Page 45 of Greed

I opened my mouth to argue with her, but the waiter arrived with the wine and began taking orders. My brother, of course, taking full advantage of my stupid moment of generosity, ordered three appetizers and capped it off by ordering the largest and most expensive entrée on the menu.

The waiter looked at Minny, and she cleared her throat. “I’ll just have the house salad with a vinaigrette dressing, please.”

“Are you on a diet or something?” Skye said, and Minny’s cheeks pinked as she laughed nervously.

“Minetta, I promised you dinner. Please have whatever you would like,” Michael whispered and reached out, placing his hand on her shoulder. I clenched the napkin in my fist, visualizing cutting my brother’s hand off as his thumb rubbed over her delicate skin. Michael looked at me over the top of Minetta’s head with a subtle curl of his lip and a suggestive look in his eyes. It was a challenge, and it was almost my undoing as I gripped the bench to keep from leaping over the top of her head and tackling Michael right there in the restaurant. If he kept that shit up, I might just do it and then buy the restaurant to pay for the damages.

Skye picked that moment to squeeze my thigh under the table, and my eyes swung to her. “What are you doing?” I mouthed, and she shrugged, sliding her hand a little higher. As inconspicuously as possible, I grabbed her hand and pulled it off my leg, placing it on her own. “Don’t.” I mouthed again, and she rolled her eyes, taking a large gulp of her wine as she slouched back into the bench.

I turned my attention back to Michael and Minny, but whatever had been decided was over because the waiter was gone. “Michael, tell me how long are you going to be in town,” I asked. I knew whatever he said would be bullshit. He had a way of telling you something and yet nothing at the same time.

“It’s up in the air right now. My boss can be a bit unpredictable with my work schedule.”

“You don’t say.” I took a sip of my wine before turning my attention to Minetta or Minny as Michael called her, and I decided to try out the nickname. “And what about you, Minny, what do you do for work?”

“Minetta.”

“Pardon,” I asked.

“Please call me Minetta. Only my friends and family get to call me Minny, and we are neither,” she said flatly.

My body flushed hot as Michael choked on his wine and grabbed a napkin as he began to cough—it served him right. The fucking male already had Minetta turned against me, but that was okay. I loved an opportunity to beat him, and the game just became more interesting.

“My apologies, Minetta, I do hope I can rectify that situation and you will consider me a friend at the very least.” I paused and gave her a small smile, but she seemed completely uninterested. “What do you do work,” I asked again, trying to break the awkward silence.

She lifted her shoulders, and the movement was sweet and casual, and I wanted her to do it again. “Michael already told you, I’m a nine, one, one operator.”

“You’re right he did. I’m sorry. I will assume you like your job?”

“I love it, actually. To be able to help people when they need you the most—it’s very rewarding. I mean, it has its days that are tough and others that make you shake your head, but on the whole, it’s wonderful,” Minetta smiled, it was the first real smile I’d seen from her, and my pulse jumped as blood whooshed through my veins.

“Ever have anyone kill themselves on the phone with you? All that begging and crying and then screaming. That would be pretty sic,” Skye asked, and Minny’s smile fell. “Or have you been on the phone and there is some psycho chasing someone, and it’s all Texas Chain Saw Massacre with a chain saw or maybe like a drive by with guns firing loud in your ears, but you can’t do anything to help so you feel useless?”

“Um…”

“Oh, have you ever had someone pocket dial you while they’re doing the nasty? I’ve heard of that happening. A husband accidentally called his wife while fucking someone else, and she heard the whole thing. Their all like, oh yes fuck me baby harder, oh, oh, oh,” Skye said dramatically. She moved her hips back and forth on the bench and my mouth fell open with her act. “Can you imagine? I mean, that would totally end up on some blooper call somewhere, right? Or maybe start an officer orgy.” She giggled and chugged what was left of her glass of wine.

“No, I can’t say I’ve had any of those calls before, and no office orgy. Sorry to disappoint you.”

“That’s too bad. Can you move up in that job, or are you permanently stuck as a call taker? Just a kind of go-nowhere gig?” If looks alone could kill, Skye would’ve been dead on the spot as I glared at her. Unfortunately, it was not one of my abilities.

“I could become a supervisor, but I really like what I do. I don’t do the job to make millions,” Minetta said, and I knew she meant it. I’d never met someone that truly meant that, but she did. There was no need of any kind coming off of her. It was refreshing and alarming. I couldn’t wrap my mind around how this was possible. All humans were needy and greedy and selfish creatures. I hadn’t met one yet, until her. She didn’t have a thread of it running through their veins.

“Yeah, I can clearly see that,” Skye said. Minetta smoothed out her dress. Why the hell wasn’t Michael defending her, she was his date. Why wasn’t he telling Skye to back off?

“Oh, I didn’t mean it offensively. I hope you didn’t think I meant you looked bad? I mean, it’s a cute dress for a Hundo.” Skye smiled, and I suddenly wanted to smack my best friend.

“Thanks, I think. Skye, what do you do for a living,” Minny asked.

“I’m a bartender at a sweet club, and I fuck people.” I choked on my wine and regretted for the tenth time in less than five minutes that I’d invited Skye. It had seemed like a good idea at the time, an extra set of eyes on what Michael could be up to, and as an added benefit, her being there could hopefully make Minny jealous, but now I wasn’t so sure.

“You have sex with people? Like as in you get paid for it?” Minny lowered her voice, her eyes flicking up to me. I fought the urge to squirm in my seat as Skye laughed loudly, drawing the attention of a couple nearby tables.

“No, I don’t get paid for sex, although that’s not a bad idea now that you mention it. I mean, I am damn good at it. I should be getting paid something.”

“Then what did you mean?”

“I’m just great at it. Guys literally can’t get enough once they get a taste. I mean, why do you think Ri, here, keeps me around? It’s like, all night, wild-animal sex. He is a dog in bed.” She lowered her voice, and I felt frozen to my seat as the horror of her words played out before my eyes. “Trust me, girl, he only has eyes for me.”