KINNETIC - A WEEK LATER
CYNTHIA
It has been hellish these last few days. We’ve had less than 15 people in. He really did a number on us, but our clients have been great. And of course, Brian has been running on almost empty and his mood is not being helped by his family. Well Michael, in particular. He’s been calling and coming to the office, demanding at top volume to speak to him and save his marriage!
“I want to speak to him fucking now and I am going to speak to him right fucking now!” I hear him yell.
Sighing, I get up and head to deal with him when I hear a very calm and very cool. “No, you are not!”
“Yes, I am! You are clearly new here. I have unlimited access to…”
“Yes, I am new and no, you do not! Now Mr Novotny, I have been instructed by Mr Kinney, Ms Moore and Mr Schmidt to not let you past reception and I am not going to let you go past reception! If you wish to see how I will stop you, then that is entirely up to you but stop you, I will.”
“Brian and Ted would never do that to me! I am their…”
“What you are or are not in your own mind is irrelevant. This is a place of business not, I repeat, not a playground for you to spit your dummy out and throw tantrums. Mr Novotny, I am going to warn you one last time. If you don’t leave immediately or if you attempt to proceed further into this establishment, then I will…”
Suddenly, I hear that all too familiar buzz and a squeal...so I start running. What greets me warms my heart and takes every ounce of professionalism, not to burst out laughing. For lying on the floor, twitching and his mouth agape is Michael Novotny and standing less than 10 feet away from him is a young lady, holding a Taser.
“Hi.” I say cautiously.
“Hi there!” She replies brightly. “Won’t be a minute. Security to reception, immediately, security to reception immediately!” She steps towards Novotny and pulls out the pins. When Security arrive they just gape at her and then at me. “Can you take that out, please? Thank you.” Again, they look at me and I nod.
“Hello, Ms Moore. I’m Daphne. I am covering for Shelley, in her absence.” She puts out her hand just as a confused and very tired looking Brian comes in. He points at the door.
“Why is he twitching? The leaving part, I have no problem with, but the twitching from a legal point of view...”
“Good afternoon, Mr Kinney. I am Daphne. Mr Novotny refused to leave when politely asked to do so. I warned him several times but he did not heed it. Instead, he became even more belligerent, screeching and such. I warned him again and then fired. The surveillance footage will back up my statement.” Brian just blinks at her. “Shall I pack my things, Mr Kinney?”
“No. You can stay, but next time he comes, call me first... So I can watch.”
“Yes, Mr Kinney.”
“Cynthia, with me. I need you to order me something to eat from anywhere! I am starving and...oh for fuck sake!” He bellows as he steps into his office and sees the boards. “Have we hired a relative of Grantham?!”
“No, we’re at half strength remember and stop yelling! I will order you a turkey on brown with a salad and get the boards redone!”
FOUR DAYS LATER
JUSTIN
If he yells at me one more time, I will fucking quit! He asked me to do a giraffe. I did a fucking first class giraffe and what does he say? Nothing... not a fucking thing! Not even a simple fucking thank you! Oh no, he’s just stomping around like a bear with a sore fucking head!
“Yes, I am aware of you being hungry, Brian, but yelling at me is not getting it here any faster!”
BRIAN
I am so fucking hungry and finally, Cynthia slams the box down and storms towards the door.
“Are you trying to piss me off?” I ask quietly.
“No, but you are fucking me off enough to try!” She glares at me from the doorway.
“How the fuck am I supposed to survive on air?!”
“What are you talking about?” She demands, coming to the desk and I show her the box with a weight in it and a picture of turkey sandwich wrapped around it. “I don’t understand. What does the note say?”
“For every shout you make, I take a bite.”
“What?” She takes the note and reads it. “Wait, there’s more...if you don’t shout for the next 15 minutes, I will put the sandwich back.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?!” I bellow. “I am the fucking boss here. Take that back and get me my damn sandwich!”
15 MINUTES LATER
I look up at Cynthia’s all too familiar knock. She has another sandwich box in her hand and I snatch it off her and there is my sandwich, but with a big bite taken out of it!
“You shouted.” She says and I glare at her. She taps a napkin with a label on it. “It says you shouted.”
“Order me another sandwich and guard it with your life!” I snarl.
15 MINUTES LATER
I look up and she doesn’t have a box at all. “Now what?” I sigh as she hands me the bag itself with a wad of napkins and I leaf through it and find the labelled napkin. “Next time order a sandwich with a bit more taste. Turkey is rather boring, and oh and crustless, please?”
“Find this person and bring me their head on a platter!”
A WEEK LATER
I can’t believe this fucking bastard keeps taking my food! I will not be dictated to, but I am losing a bit too much weight. “Cynthia, could you please order me a turkey salad sandwich on brown?”
“Sure, Brian.”
15 MINUTES LATER
It is with great trepidation that I call for Cynthia to come in and she comes in with something that doesn’t smell like a turkey and salad sandwich. “What’s that?” I sigh.
“I don’t know, Brian. I ordered a turkey salad sandwich. You heard me do that, right? I have sat here the entire time until Daph called me to reception. This is what they delivered.”
I open the box and take the top slice off. Inside, as well as warm turkey, there is two crispy strips of bacon and a sunnyside up egg. I cover it back up and start to look through the napkins until I find it. “See what calmness brings you? Now eat. You are much too thin! Enjoy. “Oh fuck it; I’m hungry enough!” I grumble and take my first bite...and the sandwich is gone in 5 minutes.
“Good?” Cynthia smirks as she hands me another napkin to wipe up my tie.
“Like I said, I was hungry.”
“Brian, I have known you for years. You’ve been known to live off an apple a day before the White Party! That was not hunger...that was enjoyment.”
HONEY’S FABULICIOUS FOOD
EMMETT
I put down the phone and have to smile. I prepare the warm turkey, bacon and sunnyside egg sandwich for delivery to Kinnetic within the next 20 minutes. I remember the first time Cynthia came in to order his food personally and was looking frazzled. I had to find out what was wrong. They had stopped ordering from the diner when the problems first started. The next time she placed an order, she sent a little blonde sprite of gorgeousness, who also looked frazzled. He was grumbling about bossy Irishmen, who shout a lot needing to be taught a lesson. But it was the way he said it... there was a softness in his voice. So I dropped a little tidbit about teaching said lesson and having a bit of fun at the same time.
OUTSIDE THE DINER - FRIDAY LUNCH TIME
DAPHNE
He has been very quiet on the way here. I am now his designated driver. “We’re here, Mr Kinney.” He looks up, nibbling on his lip. “Mr Kinney, would you like me to open the door?”
“No. No Daphne, I wouldn’t. Can you take me back to Kinnetic please? I really don’t have the strength to deal with them today.”
“Yes sir, Mr Kinney.” I restart the engine and pull out into traffic.
INSIDE THE DINER
MICHAEL
I have had nothing but a stream of angry calls from Mel, demanding the support money. Rather annoyingly, I have had no support from Ben because he just had to go on a teacher’s course for the last two weeks. After I recovered from the attack at Kinnetic, I went straight to the police. But when I got there that little bitch had already reported me, me of all people, for trespass and threatening behaviour! I look at my watch again and then at the door. He said that he would be here, so where the fuck is he?! He’s supposed to be here for me!
The door crashes open and Ma flies to the table. “I shouted and yelled and now he’s not answering his damn phone! I know that asshole saw and heard me; I know he did!”
“Ma, what are you talking about?” I check my watch again.
“Brian was outside in a car! I saw him and he saw me, but ignored me! He IGNORED me! After dealing with him for years, patching him up and giving him shelter, he dares to ignore me?! I think a visit to Kinnetic is called for and he better start fucking groveling because I won’t tolerate his behaviour towards us any longer!”