Desire For Business

Better Left Unsaid

I am sitting in the parking lot of shack like car dealership. The cars seem to be in well condition and of upper class vaule for its platform. Their prices seemed reasonable, and in neon green car marker on the corner of the windshield. I put out my cigarette and take a deep breath.
Just by my first impression I could tell they needed my help. Appearance is everything and this setting would be fitting for junk trucks not the expensive cars that fill the lot.
Nevermind, I am getting ahead, I think to myself. I pull out my lint brush and roll myself over my clothes, straighten out my pencil skirt. I then pull my hair up in a high bun leaving a few small strands around my face. I put some finishing powder on my already make uped face and dab in my pores so their invisible I then slick on a peachy nude stain on my lips. Look myself in the mirror "I am a needed asset to this company, I will be respected just as a man and I will demand to be heard" I wink at myself and with a buff of confidence, exit the car like its a runway.

My heels sink in the dirt for the few steps before I am on cement paved sidewalk that leads to a glass double door entrance that reads "Desires Drive" I smirk naturally as it sounds more like a porno title or an offical human trafficking business.
I walk in and my thoughts of human tracking could've been more spot on. There on a cracked leather sectional, sits 6 provocative dressed foreign woman, and an over weight man in the middle looking like he bathed in Vaseline. Then directly in front of me, behind the desk, Emmanuel. (One of the men who assisted to my capturing) I look him up and down and raise an eyebrow "Make your boss aware of my arrival" I say smugly with a hint of authority. He hears the distaste in my voice but just grunts and complies. As he picks up the corded phone to call, the hefty greasy man speaks "would you like to have a seat? there is plenty of room..." I turn my head slowly assessing each of the girls top to bottom before lastly landing my eyes directly into his "I am much much more comfortable standing." And turn my head not awaiting a response to then face Emanuel expectingly . "He is walking down, he will be here in a second" I can feel his lowered position taken out on me in his voice. I stand motionless and Dris enters. I sence a smirk on his face as he notions to follow him. I follow in suit, skipping the farewells to the whores and pimp.

"So this is one of my establishments-" I cut him off and dive directly into business. "Upgrade your presentation, I'll hire reputable car sales man, remodel the building and furniture thus removing the human trafficking in the lobby of customer first site at walk in, if that is a problem change your merchandise to match the environment. Also this is a legitimate business to all employees and either I or someone you trust deals with the books. They are the only ones who know whats actually going on. Avoid authority hungry management who are dying to flex their ability to be in charge of someone because their all about change in their name for brown nosing and that is not what we need." He stops walking and doesn't speak so I take that opening to continue "Once this place has become reputable and making substantial on the book money we will open up franchises, which you will need atleast 4 for it to be considered as such. This will be helpful and from there itll be easy to flow money through with money on and off the books without a notice to the IRS or a regular walk-in such as myself. If all goes well, a private bank for car loans but we need to first deal in all correct licensures, councilman ass kissing and becoming an active advocate of our community." He looks as if he is going to speak and as his mouth opens I step into his face "this establishment is probably the best looking, which is why you brought me here. I'd hate to see where the drug money, gun money as well as shipping, receiving and packaging takes place...the worse the crime the most innocent it should look." He takes a step back surprised yet again. "I will make you look cleanier than Clorox and as disassociated with anything illicit than cheating at golf in the community tournament but under two conditions". I see him tense and his testerone rising but I stare him in the eye for ten seconds because we both know whats coming. I tilt my chin up, "Kalisto is a great asset in ways you even know more of, but he will not be treated like a dog nor will I, for the one beauty of an ugly world of greed, money, death and life sentences...love with life is too short and if I want to live mine with him than that'll be it. Also, a far generous salary for saving your ass and continuing to work with you to avoid feds and to assure your pocket on shore, off shore, under ground and in between the sea stays full..which you know when we start rolling, will be. However, if I am disrespected, treated unequal by any of these barbarian men and you don't stand up for me I will leave. I need a couple weeks to work through the books, finance and where the money for the remodeling is going to come from without raising radars. Ill check banks with reputations of "need to know" basis." Now I take his hand in mine and look him in the eye "Do you want your ego smudge shortly to then later be monumental in ways you didn't care by working together with Kalisto and I? Or the fact that an abused boy so shattered by violence felt shame for love then punished by you and your use of manipulation to say he broke your trust, to ruin what could be?" Now I gave you some ideas but you could attempt to spearhead them without me and I wouldn't sabotage a thing, but watch you do it all on your own." My hand still in his is then flipped over and brought to his lips. "Its going to be a pleasure being your partner Ms. Charis Amore, I will have my lawyer send you the necessary documents." I put my hand firmly over his left side of his chest "once my own lawyer reviews them, he will be in contact." I hear Dris laugh a sincere non menacing laugh and it catches me off gaurd. "So the beast can laugh, who thought you were capable of such emotions." I slightly tease as I feel a weight lifted from this meeting but also a sence of excitement and slight bolt of fear because of the legality of it all or illegality.
I am standing there looking around pull a cigarette from my cluth and light it. I stand still looking over the establishment thinking of all the research I am going to have to do on how people did it wrong and got caught. How this project will take a couple years to finalize and will that be enough for him? I am going to figure out his borders and get Kalisto on the tech of it for transports and when it comes to the girls in trafficking...they weren't kids and from the villages their plumaged from they seemed thankful to be entouraged by grease man. I'll be sure to set aside budget for their comforts and living. Last thing we need is a tricky slut with too much sence and beatings. They will be treated respectively,, well as best a whores can be. I am lost in my thoughts when their interrupted. "Do you always move your lips when you think much?" Dris asks, genuinely humored. "Yes, when I have a plan I like to be thorough and think minor basics first all the way to the big picture I like to slighlty stay ahead of the major, speaking of which..." I put my cigarette out and crush it with the tip of my shoe. "I know its not your customs, but you owe me an apology" I see his face furrow. "If you came up to me, more polietly and less threatening...I would have been much more compliant and you hurt the only man that I had actual feelings for! As we both know feelings are foreign to us." My voice raised a little louder than normal but not near yelling. He puts his finger to his lips. "We have much to learn from each other, I can tell you weren't raised American way and there was a lot to learn and how do you say? Uhh I am not good with those skills." I turn to him, hand on chest "touching someone in a kind way brings comfort and thearpist do not make you crazy...they make you functional in a society and I suggest, no I near demand you see a trusting one to discuss your dissociation." I let go of my hand and touch his chin "You talk about you, your past and nothing of murder but make up a story of being witness of it some at a young age and feeling responsible and yadi ya." I see something in his eyes I never saw before and it pleases me as much as it makes me uncomfortable. "We have lots to learn from each other Charis, and I give apology for the pain I caused you...that you never knew you could have." I whip my head to him, "you're right...a pain I never wanted and hope to never have again."

He holds out his hand and I put out mine. He kisses it, "I am excited to do this together and our sucess can be as one and I will make sure Kalisto can call you and is taken care of fully, but I will request a little longer until you see him?" I nod my head. "So Charis, I will see you early tomorrow and we will start setting up with one of Kalistos locked laptops." I look him over and smirk, "walk me to my car and have him call me if he is well enough and don't let him refuse the pain killers." I hear a chuckle from Dris. "In all the ways I under estimated you, I will tell him you demanded it." He opens my door and closes me in. I roll down the window "see you in the morning Boss" and he winks "see you in the morning partner" he responds, correcting me.

As I am driving away I feel elated but then remember my deliveries. I quick turn around and I see him stop as he see's me approaching. I open my window and without a chance of saying a thing, he speaks "Inform your customers that Elisa is going to be making your deliveries, she is trustworthy. She is my niece and is 19, they feel comfortable with her" I hand him a large pink VS bag to him in which he looks confused. "There is the product, amount, price, address and latest time for delievery in each compartment also one pin code for one customers gated community." He grabs the bag. "Impressive" I roll my eyes and drive off. I take out my burner phone and inform everyone on MY sister is doing deliveries for me since I am getting caught up in my spearhead of a company. I like to keep them at ease so they do not feel like SWAT is coming to their door because their associated with me. And that its my family, so they know shes trusted. A lot of them seemed sad. We built relationships, it was more than just business. These were mostly lonely people. I promised I would come around and visit when things got a lot less hectic and that their always on my mind and if they needed anything Id be there.
I pull into my complex and I see a light on in the living room. Parker, shit. I sit in my car and smoke two cigarettes back to back and just think what to do, what to say that I haven't already? I can't have him here right until Kalisto comes but I need him as a friend. He was there for me, can he be there for me as a friend even though our past or what happened the other day? I put the cigarette out, close my window, turn off the car and spray some perfume. I walk up the stairs hit the pad code and scan the key, it unlocks. I see Krisia in a teddy nighty and thong laying on Parkers lap and he is shirtless. I see a " ha ha" look in Parkers drunken eyes. I ignore it and the situation.
"Hey guys watching anything good?" I ask nonchalant. Krisia comes up to me and kisses me on the lips. It happens more often than not. "Nothing good but Parker got you a gyro from this amazing ma and pa corner shop." I turn and say thank you with my lips and no words. "Any wine leftover?" I ask. "I could sure use some, I got a job spearheading a major production with a huge salary increase." Krisia is literally jumping up and down in excitement and I look over to see a guilt ridden face on Parker. "See Parker, I told you she wasn't on a date! I know my girl! Oh I am soo happy for you, give me the dets!" I give a run down on how I am going to be in charge of renovations, hiring, placements of decor just some side lies and some truth to the legal things and how I will be in charge of the admin.
She is intently listening when Parker interrupts "Have you spoke to Mrs. Florian about it yet?" And I answer kind of irritated that he is raining on my parade. "Yeah, she agreed to my working less hours and is actually happy for me...not like others." Throwing a hard hint at him. Maybe it was the wine or his guilt for probably fucking around with Krisia cause he thought I was on a date but he was being an asshole. "You really think you will be able to take on all that and still have time for working at the college?" Though he was right, it wasn't going to be possible but when I requested the time off, I wasn't aware of the chambles I had to put together. It was like every little thing in that place needed changing, fixing and the people need to be changed out. "I wasnt aware of the depth of my job offer when I spoke to Mrs.Florian, Parker...so no I probably won't be working there" Krisia interrupts "babe whats the issue?"as she kisses him on the lips. He just lets out air and mumbles incoherently. I take this time to address the situation before I get two different stories. "So whats the story with you two? Are you guys together now?" I ask as if I am pleased. Krisia is first to answer "nothing offical we are just there for each other and his "myster girl" is making him feel used and same as my guy, so we drank a lot, talked a lot and fucked a lot" she stumbles in laughter. I watch Parker the whole time and he is just staring at his feet, she was too fucked up to notice me watching them. "Ah well you guys would be good for each other, maybe he will keep you out of trouble." I wink at Krisia and go to my room. I do not feel any anger at her, she didn't know we were anything more than friends. Whenever she asked I denied it, more to deny it to myself. I never kept secrets from here and the one that I did ended up hurting me.