Wealth Pt. 03

Toni pursed her lips; she hated the smell of cigarette smoke, hated the way Milton smelled when he came back into the building. But at least he was out back, not in front of the building as he had done the first week they were in operation at the new building.

"Any idea what happened there?" Milton asked, pointing to the burned remnants of the apartment building next door.

"Guy was smoking a cigarette and it like caught on fire," Toni lied.

"Oh, hate when that happens," Milton smirked.

"I tell you," he said as he held the door so Toni could bring in her bags. "I had the money, I'd buy up as much of this property as I could."

"Out here? Why?" Toni asked.

"Gets incorporated year, two years from now, this will be a gold mine," Milton said and pointed to the apartment building. "And since that's already got the parking lot poured, and most of the plumbing framed in, it'll be worth something."

Over their lunch, Toni told Anita what Milton had said, expecting Anita to find it as amusing as she did.

"He's right," Anita said, peering through the small rear window at the burned slab.

Anita jerked with her thumb to the front of their building.

"And there's that land right across the street; remember when they finally got around to cutting the grass?" Anita asked.

"Eeww!" Toni screamed, remembering the thousands of rodents that had scurried out just ahead of the large commercial mower.

"Uh huh, and it's getting overgrown again," Anita said.

"Oh God," Toni moaned.

"Bet the parish would love to dump that on somebody else," Anita mused.

At her condominium, Stacy Falgout sat, going over some paperwork. She again reached into the pocket of her business slacks and felt the two month chip.

"Did Mommy tell you?" she said to Sadie, who sat on the chair immediately behind her. "Huh? Did Mommy tell you she's got two months today?"

Sadie wagged her furball tail happily.

Stacy's cell phone buzzed; she'd put it on vibrate during the noon meeting and it was still on vibrate mode.

"Stacy Falgout," she chimed.

"Hi Ms. Falgout, this is Anita. Anita Lopez?" Anita said.

Stacy forced her face to remain smiling; it's easier to sound cheerful when your face is smiling.

Stacy did not approve of Toni Delacroix or Anita Lopez's chosen lifestyle; it actually made her queasy to think about it. But living without a commission check made her even more queasy, so she smiled.

"Hi, Miss Lopez; what can I do for you?" Stacy asked.

"Ms. Falgout, that land right across from our building? The parish came out couple of months ago, cut it," Anita said. "Think you could find out who owns it? I'd like to make an offer on it."

"That should be easy enough; call you back in about ten minutes," Stacy agreed. "But why are you and Toni looking to..."

"Oh, Toni doesn't want it," Anita smiled, sticking her tongue out at Toni. "She says I'm being stupid."

At the St. Ann Parish Courthouse in Elgee, David Hillbourne was pursing his lips in distaste as he looked at the email from Berkshire, the private contractor that did their landscaping and various land maintenance. Chad Berkshire was recommending that they continue to run on the summer schedule; cutting the unincorporated plots of land every two months to control the rodent population, instead of every trimester as David had proposed to the St. Ann Parish Board . David saw that every member of the board had been CC'ed in the email, so was sure Chad Berkshire would get what he wanted.

Either way, it was twenty five thousand dollars every time, which in David's eyes, was ridiculous, but Berkshire was the only contractor that the board would approve. David was more than sure there were kickbacks involved, but couldn't prove it.

"A Miss Stacy Falgout on line three for you," his administrative assistant said.

"Miss Falgout, what can I do for you?" he barked.

A moment later, David was smiling; Chad Berkshire could go fuck himself; he would get no more twenty five thousand dollar checks from St. Ann Parish. He would get only five hundred dollars for maintaining the grounds around the St. Ann Courthouse.

"The two hundred and fifty acres in question are now private properties," he gleefully typed out a response. "As previously authorized by the St. Ann Parish Board, at our March 15 meeting, all unincorporated lands held by St. Ann have been liquidated for fifty thousand dollars, two hundred dollars an acre. You are welcome to bid on maintaining the properties that include the St. Ann Courthouse. Have a nice day."

At his own office, Chad Berkshire very nearly had an involuntary bowel movement as he read and reread David Hillbourne's email.

At her office, Stacy Falgout figured in her head what three percent of fifty thousand dollars would be able to buy and had to shrug her shoulders.

"I've always wanted to see what T. Dayton's Hair Salon is like," she mused aloud. "Sounds like a good 'Hey, you've got two months of sobriety' give, what you think, Sadie?"

Sadie barked shrilly.

"Oh! Oh, and I think I'll treat myself and my sponsor to dinner at Side By Side! Oh, I bet my little Sadie would just love a doggy bag from Side By Side, wouldn't you?" Stacy said, now holding the wiggling beast in her lap. "Wouldn't you?"

At Side By Side, Briah smiled at the second wave of lunch guests.

"Miss, just how much longer?" a man barked. "I've only got..."

"Yes sir, Mr. Benoit, it's a twenty minute wait," Briah said graciously. "You've been waiting for five minutes; it most likely will be another fifteen minutes. I do understand if you simply cannot wait. Hopefully the next time you come the wait will not be as long."

She looked into the dining room and saw that table number nine was now ready, fresh table cloth and linen and silverware in place.

"Dr. Atwell, party of three? If you would follow me?" Briah said and led them to table nine, wished them a good meal and again paused as she felt someone tug at her hair.

A second tug and she playfully swatted Michael's hand away.

Thirty minutes later, as Michael was walking through the dining area, Mr. Benoit complained bitterly about the hostess's attitude.

"Oh? Well, sir, I will certainly speak with her," Michael promised.

"That's it?" Mr. Benoit snarled. "You'll speak with her?"

"Sir? Was she unprofessional? Did she use profanities?" Michael asked.

"No she didn't," a guest at an adjoining table interrupted. "She didn't kiss his ass and he's trying to be a dick about it and see if he can cause problems for her. She told him it would be a twenty minute wait, it was a seventeen minute wait, but because she didn't seat him ahead of those of us there before him, he's pissed off."

"That true?" Michael asked Mr. Benoit and smiled when Mr. Benoit's glare confirmed the other guest's word.

"Thank you, sir," Michael said as the guest used his knife to scrape the last morsel onto his fork.

"Not a problem," the man said. "Good place here and that's the first face you see when you come in. And it's a mighty pretty face too. Hate when ass holes like Mr. Benoit try to be a big bully."

The man leaned around Michael to speak to Mr. Benoit.

"Your company put in a bid do some transporting for us? Flowers Ironworks? I think we'll continue using our own trucks; have a nice day."

The man handed his waitress , Polly two one hundred dollar bills.

"Keep the change, Sweetie," the man said and got to his feet.

"See, Mr. Benoit, I like to know the people I'm dealing with. Heard you tell your buddy there you're taking him here so I got here to see what kind of guy you are. Got to tell you," the man smiled as his administrative assistant got to her feet. "You're a dick. And I don't do business with dicks."

"Now, just a minute," Mr. Benoit pleaded.

"True test of a man's character is how he acts when he thinks no one's looking," the large man said and patted his stomach. "Damn, that really was a good steak, huh Loretta?"

"It really was," the woman smiled. "Thank you again."

"Aw, you're welcome," the man smiled and followed the older woman out the dining area.

"Honey, you just keep up the good work; you're a real asset to this place," the man said and slipped a twenty dollar bill to Briah.

"Sir, that's not necessary," Briah argued, trying to hand the bill back to him.

"Keep it honey," the man said, leaving the building.

Mr. Benoit and his dinner companion followed a moment later. Neither one said anything to Briah, but she didn't expect them to.

"Hey," Michael smiled, stepping up to her.

"Pull my hair one more time, I slap you, hear?" Briah playfully warned.

"Uh, Mr. Benoit there said you were real rude to him," Michael nodded with his head toward the front door.

"Oh yeah?" Briah asked.

"Told him I'd talk to you about it," Michael said.

"Yeah?" Briah asked, softly touching his face with her fingertips.

Michael was taken off guard by her intimate touch.

"Uh yeah," he stammered out.

She smiled and stepped slightly closer to him.

"So talk," she said and gave him a feather light kiss.

"So uh," Michael stammered.

She smiled, gave him another light kiss, then stepped back and greeted some late arrivals.

"Well the big lunch crowd has died down, how about right by the window?" Briah smiled when the guests requested a booth rather than a table.

"So um, you, your goofy sister?" Michael stammered when Briah returned to her station.

"Caitlin? mean your step-mother?" Briah teased, resting a hand on his forearm.

"Uh, yeah, right," Michael couldn't help but laugh. "My step mother, who's five years younger than I am. Anyway, she's scared of heights; you're not, huh?"

"No, went rock climbing on our school trip two years ago; we went to Winter Park, Colorado, right in the middle of the Rockies," Briah smiled at the memory.

"Well uh, my um, my dad?" Michael stammered as Briah stepped a little closer and again put her fingertips to his cheek.

"Yeah?" Briah breathed softly

"Anyway, my dad says there's this balloon ride out in Jack's Creek, uh, then we could go to Bombay Cafe for dinner, uh what you think?" Michael stammered and felt beads of sweat pop out on his forehead.

"I think I'd love that," Briah agreed, her thumb softly stroking along his jaw.

"So uh, I uh, I pick you up, what? about six and..." Michael said.

"Okay," Briah agreed, gave him another feather light kiss and let her fingers slide down his face to his chest, just over his heart.

Her warm brown eyes continued to look into his blue ones, until she heard people approaching.

"Thank you for coming to Side By Side; hope to see you again," Briah said as the group left.

Michael avoided being too close to her for the rest of the afternoon; it truly did disconcert him how easily Briah took control of the situation with just a soft touch and a teasing little kiss.

She was a striking young woman; long black hair that reached to just below her cute bubble butt, milk chocolate colored skin, warm brown eyes, and a slightly pudgy nose. The pudgy nose did not detract from her beauty, though. The slight flaw, if it could even be called a flaw, seemed to enhance her beauty.

Her full lips seemed to be constantly in a curl, a smile ready to cross her face.

She was about five foot four, but in her four inch heels, she was almost eye to eye with him

Briah continued to display a professional demeanor to guests and staff alike, but inside she was anything but professional. Inside she was jumping up and down, wanting to scream out loud.

"See you at six," she said when Laci, her evening replacement came in.

Briah slipped off her four inch heels and slipped on her well worn tennis shoes and sprinted for home.

"Good God, what's the rush?" Theresa asked when Briah dashed into the house and ran for her room.

"Got a date," Briah finally allowed herself to scream.

"With who?" Theresa asked.

"Michael!" Briah laughed happily.

She jumped in the shower and scrubbed that day's food smells off of her skin, used a handful of conditioner rinsed, then worked a handful of root oil from scalp to ends, to give her hair a healthy shine and maintain its soft texture.

Then the real work began; trying to decide what outfit to wear for ballooning, then for eating Indian food.

"Ain't nothing I can do with this ghetto booty," she said, looking at her bubble butt in the mirror.

Finally, she decided on relaxed fit jeans, sandals, and a short sleeve scoop neck blouse that showed the tops of her thirty four C breasts. Underneath, she wore a shelf bra; it left her dark brown nipples exposed. If the light was right and Michael squinted, he would be able to see her large nipples. If he squinted real hard, he'd be able to see the small silver rings she wore on her nipples.

She used a light foundation to even out her skin tone, and then applied a thin line of black eye shadow and bronze lip gloss to her full lips. Briah smiled when she heard the doorbell chime.

"Don't tell me," Teresa smiled as she opened the front door. "Another Delacroix."

"Yes ma'am, afraid so," Michael smiled. "I'm Michael Delacroix."

"Bobby, go tell your sister..." Theresa said to her twelve year old son.

"Why? She's right there; she can't hear him, she's got problems," the boy smarted off.

"I said go tell your sister," Theresa said and delivered a good smack to the back of the boy's head.

"My momma had a good arm like that," Michael smiled. "She could be all the way in the front seat and I'd be in the back seat, all the way up against the window and I'd say something smart and 'Pow!' she'd get me."

"Uh huh," Theresa smiled tightly. "Think we develop that minute we give birth to the first one."

"Now, you never had use that on this one, huh?" Michael asked as Briah entered the room.

"This one?" Theresa teased. "You kidding? My right arm would get so tired, I had to switch and use the left on her."

"Nuh uh!" Briah said. "Don't listen to her! I was an angel!"

"Oh?" Michael smiled. "What happened?"

"Shut up, whatever," Briah said and gave him a feather light kiss.

"Y'all have fun," Theresa said and closed the door behind them.

Then she turned her laser beams on her smart mouthed son.

In the car, Michael grew more than a little nervous.

"I uh, so um, what kind of music you like? I mean, me and my brother? Patrick? We're both kind of Metal Heads but I uh..." he said.

"Metal's cool," Briah said. "I mean, not that Lamb of God, or Cradle Of Filth stuff; hate that cookie monster stuff. But Metallica or Rage Against The Machine? Oh! You got any King's X?"

"You are kidding me," Michael laughed. "I just downloaded their Best Of a couple of days ago; haven't even had a chance to listen to it yet."

"By the way, you look very nice," Briah said, observing his light blue pull over shirt, loose fit blue jeans and stark white tennis shoes.

"Yeah but you? You look gorgeous," Michael complimented

The balloon ride put them back on the ground just as the sun was throwing up its last rays. At the binning of the ascent, Michael and Briah were casually holding hands. Briah did lightly slap Michael, as she had promised him she would, when he gave a gentle tug to her hair.

By the descent, they were standing, arms firmly around each other, gazing into each others' eyes more than they were looking around at the beautiful landscape.

"Hope y'all enjoyed it," the man said as he let them and the other nine people out of the gondola

"Thank you," Michael said, slipping the man a ten dollar tip.

At the Bombay Cafe, Hashim seated them in an intimate booth.

"So, what's good here?" Briah asked as she looked at the strange food names on the thick menu.

"Well, I've never been here before," Michael admitted. "BJ and Heather say this is a great place; they've eaten here like three or four times and they really like it."

He reached across the table and took her hand gently.

"And I've never been on a balloon ride before," he said softly. "And I've never been out with a black girl before and I..."

Briah put her menu down and came around to his side of the booth, never letting go of his hand.

"Have you ever been in love before?" she asked him and kissed him, slowly pushing her tongue into his mouth.

"Um, no," he groaned slightly when she pulled away a few millimeters.

"Yeah, this is my first time too," she said quietly.

"Hang on, who said I'm in love?" he argued.

She kissed him again and again slowly pushed her tongue into his mouth. Then she pulled away a few millimeters and gazed intently into his eyes.

"Your eyes do," she said softly.

She softly touched his chest.

"And your heart does," she said.

She laid her head on his shoulder.

"You're in love, whether you want to admit it or not; you're in love," she murmured.

Hashim cleared his throat then approached, smiling.

"So you know what you want?" Hashim asked.

"Um, this is our first time here," Michael finally said. "We um, my brother said this is one of the best places he's ever eaten, but he didn't tell me what he got."

"Oh, sir, I do apologize!" Hashim said. "You looked familiar so I assumed you'd been here before! I am sorry, please; please let's go through the menu and see, okay?"

"He and his brothers do look a lot alike," Briah confirmed for the waiter.

"But you? I knew I had not seen you before," Hashim smiled. "So I'm thinking 'oh boy, this guy's got great taste, brings in not one, but two beautiful women' but no, no, I see good taste just runs in the family, eh?"

"Yes it does!" Michael laughed.

Briah did return to her side of the booth in order to eat, but slowly, sensuously rubbed her foot on Michael's pant leg

There was only one other table occupied as Michael and Briah got to their feet, promising each other and Hashim that they would indeed be back.

As they approached the door, Michael heard one of the table's occupants mutter "N*gger lover."

He stopped, but Briah pulled him to the door and outside.

"Yeah, I heard him," Briah said when Michael started to speak.

She hugged him tightly.

"Think that's the first time I ever heard that word?" she asked him.

"No, but..." Michael growled.

"And you and me going hear it a lot, Baby," Briah said.

She kissed him.

"We going hear it a lot and probably hear a lot worse, especially we start having kids."

"Having kids?" Michael laughed.

"Yeah, kids. At least three or four," Briah confirmed and kissed him again.

"But Baby, you can't beat them all up," she said. "You can't get into fights every time somebody says something. You just got to be bigger than that."

She walked to his car.

"Now, come on and take me home," she ordered. "I work the early shift again and my boss? He work his n*gger hard, you hear?"

"That!" Michael said loudly. "I don't ever ever want to hear you say that ever again, you hear?"

"Hear me say what?" she smiled.

"The 'N' word; don't you ever say that again," Michael ordered.

"Well why not?" Briah smiled and walked up to him again.

"Is it because you love me?" she asked and softly kissed him again.

At their condominium, Anita looked through the Internet for lawn and landscaping listings for the St. Elizabeth area and saw that there were very few. Widening the search to include St. Ann Parish only yielded two more listings. And none of the listings gave any web page information or email addresses.

"Uh maybe I like should have listened to my best friend," Toni teased as she chewed on a carrot stick.

"Uh maybe my best friend would like help me find someone cut all that grass instead of like being a self-righteous bitch," Anita said and grabbed a carrot stick and dredged it through the cream cheese and jalapeno sauce she'd made.

"Did you just like call me a bitch?" Toni asked.

"No," Anita said.