Opening the Door

by Michael Roberts

  “You’re not tipsy you’re drunk. I can tell by the way you are slurring your words.”

  “I am not slurring my words.” Well, maybe just a little. “I’m speaking cursive.” Also a little unsteady on my feet.

  “Ann unless you want to get drenched crossing over to your place why don’t you stay here for the night? By the way, do you think that stain really will come out of her top?”

  “Not a chance. I just wanted her out of here.”

  That’s my girl. I remember taking my shoes off but that was about it.

  * * *

  Beverly had semi-closed the office for Christmas week. Which meant that I only went there for a few hours a day to collect the mail and check the answering machine for anything that might be important. I had sent away for next semesters text books and was unhappily surprised by how thick they were. Beverly said the instructors were going to let us know which chapters we were going to cover but I wanted to at least review everything to get a leg up on the competition.

  On my own I also sent away for the instructors guide books which contained a lot of sample quizzes and tests. These questions came with answers and where to find them listed in the back. Sometimes professors get lazy and take questions directly from the course guides so I wanted to be ready for it. When Beverly saw what I had done she gave me an enigmatic smile and went into her office without saying a word.

  The December weather turned rainy and cold so Dave has been home a lot. I know if I tried studying at home I would end up calling him over and a studying day would end up with me cuddling in his arms while making out on the couch and watching horror movies on Netflix. Granted that would be fun but I needed to concentrate on studying. At least for now.

  Still haven’t decided where Dave and I are headed. I once gave my heart to one man too quickly and sometimes when I think of him it hurts. In some ways Dave is like him, but a lot smarter about life and things in general. He has also been talking about moving to Wilmington N.C. to work with his brother Michael. Evidently Michael started a small construction company there and has more work than he can handle. He wants Dave to come in as a partner, which is a great opportunity for him.

  While he has not directly asked me to go there with him, he has dropped some fairly broad suggestions. He mentions things like how nice the area is, and how many collages there are, stuff like that. He also says how cheap it is to get a place there and how open the job market was.

  No one but Ann knows that I own these three duplexes here and I want it to stay that way. Ownership of these houses anchors me to Virginia for now. I told Dave that I loved my job and since I was going to St. Leo University on a full scholarship there was no way that I could give that up.

  Two days after Christmas Beverly came into the office and told me to grab my coat, there was something she wanted to show me. She drove us to an office park just north of the Coliseum Central area and produced a key to let us into an empty office.

  “Well Sarah, what do you think?”

  “Nice building.” What was I supposed to think?

  “You could try to show a little more enthusiasm. This is our new office, we are going to move here next week.” That was quick.

  “Looking around I realized it had a good deal to offer, but it was plain. There was one large office type room with a little closet. This would obviously be Beverly’s office. There was also one medium and three smaller rooms. There was a space in the front for a small waiting area, plus a good spot for a receptionist’s desk and some file cabinets. There was a small bathroom and a utility closet plus a room that could be used for extra storage. Overall not too bad.

  “Well?” Beverly was watching to see how I would react. One thing I have learned from her is, no matter how much she tells you, there is always something more that she doesn’t.

  “It still needs some work. We will need some more furniture too.”

  “What kind of work?” When she asked that question Beverly was looking straight at me.

  “When they painted the walls a flat industrial white they used a spray rig. It is an acceptable job but they didn’t mask the floor adequately enough. There is a fine mist over much of the carpet that will have to be cleaned before we move in. What about furnishings? Also we need to ‘soften’ the space so it doesn’t seem so sterile. I know accounting isn’t considered a ‘warm and fuzzy’ field but if it is too bleak then it screams that we are not here for the long haul.”

  Pausing for a second I finally suggested “if it was up to me I would paint the walls some color. Nothing too bright or gaudy, maybe a subdued blue? Most places are filled with the usual blah-blah pictures you see in every office. Why don’t we show case art work from local artists, maybe students? That way we can have an ever changing venue, provide a pleasant environment and show our support for the local community at no cost to us. If you spin this out right then we can get local recognition from the paper and maybe pick up some extra customers as well.”

  Deep breath. “Have you decided about hiring anyone else yet?” Please, please…pick me!!! Pick me!!!

  “Yes, the middle office is for a conference room. The one next to mine is for Mr. Charles Noble, and the one across from him is for Mr. Christopher Dumphrey. They will be starting in two weeks, and the receptionist will of course be out here. Any questions?”

  “Who are these men?” I did not see this coming but of course I should have.

  “I interviewed several people two weeks ago and decided to bring these two onboard. The business is growing faster than I expected. Growth is good but it does bring changes.”

  “I did not have to turn around to feel her staring at me. “Are you disappointed Sarah?”

  “Kind of, but you said you would be hiring someone else eventually. I guess I just wanted it to be me.” Darn this hurts more than I thought it would.

  “Sarah you are an extremely intelligent young woman with many skills and strong points. However at this time you do not have the experience that is required. I did not decide to do this lightly. You are still my intern, nothing being done here changes that. I hope you believe me.”

  I turned around to look at her.

  “Beverly you have been good to me since the day we met. Of course I believe you. I am glad the business is growing so fast. I think it was you who once told me ‘Even when you are on the right track, if you just sit there you will be run over.’ My only question now is what can I do to help us move?”

  “I am glad you asked that.” Now why is she smiling?

  * * *

  It turns out that her latest assignment for me is to get the office ready for occupancy and to supervise the move. She gave me a key to the building and showed me how to set the alarm codes. This is a lot of trust to put in someone.

  Of course the first people I drafted into helping me were Ann, Rico and Dave. After all what are friends for? Beverly gave me a budget and cash to spend as I saw fit, with guidelines of course. She was going to take care of the electronics such as buying computers and a phone system. While I took on the more physical aspects.

  Beverly, Ann and I decided on the color schemes for the different rooms. We carefully measured everywhere to ensure a proper fit for the furniture we were going to buy then left the boys to take care of picking up the paint, rollers and stuff like that. While they were doing the guy thing, Ann and I chose accessories like drapes and office supplies. We went to Office Max to see if things actually looked like their pictures in the catalogs. We bought desks, chairs and file cabinets and arranged for their delivery the following week.

  Beverly decided she wanted to keep her old desk and file cabinets. One of those file cabinets was what she called ‘fire protected’. It seemed to be made of thick steel with a pretty impressive combination lock built into it. I asked if she wanted the other ones like that and she said not to worry, hers was just for “some personal files and thin
gs”. The information for the other files would have backup copies somewhere out of the office. “Just in case there was a fire or something.” I did not ask what made these files special. There are some things I clearly do not want to know.

  Beverly did not mention if she was going to pay the three of them for their help. However I decided that if she didn’t then I would. I would have to say it was from her so it wouldn’t be awkward but they were putting in a lot of personal time and effort into what was ‘my project’.

  When we had the drop cloths laid out and were starting to paint the guys took off their nice shirts. They were both wearing trashed out jeans and tight fitting white T-shirts, and were totally oblivious to how good they looked. Ann and I stared at each other for a minute while their backs were turned and were both thinking ‘Damn, that’s nice.’

  But sometimes even the nicest things have to wait. It took us all day but finally everything was painted and the mess was cleaned up. Shampooing the carpet would have to wait until early tomorrow morning. We were all bushed.

  I treated everyone to Outback Steak House for dinner and said it was from Beverly. I also managed to talk the guys into shampooing the carpet for me first thing in the morning. Meanwhile I went to U-Haul and got a stack of boxes and some strapping tape to begin packing everything up at the old office. My plan was to begin moving everything over as best I could in my car while the guys brought a U-Haul truck to get the rest of the furniture from the office. I am really going to owe them for all of this.

  All three of them were working New Year’s Eve at different locations. They each invited me to come join them tomorrow night at work so I wouldn’t be alone on New Year’s. I thought about it briefly but didn’t want to go with the boys because they needed to be alert for idiots causing trouble that night. Plus while I have come to grips with how Ann makes her living, I have no desire to see some drunken lout pawing at her while trying to stuff some greasy bills into her garter. Sometimes the best way not to get into a fight is simply not to be there.

  On New Year’s Eve day I went to the office early to begin packing. When I was half a block away, and wishing I had some coffee, I paused at the stop sign and looked at the building. I could see someone slip into the front door and go inside. I parked a couple of houses down and called Beverly to see what she wanted me to do. After hesitating a minute she told me to call the cops.

  It took almost 30 minutes before they got there. I waited in my car until they arrived. They went in and came out with the guy. I walked over to look at him. He told them he was homeless and thought the office was abandoned because it was unlocked and had a closed sign on the door. Supposedly he only wanted a place to sleep and was sorry about bothering anyone. I stood there listening to this B.S. and wondered if the cops were going to believe him.

  They said nothing was damaged or stolen so they were going to give him a citation and let him go. If we wanted to press it then we could go in front of the Magistrate and complain, but it was obvious they considered this a closed case and a done deal. The man took off at a quick and shuffling walk, turned the corner and was gone.

  The police gave me some form with a scrawled statement on it saying they had let him go on his own recognizance with a warning. They were kind of in a hurry so their shift must have been ending. Maybe they wanted to head home. (Either that or the donuts were ready at Krispy Kreme.)

  Beverly’s car pulled up right as the cops were leaving so I had to recount everything for her. She was not impressed. The two of us made a careful inspection and could see the guy had gone thru drawers and cabinets but nothing was missing. Beverly stopped to stare at the combination dial on her personal safe for a minute. I realized she had probably placed the dial on a certain number before she left and it had been disturbed.

  We made a small pot of fresh coffee and quietly sat there. She was deep in thought and I did not want to rush her so I waited patiently and quietly.

  “Sarah, what do you think happened? Was it happenstance or something else?”

  “We both know the door was locked. The alarm didn’t go off and I would be willing to bet that if we check around behind the building we will find the phone lines have been fixed with a ‘bridge over’ so the alarm won’t go off and the wires cut where they enter the building.”

  “Go on.”

  “His clothes were dirty but it wasn’t ground in and shiny dirt. Like the kind you get from wearing the same thing day after day. The top of his hair was unkempt and in disarray with dirt in it as well. But his hair underneath the dirt wasn’t greasy. That means he is used to washing it with shampoo and conditioner.” Taking a breath, need to think carefully as I speak.

  “His shoes were carefully scuffed and had some duct tape on the sides as if holding them together. They were outwardly dirty but their laces were new and not frayed. They were good quality shoes but not flashy. They were laced tight like he was ready to run if he needed to. They were running shoes not clumsy work boots or the three dollar rejects they hand out at the missions when you’re really down and out.”

  “What else?”

  “There was a candy jar on the front desk. It would have been the first thing he saw coming in but he ignored it. That means he wasn’t hungry. His clothes were baggy to make it look like he was scrawny but his arms and neck had muscle definition. The kind of definition you get from working out in a gym. Also, under the dirt on his face his complexation was clear and his breath didn’t stink. His teeth were clean and none of them were missing. Not many homeless go to the dentist that often.”

  “Anything else?”

  “He wanted what was in your file cabinet.”

  “Did you tell any of this to the police?”

  “Why would I do that?”

  Again we sat there quietly. Her gaze may have been in my direction but her mind was far away busy juggling whatever facts were in this equation. Things I simply did not want to know.

  “When will the move be finished?”

  “The boys are cleaning the rugs in the new office now. They will be here with the truck in a couple of hours and they will do the heavy lifting. After all they are both big strong men and this will give them the chance to show off their physical prowess to a poor helpless female, such as myself.” We both smiled at that.

  “There are a few things I want to do that don’t concern them. I should have everything in the new office by this evening. Then sorted and in place by tomorrow night. The new furniture will be delivered the next day and we can do touch ups and fill-ins. If everything goes well then on January third we will be open for business. We will still need the computers and phone intercom but that’s it.”

  “So I take it you are planning on working both New Year’s Eve as well as New Year’s Day. What will you tell your friends?”

  “I will not lie to them. I also won’t bring it up either. They are all working tonight in different locations. However this is Buckroe and people did see the police here. Sometimes people talk. If they hear that talk I will tell them what the police said, after all we don’t really have any concrete proof to the contrary do we?”

  I kept going. “Also one of the reasons we’re moving is to be in a better class neighborhood isn’t it?”

  “That’s very true Sarah. I am glad we had this little conversation.”

  Then she got up and walked out.

  The boys got there about an hour later and began to kid me about not having more things packed and ready to go. Two can play that game.

  “Where’s the coffee you promised me?”

  “What coffee?” That was from Dave. Rico was looking thoughtful and suspicious. Smart boy.

  “When you guys left last night I asked if you were going to bring me some coffee when you got here. You both said ‘unh hunh’, that’s why I haven’t been moving faster. You know I need something to get me going in the morning.”

  Act
ually I was making all of this up as I went along. “I thought I could count on at least one of you guys for that.” Then softening my voice to sound like I was speaking sadly. “Guess not.”

  Dave had that ‘Oh shit’ look on his face but Rico was standing off and smiling.

  “Did you have some Danish too?” That was from Rico.

  He then reached in and pulled a coffee cup out of the trash and smelled it.

  “This is fresh from today. You already had some coffee and probably just packed the pot away. In fact there’s fresh grounds in the trash. I wonder how they got there?”

  I looked at the cup he held up, it was Beverly’s. “That’s not mine.”

  “Bull shit.” From both of them at once.

  “Do you see me wearing lipstick? Have you ever seem me wearing that shade of lipstick? Beverly stopped by and I made coffee for her. I didn’t make any for myself because I thought either my lover or my brother would bring me what they said they would. Guess I was wrong…..Sad now.” Trying to sound wistful.

  Then Rico held up the other cup. “How about this one?”

  Crap.

  “Don’t cloud the issue. The sooner we get moving the sooner we get done. So what goes in first?”

  As an apparent afterthought “We also have to pick up one more thing at Office Max so we may as well use the truck to do it. Now let’s get busy boys.” Clapping my hands together “Chop chop.”

  * * *

  We made a last minute stop at Office Max so I could purchase two of the tall book cases that you have to assemble yourself. I could put them together when I was alone, but I wanted some muscle to bring them inside. I know I was really press ganging them into doing all of this, especially on New Year’s Eve, but I have every intention of making it up to them.

  They put the armored file cabinet/safe in Beverly’s office closet. The two of them could barely budge it and had trouble maneuvering it in, but they finally made it without losing their tempers or breaking their backs literally.