Tuff as Nails

"Ah, Tuff, good to see you again," Harry Kendricks said, no smile on his face.

"Mr. Kendricks," Tuff said, nodding.

"Told you, my friends call me Harry," Harry Kendricks said and sat behind the ornate mahogany desk.

"Yes sir," Tuff said.

"Sit, sit, get you anything? Coffee? Water?" Harry said.

"No thank you," Tuff said, but did sit in a low slung chair.

For several moments, the four men were silent. Finally Harry did smile slightly.

"In negotiations, it's often said, the first one that speaks loses," he said.

Tuff said nothing.

"Well, then I guess I'll start. My Britney says she's pregnant and you're the only one had unprotected sex with her," Harry said.

"Find that very hard to believe," Tuff said.

"And Mr. Richards? I do not want my daughter to be an unwed mother," Harry continued.

"Then might I suggest you get the father to marry her," Tuff said.

"Ah! A most excellent idea, Mr. Richards!" Harry said, as if delighted. "Shall we say, first Saturday in August?"

"Need talk to the father about that," Tuff said.

"I am talking to the father, Mr. Richards," Harry snarled.

"I'm convinced you are not talking to the father," Tuff snarled.

"Listen, Tuff, may I call you Tuff? Listen Tuff, I don't want my grandchild to be born out of wedlock," Harry said. "What if you say, marry Britney, live with her, man and wife, and when the baby's born, do a DNA test. Baby's not yours? Walk away, leave Britney to raise the baby on her own."

"Can do DNA tests in utero nowadays," Tuff said.

"But if it turns out you are the father? You and Britney stay married until the baby's first birthday," Harry continued.

"And what do I get out of this?" Tuff asked.

"DNA says you're not the father? One hundred thousand," Harry offered.

"And if I am the father?" Tuff asked.

"You are the father? And you stick around until my grandchild's a year old? A million. And another million for every year after that," Harry offered.

"And if I refuse marry Britney?" Tuff asked. "Father or the baby or not."

"You love your mother?" Harry asked, voice hard. "Be a shame anything happened to her, huh?"

"Let me show you something," Tuff smiled and hoisted himself out of the low chair.

He pulled his snug pull over shirt off. The two bodyguards looked at Tuff's back, then at each other. Then they turned their attention back to Harry and Tuff.

Tuff turned and Harry's face blanched at the sight of Tuff's back. The flesh was mottled, crisscrossed with scars of old welts. Tuff pulled his shirt back on.

"Amazing what an electric cord can do, huh?" Tuff asked. "So, Mr. Kendricks, threatening my mother? Not a problem. Do whatever you want."

He started walking toward the door of the office. The muscle bound man on Tuff's left reached out a hand to stop Tuff.

"Mr. Kendricks isn't finished with you," the man growled.

Tuff's elbow flashed out, striking the man in the ribs. Everyone heard the crack of the man's rib. Tuff jerked his knee up, driving into the man's crotch. When the man bent forward, Tuff's elbow struck the man in the back of the head and the guard crumpled to the floor.

Tuff swept the second body guard's legs out from under him, then stepped onto the man's right arm. His left foot rested lightly on the guard's throat.

"Move one muscle and I'll stomp your windpipe, cock sucker," Tuff said. "Say yes if you understand."

"Yes," the man whispered.

Tuff then looked at Harry Kendricks. The man sat, mouth open in shock.

"See, Mr. Kendricks, I'm the most dangerous man you'll ever meet," Tuff said flatly. "I have absolutely nothing worth living for."

"My grand... Britney's baby?" Harry weakly offered.

"See? Even you, Mr. Kendricks," Tuff smiled. "It's your grandchild, its Britney's baby. Not once did you say anything about it being my baby."

"A million dollars, Tuff. Mr. Richards," Harry bargained.

"Really? You want to confine your daughter to that? TO a loveless marriage?" Tuff asked.

"It wouldn't have to be, I mean, you made love to her," Harry said.

"I fucked her," Tuff corrected. "Used her like the cheap whore she is."

Harry's face flushed red with anger. Tuff stepped off of the body guard and swung the door of the office open. He walked down the concrete walkway to the first steel door. The door to the outside would not open. Tuff had watched the guard punch in the key and now punched in the same code. With a click, he was able to push the door open and step outside.

The next day, two men were standing, waiting next to Tuff's truck. Tuff smiled and his smile grew wider as one of the guards also smiled.

"Mr. Kendricks would like to see you, Mr. Richards," the man said politely.

"It okay if I follow y'all?" Tuff asked.

"But of course, Mr. Richards," the man said and both men got into the Mercedes-Benz.

Again, one walked in front, the other walked behind as they approached the steel door.

"Took me forever remember that nine digit code," the man behind Tuff said. "Because you were able figure it out? Had to change it this morning."

"Sorry," Tuff said.

Again, Tuff stood in Harry Kendricks' office. Harry waved Tuff to a chair.

"Britney is my only child," Harry Kendricks started once Tuff was seated. "Cheryl? My wife? Had two miscarriages, then Britney. You know she was premature? Cheryl had her when she was only six and a half months along. God, we were so scared we were going lose her..."

"Give me a few minutes, I'll see if I can find someone gives a shit about your pathetic little life, Mr. Kendricks," Tuff said

One of the body guards stepped forward. The other guard held out his hand and stopped the first man's progress. Silently, he shook his head.

"Anyway, Mr. Richards," Harry said, fighting hard to control his rage. "I would really like for us to reach a compromise here."

Tuff said nothing.

"Mr. Richards?" Harry asked after a long moment of silence.

"Remember what you said yesterday?" Tuff smiled. "First one speaks loses?"

Harry sat for a long moment. Then he actually smiled. He waggled a finger at Tuff.

"And, that, Mr. Richards, is why I want you working here, at Kendricks Engineering," Harry laughed. "So. What will it take?"

"To work here? Or marry your daughter?" Tuff asked.

"Both, Mr. Richards. Both," Harry said.

"How much you got?" Tuff asked.

"Me? Close to three billion, give or take," Harry said.

"Sorry, not enough," Tuff said. "We done here?"

"One million when you start working here, one million when you and Britney wed, and one million when the, when your child is born," Harry said. "And a million every year after that."

"Mr. Kendricks," Tuff said.

"Harry, damn it, boy, keep telling you, call me Harry," Harry said.

"Mr. Kendricks," Tuff said. "Why not offer that deal to Robert Brown? Surely that little weasel would jump at that kind of money."

"Britney wants you," Harry said. "And, I want you. I saw that project your team submitted. And everyone on that team, even your instructor says it was all you."

Tuff sat for several long moments. Harry sat and watched the young man. Finally Tuff shrugged.

Your daughter's unhappiness means that much to you," Tuff said.

"Huh? No, no, my daughter's happiness..." Harry said.

"Uh huh," Tuff smiled tightly. "So, where do I sign?"

"Oh, a handshake will do, boy," Harry said jovially.

"Stick that hand back in your pocket, you sleazy sack of shit," Tuff said.

"You watch how you talk..." one of the guards snarled.

Again, it was the other guard that held the first one back. Harry took several deep breaths to calm himself down.

"You still bank at First DeGarde?" Harry asked, typing on his computer's keyboard.

"Yes sir," Tuff said.

"Ezekiel Aaron Richards," Harry mused aloud. "And... Done. You'll start here on Monday."

"Can't wait," Tuff said drily, getting to his feet.

"Well, welcome aboard," harry smiled and stood.

Harry extended his hand. Tuff looked at the hand, then looked at Harry's face. He then turned and walked to the door of Harry's office.

The two guards stepped aside. One actually opened the door for Tuff.

"And, Mr. Richards, I'll get the door for you," that guards said.

"Don't bother; I know the code," Tuff smiled.

"Impossible; I had my other hand over my hand," the man said.

Tuff punched in the code and smiled when the door clicked.

"Well, kiss my ass," the man said.

Tuff wasn't even out of the parking lot and his cell phone rang. Again, it was the area code for Poughkeepsie, New York in the display.

"Daddy told me," Britney shrilled happily when Tuff answered the phone.

"Uh huh," Tuff said heavily.

"Oh Sweetheart, just wait and see; I'm going make you the happiest man in the world," Britney enthused.

"Oh? Going commit suicide?" Tuff asked.

After a long silence, Tuff disconnected the call.

Dr. Mouton, the Dean of the Engineering Department of ULD was not happy to be losing Ezekiel Richards, but understood that money often won out over integrity. He shook the young man's hand and wished him well.

Marie was suspicious; she'd never heard her son say anything nice about Britney Kendricks. She was livid when she found out that the wedding would be taking place at St. Elizabeth By The Lake Catholic Church.

"Catholic? CATHOLIC?" she shrilled. "Worshipping statues?"

"Oh no, you're thinking old school Catholic. No, new Catholics practice matricide in the name of Satan, Lord of the underworld," Tuff said.

He checked his account and nodded when he saw that his current balance was $1,000,349.18. He cut off his mother's complaints by telling her they needed to go to Abdul's Department store; she needed a dress for the wedding.

The obviously gay man in the Men's Department helped Tuff select four suits. The man fairly swooned when he measured Tuff for the alterations.

"The navy suit? Hundred dollars you can have it ready for pick up on Saturday; I start my job on Monday," Tuff said.

"Yes sir," the man simpered.

Stolzle's Shoes sold him a pair of penny loafers and a pair of black wingtip oxfords. Marie also found a pair of sensible pumps.

"What you think? Black? Or, maybe this gray?" Marie asked.

"Mother of the groom's dress is gray," Tuff said. "But, let's face it, black goes with just about everything."

Marie offered to help him find a house. Then she offered to move into the house since Tuff would be needing her help.

"Mother, I will buy you your own house if you promise to never ever visit me in my new house," Tuff said.

Monday was spent filling out paperwork, then watching webinars on sexual harassment, diversity in the workplace, and safety rules and regulations. At lunch time, Tuff prepared to open his brown bag lunch when Harry's personal assistant, Helen Theriot paged him to Harry's office.

"Yes sir?" Tuff said when he entered the man's office.

"We're going to La Scalia's for lunch; Cheryl and Britney are meeting us there," Harry said genially.

"Fine," Tuff said.

Harry insisted that Tuff ride with him in his limousine. Again Tuff decided not to fight.

"So, Tuff, how do you like..." Harry started.

"Sir? I'm perfectly okay with awkward, uncomfortable silence," Tuff interrupted. "In fact, I would prefer it over having conversations with you."

"Now, you listen here, you little..." Harry snarled, getting in Tuff's face.

Tuff reached a beefy paw out, grabbed Harry's face and shoved the man, hard. Harry bounced against the door of the limousine and sat, dazed.

"No, you listen here, cock sucker," Tuff said, voice low. "I have jumped through all of your fucking hoops so far. But I will be damned if I will ever be friends with you."

"Everything all right, sir?" the driver's voice crackled over the intercom.

"Uh yeah, yes Johnson, thank you," Harry mumbled.

They pulled up to the restaurant. The driver opened the door and a still shaken Harry got out.

"Thank you, Mr. Johnson," Tuff said when the driver held the door open for him.

"You are welcome sir, and may I say, welcome to the family, sir," the driver said.

"Thank you," Tuff said again and gave the driver a fist bump.

"Very good, sir," the man smiled.

"Ezekiel," Cheryl Kendricks said when Tuff stepped into the foyer of the restaurant.

She was a beautiful woman in her early fifties. Tuff could see what Britney would look like in another twenty five years. She would have a few more well placed pounds, a few wrinkles, a few strands of gray. And would be a mature beauty.

"Mrs. Kendricks," Tuff said.

"Oh, no, no darling! Call me Cheryl," she insisted.

"He won't..." Harry said.

"Fine, Cheryl, it's wonderful to meet you," Tuff said, enjoying the look of bitterness on Harry's face.

"You!" Britney said and playfully slapped his arm. How come you haven't called me? I waited the whole weekend..."

"Sorry, was swamped, running around, trying get everything ready for the wedding," Tuff said.

"No, no, Ezekiel, you just have to show up," Cheryl said and latched onto Tuff's muscular arm as the hostess guided them to their table.

Her fingers toyed with Tuff's massive bicep and she smiled up at Tuff.

"No, no, dear, Britney and I are already planning the wedding; you just show up, did you play sports in school? Harry, have you seen this young man's arms?" Cheryl prattled happily.

"Please call me, please," Britney whispered to Tuff, pressing her phone number into his hand.

"Fine, Britney, fine," Tuff sighed.

"And I'm serious, I will make you the happiest man in the world," Britney whispered.

She leaned against him.

"I love you," she whispered.

"Uh huh," Tuff said.

The ride back to Kendricks Engineering was spent in silence. Tuff completed his work day and drove to the trailer. He did call Britney on the new phone number she'd given him. They decided to meet at Sweet Pea's, for red beans and rice.

There, the two decided that they should pick out the house they'd share as husband and wife together. Carmen Davis of Davis Realty found a beautiful five bedroom, four bathroom home and Tuff wrote out a check for the down payment.

"No, Sweetheart, Daddy said he'll buy..." Britney objected.

"Britney, your Daddy buys this house? I will never spend one night in it," Tuff said, face and voice tight.

"Oh. Okay," Britney relented.

Cheryl and Britney gleefully went to the task of furnishing and decorating the house. Any time Britney asked Tuff's opinion on anything, Tuff said whatever she wanted was fine with him.

"See, Harry? That's how a man should do it, not ask how much it's costing him," Cheryl laughed happily.

"Uh huh," both Harry and Tuff said.

Tuff excelled at his job. Dr. Claude Ivernek, the head of the Engineering Department stormed, unannounced into Harry's office.

"The boy is a genius," he enthused, heavy German accent even heavier in his excitement. "You vill approve this, ja?"

"What is it?" Harry asked, looking at the schematics.

"Boy has designed smaller pump," Claude said.

"And? We don't need..." Harry said.

"No, no, is smaller, but pump nearly three times," Claude shrilled.

"How much smaller?" Harry asked.

"Eighty percent smaller, I am losing my mind!" Claude enthused.

"Cost?" Harry asked.

"Not even a tent of the K.E. Four," Claude said, pulling out a sheet of paper with the projections.

"A fifth the size, we'd reduce our footprint, the fucking environmentalists will love us," Harry mused aloud.

"And old pumps? Mr. Richards says we clean them up, sell them to India, to China," Claude went on.

"Well? What the fuck are you waiting on? Get busy, damn it, get busy," Harry ordered. "We're starting on the, the, the K.E. TR One."

"The boy is genius, I tell you," Claude bubbled and hustled out of the office.

"Daddy is so happy with you," Britney bubbled into the phone. "Oh! Oh! And I found the cutest crib for the nursery."

"Thought we already had a crib," Tuff asked.

"No, no, that's the changing table," Britney giggled.

"Well, does the new crib match the changing table? Or the dresser?" Tuff asked.

"Oh! I better see!" Britney gasped and hung up.

"God, if you truly are a loving and merciful God, please kill me," Tuff implored out loud. "Please? Have some ass hole run the next red light, anything."

God did not respond. Tuff managed to make it home safe and sound. He greeted his future mother in law, looked at the picture on the box of the crib and agreed, it truly was the most perfect crib man had ever designed. With a perfunctory kiss to Britney's happy lips, Tuff got busy assembling the crib.

"Ezekiel, you didn't even look at the instructions," Cheryl pointed out.

Tuff looked at her for a long moment, then continued assembling the crib.

"Mother, really? He's an engineer? He puts this kind of stuff together in his sleep," Britney giggled. "Sweetheart? I'm making that smothered steak for supper, okay?"

"Be down to help you soon as I finish this," Tuff agreed.

"I love you so much," she enthused and bounded out of the room.

"She really does," Cheryl said as Tuff slid the last spring into place.

"Yes ma'am," Tuff agreed. "You see a, never mind, there it is."

The day of the wedding was a sweltering hot August day in Southwestern Louisiana. An afternoon thundershower did bring some relief, albeit temporary. Tuff had spent the night in his mother's trailer and now, while Marie shrilled complaint after complaint, shrugged into his tuxedo.

John Johnson pulled up to the trailer in the long limousine. As usual, Tuff greeted the family chauffeur with a fist bump. The man did ingratiate himself to Marie by complimenting her on her beautiful outfit.

"Bride's supposed be the main attraction, ma'am, but you'll come in a close second in that get up," the man said.

"Suck up," Tuff whispered and the man chuckled.

Just as Tuff was about to get into the limousine, nineteen year old Melissa Bergeron opened the door of her trailer. In her arms, she had her baby boy. Tears streamed freely down her sad little face.

"Bye Tuff," she said, then slammed the door of her trailer shut.

Pack was Tuff's best man, a cousin of Britney's was her matron of honor. Four girls that had gone to high school with them also stood in as bridesmaids. Tuff had three high school chums and one college friend as his groomsmen.

Finally, the music swelled to a nearly intolerable volume and a smiling Harry escorted a beaming, crying Britney up the aisle. Even Tuff had to admit, Britney Theresa Kendricks did make a beautiful bride.

Father Goldbridthe performed the wedding in his usual, no-nonsense manner. With very little ceremony, he wed the couple and that was it.

During the reception, Pack walked to the bandleader.

"Hey, everyone? Everyone, this is Tuff's and Britney's song," Pack announced loudly. It's the song they danced to when they fell in love."

"Aw, you ass hole," Tuff actually laughed when the band began to play 'Nights In White Satin.'

He did dance with his bride. And, just as she had done at Pack's house, Britney molded herself to him, breathed her hot breath in his ear, kissed along his jawline.

John Johnson drove the couple from the reception hall to their hotel in Lafayette, Louisiana. Despite Tuff's silent prayers and entreaties to God, John was far too experienced a driver to allow them to be killed in a traffic accident.

Their suitcases were already in the hotel room. Tuff easily picked Britney up, stepped with her across the threshold and lay her on the bed.

"Sir? I will be here at ten tomorrow morning to take you and Mrs. Richards..." John said.

John smiled as Britney gave a happy squeal at hearing her name for the first time.

"...to the airport," John finished.

"I uh, do I tip you or what?" Tuff asked.

"Your customary fist bump will be tip enough, sir," John smiled. "And again, sir, welcome to the family."