Author's note: A friend of mine challenged me to write something,
just for the sake of writing. It is a few days late but here it is.
Please, please, please give me feedback!!
Stacy Brooks snapped her cell phone shut and slipped it into her purse. Muttering under her breath she plucked a coffee from the drink carrier in her hand and dropped it into the garbage can to her right. In her fit of rage she missed the top off the bin, slamming her wrist and the coffee into the side of it.
Startled she let go of the cup, letting it fall to her feet and causing the searing liquid to splash up her right leg. With a sigh she bent over and retrieved the garbage and dropped it, very carefully, into the receptacle along with her own coffee, which she suddenly felt no desire to drink.
She walked the twenty feet left between herself and the office building and slipped through the doors, mumbling about picky bosses who should get there own coffee from now on...
Jack Keller clenched his fists tightly, trying to reign in his temper. He took a deep breath and looked back up into a pair of striking green eyes identical to his own. His younger brother stood in front of his desk and talked on about some or other scheme he had come up with. He nearly laughed aloud when he heard the word
loan and
, and something about co-signing, but he swallowed it with a gulp of the tepid coffee his brother had brought with him.
Probably an attempt at bribery. Jack mused
, realizing he should have let his receptionist bring his morning cup in as usual.
Thomas finally looked as if he were going to finish with what he'd come to say and sat down in the leather chair behind him, looking expectantly at his brother. Too late, Jack realized his mistake. He'd let his mind wander off, which was certainly not something he normally did, but was far too easy to do in his brother's presence. He quickly saw that he had been asked a question and fumbled for a response.
"I don't think that it should be attempted. Not now. Maybe not ever. I mean, come on Thom, how many times have we been through this? I don't have the money to throw away on it. And let's face it, that is exactly what I would be doing. You don't exactly have a track record of responsibility!"
"I know but-"
"If you could improve that image a bit, I might consider something like this, but you have to follow through. I mean, I don't have the time or ability to take over something like this and keep it going if you decide to quit, and I certainly don't have the resources to waste by just letting it go down the drain when you leave." Inwardly Jack winced at the "when'', he could have used "if" to soften the blow. But on second thought, his always sugar coating things is what had gotten them here in the first place.
Judging by the look on his brother's face, Thom had not missed the slip up.His face had shifted from the easy going smile usually seen into what could almost be described as a vicious frown. But only for a second before being replaced by a devil-may-care grin.
"Alright big brother, I get it. I best leave you to it then. See you later! No, no, don't trouble yourself.'' He sneered as Jack got up to see him out. "Wouldn't want my irresponsibility to rub off on you if you got too close. I'll show myself to the door, thanks."
As the door clicked shut behind Thomas, Jack ran a hand through his hair and let out a great sigh. Yep, he'd blown it.
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To be continued.... (If there is any interest in it at all....)
