Page 22 of Working for the Mob

He ignored me and went to the back of the store. I heard him have a quick chat with Jamie and then he came to the front.

“Come on. I have another job for you,” he said, and opened the door for me.

“I already have a job. I’m working here.”

“And I have another one.”

“What about the lunch rush? I don’t want to leave Jamie and Lucy out to dry.”

I especially didn’t want to leave Lucy by herself in case more customers tried to bully her again.

“Jamie can run this place by himself.”

“That doesn’t mean heshould.”

“He’ll have Lucy. Come on. Don’t make me pull rank on you.”

I scowled at him. If he was my boss’s boss, then he definitely could tell me what to do. I could quit, but he was also my landlord. I was totally screwed.

“Give me a second,” I said. I wasn’t going to bail on the boss without getting his ‘okay’ first. I found both Jamie and Lucy prepping sandwiches. “Jamie, are you okay with Art kidnapping me? I don’t want to leave you guys here without me.”

“He is the boss,” Jamie said, and shrugged.

I gave my sister a pleading SOS with my eyes, but it didn’t register with her. She waved ‘goodbye’ with a huge smile on her face. Without her shoes, she was enjoying herself a lot more than I was.

“We’ll be fine.”

So much for family. I found Art back at the entrance, still holding the door open.

“You’re going to let in the cold,” I said, and walked out without sparing him a glance.

I hoped that we weren’t going far. My feet already hurt and I didn’t think they could stand much walking. I still needed to walk home after this.

He didn’t make any small talk to me on the way there and I certainly wasn’t going to initiate a conversation with the mob. Instead, my mind raced with the possibilities of what he could have me doing, and the glee he would find when I would mess up.

We made our way across the street, past a laundromat, and into a door that led to steps. Great. No one would be able to hear my screams from the second floor.

“After you,” Art said, and held the door for me. Iaccidentallystepped on his foot and earned a grunt of pain as I walked in.

The steps opened onto a landing with one door. I had to push myself against the wall to let Art through to unlock it. As he brushed by me, I welcomed the press of his body against mine. Had it really been that long since I had been with a man?

“After you.” He stood in front of the open door and gestured for me to go through, but I wasn’t going to be that close to him again on purpose.

“I insist,” I said, and pushed him through the door. The door opened into a roomy and well-lit office, with a view of the street. A full bookshelf stood against the left wall, with a set of filing cabinets against the right. A handsome, cherry-wood desk sat in front of the window, facing the street.

Art pulled a simple wooden chair to the other side of the desk and sat down. He gestured to the cushioned office chair, and I sat down in it.

“We’ll need to share the desk. I have a few calls to make this morning,” Art said. Which meant that I’d be working with his insipid voice running the whole time.

“And what’ll I be doing?” I asked.

In response, Art stood up and reached into the filing cabinet and pulled out a stack of messy papers, tied together with a string and as tall as a coffee mug. “You’ll be doing my books. Are you good at arithmetic?”

Hisbooks?As in his financial dealings? “I’m not laundering your money. I’ll be seen as an accomplice.”

Art scowled. “All of this is legit.” He tapped the thick set of papers. “You don’t need to launder any funds when you own half the town. Is this something youcando?”

I crossed my arms. He must think that I’m as smart as my sister. “I can do it.”

---