Chapter 4
Today was no different than any other day at work.
Olivia had more customers than she’d had on the first day.
Of course, she’d lost them all because her boss had assigned her to Zander all day, but she was willing to forgive him for that.
He was fun to be around, and she thought that he was about as nice to her as her parents were mean.
She’d heard from the bank that someone was trying to get into her accounts.
Her mother was demanding that she turn it all over to her, and that wasn’t going to happen.
The bank manager said that she’d told them that she had permission, but they still had to check.
She’d heard that her mother had thrown a fit because they didn’t believe her, and that nearly got her arrested.
She wished that it had. That would have made her day.
Her dad had left her two messages last night.
Olivia hadn’t listened to them until this morning, but it was more of the same.
He wanted her to hand over her money so that they could eat.
They were sick of having cereal, all they knew how to fix, and it was her responsibility to make sure that they were getting enough to eat.
She wasn’t sure how that was her responsibility, but she didn’t get back with him anyway.
“ Miss, I’d like to see what you have in kitchenware.
My wife was telling me that she needs a new juicer.
I didn’t know that we had one, but she insisted that she’s had it for some time now.
What do you have?” Taking the man to the kitchen department, she showed him all the items that they had there.
The layout of kitchen items matched one another, and when she tried to get him to get something else, other than a juicer. He said he knew what she wanted and was going to stick with that. Some people didn’t have much in the way of imagination.
As she went through her day, she encountered several people like the man from this morning.
They knew just what they wanted to get their wives, and her suggestions were not useful.
She wanted to ask them why they were coming to her if they were so certain, but she didn’t.
At least she wasn’t running a cash register right now, and that looked to be a good thing.
They were busy out the ass, and she wanted no part of it.
After lunch, missing talking to Zander, she finished off her sandwich and was headed to the bathroom when her cell phone rang.
She wasn’t allowed to have it on the floor, but she could take it on break with her.
Playing a game would relax her while she helped with shopping, and she was getting good at matching all the little gems. She saw that the number was Zander’s and almost didn’t answer. But in the end, she did.
“ I thought that you’d have enough of me and my family and wouldn’t call anymore.” He said that he wasn’t dating her family. “ You shouldn’t be dating me. Haven’t I proved to you that I’m more trouble than I’m worth?”
“ I enjoy our time together. I have a request. My brother is having us over for dinner tonight, and I was wondering if you’d go with me.
It’s not like I’m introducing you to my family or anything, but I thought you’d enjoy it.
” She told him she had a date with her aunt.
“ Well, that’s even better. You should spend as much time with her as you can.
I’ve learned that people you love aren’t going to be around forever, and you should take every opportunity to spend time with them as you can. ”
“ Are you telling me to do that because she’s old?
” He laughed and said basically that’s what he was saying, but in a nicer way.
“ Nice or not, that’s what I’m doing it for.
When she called me this morning, she said that she didn’t have that many years left, so I should spend her waning years with her.
I told her that I’d be happy to be there with her.
She and I are going to talk business. I’m not sure what that means to me from her, but I do love spending time with her. ”
“ I’ll be at my brother’s if you need anything. You have my cell phone number, right?” She told him that she had it under pain in the ass. “ I don’t know why you’re so mean to me. I’m the best thing that has happened to you in a while.”
“ You’re very full of yourself this afternoon. What’s gotten into you?” He told her that he got his tree up. “ Wonderful. I’m sure that it’ll look great with all your gifts under it. When is your stuff coming?”
“ Today, between three and five. So I’m waiting around my house, getting nothing done but waiting on the van to pull up.
I wonder if it will take a couple of van loads.
I did go a bit overboard.” She pointed out that he had to be the best uncle.
“ You got that right. Did I tell you that two of my sisters-in-law are going to have babies? I hope they’re all little girls.
We have enough men in this family as it is. ”
“ I have to get back to work. I’m sorry that I can’t see you tonight. You’ve become like a bad habit, and I’m going to miss you.” He told her that it was sweet, and she felt her cheeks heat up. “ I’ll talk to you later. Try not to trip over your own ego. It might send you to the hospital.”
He was still laughing when she hung up on him. She had to admit that she did have a better outlook on things once she was off the phone with him. He seemed to bring out the meanness in her, too, but he seemed to enjoy it so that was all right, she supposed.
After lunch, she didn’t have a single man who wanted to see robes or kitchenware.
She enjoyed helping them find the perfect gift for their wives, and she also enjoyed the way that they would look at her for advice.
That’s what she was there for, and she wanted to help.
She was on her last customer of the day when she realized that she’d not be seeing Zander tonight.
It sort of depressed her that he wasn’t going to be around.
But she was spending the evening with her aunt, and that would be fun as well.
Aunt Mae was someone she could talk to, too, about anything.
After getting home, she checked her voicemail and found that her mother had finally gotten around to messaging her.
It was about the bank notifying her that she wasn’t to get into her account, and she loved that.
Not that she had a great deal in her account, she kept it all in a safety deposit box, but the thought of what would happen if she were to drain her checking account would eat her up in bounced check charges.
Since neither of her parents knew where she lived, she was happy about them not finding her. The threat from her mom was bad enough, but her dad said he was going to kill her for the insurance money if she didn’t help them out.
She did wonder if that was true, that they’d taken a policy out on her so they could collect on it when she was dead.
But they’d had to have kept up with the payments, and she doubted that it would go all that far.
She thought about telling them that just because you have a policy on her, doesn’t mean you can collect on it if they didn’t make any payments.
Driving to the hotel where her aunt was staying, she enjoyed the crisp weather of the evening and was sure that tomorrow they’d have snow.
It would put people in a better mood when shopping, she’d learned, and might well be in a better mood herself.
She loved the snowy weather but didn’t much care for driving in it.
Her aunt took her to the hotel dining room, and they had a nice dinner.
She’d not expected her to want to eat in the place; it was sort of run-down and not without much in the way of atmosphere.
But the food was really good, and they enjoyed themselves by having nearly the entire dining room to themselves.
“ I have some things I’d like to talk over with you.
Now, don’t tell me no. It’s a done deal, and I can’t think of anyone I’d rather leave my money to than you.
” She asked her how much there was. “ Right to the point of the matter as usual. I’m worth over three million dollars.
More if you count the houses that I own.
I have three of those that I rent out. Plus, the one that I’m living in back home. You’ll get it all.”
“ I suppose if I told you not to leave it to me but some charity, you’d tell me no.” She said that was right. “ I love you, Aunt Mae, but I’d rather have you around than your money. I know I can’t stop you aging, but I’m going to miss you when you’re gone.”
“ I’m not gone yet, so don’t say that. I’ll miss you too, but as I said, there is no one that I’d rather leave it to than you.
Especially not your father and mother.” She told her that she would think there was something wrong with her if she did that.
“ Quite right. I have all my marbles just where I like them, and the will is made out. I know that we don’t get to see one another as much as we did when you were younger, but with your parents around, I have to be careful as well. ”
“ I know. They’ll hurt you in a heartbeat if they knew that you had that much money.
More than likely kill you.” She told her about the insurance policy that her dad mentioned.
“ I’m not worried about that so much as I am them killing me for it.
I believe they will before they figure out they can’t cash in a policy without making payments on it. ”