Page 15 of Hearts Etched in Glass
They need our welding mill and want to lease one of our machine shops to expand production because of the tanks being built. If anything, the only part I want in this is a free tank. That would be fucking glorious.
“Did you find a religion yet?” Baba whispers to me, as she picks at her Loki cane.
“I did. In fact, let me be a good boy and pray.” I bow my head and place my hands together for a simple prayer. “Our heavenly Father in heaven, please bestow great luck and riches upon this meeting and please help me not punch a cunt.” Then I look at Baba’s face as her eyebrows reach her hairline, unamused. “Oh, I nearly forgot. Amen!” I shout then turn back to her. “I’ve been looking at the Bible and there is some good stuff in there, but it gets confusing because we do stuff the Bible says not to, and then the first part has a completely different guy from the new-testament part.” Shrugging my shoulders, I roll the marble over my knuckles.
“That’s why I love my Norse Gods; they are consistent, and they admire violent tendencies.” The sound of a newspaper slapping grabs our attention as we peer over at Kenneth. I didn’t know someone could read thepaper in such an irritating fashion. Before I can chide him, the door opens to the conference room as our secretary lets in three men, all with blazing red hair.
“Holy ginger cunts,” I mutter, without realizing it has escaped my lips, and Baba stomps on my foot under the table as Kenneth gives me the meanest look imaginable.
I can’t help it.They have manes that could glow in the dark! That is what I want to shout.
“Good morning, McKinley family. How are you?” Kenneth outstretches his hand with such a fake and friendly gesture it is quite admirable. Clearly, his accounting days in the military assisted him with such finesse.
I reach over to copy his greeting as Baba curtsies.
She fucking curtsies!
Who is this woman? I have never seen her do that in my god damn life.
Before I sit back, I shake the hand of the last brother, whom I assume is the youngest, and he gives me a seedy grin. It makes my skin crawl.
In fact, I don’t even catch what he says to me because I am too focused on his teeth and eerie smile.
I hate to break his heart, but I am not attracted to men. Well, maybe only Marcus, but this cunt can’t hold a candle to Marcus’s black hair and tanned skin.
No, what stands before me is a tall, lanky individual with fiery red hair, parted teeth and a hooked nose. He continues to look at me as I sit back down in the chair, so I give him an apprehensive nod.
“Fix your face,” Baba whispers.
I give her a sheepish smile and gesture with my eyes at Mr. Creep.
“So, we will give you the machine shop to begin manufacturing military and vehicle parts, and you will have an agreement with the welding mill, for access and partnership. How does that sound?” Kenneth says, as he crosses one leg over the other. I quietly roll the marble in my hand, trying to copy Kenneth’s mannerism so I may look as official as him.
As the meeting continues and this older McKinley man, their father, argues money and the monthly cost of leasing, a cynical feeling crawls into my chest. Something isn’t right.
“You feel it too?” Baba whispers as she takes my hand and plucks the marble from my grasp. I nod but keepmy gaze on Kenneth as he continues his business. I really should be paying attention, but this feeling is eating away at my nerves.
Something is wrong.
Baba begins rolling the marble on the table, but it slips from her grasp, it rolls toward the younger man with the eerie smile. He stops the marble, picking it up off the table and holding it in the air.
Then the fucker puts it in his pocket!
“That’s mine!” I shout, standing from the table.
As Kenneth yells at me, “Bobby sit the fuck down!” my head snaps towards my oldest brother. “I may be your younger brother, but I’m still an Afton fucking Adder, and that is fucking mine. No one takes what is mine!” I look back over at the lanky shit, and his face blooms into a nefarious grin.
"Would you like my knife to fuck your face, ya smug wanker?" I sneer between my teeth, pointing at ugly mug. Feeling the blood pulsing from my neck into my brain.
“Well. Looks like we have a meeting that needs to be postponed,” Baba says with graceful enmity.
“Oh, no. No,” Mr. McKinley rushes out his words and his hands in a panic gesture.
“Clearly, you need us more than we needyou. So don’t come into our home with any bullshit and think we will stand for games or disrespect. I’d be happy to place you with those adders and watch them strike you a hundred times,” I explain, revolted. The father motions at his son, and he acquiesces, passing my marble back to me. He rolls his eyes as he sits back in the chair, looking like the spoiled child he is.
“Let’s make an agreement then, shall we?” Mr. McKinley hastily holds out his hand after he signs the documents in front of him with lightning speed. He peers back and forth between me, Kenneth and the tank full of adders behind Kenneth’s chair.
After the deal is done, they leave abruptly and none of them look back at us.
