CHAPTER SEVEN
-:- TwoCents -:-
Working in my office has always been easy for me. I like the peace and quiet. Being responsible for the accounts takes a lot of care and accuracy, so having the place to myself has always been a blessing.
People are always popping in and out for something, so it’s not lonely. Stitch dropped off the deposits for the businesses as I asked him to. I’ll get them sorted this morning, and the deposit slips ready. All the club”s businesses are doing well financially and one or two may need looking into for ways to expand. Hot Hogs and Cages have a long waiting list. Bike Recovery is nonstop and may benefit from a second vehicle. I’ll throw it to Axel when I get time, and he can look at that shit. I’ll just give him some figures and then beat a hasty retreat.
Thinking of Axel, he can look at getting someone else to take the deposits to the bank. We have two enforcers now, and they can step up to do the cash runs. I’m not frightened of going back to the bank, but we should have taken more care of ourselves with the amounts we’ve been carrying of late.
Hearing my phone ping, I see a text from Lily. She wants to know if we, as a club, do accountancy work for outside businesses. We don’t normally take on such business as I’ve got my hands full with our own accounts. If it’s pretty basic stuff, as I suspect it will be, Lily will probably have everything in place already. I’ll go over to the shop and take a look before running it past Pres. At this rate, I’ll need to spend a whole day with him.
Mealtime last night was an event in itself, I have to say. By the time I got finished and into the kitchen, Star and Meat had Paisley at a table. The look she gave me as I walked in was pure ‘rescue me’. Meat dressed as Popeye was a new one for me, but at least he wasn’t naked. Seeing Star as Olive Oyl was a whole new level of weird.
It took quite a while to explain those two and their costume fetishes. Trying not to go into too much detail yet explain their courtship was entertaining everyone who could hear me. Wonder Woman, Wilma Flintstone, Masquerade Ball, Lagertha! I’m pretty sure Paisley was lost after the Wilma incident.
Knowing Paisley is resting in our room, I stick my head in the door and check she’s sleeping peacefully. I can’t help but give her a quick kiss on her forehead and grin when she gives a small sigh and smiles in her sleep. I think I could get comfortable having this woman as my wife, and I don’t know jack-shit about her yet, if I’m honest.
Taking my helmet from my office, I head out to my hog. The ride to Lily’s new shop is over way too soon for my liking. I’ll have to go the long way back to the clubhouse. Get some wind in my face.
Entering the shop, Lily is busy serving a customer. Taking the time to look around, I see that this new place is a much larger space than her last shop, and it’s given her more scope to display her range of costumes. A couple I recognize from previous TJs’ theme nights including a gladiator that I think Forest wore and a masquerade dress that I’m sure was Gemmy’s.
Lily’s customer isn’t happy about having to pay a deposit and no matter how Lily explains it to her, she thinks she should be above such things. Listening to this entitled bitch whining is grating on my nerves. Walking over to the counter, I look at Lily, then the ‘Karen’.
“You either pay the deposit, like everyone else, or go elsewhere. You’re nothing special. You’re not exempt from the same rules as everyone else. Now, get over it, order your costume, AND PAY THE DEPOSIT. Or get the hell out so I can get on with my business.” Crossing my arms over my chest has her squeaking,
“Oh, how rude!” she whines.
“If you want rude, I can do rude...” I lift an eyebrow at her and she scurries out of the shop.
“Thank God for that, TwoCents. She’s been in here for an hour looking at everything available and I’m positive she had no intention of getting a damn thing. What a whiny bitch. Star had a way with that sort. I just can’t bring myself to be rude to a customer.”
“You don’t have to be rude, Lily. You do need to toughen up, though. Be more assertive. Start hanging out with Winter, Kya, Raven and Cora. You’ll soon get the hang of it. Now, what can I do for you?”
Lily calls to someone called Brooke to watch the shop. Lily leads me through to an office at the back. Once we’re seated, she tells me she needs to have her financials done more professionally. They’ve been okay so far but if she opens the Bridal Shop, as she’s been planning, there will be a lot more money going through the accounts, and she wants to be sure that there will be no opportunity for it to start ‘filtering off’.
“If you take this on, I’ll need you to sign a non-disclosure agreement. That is not an option. It will be mandatory.”
Giving me a set of ledgers to look over, I see that there is nothing difficult or any large amounts to deal with. Handing them back, Lily gives me a questioning look.
“I see nothing unusual with your ledgers, Lily. They look in good order and you’re not talking about any excessive amounts. Don’t take this the wrong way, but you have a modest business income.”
Handing me a second set of ledgers, “This is what worries me, TwoCents.”
Opening the ledger, I see some pretty big seven-figure numbers for a savings account and also some six-figure numbers in two checking accounts.
“I see why you would want a non-disclosure now. Who else knows about these amounts?”
“As of this moment, just Star and you. And that’s how I want it to remain. I never wanted that amount of money and I’ve gone to extraordinary lengths to keep it quiet. I understand that if this were to get out, my life would change drastically and I don’t want that. I’m not now, nor will I ever be, someone’s ‘cash cow’.”
“If I agree to this, and I’ll keep your secret either way, you will have to include Axel in the secret. He is the one that will put it to the vote as a club whether we take it on or not. The amounts won’t come into that. Just whether or not we take on the job.”
Taking the ledger from me and locking it in a drawer, she leans back and steeples her fingers. This has me smirking.
“What’s so funny?” She asks.
“You look like a ‘female Axel’. That’s just what Pres does when he’s giving serious thought to something.”
“He can’t be all bad then, now can he? Okay, run it by your Pres and we’ll go from there. I don’t want the money to be working for me, as such. No investments or shit like that. I don’t want paper trails leading back to me, either. I’m happy with it sitting in a savings account. I’m not asking you to make it grow exponentially. I just want it safe and not have anyone pilfering it away.”
“If that’s all you want, you know you’re already doing that. We will charge you a fee if you want us to do this. I’ll speak to Pres, and you think it over. And don’t leave that ledger in a flimsy desk drawer. Get yourself a decent home safe.”
Leaving Lily in the office, I make my way back to my hog. That is one wealthy shop owner, I think to myself. I don’t think I want to know where that amount of money came from. It could keep you awake worrying about it.
Taking the long way back to the clubhouse gives me time to think and by the time I roll through the gate, I’m feeling chilled out and thoroughly stress-free.
Making my way to the Pres’ office, I tap on the door. Hearing a chair scrape and some shuffling, I have to grin. Axel calls ‘Enter’ and as I open the door, Mia shoots past me and into the nursery. Axel is scowling as I sit down opposite his desk.
“You have shit timing, TwoCents. You know that?”
“Yes, Pres. I don’t know how many times you’re going to say that. Maybe you should only have sex after club hours?”
“You know where you can stick that suggestion. You’re an arsehole!”
Me busting out laughing has Axel scowling. “You’ve been around Star too much, Pres. Arsehole?”
“What do you want?”
“Well, about the cash deposits for the businesses. We’ve gotten a bit lazy with security for the deposits to the bank. Can we have the enforcers take this on as one of their tasks? I’m not worried about going to the bank, but we’re making bigger and bigger deposits. It might get noticed at some time.”
“Okay. I’ll speak to Buzz and Wings. You know they’ll give you shit, don’t you?”
“Yeah, I know. Next topic I want to cover with you. Some of the businesses are doing extremely well. It might pay to have a word with all the business managers and get their take on things. See if they have any plans to expand their fields.”
“You get me some figures for the businesses and I’ll blindside the managers to see if they know how well they’re doing. That it?” Axel starts to stand and I look at him, my head tilted to one side.
“For. Fucks. Sake. What else?” Snarling as he throws himself back into his chair.
“This is serious, Pres, and extremely confidential. As confidential as a signed non-disclosure agreement.”
“Okay, let’s have it.”
“I’ve been asked to do the financials for a business. Nothing difficult or outstanding. It’s a standard financial for a small business. The catch is, the owner has a seven-figure savings account and two six-figure checking accounts. They’ve done a lot to keep it quiet and want it to stay that way.”
“Is this someone we know or a newcomer?”
“We know her.”
“Her? Heather?”
“No.”
“Star??”
“No.”
“So, who the fuck is it?”
“Our costume shop owner, Lily. She is a very wealthy lady who doesn’t want it known. I’ve explained that you need to know and that it has to go through church. I’ve agreed to the non-disclosure if we take it on, and even if we don’t, we won’t repeat it.”
“Of course, nothing goes outside this room. Can you handle those amounts? Is there anything you need to be able to run with her financials?”
“Pres, she wants us to do next to nothing. It could be the easiest set of ledgers I’ve ever done. She doesn’t want the money to do anything but sit in a secure savings account. No investments or shit. Just a steady percentage increase year after year. She seems worried that someone might start to steal it. Don’t know where that thought comes from, though. She’s only approached me today.”
Axel leans back in his seat and steeples his fingers. Looking deep in thought, he catches me grinning.
“What? Take that shit-eating grin off your face.”
“Sure thing, Pres. Well, that’s all from me. I’ll catch up with you when you’ve given it due consideration.”
“If you’re happy to do the financials, do it. I’ll get it through the next church and we keep quiet about any amounts. For all intents and purposes, we’re doing the financials for a small business. That’s it.”
“I’ll let Lily know, Pres. I think it will be a weight off her shoulders.”
Heading out of the office, I go in search of my wife.