, and there was a major house fire in progress. The entire road was closed as the fire had already spread to another townhouse.
“Ma’am, I’m sorry, but there is an ongoing fire at that location. You won’t be able to pass through until it is safe.”
“Well, that’s not good enough. I have frozen food in my car, and I need to get it in the freezer, or I will be charging the city.”
Her line flashed with another caller. “Ma’am, I’m really sorry that this has inconvenienced you, but your concern is not a nine, one, one emergency. I’m going to have to let you go.”
“I want to speak to your supervisor!”
Of course, you do.
“One moment.” She transferred the call to her supervisor’s office and answered the next caller.
“Nine, one, one. What’s your emergency?”
“Ah yes, Hi. I just had my car impounded, and I want to know how I get it back?”
She shook her head and rubbed her eyes. “I’m sorry, Sir, this is not an emergency question or situation. I would call the company that impounded your vehicle to get the answers you’re looking for.” She hung up and hit the button for the next caller.
“Nine, one, one. What’s your emergency?”
“Um, yeah, Hi, I need some help.”
“Okay, Sir, what do you need help with?”
There was a long pause, and she could hear a female voice in the background encouraging him to answer the question. “I have a summer sausage in me,” the man groaned as her fingers stopped typing.
“I’m sorry, did you just say you have a…”
“Yeah, I did, and it hurts. It went all the way in. My ass literally ate the sausage.”
“So, there is a large sausage in your backside?” One of the other call-takers burst out laughing, and Minetta had to cover her mouth not to follow suit.
“Yeah, my wife bought it cause it was the size of my forearm. Said it would feel good, and it would be fine since it had a string. But it just shot up in there so fast, and it sucked the string in, right off my finger. I need to get it out, it was spicy, and it's starting to burn.” She bit her hand not to laugh.
“I will dispatch an ambulance to your location, Sir. What is your address?”
“No, I can’t have them showing up here. I don’t want my neighbors to know. Can’t you just help me?”
“I’m sorry, Sir. How would you like me to assist you in getting the sausage out of your backside?” She had to bite her lip to keep a straight face.
“Don’t you have like instructions or something?”
“I’m sorry, Sir. They don’t train us for this particular issue.” She covered her mouth as more people overhearing her conversation began to laugh in the office. She typed in ‘a foreign object stuck in the rectum, possibly a sausage’ on her screen and really wanted to see the paramedics’ faces when they saw the call. Sadly, this was not her first unique item stuck in a rectum call. “Sir, you’re either going to need to make your way to a hospital, or you’re going to have to have an ambulance come and get you. So please, what is the address?”
A loud noise started up, and she gasped as she realized it was a vacuum. “Sir, what are you doing?”
“My wife said we should try the vacuum. Ahhh, shit, that hurts. It’s moving. Can you grab it? That’s it, grab that sausage, babe. Fuck, pull it harder.”
“Sir, please don’t tell me your wife has a vacuum up your rectum,” she asked, her voice cracking. She had to it the mute button as she couldn’t hold back the laughter any longer. She gripped her stomach as tears poured down her cheeks.
“It’s moving. Fuck, yes, yes it’s still coming, can you see it?” The man sighed loudly into her ear, and she wasn’t sure if it was from relief or pleasure. “Crisis averted, it’s out,” the man said. “Thank you, but I don’t need an ambulance.”
“I would recommend getting checked out to be safe, Sir.”
“I’m good now, just a little warm.”
“Have a good day, Sir.” She hung up the phone and had to grip the edge of her desk as she released the laughs she had struggled to keep in check. Yes, it was going to be one of those days.
She hadn’t been wrong. By the time work was done, she was officially worried about humanity and its sanity as a whole. We are all in a lot of trouble if the people that called in were any indication of who was going to be voting and running the country in the future. She picked up her phone to text Penny and tell her about the sausage guy, but her fingers stilled as she stared at the fifty unread message bubble.
Instead, she flicked off the computer just as her cell dinged with a text.
Why hello there beautiful? I was wondering about that coffee?
She stared at the text and the unknown name and was drawing a blank on who this could be. She didn’t bother to answer it, figuring it was most likely a scammer or wrong number. Her phone dinged again, and groaning, she opened the message.
Please don’t tell me you’ve forgotten me already? How many guys do you have saving you from out-of-control vehicles?
Her heart pounded a little faster as recognition set in. Michael. A smile slowly spread across her face. When she hadn’t heard from him, she’d assumed she’d scared him off.
I try only to need rescuing once a month. It takes too much to remember any more shining white knight’s names than twelve in a year.
LOL! So about that coffee, would you be interested?
She chewed her lip. She’d just broken up with James after basically being together with him for nine years. Off and on, but still. On the other hand, she needed to get out there. Besides, how many times did someone like this man walk into a girl’s life?
Okay, I can do coffee, when and where?
How about right now? I happen to be in the area for work and could meet you at Café Salvation, around the corner from your work.
She’d only been there once because the prices were out of this world, but she could splurge his one time.
Okay, I’m still in my work clothes, though.
As long as they are not sopping wet again, I’m in. Although you looked very delectable in that wet T-shirt contest look you had going on. It was very distracting.
Heat rose up her neck, and she took a deep breath, the smile once more breaking out across her face.
Sorry, that was a one-time deal.
Too bad, I was really hoping for an encore performance at some point.
LOL!
I’m sorry that was probably too forward. Did I scare you off?
Nope, I’ll see you in five.
The elevator couldn’t move fast enough. The doors opened, and some of the next shift was arriving for work. Penny stood amongst them. She locked eyes with Penny as they passed one another. She seemed to be her normal smiley self, her hair in the perfect bun. It only made her feel crazier.
“Hey girl, I’d stop and chat, but I’m running late. See you later, Minny. We need to catch up.” Penny smiled as the doors closed. Minetta stared at the doors until they opened again, and more people filed out. She’d expected to feel instant fear the next time she saw Penny, but instead, she felt…normal. What the hell was wrong with her?
Pushing Penny out of her mind, she pushed her way out the front doors and made her way around the corner.
It’s just coffee, don’t be weird.
She told herself as she pulled open the door to the busy, hip location where the music was too loud and the people more so. The smell was delightful, and she took a deep breath of the rich coffee scent that married perfectly with the hum of espresso machines hard at work. A few girls were leaning up against the island where you could doctor your beverage, but their drinks were untouched as they stared across the room.
Following their gaze, she found Michael sitting in the corner looking at his phone. His eyes lifted from the phone as if feeling her gaze and smiled wide, making her pulse race. She raised her hand in a dorky wave and then turned to face the front of the café as the line moved up.
So much for not acting weird.
“I’ve got it,” he said, from right behind her, making her jump.
“If anything, I’ve got it. I need to repay you for your kindness.”
“Nonsense. Now let’s see. You strike me as a chocolate, chai tea, latte, half sweetener but two cream kind of girl.”
Her mouth fell open as he said exactly what she was thinking of getting. “How did you do that?”
“I’m in negotiations, remember? I’m good at reading people. Your eyes were lingering on today’s special.” Michael gave her a wink and then leaned over to give the barista their orders. “Tell me about yourself, Minny. What do you like to do for fun,” Michael asked as they made their way over to the table he’d occupied earlier. It was shocking that no one had taken it in his absence.
“I’m not terribly exciting, I’m afraid. I like yoga and books. I love to take my dog for walks. Oh, and I help out as a volunteer at all sorts of events.”
“Like this one?” Michael turned his phone around, and it showed a picture of the fundraiser she’d volunteered at not too long ago.
“Yes, I was there, actually.”
“It was really nice of Avidity Enterprises to donate such a large amount of money to the cause.”
“Really? I didn’t know. I actually don’t even know what company that is.” She sipped the hot drink and moaned a little. There was a reason this was the most expensive and most popular café around.
“It’s that new tall black building with all the silver and reflective black glass,” Michael said and then sipped his cappuccino.
“I know the building, just nothing about the company.”
“Neither do I really, but they handed over two hundred thousand for the food bank.” She choked on the sip of her latte.
“Are you serious? That’s incredible. That will feed so many people.” She smiled wide, thinking of all the families they could help with that kind of donation.
“I know, which is why it makes it so terrible that no one has recognized the company for their generosity. Things like that can make a company not want to do it again in the future. You know they could feel like it wasn’t appreciated.”
“I hadn’t thought about that. Oh my.” Her face fell as she thought about such a generous donation not coming in again because someone had forgotten to thank the company.
“Anyway, enough about that, tell me more about yourself.” Michael sat back and seemed to hang on her every word. Whether he really wanted to or was just being polite, she couldn’t tell, but it was nice to have a conversation with a man that didn’t treat her like a personal maid.
“I grew up in a small town in the country but always wanted to come to the big city and fell in love with my job, and here we are.”
Michael’s phone dinged, and he looked at his watch. “Shoot, I have to get going. I have a late meeting tonight. I would love to pick this up where we left off, but how about over dinner? I have another meeting tomorrow, but how about Thursday evening?” He smiled again, and she was sure she heard every woman and some of the men sigh.
“I would like that.”
He walked her outside, but before he left, he took her hand in his and kissed the back of it. “I’m looking forward to Thursday, Minny. You don’t mind if I call you that do you?”
“No, feel free, all my friends….” She stopped herself from repeating it again like a broken record. “Yes, you can call me Minny.”
He wandered down the street, his business casual outfit hugging his ass and shoulders, giving her one hell of an amazing view.
“Oh shit, dinner,” she mumbled. “I need something to wear.”
Great, now she had two errands to run when she was done with work tomorrow.
Work ended much like the day before—she saw Penny again, and exactly like the day before, she acted like nothing was weird between them. Minetta was really starting to wonder if the entire creature situation had been lack of sleep, maybe a little heat stroke, or even stress over the whole James thing. She was actually pleasantly surprised he had not tried to beg her to come back like every other time they split. She hadn’t been up for that argument.
She made her way down the street to pick up her order of chocolate flowers and fresh fruit shish kebobs. The arrangement was stunning, exactly what would make a great thank you gift. She whistled as she walked the rest of the way to the tall black building that Michael had mentioned. The doors automatically spun, granting her entrance without having to stop. The lobby was the largest she’d ever seen, and the way the building had been designed, you could stand in the middle and look up to see the sky out the massive panes of glass at the top. It was like the building was cored out in the center like an apple.
Everything was decorated in black and gold with sand-colored accents—she’d never seen anything so lavish. She suddenly felt very out of place in her basic work pants and cotton uniform shirt as women and men passed by in more expensive outfits than she could ever afford.
Minetta made her way over to the reception area, and all those that were working looked like the 911 call center did on a crazy day.
“Can I help you?” a girl behind the counter asked as she pushed buttons on the large phone and clicked the mouse at the same time.
“Yes, I wanted to drop this off….”
“Oh wait, what day is it?” She looked at her screen. “It’s Wednesday. I’m sorry, just take elevator six to the top floor. Everyone else is up there.”
“The top floor, but I….”
“I’m sorry it’s that way.” She pointed behind her. “I need to get this line. Avidity Enterprises, how may I direct your call?”
Deciding to just go with it, she walked to elevator six and pressed the button for the top floor. Seemed appropriate that those who ran this place would have their offices at the top.
She grabbed the railing around the interior of the elevator as her stomach flipped with the sudden lurch as the lift shot up like a bullet. If she thought the start had been bad, the stop was worse. She felt like crawling out of the elevator as her legs shook and her stomach rolled.
Minetta looked out the elevator and to the right. There was a wall of windows that looked out over the city, but to the left sat another elaborate desk. She made her way over, but there was no one sitting behind the desk. She could hear talking and decided to follow the sound. She turned the corner at the end of the hallway and almost ran into a girl leaning against the wall.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” she said.
“You here to see Mr. Rhodes too?”
“I think so. This is for him.” She held up the basket.
“Just tell whoever is at the front of the line that you’re here to drop that off.” She pointed to the front of the very long line of women. “That way, they won’t get angry.”
“Thanks.” That was an odd comment but shrugging it off she continued on her mission. Minetta glanced at the women as she walked along the long line. Not one of them smiled or said Hi back. They all seemed more like they would prefer to slit her throat and had to wonder what their problem was. She held the basket up like a shield and stayed as far away as possible. She had no idea what was happening but figured it had to do with a job.
Reaching the front of the line, she smiled at the girl at the front. “Hi, I’m just delivering this,” she said, remembering the other girl’s warning.
The pretty blonde nodded and stepped aside. As soon as she stepped over the threshold, she knew something was off. The room was similar to a sitting area with a bar space, four leather chairs that filled the center of the room, surrounding a large coffee table in the middle, but that wasn’t what had her attention. Two large guards stood like statues outside of an almost closed door, but the sounds still carried, and she would have sworn someone was having sex. And not just sex, but hot sex that had someone moaning loud.
A strange little tingling sensation took over her body, so she rubbed at her arms. But not even the sensation could’ve prepared her for the sight that greeted her eyes as the door to the slightly ajar office opened wide.
“Next!” a man’s voice yelled.
Four women holding onto their pile of clothes wandered out, but there was still another bent over a desk while a man was taking her from behind. The basket fell from her hands, and the man turned his head to look at her.
It was him. The man with the amber eyes. Their eyes locked as the strange tingling sensation erupted in her chest, making her heart beat hard. She stood there a moment longer than appropriate, and her mind scrambled as she tried to make sense of what was happening.
Her brain kicked into gear and with it the mortification as she sprinted for the door, basket forgotten. She raced past the long line of women who stared at her jackrabbit exit. Her finger pressed the elevator button, wishing this place wasn’t so bloody tall, so she could’ve just taken the stairs.
“Minetta!” She heard her name called. She had no idea how this man found out her name, but thankfully the elevator doors opened, and she jumped inside, the button making clicking noises as she pressed it again and again for the ground floor. At that moment, she was thankful that the elevator was like a rocket. Stepping out of the small space, she marched out the front doors. Anger, humiliation, and an emotion that made no sense at all burned in her gut. Now, it made total sense that she’d laid in bed over the last week and fantasized about him because she couldn’t pick a good man if he were the only one in the room.
