“What? No, seeing a friend about some rent. I own the mall.” I bit my lip and eyed him. He just laughed.
“Well, I don’t own it, my father owns it. I just manage it, and I take care of the business around it. You know, a part of the family business.”
I shirked away from him a little, remembering exactly who he was and what he was a part of. I couldn’t forget that. I couldn’t ever forget that. It wasn’t safe. He wasn’t just some guy that I could get to know. He was dangerous.
But the way he was looking at me now just made me sad. His eyes narrowed, and he realized what he said, what it meant.
“Is my family a problem for you?” he asked.
I thought about it for a minute; then I shook my head. His family was as much of a problem as mine was, so why should it matter what he was, what he did? Chances were, no matter what he did, no matter who he was, my family had done or was the same thing.
“I don’t think so.”
“You work for my family; you know how it is.”
I nodded.
“Why do you work for us anyway?”
He didn’t know? Didn't he know who I was? I bit my lip and looked away from him. “My dad gambled. He owed you all. I’m paying it back in service.”
“That’s very generous of my father. He usually doesn’t do that.”
I nodded, “Michael Mactavish worked it out.”
It was the truth, but I didn’t tell him why. He didn’t need to know who I was. Who I was connected to. At least not yet.
I didn’t want the knowledge of who I was to change the way he treated me.
We stopped at the top floor where an old store had been converted into a gym. Its open doors exposed everyone who was working out to the shoppers and window-watchers. It wasn’t a gym for bored homemakers or busy professionals, no, this was a boxing gym. The kind that had bags in the back and a ring right in the center of the old converted store.
“What is this place?” I asked as we walked in.
“A friend’s,” he said as he walked up to the counter. “Vinny here?” he asked a young man who nodded.
“I’ll get him, he’s in the back.” The kid practically sprinted to the end of the store down to a small door that must’ve led to an office. After a moment a large man emerged, his eyes hard as he looked around from one boxer to another.
“Greyson, thanks so much for the meeting at the store.” The two of them clasped hands and Greyson grinned. “Oh, you brought a lady friend, to what do I owe this pleasure?” his eyes sparkled.
“Jo,” I said as I shook his hand.
“Jo, we have women kickboxers and MMA artists if you ever want to come by. I’ll set you up real good.”
I smiled. “I might just do that.”
I’d always wanted to learn how to defend myself.
“Been treating you well?” Greyson asked.
Vinny nodded. “Working me hard. Been doing well, though. Here is your rent. And a little bit extra to put towards that start up loan.”
“I told you; that was a gift.” Greyson frowned.
“I know you did, but I pay my debts. No gifts when we are in business together, huh?” I liked Vinny. He seemed completely respectable.
“Alright, man. I respect that.” Greyson took the envelope and stuck it in the pocket of his suit jacket.
“Next time you come back, bring your workout gear, I’ll give you a session myself,” Vinny grinned.
“You bet your ass I will.”
The two of them left on good terms.
“Vinny used to work at the shop with us. Good guy. Always wanted to start his own place. So I provided some capital and the venue.” He smiled at me. “You really should go, you know. He’s the best trainer I know. Every woman should have some fighting in her background.”
“Where to next?” I asked.
“A little place just up the road, best ice cream in town.”
Greyson
I sat down at the picnic table and looked at her, double dipped cone in hand. She was giggling at me. Actually giggling.
“What?” I asked as I looked her over.
“Just, you,” she said as she pointed at me. I’d taken off my suit coat and was sitting there scowling. “You’re wearing, what, a thousand dollar suit, eating drippy ice cream.”
The suit cost me more than that, but she had a point.
“It’s good. My favorite place in town to get this.”
She nodded. “My mom used to take us here on special occasions. Said it was where her parents took her.” Anne’s Dairy Creme had been around for years and years, and it was a staple of the area. She dug into her strawberry sundae. “I’ve always loved it, though. Best ice cream, ever.”