“Eye Water to Cry With” – Flash Fiction Series, The End: Crystal Clear

Whew!  It’s the last Chapter of “Eye Water to Cry With”!  I’m so glad I didn’t stick to my normal 300 word flash fiction or this story wouldn’t have been complete until May 2012  LOL!  I had lots of fun writing this series, especially piecing all the info together at the very last minute  🙂  I hope you enjoyed it too.  I will post some discussion questions and a poll tomorrow so please take part in those.  Thanks for the support!  Enjoy!!!

ChUC

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Crystal Clear

Jonas walked inside the Plaza Towers and wondered if he had said too much about Ashley Williams.  Mya looked like she’d lost her best friend when he told her that Ashley had an office in 219.  He knew Mya was still outside sitting in her car but he couldn’t stop to ask her what was wrong.  When his truck broke down he was thrown off schedule and now he was in a hurry.  As hard as it was, Jonas breathed in deeply to ease Mya from his mind and took the elevator to the Medical Center on the left side of the Plaza Towers.  He rubbed his knuckles and the meaty crease between his thumb and forefinger.   He had been inside the Medical Center several times before but he felt extremely nervous and anxious this time.  He stepped out of the elevator and stood in front of The Nouveau Clinic.  It smelled of old secrets and new beginnings.  He hoped it would be the last time he had to see the inside of that place.  He hoped today was the first day of the rest of his life.

…

Mya sat in her car with the air conditioner on full blast.  Her temper raged and her heartbeat thumped inside her ears.  Nothing made sense to her, but at the same time, everything was starting to make sense.  She grabbed the last bottle of wine from the backseat and turned it up to her lips.  Wine trickled down her chin and spilled onto the collar of her wool coat.   With her eyes closed and breath held, she tried to drink as much as she could in one gulp.  She finished a third of the bottle and flashed a confident grin like she had the strength of Popeye.

“I’m going to march myself up to 219 and demand to know what’s going on.  If I’m going to jail I need to hear why straight from the jackass’s mouth.”

Mya grabbed her bag and took one last swig of wine.  She didn’t want her courage to fade before she reached the building.  Once inside, she noticed that the décor of the Plaza Towers was very plush and over the top.  Exactly the kind of thing Harold had grown to like since they met in college.  Mya couldn’t tell if she felt woozy because of the wine or from the glare of the gazillion crystals hanging from the ceiling.  Before she and Harold started dating she was a struggling college student alone in the world.  No mother, no father, no family at all.  The only crystal she was familiar with started with a “K” and was open late on weekends.  Now she was in an elevator preparing to confront the man who had brought her into his family and promised to give her the world.

The elevator stopped with a jolt.  Mya fanned her coat trying to get rid of the smell from the spilled wine.   She pulled out her compact and checked her face.  Satisfied with her appearance, she walked off the elevator and opened the mahogany door to 219.  There was a small stretch of hallway in front of her.  Plaques and photos from Ashley Williams & Associates lined the cream colored walls.  No photos were bigger than that of Ashley herself.  Mya caught a glimpse of Harold through the glass doors at the end of the hallway.  He quickly went inside another door about six feet behind the receptionist.   Mya froze.  She hadn’t thought about what she was going to say to Harold.  She didn’t want to burst in with accusations when she didn’t know the full story.  She tried to calm her nerves with a few deep breaths.

“Maybe the relationship could be saved”, Mya thought.  “Maybe this is all a big misunderstanding and I can go back to my nice life with my nice car and spacious apartment and flirt with Jonas on Thursdays.”

Convinced that everything would work out fine she walked through the double doors and decided to talk calmly, rationally, and lovingly to Harold.  After all, he was her fiancé.

“Welcome to Ashley Williams & Associates.  Can I help you?”  The receptionist looked at Mya and flashed a store bought smile.

“Hi, I just need to speak with Harold.  It’s urgent.”

“Sorry, but we don’t have a Harold working here.”

“Umm, my bad, it’s Mr. Woody.  I just saw him walk through that door.”  Mya pointed to make sure the receptionist knew exactly which door she was referring to.

“Ma’am, I’m sorry but you must be mistaken.”

Mya’s voice grew louder.  “Look, I don’t have time for this.  You need to get Harold out here right now.”

“Lady, unless you’re buying a house I’m not trying to hear anything you have to say.  Now, if that’s all I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”

Mya was a little tipsy but certainly not blind.  She knew Harold was in there.  What was the receptionist trying to hide?  Mya tried to remember the happy feeling she had while in the hallway but it wasn’t working.  “I’m not leaving until I see Harold.” Mya rolled her neck and screamed at the top of her lungs, “Harold, Harold!”

“Hey, this is a place of business!”

Mya stormed past the receptionist.

“I’m calling the police!”

Mya rushed into what looked to be an apartment.  There were wall-to-wall hardwood floors, more opulent crystal like in the lobby area and a black piano in the middle of the living room.  It was noticeably bigger and fancier than her apartment.  She heard the shower running and walked toward the sound.  The giggles began to drown out the water.  Mya reached the bathroom.  The door was wide open.  She clutched her bag but didn’t make a sound.  She just stood there and watched her fiancé kiss another woman.  Both were wrapped in white robes. Both were unaware of her presence, but only for a moment.

“Mya!  Wait, um, what are you doing here?”  Harold’s eyes grew wider than silver dollars when he saw Mya standing in the doorway.

“What am I doing here?  What am I doing here?”

Mya lunged wildly at Harold.  Her fists pounded his chest as he fell to his knees and braced for cover.  Ashley could only retreat to the corner of the bathroom, too scared to move any farther.  Mya unleashed her wine induced fury on Harold.  She punched him for every lie he told, every date he broke and every night he went missing.  She punched him for not keeping the most important promise of all, to love her forever, until her fists hurt.

“I hate you, I don’t need you, and I don’t want you!”

Mya frantically reached inside her bag.

Harold watched the determination in her eyes as she searched.  He had never seen her so angry.  “Mya, please don’t do this!”  He begged like he was pleading for his life.

Mya was so nervous her hands shook and she could barely hold on to the bag.  The hot steam from the shower combined with the wine was affecting her balance.

“She means nothing to me, Mya.

Mya wiped the sweat from her forehead.  “I could kill you right now.

“Baby, let’s talk about this.”

Mya pulled the stack of IRS papers from her bag and threw them in Harold’s face.  Relieved it was just paper, his jaw loosened.

Mya wanted to cry but no tears came.  “I believed in you, Harold.  I believed in you and you betrayed me.”  She started to back away.

“Honey, who is that?”  Ashley managed to whimper from the corner.

“Who am I?”  All  165 lbs of Mya’s weight pulsated through the palm of her hand and  then across the left side of Ashley’s face.  “I was his fiancé – Honey.”

Harold just sat there staring at the papers.  His face was whiter than the robe he was wearing.  Mya knew her real problems were just beginning seconds before the police stormed in.  The receptionist came running in after them.

“That’s her right there, officers.”  She pointed directly at Mya.

“Mya Monroe, you’re under arrest for embezzlement and fraud.  Please come with us.”  An officer cuffed her hands behind her back.

“Harold Woody, Ashley Williams, you’re also under arrest for embezzlement, fraud, and tax evasion.  Stand up and come with us please.  We’ll let you get dressed before going downtown.”

“Wait, what’s going on?”  The receptionist was frantic. “No, I called the police on her.”

An officer flashed his FBI badge.  “Ma’am this office is shut down.  You’re gonna have to get your things and vacate the premises.”

One by one, Mya, Harold, and Ashley were escorted downstairs through the mob of onlookers.  The blue and red lights from the police cars shined through the glass doors and bounced off the crystal chandeliers like disco balls.  Mya tried to shield her face from the TV cameras and the bystanders.  Her drunken courage had gone but she felt no fear while sitting in the police car.  The ride to the police station was quick but no less hectic.  News stations occupied every inch of available space to get a glimpse of Harold being taken inside the jail.  Mya would have thought it was funny if she had not been going inside with him.  She was booked and put into a cell until her morning arraignment.  At 10:30 sharp she stood before the judge with a lawyer she had never met.   It all went so fast.

“Ms. Monroe, do you understand the charges against you”, the judge asked.

“Yes, sir, but I don’t agree with…”

“I didn’t ask if you agreed, only if you understood.”

“Yes, sir”, Mya mumbled.

“Good, then bail is set at $250,000.”

“Your Honor, we are prepared to make bail immediately.”

Mya looked at the lawyer.  “I thought he said my assets were frozen.”

“They are, but Mr. Harlem’s isn’t.  He’s the one who hired me for you.”

“Mr. Harlem?”

“Of Harlem Wines.  As soon as he posts bail they will bring you back downstairs.”

Mya couldn’t believe that Jonas had convinced his boss to post her bail and hire an attorney.  She didn’t know how she would thank him or ever repay Mr. Harlem for his kindness.  After posting bail Mya was brought back downstairs.  The only people she saw were the attorney and Jonas.  Even after all the craziness of the day, with her life in turmoil and out of control, she still thought Jonas was the sexiest thing alive.  She had to keep from running towards him.

“Hi”, she said to Jonas.

The attorney shook Jonas’s hand before walking away.  “I’ll be in touch soon, Mr. Harlem.”

Mya’s head turned so fast she could have gotten whiplash.  “Mr. Harlem?  Wait, I don’t understand.  Are you his son?

“No, I am the Mr. Harlem.”

“You made me believe that you were just a truck driver.  Is this some Coming to America type stuff?”

“No, I’m just a man with a past trying to have a future.”

“But you’re freaking Jonas Harlem of Harlem Wines! Why would you keep that a secret?”

Jonas looked at his hands.  There was no trace of who he used to be.  “I wasn’t ready until now.”

“You know I can never pay you back.  Everything I have is tied to Woody Enterprises.  The attorney said I can easily win my case but in the end I’ll only have my freedom.”

“I’m not worried about the money.”

“So why do it?  Why risk bailing me out?”

Jonas pulled Mya close to him and squeezed her tightly.  He breathed in the scent of his wine on her collar.

“Because tomorrow’s Saturday.  The risk of not seeing you was greater,” he whispered.

“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!

____________________________________________________________________________________

 

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.”

“Eye Water to Cry With” Flash Fiction Tuesday – Chapter 3: Smoke & Mirrors

Chapter 3 of the Eye Water to Cry With flash fiction Tuesday series.  This is the hump chapter , it starts the build up to the last chapter.  Enjoy!!

_____________________________________________________________________________

Smoke & Mirrors

Jonas banged his basketball-sized hands against his steering wheel.   When he thought about how careless he had been at Lindsey’s, he banged the steering wheel again.  Red marks appeared on both his palms before he decided he had done enough to punish himself.  Jonas looked over his shoulder as other trucks passed by with enough speed to shake his cab.

“I hope God is testing my patience to prepare me for something greater”, he mumbled as his Timberlands struck the cold winter pavement.

His truck was stopped at the intersection of Peachtree and 15^th Street.  It was the third break down in two months but he was glad it didn’t happen in front of Lindsey’s.  Smoke poured from the hood like the end of a fireworks display.  He knew everything had to be perfect when dealing with the Atlanta elite or he’d be job hunting.  The smoke had barely cleared when Mya drove up.

“Hey, you.”  Mya pretended to blink away the smoke’s sting but the only thing blinding was the lust in her eyes.

Determined not to make the same mistake twice, Jonas hid his hands inside his jacket pockets.

“Hello Mya”.  Jonas’s eyes roamed over Mya’s cleavage before resting on her face.  “I owe you an apology.  I didn’t know you were Mr. Woody’s lady friend.”

Jonas couldn’t risk losing the large Woody account.

“No harm done”, Mya said.  “Let me help you.”

Jonas’s better judgment told him to say no but he was weaker than water for thick women.

“Just drop me off at Plaza Towers on 17^th Street.”

Mya felt sick again.  She wondered why an ordinary delivery man would go to the ritzy Plaza Towers, the source of all her troubles involving Harold, with no wine to deliver.  She would soon find out.

“Eye Water to Cry With” (Flash Fiction Tuesday), Chapter 2: Harold Woody

Introducing Harold Woody in Chapter 2 of “Eyewater to Cry With”. 3 more chapters left in this series before we see how it ends. Enjoy, comment, and pass it on! Thanks for reading and subscribing!
____________________________________________________________________________________

Harold strolled into Lindsey’s thirty-five minutes late to meet Mya like he was on time.

“Did the new pomegranate wine come in?” Harold strained his neck attempting to measure up to Jonas’s long lean frame.

“Yes sir, it did.” The peaks of Jonas’s knuckles bulged from inside his jacket. “I just brought in the last of the crates. The pomegranate should be on top.” He kept his hands buried in his pockets as if he were afraid to show them.

“Cool. Babe, sorry I’m late”, Harold said, giving Mya a quick peck. “Did you make those transfers like I asked?”

“I did and I really need to talk to you about something important.” Mya handed Harold an envelope filled with the weekly bank statements.

“Can I help you, partna?” Harold eyeballed Jonas who was still standing there. Jonas took one last look at Mya, rolled his dolly to his truck then drove away.

“I need to cut lunch short but I promise I’ll make it up to you.”

“Look Harold, we really need to discuss these transfers – amongst other things. As your accountant I need to know what’s going on.”

“Don’t worry. Just keep doing what you’re doing.”

“Well, let me rephrase that. As your future wife I demand to know what’s going on.”

“As my future wife you need to support me. I was just named one of Black Enterprise’s Emerging Young Entrepreneurs. I have enough people trying to tear me down. “

Harold moved closer to Mya. The tip of his nose grazed her cheek. When he exhaled his breath tickled her earlobe. After one kiss he could feel her soften. Then, with the ease of blinking, he slid out the booth and out the door.

He waited to hit 17th St before pressing 219 on speed dial.