The Life We Lead: Ascending Page 7

  “I know, but he really wants to see it,” she said softly.

  James knew it was a pointless argument, so he dropped it. He liked Tammy and wasn’t happy to see Brody manipulate her like this.

  “Library at 3 o’clock?” James asked.

  “Yep, lower floor as usual,” Tammy grinned. It was their normal spot.

  ***

  “How was the date?” John asked as James walked into the living room that evening.

  “Date?” James inquired.

  “Yeah, the date Edgar said you had. For some physical stuff,” Dylan added with a wink.

  Everyone except James laughed, as they normally made fun of him for things like this. Ignoring the question, he retrieved a single set of boxing gloves out of a closet. Now was as good a time as ever.

  He tossed the left one to Edgar and put on the right.

  Edgar’s eyes began shining like Christmas lights, and the others immediately cleared space in the middle of the room as if this were a scheduled main event. Rarely could they get James to participate in these types of foolery, mainly because James didn’t want to over-expose his abilities.

  The rules were simple. You could only use the gloved hand to hit and nothing below the belt. Head shots were to be controlled so that no one got a broken nose or a tooth knocked out.

  As they squared up, Dylan stepped in like he was the referee/commentator and turned his hat backwards. He hammed it up, pretending to grab a microphone from above his head and speak into it.

  “In this corner, wearing the worn jeans and an ugly ass shirt, we have the leanest wonder of the world, James.”

  Dylan then pointed at Edgar. “Annnnnnnnd in this corner, we have the monster of monsters, the champ of chimps, Edgar!”

  Dylan pretended to drop the microphone. He brought his hand down in a swinging motion. “Fight!” he screamed.

  James immediately switched to a southpaw stance so that his right hand was in front. He threw a few jabs that Edgar dodged easily before hitting James’s left shoulder.

  This wasn’t what James wanted. He needed his side to be used as the target. He knew Edgar could fight a bit, so he would just have to bait him.

  James and Edgar exchanged a few more jabs as the guys screamed at them.

  James decided to do some flashy worthless crap and jumped to switch his feet back and forth while throwing a jab. It worked.

  “Ohhh, and the judges have to give that point to Edgar as his Leanest takes a blow to the ribs,” Dylan’s voice called out.

  A few more of those might sell it. James’s eyes watered, but he was still on his feet. It had been a solid punch but nothing too hard. They were just playing, after all.

  “How is James going to answer that? Apparently with a pop right to the forehead of the Monster; this will make it interesting,” Dylan continued.

  Mark and a friend who lived off campus, Patrick, came in and joined the others.

  A few more taps and dancing around, then Edgar slightly tripped on the carpet.

  “Looks like James has the Monster so scared he can’t stay on his feet!” said Dylan.

  “Kiss my ass, Dylan!” Edgar shouted, quickly looking away, giving James a chance to land a punch to his chest.

  James deliberately stuck the punch out there a second too long and Edgar cooperated with a shot to the ribs. This one was true, and James went down on his knees.

  “Oh, the Monster says, ‘I ain’t going out like no bitch’ and catches those ribs again like he’s trying to break crab legs,” rang out Dylan over the laughter of the others.

  James flipped Dylan and the others off as he stood up. His side was screaming. It was affecting how he could move, so he stood still and rotated. Edgar was a big guy and didn’t like to move too much, so James baited him with a few well placed jabs before stepping with his left foot. This placed his right hand behind and in the power position, and Edgar moved accordingly.

  They moved as one, Edgar to his left and James recovering his foot motion to minimize the distance Edgar would have on the upper cut he was about to throw.

  James’s maneuver worked, and the blow hurt like hell.

  He simply dropped and lay there.

  “One, two, three …” came the count from Dylan.

  Very quickly, James added, “Five, ten. I’m done. That last one caught me.”

  The room was laughing as James lay there, screaming inside.

  Edgar came over and pulled him up, which itself hurt. They did the one arm hug to show no hard feelings.

  “I’m making a pizza,” James said as an excuse to leave the room.

  “Me,” came five voices, meaning they were in.

  “I’m ordering two pizzas then,” James said.

  “In,” came the five voices. Since James was ordering and all wanted in, that meant he didn’t have to pay and the excuse still got him out of the room.

  He ordered a plain and a pepperoni before slipping into the half bathroom downstairs. He was hurting and could now be less careful about it, but still had to be semi-careful. This was going to take two weeks to recover from, they had to move out, and he had work to do.

  Knock, knock.

  “Out in a minute,” James said, leaning against the wall, his butt on the toilet lid.

  “You all right?” It was Patrick, their friend.

  “I’ll be okay, thanks,” said James, waiting for Patrick to walk off.

  Patrick was a short, hairy guy who looked like the quintessential Italian. When he opened his mouth, you expected him to use slang and shout while waving his hands around, but that wasn’t his style. He had a pleasant way about him and often just blended into the background.

  Exiting the bathroom, James found Patrick scooping ice into a bag.

  “That hit looked hard; thought you’d want some ice n’that,” he explained.

  “Cool, thanks.” James took the ice and the two guys sat at the kitchen table.

  “Wouldja want to go over some physics n’that with me before the food comes?” Patrick asked.

  “Yeah, cool. Let me grab my … Oh, you brought my bag in too. Nice!”

  They worked until the food came, listening to the guys fighting in the next room.

  After the pizza, they returned to physics, and Mark joined them. After about an hour, Patrick’s mother called. He excused himself and came back a few minutes later.

  “Gotta run,” he said, packing up his things without looking at them.

  “Everything cool?” asked Mark.

  “Mmm,” lied Patrick. He threw his bag to his shoulder and walked out.

  Mark and James exchanged a look. James gingerly got up and followed Patrick out the door.

  “Hey, you okay?” James asked.

  “Yeah,” came Patrick’s soft answer. “Look, man, I know you can see whatever. It’s just my uncle and family stuff. I’m okay.”

  “Cool, no prob,” James said, and they parted.

  James knew that Patrick’s uncle, also named Patrick, was a piece of work who had ties to the mafia. James didn’t let Patrick know this of course, because Patrick went to great lengths to hide it. Besides, Patrick wasn’t involved directly, but he certainly could be a potential source later for connections with the drug operation.

  “Ugh.” As James turned to go back in, his side gave him a shot of pain to remind him it was still there.

  ***

  Later that night, James made a secure call to the group from the science building to see what was up. It turned out to be something for the police that he’d already taken care of. The police didn’t have a direct connection to the group, but the group often fed them information. It was often obvious what they needed, but it helped having two police officers in the group. The end goal was to have the police indebted to the group so they could leverage the relationship when needed.

  James also checked on the funding he needed for Aberdeen and made a few connections to set up a job. On top of that, he learned Melissa had worked her magic and set up s
ome other covers for him. Tariq, it turned out, had made the Fishermen call. James informed Tom how it had gone, and Tom said he’d address it.

  Finals came and went, as did graduation. The guys made fun of James’s side being hurt the remainder of the semester and laughed as he moved out, watching him struggle with loading the truck, though they helped him get the stuff down the steps.

  “One degree done, a lifetime to go,” he said, waving as he pulled away to start the summer.

  During his drive to his parents’ home in Duncansville, James got a call from Tyler, who was also in the group. Tom had contacted him about a position for James in oil and gas.

  “Hey, James, how’s it going, buddy?” Tyler said.

  “Well, well, well, if it isn’t Tyler White. I’m doing great, how are you, man?” James asked.

  “Just getting ready for summer. Did all right in classes. Tom said I should give you a buzz about a job connection,” Tyler said.

  “Yeah, need something related to oil and gas, particularly in marketing, if possible, to allow for easier travel. Trying to find someone who’s a professional with a science background who also does adjunct teaching in marketing. Figure it will be an easier path than getting an MBA.”

  James gave a dirty look to the idiot who’d just passed him doing 80 mph. He hoped a cop would pull him over.

  “My Uncle Todd is part owner of a chemical company that does oil and gas. He’s an adjunct prof at Pitt and has degrees in biology and a MBA in marketing,” said Tyler, chuckling.

  “No way! He hiring?” James said excitedly.

  “No idea, but he’s always looking for talent. Probably can get you an internship at least to start,” Tyler said.

  James paused and thought a moment. “Whatever you think is best.”

  “Okay, cool. I’ll call the house tonight,” Tyler replied.

  “I owe you one, man,” said James.

  “You’re on crack. I still owe you like ten for all the stuff you’ve done for me. Hell, five just for the Epazato thing. Didn’t think I was making it out of that one alive.”

  Amused, James said, “You got yourself out of that. Anyhow, thanks; let me know what you find out.”

  “Will do. Later,” Tyler said, getting off the phone.

  James smiled. Now this was a great start to the summer. He slowed down slightly when he saw flashing red lights and laughed out loud. His wish was coming true. The driver who’d been speeding was getting pulled over. “Ah, what a day,” he said out loud before turning up the radio.

  That night, Tyler called James back to tell him his uncle had left for Russia that morning and would be back in two weeks. His aunt Kathy had described in detail a million things going on at the house, and Tyler hadn’t been able to get a word in. The discussion sounded painful to endure, but there was a bright spot.

  “She was going on and on about the kitchen and how she wants a television in there. Then she said as soon as uncle Todd gets home, she’s taking him shopping because ‘God forbid’ she buy an electronic for the house without him. Well, that got me thinking. What if you happened to be the salesperson who sold them the TV? I mean, what better way to demonstrate sales and marketing? Plus, you can bring the conversation around to backgrounds and all that. It allows my uncle to think it’s his idea. You talk about idea origination as being best from those you need something from, right?”

  “That’s phenomenal. Now I just need to figure out what store they shop at, and …” James started.

  “Easy, I’ll send you the address in an e-mail. She’s making him go to dinner and he loves this place on McKnight Road in Pittsburgh in a plaza with an electronics store. She’ll make him go shopping before dinner, and he’ll want to be close to home.” Tyler laughed, then gave James a description of what his aunt and uncle looked like.

  “Excellent. Tyler, you’re the best. Thanks, man.”

  ***

  The set up was easy, since it turned out the electronics store was a major chain with a lot of turnover. Melissa, who was a genius with computers and identifications, arranged for James to be a transfer from a different store and they used moving for graduate school as the reason for the transfer paperwork. It was a valid reason that wouldn’t be challenged, even though James had no plans to attend graduate school.

  James set his first day at the store to be the one prior to Tyler’s uncle’s arrival home. Everything went smoothly, and he was able to get a feel for some of his coworkers as well as the store. Thankfully, he had the early shift that first day and was working the later shift the next day, which made his commute of 2.5 hours each way doable.

  The following day was rather slow at the store. In addition, James was working with two of the most annoying people he could think of, both of whom were aggressive salesmen. As the day wore on, he was starting to think that he’d have a problem even getting to Tyler’s uncle, assuming he showed up, but he was wrong.

  About 7 p.m., a couple walked in who exactly matched Tyler’s description. Uncle Todd looked extremely grumpy and tired. Jet lag, no doubt. The other two salespeople took one glance and disappeared.

  James let the couple walk around for a minute or two. From what Tyler had told him, he knew enough to wait for some type of signal to approach so that he’d be welcomed instead of seen as an intrusion.

  The couple stopped in front of the selection of smaller televisions to have a discussion. Todd suddenly moved away toward the newer, large screen sets and pointed at one. Kathy shook her head and dragged him back to the smaller screens. Todd looked around and made eye contact with James, then nodded, indicating he wanted help.

  “Hi, I’m James. How can I help you?” he asked.

  Kathy spoke. “We need a television for our kitchen. I like this one, but he likes that one. Can you tell us the difference, besides price?”

  “Absolutely, but can I ask a few questions that might help in a proper selection?” James asked.

  “Like what? This isn’t exactly rocket science,” Todd shot back.

  James smiled and began to ask questions about how often the set would be used, how much natural light was in the kitchen, what noise level they normally had, where they expected to position it, what the kitchen layout was like, what their appliances looked like, and how many people would be using it. After hearing their answers, James drew a mini-layout.

  At that, Kathy slapped Todd on the arm and said, “See, there’s more to it than just picking up a TV.”

  Todd rolled his eyes and asked James, “What do you recommend?”

  “Well, I think you have two options. The first is to go with this flat-screen thirteen inch. It should do most of what you’re looking for and be okay,” James said.

  “And the second?” Todd asked, his eyebrows raised in a skeptical look.

  “If I may, given what you described with viewing, sound levels, and how things are situated, you may want to consider looking at a new high-definition set with a surround system.”

  Kathy began to laugh, and Todd’s eyebrows went higher, this time in shock.

  “I know it’s way higher in price, but hear me out,” James began. He walked them through his reasoning, from position and color to the flow of the rooms. This wasn’t as big a stretch as it might have been to get them to listen. Todd’s initial draw to the high-end sets had given him the opening he needed.

  Twenty minutes later, Kathy was shaking her head. “We came here to buy a TV for $150, and we’re walking out spending $5,000. You talk about me and shopping? Geez.”

  Todd ignored his wife. “You asked some good questions to make sure we got what we needed and not just what we thought we wanted.”

  “Needed? Really?” Kathy said sarcastically, and James laughed.

  Todd said, “Quiet, woman,” which apparently just made her mad, and she walked away.

  The man continued, “You in school?”

  James explained that he’d just finished. He described his background and hopes for a marketing job. After this sm
all discussion, Todd actually smiled.

  “I’m part owner and COO of a small chemical company. How do you feel about interning as a marketing person for me?” Todd asked.

  “Wow, really? That’s a great offer, but I’m not sure I can afford to leave here and …” James started.

  “Your pay will be $25 per hour and you can work as many or as few hours as you like. There will be some travel involved. Do you have a passport?” Todd asked.

  James paused deliberately but also with a bit of shock, as he hadn’t expected the wage to be that high. “Yes, when can I start?”

  Todd laughed. “Give me a call Monday; we can sort it out then. Want to make sure all this stuff you sold me is quality.” He winked at James.

  James thanked him several times and proceeded to wrap up the transaction.

  Later, he called Tyler to relay the story, to which Tyler replied, “He must have liked you a lot. He’s a really nice person, and if you do well, he’ll support you.”

  “I think this makes us even, Ty,” James said.

  Tyler just laughed.

  Chapter Five

  A mere two weeks after starting his internship, James was on a trip to learn more about the North Sea market. The day had been considerably more tedious than he had anticipated, even with jet lag thrown in. The customer meeting had gone in completely the wrong direction once his colleague Dennis had opened his mouth about the efficacy of the biocide.

  When they weren’t able to show field data for the North Sea, the customer had begun asking more detailed questions on field trials for all the products. Apparently, Dennis had failed to inform the customer that they were hoping to get a field trial with them. Now it was a mess.

  That wasn’t the only mess. James had a meeting that night to address some loose ends on the drug ring connections. He was having a difficult time tracking down any additional information regarding this Asian faction Petior had mentioned, but he was now in Aberdeen and looking forward to meeting Calum for some much needed insight. For some reason, Calum had insisted they meet on a Friday night.