“Eye Water to Cry With” – Flash Fiction Series, Chapter 4: Whine or Wine…

Please read Chapters 1 thru 3 if you are just beginning to follow the series.  This chapter is definitely longer than the others but I think you guys can handle it.  🙂 Thanks!

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Whine or Wine...

After some convincing, Jonas slid into the passenger seat of Mya’s Benz.  She could sense his uneasiness.  A pool of sweat formed on his bald head even though they were experiencing one of the coldest days in January.  Mya tried to spark a tension breaking conversation during the fifteen-minute ride to Plaza Towers.

 

“I’ve been meaning to tell you that Harlem Wine is very good”, Mya said with a smile.

 

“Thank you.  We definitely take pride in it.”

 

“I’ve heard Lindsey’s customers rave about the variety of flavors.  Of course the exclusivity of those who can afford to buy a bottle makes it even more intriguing.  Your boss, the owner, must be extremely excited about its success.”

 

“Well, I don’t think he can label it as successful yet judging by the raggedy company truck we just left smoking on side of the road.”

 

They both laughed and Jonas relaxed deeper into his seat.

 

“He’s very happy with the prospects for the future though”, Jonas continued.  He wished he could tell someone exactly how excited the boss really was but he had to wait.  “The company is actually looking to pick up an additional account with the restaurant and bar at Plaza Towers soon.”

 

“Oh, so that’s why he’s going to Plaza Towers”, Mya thought.  “He’s probably mapping out his new route.”

 

As they made small talk Mya realized that Jonas was much smarter than she assumed the average truck driver would be.  She tried to adjust the car’s heat setting but accidentally turned on the air conditioner.  A cold blast of air blew through her locs and chilled her face.  Jonas watched her like a little kid with a crush.  His eyes bounced and glowed, content at admiring the specs of gold that danced around her cheekbones.  Mya paid no attention to his stares as she secured her honey brown locs back behind her ear and pressed down on the fan control before they froze to death.  She was still getting used to her new $75,000 gift from Harold.  She knew it was a bribe, sort of like hush money, but she accepted it anyway because her Accord had gone to Honda heaven a couple of months earlier.  Every time Mya made plans to talk to Harold a present would show up at the door instead of him.  She couldn’t recall when the tide had shifted in their relationship or when she had begun to be comforted with trips and cars instead of the kisses Harold gave her back in college just for being thick hipped and juicy lipped.  Since then he had changed and so had she.   His mother, Ms. Lindsey, the glue of the family had passed away.  His father, still mourning, turned over a considerable portion of the business to Harold.  And Harold had become a permanent fixture in Atlanta’s in-crowd.

 

The past year had been a significant strain on their relationship but the last few days had almost driven Mya crazy.  She was suspicious, she was spying and she was openly flirting with a mysterious delivery truck driver who kept his hands in his pockets.  Sure, with him she could have a man who was home by 6, coached pee-wee football, made tacos on Thursdays and drove a beat up truck to work but she knew her future was with Harold no matter how dysfunctional that future was.  Jonas could never give her the things that Harold promised.  Promises that Mya was having a hard time clinging to after digesting the news she’d recently gotten from Lisa.  Lisa was an old college roommate who worked for the IRS.  She gave Mya a heads up on an impending investigation of Woody Enterprises.

 

“Girl, I don’t know what’s going on but you need to be prepared because these papers have your name all over them.  I’m faxing them now but you didn’t get them from me okay?”

 

At first, Mya was confused by what Lisa had faxed.  She thumbed through the papers not believing any of it but after paying closer attention to Harold’s latest monthly expenditures she knew something was wrong.  She had gotten out of the habit of fact checking and scrutinizing everything because she was dealing with Harold, the love of her life.  According to Lisa’s fax, the IRS and FBI were investigating Woody Enterprises for tax evasion and fraud and they were also looking into Harold’s assets.   Most notably a 1.2 million dollar loft and office space listed as 219 Plaza Towers, Atlanta, Georgia.  The purchase was deducted as a business expense; a purchase that Mya knew nothing about even though all of its financial transactions contained her signature.  After more digging she found that Ashley Williams & Associates – Accounting and Realty, brokered the purchase of the space.  Mya didn’t know her personally but billboards all over Atlanta advertised her as Ashley “#1 Realtor” Williams.  She was the kind of accountant whose promotional pictures looked like they belonged in Glamour magazine, not Homes Today.  Mya wasn’t sure why Harold needed Ashley at all.  She and an attorney could have easily handled that business transaction.  Unconsciously, Mya sat up straighter and held in her stomach as she turned into Plaza Towers.

 

“I really do appreciate the ride.  I’ll check on the tow truck after I finish handling some business.”

 

“You do a lot of stuff for a delivery guy.”  Mya replied even though she didn’t’ know how long Jonas had been talking or what he had been talking about.

 

“When you work with a small company you have to wear many hats.  Trust me, I don’t mind.”

 

Mya was still a little distracted with her thoughts.  She purposely avoided the front of the Plaza Towers so she could drive through the parking lot and look for Harold’s SUV.  She saw it as plain as day parked next to a silver Lexus with a tacky Ashley Williams Realty magnet planted on the side.

 

Jonas moaned with disappointment.  “Damn, I forgot about the wine for Ms. Williams.  I’ve been trying to convince her to purchase bottles of Harlem Wine for her company anniversary party this year.   I promised I’d bring some sample bottles by her office but completely forgot about it after the truck broke down.”

 

“Don’t worry, take the two I have in the backseat.  Harold said I could order anything I wanted so I ordered those.  Please, take them.”

 

“I feel that saying thank you isn’t enough for your kindness today.  Maybe I can repay you for all you’ve done on a Saturday in the near future.  Just a friendly lunch, that’s all.  I’ll be the perfect gentleman.”

 

Mya didn’t doubt that hew as telling the truth.

 

“As tempting as that sounds I’m going to have to pass.”

 

“Well, you have my card if you change your mind.”  Jonas snatched the bottles from the backseat and closed the door.  He secured the wine under his armpits, quickly put his hands back inside his pockets and began to walk away.

 

Out of curiosity Mya rolled down the window and yelled out to Jonas.  “Hey, you wouldn’t happen to know which office belongs to Ashley Williams Realty would you?”

 

“Of course.  She’s the major tenant here.  She has an entire floor with an office and an apartment, Suite 219.”