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I buttoned my shirt all the way up, ignoring the stiff feel of the cotton against my throat. There would be plenty of time to unwind after the day’s meeting. It was only lunch. I slid my arms into a suit jacket and knotted my tie. It was game time.
My phone buzzed when I was halfway out the door. I rolled my eyes. It was my mother, demanding attention. I stopped to text her, letting her know my plans. She insisted I stop by after lunch and spend some time with her at her new penthouse. I couldn’t think of a way out of it, and I didn’t actually have anything planned for the remainder of the day, so I agreed.
The lunch went off well. I was able to rattle off some first quarter numbers that sounded good. I didn’t have all the reports memorized, but I promised that Ava would send them over first thing Monday morning. It was more about showing up and promising to do a good job. Under my dad’s leadership, the banks always got their cut. It was up to me to continue that tradition and they just wanted to make sure I knew it.
I knew quite a lot about operations, enough to keep the conversation going. I didn’t try to impress him. He knew all about our company and how much of a fixture we were in the industry. All I had to do was let him know that the business was in good hands.
We parted around one, having both accomplished our objectives. I drove over to my mother’s place, parked, and walked up the drive. She lived on the top floor of a quaint little building that had been recently restored. The front door was open, which I didn’t like. I would have to speak to her about getting a buzzer put in.
It was my first time visiting her place and I was evaluating everything with a critical eye. It was definitely in a safe neighborhood, and to my knowledge Mom didn’t have any enemies. But I would still feel better if the front door was locked and the residents were the only ones with keys.
I went up to the third floor and found myself on a small landing. There was nothing but a door and a small patch of floor to stand on. I knocked and heard the sounds of movement within the apartment. A moment later, my mother opened the door, standing back to allow me entrance.
She wore one of her many flowing robes, this one with wizard sleeves and a muddy brown tie dye swirl. For the ex-wife and mother of fashion executives, she could be a little tone deaf on the current trends. I appreciated the nostalgia of the 1970s, but it wasn’t exactly in keeping with the times.
I kept my criticism to myself. It wouldn’t help our relationship and she didn’t care what I thought of her dress. It was the apartment I was there to see. She wanted to show it off and she made no secret of it.
“What do you think?” She wandered into the living room, waving her hands in the air as if she could conjure up the spirit of the place.
“It’s nice,” I approved. High ceilings, plenty of natural light, hardwood floors, the place had it all. It was big too. No closet living for my mother. There was a generous living room that swept toward a galley sized kitchen. To one side was the hallway that led to two bedrooms, one for my mom and one for guests. There were two bathrooms, one off the primary bedroom and one on the opposite side of the living room.
She had a television, but I knew she didn’t use it. It was probably just a prop left over from when the real estate agents staged the place. My mother’s favorite artwork adorned the walls: colorful oil paintings in abstract colors and geometric shapes.
“It’s perfect for you,” I amended my first response.
“Thank you.” She gave me a kiss on the cheek. “What was this meeting all about?”
“One of Dad’s old banker friends wanted to make sure I’m not a damned idiot,” I told her.
“And did you show him you’re not?”
“Of course.” I followed her into the kitchen where she poured me a glass of juice. I wasn’t actually thirsty, but I accepted it anyway.
“Not a difficult task,” she observed.
“No,” I agreed.
“What did you think of the new line on Ava?” Mom winked and I could tell she was insinuating something.
“It’s a great line. It should fly off the stores when it debuts.” I took my drink back to the living room and sat down.
Mom followed me, her bare feet padding across the floor. “That’s not what I meant.”
“I have no idea what you meant then.” I gave her a sharp look, trying to discourage her from taking the insinuation any further.
“She’s a wonderful girl,” Mom continued, oblivious to my warning.
“No.” I shut her down.
“What?” She acted innocent.
“No, I’m not interested in Ava that way.”
“I didn’t say you were.”
“She’s a wonderful girl?” I parroted Mom’s previous statement, twisting it just enough to make it seem sinister.
“She is!” Mariah gasped, as if I had offended her.
