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had become.  
    Ever
since Jimmy nearly died of his injuries a few months back, he’d been thinking
about it, but he couldn’t verbalize what his emotions were trying to
convey.   Now he could.   When his father kissed that blonde, it
crystallized it for him.  
    And
he made up his mind.  
    He
would be a band of one for the rest of his life.   That was it.   No wife, no children, nobody.   A
lone wolf.   He wasn’t going to depend on
anybody else for his happiness.   Nobody
else would have the power to decide if he lived or died ever again.  
    Not
even his father, whom he adored.  
    Especially
not him.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
    TWO

 
    “I
like it,” Jody Parks said as he watched Trina Gabrini eat the last of her
meal.  
    Trina
took the napkin from her lap and dabbed her mouth.   “You like what?” she asked.
    “I
like a woman who isn’t too cute to eat. I like it.”
    Trina
smiled.   “The day I’m too cute to eat is
the day I’m in the box, stiff as a board, and ready to go under.”
    Jody
laughed.   “That’s what I’m talking about,
Tree.   There’s not a fake bone in your
body.”
    They
were in Carlyle’s, a chic restaurant in Vegas, and Trina’s old friend was
humoring her.   She didn’t mind the
playful back and forth, but her main purpose for being there with him was all
about business.
    “So
what do you think so far?” she asked him.
    “I
think Reno’s a very fortunate man.”
    “About
the books, Jody, come on.”
    Jody
smiled.   “Oh, that,” he said with a whiff
of the hand.  
    Trina
smiled too.   He was incorrigible but
harmless enough, and Trina always enjoyed his company.   The fact that he was very attractive too,
with that creamy black skin and Asian eyes, didn’t hurt either.   He was eye candy with a brain, she once
jokingly told him.   They met when he used
to work for Reno.   And even when he left
Reno’s employ to start his own accounting firm, they would occasionally stay in
touch.   When she began her new clothing
boutique, he phoned and offered to help.
    “Back
to business, Jody,” she said.   “What are
your impressions so far?”
    “I’m
impressed,” he said.   “You guys are off
to a fairly decent start actually.   Other
than inventory, which is so high end it automatically creates a high overhead,
you guys have compensated well by keeping all indirect costs below market.   So my diagnosis is favorable so far.   So far so good.   But it’s early.   I haven’t gotten to the sales totals yet.”
    “Which
is the meat of the matter, right?”
    “That
would be correct.   But there was no red
flags so far.   I’m impressed.   But you’ve always had that capacity.”
    “What
capacity?   To successfully run a
business?”
    “To
impress me,” he said, and Trina threw a napkin at him.   “Pay the lady,” she said as she stood.
    Jody
stood and took a look at the bill that had already been brought to their
table.   “I don’t know what’s your rush,”
he said as he pulled out his wallet and tossed the cash on top of the bill.   “You own your own business.”
    “And
it’s a business that has to be run,” Trina reminded him.   “I’m not a lady of leisure you know.”
    “Which
is a shame,” Jody said as he also tossed a tip on the table.   “If you were my woman I wouldn’t dream of
making you work.”
    “Who’s
making me work?   I work because I want to
work.”
    “Just
kidding.”
    “But
don’t,” Trina said, completely serious.
    “Oh,
come on, Tree.”
    “I’m
serious, Jody.   Some things aren’t
funny.   And acting as if Reno’s forcing
me out here to work is ludicrous and you know it.   If it was left up to him I probably would
never leave the house.”
    “Okay,
okay. I know how sensitive you are about that husband of yours.   I apologize, how’s that?”
    Trina
smiled.   “About as insincere as your
jokes, but I’ll take it.”