Chapter 15 Blowing Smoke
Chapter fifteen
Blowing Smoke
Jo
“How’s it going?” Jack asks as he comes walking into his office.
“Pretty good.” I push a file into the newly-organized metal cabinet.
“Wow, it looks great in here.”
I should hope so, it’s taken me days to get to this point, but I’m not about to say that to the guy who signs my paycheck.
Instead, I take a few minutes to show him exactly how I organized everything.
When I’m done, he says, “This is wonderful, Jo. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
“I promise never to let Jamie do the filing again.”
I laugh. “I appreciate that.”
Walking over to his desk, I pick up a folder from the stack I left there.
“What are those?” He questions.
I chew on the inside of my cheek, wondering if I should even broach this subject with him.
“Well, I was going through all of the files, and I see that all of the ones in this stack have unpaid invoices.”
Before he can say anything, I keep going. When I’m nervous, I feel the need to fill the silence.
“I didn’t mean to pry, but it looks like you let them do some type of payment plan, but then, they just stopped paying. Please forgive me if I’m overstepping the line here, but I just wasn’t sure if you were aware of it or not. I don’t want anyone taking advantage of your generosity.”
He crosses his arms over his chest before using one hand to rub over his thick beard. “Yeah, I knew there were a few who hadn’t paid, but I didn’t realize the stack was quite this high.”
“Look, Jack, I don’t have a business, so please feel free to tell me to fuck off, but I’ve watched my parents run Andre’s for years. While both of them are pretty generous, they also know that it’s a business and they need to turn a profit to keep the doors open.”
Jack’s eyes find mine, and I snap my mouth shut, thinking for sure I’ve offended him.
The silence between us seems to last forever, and my mind immediately starts thinking about what I’m going to do for a job when my brother-in-law tells me to fuck off.
Finally, he speaks, “Yeah, you’re right.”
I exhale a deep breath of relief.
He goes on. “I never mind doing a payment plan, and honestly, I’m not good at following up with people. The shop has been so busy that I haven’t paid much attention. I just don’t have a lot of extra time.”
My mouth once again starts talking before my brain has a chance to catch up.
“I have the time. I mean I could follow up with these people and remind them that they still have money owed.”
Jack takes a seat on the edge of his desk. “Jo, is everything okay?”
“What do you mean?”
“Don’t get me wrong, I’m super grateful to have help with the office business, but it doesn’t really seem like your style. I figured you’d be chomping at the bit to be out in the bay getting your hands dirty.”
“I already told you that I’m just here to help–in whatever way you need me to.”
“Jo, I realize you and I haven’t spent an abundance of time together, but in the time we have spent together, I didn’t think you were quite so…”
“Pleasant?”
He laughs. “I was going to say accommodating.”
He has a point. Usually, I’m quite a bit more stubborn.
“Look,” I begin. “Right now, I just want to work as much as possible. Keeping busy keeps me out of my own head until I figure out my next move. Right now, you seem to need more help in here than out in the bay, and I know Beau would prefer it if I stayed in here.”
“Not taking Beau into account, what do you want?”
“I want to help out wherever and however you need me to.” While it’s true, I don’t think office work is what I would be doing at the shop, I’m grateful Jack’s giving me the opportunity.
Truth be told, I’m not sure how many people in Lilly Leaf Falls would take the same chance on me.
While this town is my home, I burned quite a few bridges with the way that I left.
That fact isn’t lost on me, so I'm going to keep being as helpful as I can.
Jack thinks for a minute before starting to speak again. “Alright, kid. I get it. How about this? I’ll leave this office in your capable hands. Run it how you see fit. If you want to try to collect the money, go for it.”
“Really?”
“Really. If you can take care of the stuff in here, it would help me free up some time.”
“Thanks, Jack. I won’t let you down.”
He smiles. “I know. And since you have everything under control, I think I am going to get out of here and go spend the afternoon with my girls.”
“Sounds like a plan. Give little Beth kisses for me, and give my sister some hell.”
“I’ll pass along the kisses, but the hell you’ll have to do on your own. I’m not incurring my wife’s wrath.”
I giggle. “Fair enough.”
He quickly puts on his jacket and heads for the door. “Oh, and Jo?”
“Yeah?”
“Maybe this goes without saying, but no demanding payment by force…or by threat of force.”
“You’re kind of tying my hands here," I joke. “But I promise to behave.”
***
“No, Mrs. Rooney. You still have a balance of $340 remaining on the invoice from having your alternator replaced. I understand that, but it’s been over a year.
Jack agreed to a payment plan, and you agreed to make payments.
You don’t have to pay the whole thing today, but I need you to pay something. ”
If it was anyone aside from Mrs. Rooney, maybe I’d have a bit more compassion, but she and I have never seen eye to eye.
Back in the day, I dated her son. When she figured out we slept together, she dubbed me the whore of Babylon, telling everyone in town I was a harlot who corrupted her son.
She managed to leave out the part about how her son convinced me to climb in the backseat of his truck with him and then moved on the second he got what he wanted from me. She likes to forget that part.
You’d think now, she would realize her son is the problem considering her golden boy has five children with five different women–none of which does he help take care of.
Hell, she probably somehow blames me for that too. Maybe I was the start of all of his problems.
The way she’s talking to me tells me she’s still holding onto a massive grudge.
When we first started the call, she was sweet as can be, but the moment it clicked in her mind who I was, she instantly turned combative.
That’s okay. Two can play at this game, and I’m so much better at it.
While she’s getting out her card to make a payment, she tries being snide.
“So, the only job in town you could get was playing loan shark for your brother-in-law?”
“Yeah, I really wanted to be the town curmudgeon, but you’ve got that job locked down.”
All I get in return is a scoff before she says, “You know, I really don’t want you to keep calling me regarding this matter.”
“Hey, Mrs. Rooney, if you’d like to go ahead and pay off your remaining balance, I won’t have to call you ever again.”
I can practically hear her gritting her teeth as she mumbles. “Fine. Let’s pay the whole damn thing.”
Less than a minute later, I have ran her credit card and am getting off the phone.
Before hanging up, she says, “Tell Jack I may take my automotive business elsewhere.”
I know that’s not true. One, Jack’s is the only auto shop in town. Two, even if there was another one, I doubt they would let patrons do a payment plan.
She’s just blowing smoke.
Deciding to give it right back to her, I say, “I’ll let him know. Give my love to your son.”
She huffs and hangs up.
Mission accomplished.
After dealing with that witch, I decide to head to the breakroom to get some more caffeine. On the way, I grab my next folder from the stack and start looking over it. Hopefully, the next one will be easier than Mrs. Rooney.
As I turn the corner out of Jack’s office, I run into something hard enough to knock me backwards and send the file and my body flying onto the floor.
I look up to see Beau’s large frame. When did he become hard as a fucking tree?
“Shit, Jo. Are you okay?” He asks, kneeling to help me gather everything in the file folder.
“Yeah,” I reply while getting back on my feet. “I’ll be fine. I’ve got a pretty hard head.”
I’m relieved to hear him let out a silent chuckle, but I wonder if I imagined it when his demeanor quickly changes.
As if he remembers he’s supposed to hate me, he snaps, “Maybe you should watch where you’re going.”
And we’re right back to square one.