by K L Finalley
"It's a Boyd restaurant. They just bring food. If you want something other than the chef special, you can just tell the next girl who comes to the table," Jack said nonchalantly. Phone still in hand.
"No, I'm sure this will be fine," Jacqueline felt uncomfortable. There was no special occasion. There was no reason for extraordinary treatment. It was the two of them having a quick lunch to discuss a bizarre situation at work.
"The food's good here. I like this one." He said as he turned the phone around in his hand. "That's the office," he announced and pointed to the picture in question.
"Yes, yes, it is. That's why she has to go," Jacqueline said as she munched on chips.
"The girl's got balls. I'll tell you that much. When did girls start having balls like that?" Then, he withdrew the phone from his face and rubbed his hand down his cheeks. With an exhale, he said, "Fuck."
"Jack, I'm really sorry about this. I want you to know..."
"What are you apologizing for?" he asked as he unraveled the silverware set and tucked the white cloth napkin into his shirt collar.
"I hired her and she's fucking nuts," Jacqueline was embarrassed. She felt responsible. She had been executing her plan, her design, her ambition. She'd made the decision to hire Clementine and it had turned out horribly.
Crunching on nachos, too, he garbled, "Half the world's fucking nuts. You do the best you can. It's not your fault." Then, he chuckled as he dipped his chalupa into guacamole. "So, she takes Nelson to a raunchy theater. The guy freaks out and hauls ass, so she starts sending him dirty pictures of girls and he doesn't respond." More guacamole. "Then, she sends dick pics thinking he might like that better. And, he begs her to stop, but, she doesn't." He dunks the last of it in sour cream. "She decides what he really needs is activity on a more personal level. She breaks into the office after hours and has sex on his desk. She takes pics of it and sends it to him."
With more nachos in his mouth, Jacqueline thought, this is the worst funeral suit ever.
He leans back into his chair while he chews the mess in his mouth and talks. "She should get fired for being a dumbass. I mean, what'd she think would happen? Did she really look at Nelson and think this guy won't tell? Mia won't tell. Mallory wouldn't tell. Everyone else in that office is tellin'."
"That's not why I called. I feel horrible. This is my fault."
"I can't listen to this," he snatched the napkin from his collar and wiped his hands on it. Pointing at her, he said, "You can't be responsible for everything that happens. This is business and, sometimes, shit happens. In fact, most times, shit happens. And, most of what happens is shit, and it's shit that's out of your control and you'll have to roll with it. That's the truth. You don't apologize about it. It's shit. You fix it and you move on. You fire her ass. You tell Nelson to learn from his stupidity. You tell him to hose his fucking desk down. You get everyone tested for STDs and you move the fuck on. You aren't responsible for their dumb shit. And, we don't apologize."
He said all of this with sour cream on his cheek. She wanted to mention it, but he was too commanding to stop. "We?" she asked.
"The Boyds."
"That's great, but I'm not a Boyd."
"Fuck yeah, you are. You're more of a Boyd than you know. You're more of a Boyd than Tommy and these bullshit restaurants are. What does a Florida white boy know about Mexican food? I mean, seriously. Your fucking name is Thomas Boyd. You've run around opening ten miscellaneous Mexican restaurants all at once and wonder why none of these pieces of shit can make a profit." He balled his napkin up and threw it on the top of the table. "I'm telling you right now. I'll let his sorry ass starve when Big Jack dies. If he lets that trust dry up, he's fucked." Jack drew a circle in the air over the table and said, "he'll need to live in this damn hacienda." Then, he stood up and walked away from the table.
Feeling as though something should be left, Jacqueline pulled a twenty from her wallet and left it on the table.
CHAPTER SIX
Terne was a master-planned community that had everything the residents needed. With onsite venues that include parks, a golf course, dog trails, tennis courts, and swimming pools, Jacqueline thought it'd fulfill their needs to be surrounded by activities to do as a family as well as activities that would help Zoe make new friends. Sitting in the back of Victoria Prescott's sports-utility vehicle, she stared out the open window, a chance she rarely had as the family driver. She admired the manicured lawns. She did a double take at their small version of a large chain supermarket within Terne's iron gates.
Her face gleamed as they passed the elementary school. As things stood, Zoe was carted from the condo to Palmetto Elementary, the neighborhood school for the house Mallory rented in Clearwater. She knew those children. She went to school with them. She participated in after school activities with them, but Jacqueline felt something was missing by not living in the neighborhood with them. To make matters worse, it wasn't a great school. All of which made school choice a priority on her list of things to look for in the search for a new home.
Pointing out of Mallory's window, Vicki identified one of the small brown buildings. They had passed a few of them since they had entered the community. "That's one of the guard substations."
"Substations? Like the cops," Jacqueline inquired.
Looking back at her in the backseat, she remarked, "They take security very seriously around here. They're scattered all over the property. The headquarters is at Town Center."
"Excuse me?" Mallory asked.
After winding around the streets within a large, manicured subdivision, Vicki pulled into a parking space in front of a strip mall. "Town Center."
Jacqueline exited the vehicle and opened Mallory's door. "It's like a small town."
"That's the point," Vicki said. She had walked around to the passenger's side and joined them. Vicki was their real estate agent. She'd brokered the deal to sell Jacqueline's father's house. Now, she was helping them to find a place of their own. With her brown hair highlighted blond, she stood beside them in a dress decorated in alternating slashes of red and black.
Staring at it, Jacqueline whispered to Mallory, "I didn't know we'd be wrestling today."
Mallory chuckled but elbowed her as they passed the burger restaurant, the nail salon, and the mailing store. Then, they crossed a small street to the administrative building. It was a sandy-colored stucco building that was designed like a county government office. The party entered and stopped at the guard's desk by the entrance. Vicki flashed a badge of some kind to grant them access to the fortress. "Hi. We need to tour the grounds for potential home sites."
"Welcome to Terne," he said and handed her a clipboard. Vicki stepped to the side and began to complete the necessary paperwork. Presuming that it was a list of all known associates and details of their ancestry, Jacqueline walked away. She peeked down the hall at the offices that filled the building. There were a variety of services and governing boards. As Lady Doom had mentioned, there was a door for security, but there were also doors for the Homeowners Association, the Architectural Board, the Landscaping Review Board, a door that read Go Green, a door for Commercial Opportunities, and a door for Real Estate.
Once Vicki finished with the clipboard and handed it back to the guard, he stood from his stool and walked it the Real Estate door. From that two-toned door, a man appeared. In khaki-colored pants that matched the color of the building and a red shirt, he headed towards them. With a voice too loud for indoors, he spoke, "Folks, welcome to Terne. We're happy you're thinking about joining our little community." He shook Jacqueline and Mallory's hand far too long and far too hard. "I don't know if your agent told you or not, but we're a waterfront, master-planned community. We gotcha golf courses. We gotcha pools. Hell, we got our own waterpark. We got dining. We got organized fun for all the residents. We're setup, so when you come home you don' t have to leave."
"You're like a city within the city," Mallory realized.
"You got it," Khaki p
ants said proudly.
"The only thing you don't have is a hospital, " Jacqueline said staring at the map.
"No, in the southeast corner, we have an ambulatory center. We can't get a full-service hospital, because of the community's sound ordinance," He replied. Thinking she was confused by what he'd meant by the limitations of the sound ordinance, he explained, "You know, helicopters and all."
"Oh, " she said. She'd understood what he'd meant. She just hadn't cared for his response.
Luring them from his spell, Lady Doom pronounced, "Let's get a move on."
When they exited the office, there was a Terne golf cart parked outside the door. Vicki climbed inside and motioned for them to do the same.
"Are you serious? This is gonna mess up my hair," Mallory resisted.
"We aren't goin' muddin', baby. You should be okay." Jacqueline teased as she got in the back.
"That's easy to say with less than an inch of hair."
Vicki had ignored the entire exchange. In the driver's seat, with her designer sunglasses on, her normally cheerful face had been transformed to something more serious. Her smile had warped as she started the cart. She drove it with a mission. At ten miles per hour, they sailed past patio homes and neighborhoods of townhomes. When they started to see starter single family homes, Jacqueline leaned forward. With her head between Mallory and Vicki, she asked, "Is Terne's community divided by how much you paid for your home?"
"To some degree, yes." Vicki's answer was short. When Jacqueline didn't return to the back of the cart, she continued. "There is the patio home section and the townhome section. Those are regardless of what was spent. There are a few sections in the two hundred thousand. There are a few sections in the three hundred thousand. Then, the communities are divided by hundreds of thousands. There is one for five hundred thousand dollar homes, then six. Let's see. I think there's an eight hundred neighborhood and the community tops out at nine hundred. But, everyone has access to all the same amenities at no additional charge. So, you could have a two hundred and fifty-thousand-dollar house and enjoy the amenities over in the near million-dollar neighborhood without question."
"Hmm," Mallory said. Jacqueline thought the same thing, but she leaned back onto her bench and enjoyed the open-air ride along the shaded path. After an extended ride, they came upon a clearing. There sat nine empty lots. Each lot sat side by side in a large cul-de-sac. The lots had been cleared and marked. They sat as barren places to lay down hopes and dreams. "What section is this?" Mallory asked.
"This'll be the nine hundred-thousand-dollar section. It'll be called the Dunes at Terne."
"Because it's so far out," Mallory quipped.
"There's only nine lots," Jacqueline observed.
"The goal's to keep it intimate, so the residents to get to know each other. Remember, they're selling community," Vicki said as she leaned against the golf cart accessing something on her tablet. "Let me pull up the model homes for this area. I think there's three or four to choose from."
Reminding her, "We need a multi-story floor plan," Jacqueline said.
"I remember Zoe's requests," Vicki snipped.
"She's not getting a Jacuzzi. I'm telling you that now, Jax."
Jacqueline had left the cart. She was standing atop the highest, largest lot. It was in the depth of the cul-de-sac. As Mallory climbed to meet her, Jacqueline extended her hand and helped to where she was. "This one has some water access and it's the largest."
"It's high up," Mallory said as she shook dirt from her pumps. "I guess if I had to pick, this would be the one."
"Okay. So, at least, we've figured out that much. How do you feel overall?"
"It's kinda odd. Don't you think?"
"But, I can't put my finger on it. I liked the idea, but the more we're here the odder it becomes."
"I think it's because they're building a world inside of a world," Mallory said with her finger tapping her teeth.
"And, you aren't supposed to stray too much from what everyone else is doing. Did you see all of the doors in that tiny little office?" Jacqueline said. "There's a governing body for everything that I'd want to do."
"Unique isn't what they're going for," Mallory said. She placed her arms around Jacqueline's neck.
"If we are one thing, we're unique," Jacqueline said before she kissed her.
"True," Mallory said with her eyes closed. "It's hot right here. A house right here would have a high electric bill."
"Found it!" Vicki screamed. The two made their way off the mountain of sand and back to her. "You have two options. Both are ranch style." She passed the tablet to Mallory. Jacqueline peered over her shoulder. Neither oohed, neither awwed. "What's wrong you two?"
"I don't know, Vicki. I don't think this is for us. It feels like living in a fish bowl. I thought it'd be nice to have everything close, but they've gone out of their way. It's weird."
Vicki exhaled. "Good, this place gives me the creeps."
Jacqueline exclaimed, "Then, why the hell did you bring us here?"
"Hey, it's not about where I'd live. I show you what you're looking for."
"But, you know me," Jacqueline pointed to herself.
"Never know what people are into. Get in the cart. Let's get out of here," Vicki instructed as she revved the golf cart's tiny engine.
Back in Vicki's land wagon, they headed south. Driving along Tamiami Trail to Apollo Beach, Jacqueline knew the possible drawback of the next house was the drive. A move to Apollo Beach required a thirty-minute drive to and from work daily. While Jacqueline was more than willing to make the commute, Mallory was on the fence. But, Vicki had promised that the house may be worth it.
"You know, honey, it's probably less of a drive for you than it is for me, " Jacqueline badgered from the backseat.
"We are on our way. I promised to keep an open mind and I am," Mallory said.
They drove along the highway crossing the Alafia River and into Gibsonton, the home of retired carnie folk. They looked around for retired clowns or sword-throwers on their way to the grocery store, but there was nothing to see. As quickly as they arrived, they were through Gibsonton and into Adamsville, the town that's known for nothing more than being close to retired Carnie folk. With nothing to see, Vicki sped through the town.
Then, suddenly, the trees cleared. Modest homes were gone; and, there was a sign welcoming them to Apollo Beach. They drove along the streets looking between the houses at the water. Apollo Beach sat on mangrove and low-elevation land. It had been engineered into a sixty-mile subdivision with roads, canals, schools, and community services. Some of the homes had white sand front yards, some had grass, but none had fencing of any kind. Jacqueline wondered if it had been forbidden like at Terne. Vicki inched into the driveway of an inviting blue, two story home.
Jacqueline jumped out of the truck to see Mallory's reaction. With a smile on her face, she walked up the steps to the front door and looked in the window, "This is nice, " she said. Vicki fumbled with the lock, but, eventually opened the house for them. They stepped back and waited for Mallory to enter first.
The door opened to a small foyer, which led to a living room with exposed hard wood floors. To the right was the kitchen, the same wood continued in there. The same color flooring was used for the cabinetry. Noticing Mallory's dislike, Jacqueline said, "We can change the flooring."
"I don't know that I like the stove by the counter top, but I love how it opens to the dining room area and there's a little breakfast nook area."
Vicki opened the blinds behind the nook. "Make sure you go out here." Behind the nook, there was a screened in patio with an enclosed pool, outdoor kitchen, and fireplace."
Mallory smiled again. "This is nice." She walked outside and glanced around. Then, she yelled back inside the house, "Is this pool smaller than a regular pool?"
"I don't think there's room for a full size one." Peering outside, Jacqueline noticed that there was no room for a yard. Beyond the glass, there was the can
al. There was a wonderful view and a boat slip, but there was no room for Zoe to play. While she had been interested in Apollo Beach, in theory, being there now, she had a pang of doubt. "Baby, let's look upstairs," she announced.
As they trekked upstairs, they discovered four bedrooms. Three of which were standard rooms with a shared restroom and one master bedroom. The master bedroom had the dual sinks that Mallory wanted, but it had a shared closet. That was another strike. The couple headed down the stairs with less than exuberance on their faces.
"Not worth the drive?" was all that Vicki asked.
"Nope," was how Mallory replied. She mulled around on the patio as Jacqueline headed outside.
Eyeing the neighbor standing at her door, Jacqueline walked over to introduce herself. "Hi, I'm Jacqueline Emerson. We were just looking at the house next door."
"I noticed," the old woman grumbled as she engulfed Jacqueline in a mist of midmorning whiskey.
"How long have you lived here?"
"Is this an interview?" the hag spewed.
"You'll have to excuse me. It's an old habit. I'm the Managing Editor at the Tampa Sun. It's hard not to start interviewing everyone I meet."
"The newspaper?"
"Yes, the newspaper. Do you read it?"
"No, the news is depressing."
"Oh, I'm sorry you feel that way. I'll spare you my pitch. Like I said, we were just looking at the house next door. Missus?"
"Kakos. Linda Kakos. I don't know anything about it. I never lived there. If you'll excuse me, I must get back," she never said what she had to get back to. She just closed the door and that was the final strike.
During the exchange, Vicki and Mallory had returned to the truck. Jacqueline joined them there. She said nothing as she entered the truck. After her seatbelt was on and Vicki was pulling away, Mallory turned around and asked, "What was that about?"