Chapter 5
“I told you that the money was only good for twenty-four hours, then the deal is off. I don’t care that you think you’re going to have to grease paws while in prison.
I don’t even know what that means, do you?
” Phil told her what he meant. “Like you’re going to be able to carry around cash all the time.
And if you think that I’m going to visit you while you’re there, you’re nuttier than a fruit cake. I’m finished with you.”
Debra thought that she was handling herself quite well today.
She’d not had a nap or needed one for the last several days, and she knew that she was sleeping better at night.
After talking with her doctor this morning, she was feeling a great deal better about a lot of things, not just getting her cousin out of her life.
He spoke again, and she had to have him repeat himself.
“Pay attention to me. I said I want you to set it up so that I have funds when I need them. I don’t want you to nickel and dime me either.
You put some real money in my account so that I can get what I want when I want it.
I’m not kidding you right now, Debra. I want you to take care of me.
” She didn’t say anything to him but let him go on and on.
“And I want that million dollars you promised me. It looks like I might be in here for a while, and I want things that I need. I’m going to have to pay someone so that I can have a cell phone to remind you daily of what you need to do for me. ”
“I’m not doing anything for you. I told you three times now that the million dollars is no longer on the table.
I really dodged the bullet with that one.
I don’t have to pay you, and you’re still going away for a long time.
” She smiled at him when he called her a cunt.
“Be nice to me, or I’ll leave. Not that I plan on doing anything for you, but you will be nice to me. ”
“I wish every day that I’d never had a cousin like you.” She told him that she wished the same thing about him daily. “So we’re even on that score. But that doesn’t mean that you’re going to—”
“How do you know all this about prison? I mean, as far as I know, you’ve never been behind bars, much less in prison, where you belong.
How do you know that you’re going to need to grease palms or whatever you called it?
Or, for that matter, having a cell phone?
Maybe they have one there for you that you can use?
Are you watching those prison shows that show people who are there for life?
That sounds like something that you’d rely on for your information.
” She snorted at him. “Next thing you’ll tell me is that you know who you’re going to be inmates with.
Do they really put all of you in one bedroom so that you have no privacy?
That alone would keep me from doing anything that might cause me to have to go away.
I couldn’t stand not having my own things around me. ”
“What are you talking about?” She shrugged at him and told him she was thinking about prison life. “Why? Are you planning on joining me? That would be a hoot. Little Miss Debra Author behind bars. You’re never one to have a little bit of fun.”
“And look where that’s gotten you, having your little bit of fun.
No thanks. I’ll be a good citizen and watch myself.
You go on being the jailbird.” That pissed him off, and she found his anger funny.
She thought that she was dealing with him much better than she had been about a month ago.
Now she knew to not let him get to her. She also knew what she had to do when he was getting to her, and even that was coming to her more easily.
While he was still going on about the money offer, she thought about the conversation she’d had with her doctor just this morning.
He had actually stopped to talk to her this morning, and she was glad.
She didn’t know what she would have done if he had rushed her through like he had been.
He even apologized to her that he’d not been taking his time like he should have.
She wondered if Kahana had said something to him or one of his nurses.
She had complained a little to them about not getting her questions answered when in the office with him.
They could have sex so long as they didn’t swing from the lights.
She’d been embarrassed a little when he said that, and that made him laugh.
He told her that he should have made it clear to her that she could do whatever she had done before, so long as it was in moderation. And that she watched her diet.
“Eating right will be the best thing for you. I know you told me that you’re walking every day, and that’s the best way to go.
You can lift a little bit of weights, but don’t strain yourself.
” She said that she’d been doing chair yoga.
“Whatever you do to strengthen your muscles is great.” She also asked him about her medications and how they were making her have a little bit of an upset stomach.
“We can try something else if you want. I’d tell you to give it a bit more time, as your body is making all kinds of adjustments as it’s getting used to this new you.
But you let me know when you’ve had enough of it, and we’ll switch it out for something else.
I’m willing to do anything to keep you healthy. ”
“Are you even listening to me?” she told Phil that she’d had enough listening to him and wondered when he was going to be finished. “I’m not going to be finished until you help me with this list they gave me. Then I might allow you to leave.”
“You do understand that I’m not the one who is chained up, don’t you? I can leave you at any time.” She looked at the list that he’d been going over. “There is nothing on here that says anything about greasing palms. I think you made that part up.”
“If I were free right now, I’d slap the shit out of you.
Of course, they’re not going to tell you that part.
And I did watch it on television. There is all kinds of information you can get out there when you have the time.
” She told him he’d not be in this situation if he’d used his time more productively.
“Had you just stayed out of my business, none of this would have happened in the first place. I should have had the estate, and you should be living on the streets someplace. What about the firm? Have you sold it yet?”
“As a matter of fact, I did.” He said that he wanted half of the money since it had been his idea.
“Yours? I don’t think so. You were going to run it in the ground.
I sold it to the partners so that they could call it whatever they wanted.
As of right now, I don’t have to worry about it anymore, and I’m going to be my own attorney. ”
“That sounds boring. Why would you want to work for yourself when there are so many people out there willing to hire you?” He snorted at her.
“You’re just a girl and a stupid one at that.
Debra, I demand that you give me my part in the estate so that I can have an easier life in prison.
It’s the least you can do for me since you took everything from me.
In fact, I blame you for even being sent to prison in the first place. ”
“Good. I feel like I did one good deed by getting you off the streets.” She stood up to leave, and he bitched at her.
“I’m going home. I’ve had enough of you yelling at me for no reason.
If you were nicer, I might have set you up an account, but I’m not going to do that.
I have better things to do with my money than to help you enjoy your prison life.
I want you to suffer every day like you made me. ”
“So help me, I’m going to make you suffer worse than you are now.” She said that was funny since she wasn’t suffering at all anymore. “I’m not finished with you yet. You sit down until we get this resolved. I want the money that you promised me.”
“You turned it down, remember?” He told her that he wasn’t going to prison back then. “I told you that you were going. You should have listened to me. You never were very bright, were you?”
As she made her way down the hallway out of the room they’d been given for talking, she thought about how she was going to spend the rest of her life.
She was going to be happy with Kahana and his family if it was the last thing that she did.
And she was going to start out her life of having fun by jumping the bones of the good doctor as soon as she could.
While she was still nervous about sex with him, she had it in her head that he’d be as gentle as he could be with her. Knowing her fears, he’d make love to her slowly and without swinging from the light poles either.
She was excited that he was home when she got there.
While he was on the phone, she figured out dinner tonight.
They were having pork chops on the grill with potatoes.
She couldn’t have a large potato, but she was looking forward to the chops.
Their new cook was helping with her diet well, and she loved her for it.
Kahana found her in the kitchen, where she was having a snack of fresh veggies before dinner.
He took two of her carrots and ate them while he told her about Millie’s baby.
“I’ve spoken to her doctor already, and he’s fine with me delivering her.
I have an appointment tomorrow with Millie and Charlie in the morning to make sure that things are progressing as well as they could be.
” She told him about her visit with Phil and how she had not been the least bit upset by his demands.
“That’s wonderful news. I knew you could do it. ”