Chances

Chapter 6: Getting in Trouble

As soon as I dropped Cleo and the chessboard home, I was ready to go back to work. I headed to my desk until Mr. Edwin called me to his office.

From the looks of it, I am starting to think that he's pissed about something. Setting my suitcase on my table, I followed the small man to his office. My colleagues flocked at me as they just received coffee or another case.

"Is there something wrong?" I asked.

Mr. Edwin only ignored me and opened the glass door to his office.

"Let's do this quickly and quietly as possible," he says calmly.

I nodded hesitantly then sat down quietly in the chair. White bookshelves were shoved against the right hand corner, a potted plant was perched on top of the desk's glass surface.

Alongside many family photos, there were stacks of paperwork. Mr. Edwin's polished black shoes rubbed on the blue carpet while his hands clasped together, like glue.

The man's long nose clouded his vision, even though he wears thick black glasses. The red patch around his index finger tells me that the boss is struggling from a divorce.

According to the features of the scar, Mr. Edwin and his future ex-wife went to a Catholic cathedral where they got married for six years. 

Patiently, I waited for the guy to open his mouth and say what he has on his mind.

"Why did you threaten your colleague, Mr. Walters?" Mr. Edwin asked.

I look at him as if he's being serious.

"He was making a move on someone I truly care about." I answered. "So, I had to make to make his personal life a living hell."

He nodded as if he seems to understand.

"I can see that you're a married man, how long?" he asked.

"It doesn't matter," I responded. "What I don't get is that I have been harassed by idiots, yet you turn the other way."

"But when I fight back, you call me over to your crappy office."

"No offense taken," Mr. Edwin replied. "Listen Benjamin, I am sure there are people who want to be your friends-"

"I don't have any friends," I interrupted. "You knew that way before you hired me."

"Any problems at home?" he asked.

"No sir, things are fine." I answered.

"You have a very pretty wife. How come you never told anyone about her or your family?"

"I don't trust people, especially those who are pretending to be nice to me."  I insisted.

"Can you please cut to the chase? What else do you want to tell me?"

"No one wants to work with you," Mr. Edwin explained reluctantly.

He thought I was going to be disappointed or even shocked, but I shrugged my shoulders.

"Okay," I said simply. "Because I stood up to myself?"

"Because your colleagues are afraid of you." 

I chewed my lip until my tongue caught its dead skin.

"I also received complaints from them."

Mr. Edwin reached to his drawer, pulled out the heavy files of documents, and slammed it on top of his desk.

One by one, he flipped open the pages until he put his finger on one sentence.

"Other than threatening to 'ruin Mr. Walters' family life'," he began. "You rebuked the efforts in attending bars with others, and make people very uncomfortable. One time, you made a young secretary quit her job by saying her fiance left her."

"Everyone knew that, including you." I insisted. "It's not my fault that obnoxious blabbermouth is curious."

"Listen Benjamin," Mr. Edwin sighed. "I like you, okay? You are calm and level headed, unlike some of your colleagues."

"Please don't make this hard for yourself."

After a long day at work, I arrived home around five thirty. My seven year old daughter greets me with love and kisses, while my younger brother traded fist bumps with me.

"What's up, bro?" Seth chuckled. "Cole's in the kitchen, waiting for you to swoon her."

I smiled as I glanced at her, roasting steak on the stove. Her dark hair is tied in a ponytail, she wore a red plaid t-shirt, jeans, and black  combat boots. Around her neck was my mother's choker pendant. I gave it to her during our first date.

Quietly, I walked behind Cole and kissed her on the neck.

"Hey Irene," I greeted.

Cole's lips turned into a smile as she kissed me on the mouth.

"I'm making steak and potatoes." Cole replied.

She dipped her wooden spoon into the pot of mash potatoes and put it towards my lips to taste.

"Try it, and tell me what you think of it." Cole instructed.

I tasted the spoon and swallowed the morsel. It was extremely good, but I decided to play a joke with her.

"I think you added too much salt," I cringed.

Her brown eyes widened as she dipped the spoon into the pot and tried it herself.

But as soon as she tasted it, Cole playfully punched me on the shoulder.

"You're not funny Ben." Cole insisted. "You almost made me think I am a lousy cook."

That's when Cleo slipped off of the couch and raced over to Cole.

"You're not a lousy cook, Mommy." Cleo said. "Uncle Seth is a lousy cook."

Seth stopped typing for a moment and gasped at his niece's words.

"I'm not a terrible cook!" he claimed. "I'm a great cook, I cook a lot of meals."

I gave Seth a distrustful look. "Since when?" I asked.

"Thank you, Cleo." Cole beamed, hugging her very tightly. "See, at least someone doesn't joke on my cooking." She pats Cleo on the head and tells her to set the table.

I rolled my eyes when she looks at me.

"Anyway," I began. "How's work?"

"Boring," Cole answered. "I did some calculations...threaten guys to stop staring at my butt...the usual."

"How are things going on at the FBI? Did you solve any cases?"

I shook my head.

"I only completed my case report," I said.

Cole scrunched her eyebrows as she got out the dishes. She later placed each piece of cooked meat on the plates and spooned out the mash potatoes.

"What's the report about?" Cole asked. "Is it about a homicide? Kidnapping? Satanic murders?"

"Satanic murders?" I snorted. "This is the twentieth century, Nicole."

"Did they finally catch the Zodiac Killer?" Cole asked excitedly, ignoring my statement.

I shook my head again.

After loading the plates with food, Cole and I carried the plates to the dining table while Cleo woke Seth up from his nap.

Cleo and Seth joined us as they sat in their comfortable seats and ate their meals in silence.