by M. Sembera
While I waited to be dismissed, I noticed him push a button at the corner of his desk. In about the time it took for Salvador to start to walk me out of the room, Ramsden walked into it.
Smiling a condescending smile, I greeted, “Mr. Ramsden, how nice to see you here.”
Ramsden’s expression was strained as I watched him swallow hard without saying a word.
Salvador, who was almost jovial at this point, said, “Ramsden, I am envious of the time you will be spending with Mrs. Herterand.”
Turning to Salvador, I politely said, “I have taken enough of your time today. I believe Mr. Ramsden and I need a moment. I am sure he would be happy to walk me out.”
With a soft smile and a slow blink, Salvador gave an approving nod before returning to his desk.
Wondering what, if anything, Ramsden had to say to me, I knew he would never help me. I stood in the way of what he wanted. I did, however, know exactly how to handle him.
Outside, between my car and Salvador’s house, Ramsden snapped, “What are you doing here?”
“Are you worried I’m gonna tell on you?” I questioned with a smirk.
Narrowing his eyes at me, he asked, “Why haven’t you?”
Turning to face him, I stated, “Now how would you be able to draw up share transfer documents if I did that?”
“Scott mentioned that I already agreed,” he griped.
Smiling, I asked, “Why didn’t you tell him I was lying?”
Making a face, he admitted, “I was caught off guard, I did not expect you to be around.”
Nodding, I said, “I see,” before questioning, “Will you be advising him on signing over his shares.”
Back to his normal, I’m smarter than you tone and demeanor, he stated, “I will.”
“And?” I asked.
“As foolish of decision, as it is, for both of you, I will sway him in that direction,” he replied with a sense of arrogance.
Pretending to be curious, I questioned, “Why would it be foolish for me?”
“Less work for me,” he confirmed.
Thinking our conversation was falling into place perfectly, I pushed it a little farther.
Pretending to be deep in thought, I waited as if I was thinking.
“I see. Am I to understand you are truly that small minded?” I asked. As he glared at me, I explained, “The moment I gain the majority share, I am able to make significant changes.”
Almost rolling his eyes at me he assured, “All changes must be voted in.”
A slow smile formed across my face as I informed, “Not the ones I plan on making,” as I threatened his position.
Instantly somber, he stated, “Do not threaten me.”
Still smiling, I said, “Right now, you have their trust, not mine. I am willing to keep you on, under one condition.”
“Are you trying to play some kind of game with me?” he questioned.
Serious in expression, I replied, “More of a challenge.” His eyes questioned my statement as I continued, sharing, “You really think you are smarter than me? Help me get it. Once I have full control you can give it another try. Maybe you will have better luck next time you try to take it from me.”
“Such confidence,” he patronized before leaning very close to my face saying, “It will be my pleasure.”
Stepping away, I flashed a sarcastic smile before heading to my car.
Salvador was taken care of and although Ramsden wasn’t, I knew he wouldn’t try anything right now, giving me time to figure out what to do with him.
Just as I started to breathe a sigh of relief, I heard Ramsden say to me, “It is a shame, he came so highly recommended.”
I stopped dead in my tracks, knowing he was referring to Henry.
“Rest assured, Mrs. Herterand, I agree, this way is better,” he added.
Suddenly it occurred to me, I gave him permission to come after me the moment I had the majority share. Forcing myself to continue to my car, I was going to have to rethink things a bit. At the moment I couldn’t.
Driving down the road, I pulled over twice to throw up. It was too much for me to handle. Ramsden knew what Henry was going to do to me. He would make sure I paid for it not working in his favor the first time. Desperately trying to pull myself together, I couldn’t help wondering how much worse it would be the next time. Deciding to break a rule, again, and stop by The Brothers house, I was supposed to make a call anyway, to let them know my meeting was over. I needed a controlled environment. No sympathy, no compassion only direction.
Standing at The Brothers’ door, I rang the bell. My first thought when there was no answer, was what if they’re not home? I rang the bell again. The door flew open with Fiore standing there. Shaking his head at me, he slammed the door without saying a word. It felt like the porch was swaying, as another wave of nausea hit me. Glancing around, I looked for a place to sit. Just as I decided the ground was as good a place as any, the door opened back up. Taken aback by his appearance, I looked Ignacio over. Starting with his feet, they were covered in crisp white socks. He had black knit athletic pants on and a very snug grey t-shirt with no sleeves. If that weren’t enough to keep my head spinning, he had tattoos. Both arms, from shoulder to elbow were adorned with various tattoos creating a half-sleeve effect to make up for where the rest of his shirt would be.
Finally looking at his face, I watched Ignacio inhale deeply before fussing, “Do you have some sort of disorder that prevents you from following direction?”
Before I could respond, I involuntarily hunched over and everything that was left in my stomach ended up on the floor of their porch.
“I am so sorry,” I said, mortified at what just happened.
Stepping back, he waved me into the house.
Keeping his distance, Ignacio showed me to the bathroom. When I stepped in, he motioned for me to step back. I could tell he was holding his breath. Opening the cabinet, he grabbed a toothbrush and bottle of mouthwash, set them on the cabinet and stepped out closing the door behind himself. While I brushed, rinsed my mouth out and cleaned myself up, I could hear The Brothers talking to each other.
The tone of Ignacio’s voice was unfamiliar as he alerted, “Mrs. Herterand left you something on the porch.”
A few seconds later I heard Fiore shout, “Oh hell no!”
“I can’t do it,” Ignacio stressed before Fiore griped, “Make her do it then.”
“Just get the damn water hose and wash it off the porch,” Ignacio fussed a few moments before he knocked on the bathroom door.
Back to his usual tone, he asked, “Are you alright Mrs. Herterand?”
Slowly opening the bathroom door, I nodded, seeing him in front of me with a white bucket.
“I think I’m okay now,” I said, declining the bucket.
Forcing me to take it, he stated, “Here, go sit on the couch.”
I did as I was told, carrying the bucket with me.
Sitting on the couch with the bucket at my feet I watched Ignacio step into the kitchen. Fiore walked through the front door then stopped right in front of me.
“I apologize for the way I conducted myself the last time you were here. Thank you for allowing us to continue being of service to you,” Fiore stated.
Nodding at him, I said, “Okay,” and gave a slight smile.
Turning away from me, he walked out of the room. Really, after having to clean up my mess off of the porch, I was surprised an apology was what he gave me.
Ignacio sat down in a chair next to the couch, before handing me a small glass with clear liquid in it, saying, “This will settle your stomach.”
Taking it, I questioned, “What is it?”
“Peppermint water, drink it,” he replied.
Smelling the inside of the glass, I asked, “What’s peppermint water?”
Without expression, he stated, “Water with peppermint extract in it.”
Well that was a stupid question. I took a tiny sip and then quickly drank the re
st.
Almost instantly my stomach felt better. Reaching over, I handed Ignacio the glass. He stood up and walked it into the kitchen. On his way back to the living room, I couldn’t help but stare at him. Ignacio sounded the same and looked the same, however, without his suit and tie he seemed like a regular person.
Sitting down in the chair, he asked, “Would you feel more comfortable, if I put on my shirt and tie?”
Slightly embarrassed, I replied, “I’m not uncomfortable, it’s just strange seeing you in normal people clothes.”
After giving me a disapproving look, he questioned, “The meeting outcome?”
“It went very well,” I replied.
Tilting his head so he could look directly into my eyes, Ignacio asked, “Why are you here?”
With a light sigh I confessed, “I needed to talk to you.”
Not fully grasping what I meant, he stated, “We already discussed the next step.”
“I wanted to just talk to you,” I answered.
It was hard to tell from his expression if it was irritation or apprehension, as he said, “Mrs. Herterand, we have discussed that also.”
My eyes started to well up with tears, when I informed, “I can’t get what happened out of my mind.”
Serious in expression, he demanded, “Do not start crying.”
Looking up at the ceiling, I concentrated on obeying.
Ignacio called Fiore into the room and gave him a list off of the coffee table before telling him to go to the store. With a suspicious glare at the both of us Fiore complied. Sitting quietly on the couch, I waited for him to say something.
“I will not discuss the incident with you,” he stated.
Shaking my head, I explained, “I didn’t want to. It doesn’t matter what we talk about. For whatever reason, just the thought of talking to you makes me feel in control.”
With a heavy sigh, he offered, “I wouldn’t know where to start.”
“You could start by sharing why a man such as yourself, has peppermint extract in the cabinet,” I started, raising an eye brow at him.”
Most people would have cracked a smile.
With no expression on his face, Ignacio said, “My mom would make me some before bed each night. It is more or less a habit now.”
“Does she know what you and your brother do for a living?” I asked.
Still lacking expression, he replied, “She died when I was eight.”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” I consoled.
He stared at me for a moment then all of the sudden, he started sharing, “It was unexpected. We had this dog. It was a mutt but big. My mom was on a ladder changing a light bulb and the dog ran through and knocked her off. She hit her head. She seemed fine. The next morning she didn’t wake up.”
Watching him relax slightly in his chair, I offered, “That must have been awful for you and your brother.”
“My dad took it hard,” he informed before saying, “He worked long hours and after my mom was gone, developed an interest for women in general,” he stated before adding, “Fiore inherited that trait.”
Careful, I questioned, “But you didn’t?”
Tilting his head to the side, Ignacio raised his eye brows before assuring, “I appreciate quality over quantity.”
Nodding, I asked, “Is he still around? Your Dad?”
“He passed away when I was eighteen,” he replied.
Curious, I asked, “So you raised your brother?”
With a slight shrug, he said, “There wasn’t much raising at that point, he was fourteen.” Then almost as if he was answering a silent question I had, since we visited HIM, Ignacio continued, saying, “Henley would stay here when HIS uncle was away on business.”
Remembering Fiore’s ‘Hello Friend’ when we were at HIS house, I asked, “They were friends.”
With a quick nod he explained, “They were. My brother and HIM got into some trouble. HE had someone to pull strings on HIS behalf, Fiore did not. My brother spent his last two years of high school in a juvenile detention center.”
“So how did ya’ll end up…Doing what you do?” I couldn’t help asking.
There was a moment of apprehension before Ignacio shared, “When my brother got out, he had made some new friends. I was working at the bank when he took the job. Two people were required. All he had to do was change the man’s mind. I agreed to go with him.”
“That’s it?” I blurted.
With a slight scowl he replied, “The man had a knife and did not agree with our proposal. I ended up in the hospital and fired from the bank.”
Confused, I questioned, “And you still wanted to do this?”
“I have always wondered what would have happened to my brother, if I refused to go and as it turned out, the man did change his mind,” he replied before saying, “I had no job, medical bills I could not pay and we were in danger of losing the house. The day I was released from the hospital, a doctor paid me a visit. He had a proposition for us and I took it.”
Slightly smiling, I said, “Dr. Chepelli.”
His eyes wandered to the side as he nodded.
It was interesting how we all ended up in the positions we were in. For some of us it was voluntary and others stumbled upon. The way Ignacio was, it was hard to imagine him working at a bank or doing anything else for that matter.
“So do you like what you do?” I asked.
Ignacio’s serious expression was back as he replied, “I do not mind it.”
Narrowing my eyes more at the change in his tone, than the words he spoke, I questioned, “If you could do something else would you?”
“There is a lot to be considered in that question,” he answered before stating, “My brother, our contractors, even you.”
Shaking my head, I questioned, “Me?”
“Would you be sitting here or anywhere, if my brother and I were not in special service?” he asked.”
Understanding his point, I replied, “You know what Ignacio, I like you.” Instantly he scowled before I clarified, “As a person.” Smiling I assured, “If you allow it, we could be friends.”
Giving me a look, he stated, “No offense Mrs. Herterand, your friendship is hazardous.”
Seeing a glimpse of a smile form at the corners of his mouth, I asked, “Are you trying to be funny?”
“Partially,” he stated.
Narrowing my eyes at him, I smiled and said, “From what I understand, so is knowing your name yet here we are.”
“Have a good day Mrs. Herterand,” he said before standing up and walking to the back of the house.
I sat there for a moment before I shook my head and smiled. Leaving The Brothers’ house, I thought, whether he admitted it or not Ignacio and I were friends.
Although stopping by had gone against our arrangement, after talking to Ignacio I felt I could handle any compassion Mrs. Thomas showed me without breaking down. I knocked on the door and Mrs. Thomas quickly opened it with the same relieved expression she had greeted me with when I dropped Sophia with her. Leading me into the den, she placed her arm around my shoulders. I greeted Sophia with a big hug and kiss before she squirmed away to play on the floor with Penny.
“I didn’t know Penny was here,” I said in the most cheerful tone I had.
Nodding, Mrs. Thomas informed, “William had a doctor’s appointment,” before asking, “Can Sophia stay the night here with her?”
Returning her nod, I answered, “Sure.”
With a little sigh, Mrs. Thomas questioned, “Honey, when are you going to stop doing this to yourself?” Instantly confused, I scowled at her as she imparted, “I was blessed even with my parents death to be raised in a loving home.”
“Mrs. Thomas, please,” I begged, not wanting to have this conversation with her.
Holding up her hand, she assured, “I’m not trying to bring up the past but honey, anyone who really cares about you can tell you’re hurting.”
Clenching my teeth as she spoke, I replied, “Once
my divorce is final I’ll be fine.”
With her 'I don’t believe you' expression, she asked, “Why don’t you be honest with me?”
Swallowing hard, I answered, “I don’t know what you mean.”
With a motherly tone, Mrs. Thomas explained, “It will hurt more than you if you can’t get past your past.”
Feeling myself frown, I said, “I’m not planning on being with anyone, I want it to just be me and Sophia.”
Giving me a serious look, she asked, “Not even Jackson?”
Shaking my head, I looked down at the floor.
“Honey don’t get me wrong, I love you,” she assured before I stopped her, saying, “It’s okay, I know. I don’t think I’m right for him either.”
Her face was full of compassion as she asked, “Is that what’s wrong?” After I gave her a shrug she rephrased, questioning, “Is Jackson why you look like you haven’t slept in a month?”
“There’s just a lot going on all at once and…” I started before she stopped me, saying, “You can talk to me, I promise.”
With a heavy sigh, I confessed, “He’s not the reason but every time I see him… I just… it won’t work between us.”
“Because you’re in love with him?” she asked.
Nodding, I confirmed, “He doesn’t need to be with someone like me.”
Mrs. Thomas’ face fell as she questioned, “I’m sorry for the both of you.”
“I think he’ll be okay, he can find someone and be happy if he just…” I started before she laid her hand on my shoulder, saying, “I have to say something.” Shaking her head at me, Mrs. Thomas imparted, “If you are not honest with yourself, how are you ever going to be okay?”
Scowling, I questioned, “About?”
With a serious expression, she replied, “You don’t want Jacks to fall in love and be happy any more than he wishes you well on your own.”
I wondered for a moment if Jackson had talked to her about us or if it was just her motherly instinct that led her to that conclusion.
I frowned, saying, “But I should right?”
Without answering, she leaned forward and hugged me.