“Pretty girl.”
“Smart, too,” said Amanda. “It’s obvious she and Chris are in love.”
“I’m happy for him.”
“You don’t look too happy to me.”
Flynn drained his shot and placed the glass on the railing. “I was having a quiet moment, is all. Until you interrupted.”
“Stop focusing on what Chris isn’t and be thankful for the good in him. He’s doing fine, Tommy.”
“Okay. I’m okay, you’re okay.”
“And ease up on that bourbon. You still have to make your little speech, remember?”
Flynn picked up the oversize bottle of Beam, still capped, and pretended to swig from it. Then he stumbled broadly across the deck.
“Quit screwin around, Tommy.”
“I love you guys,” said Flynn, his eyes comically unfocused. “I really fuckin… love you guys, man.”
“Stop it.”
“You mean that speech?”
“Just stop.” Amanda stepped forward and shouted out to the adults and children in the yard. “C’mon, everybody! Come eat before it gets cold!”
Flynn reached out and touched her ass. She swatted his hand away deftly, turned, and quick-stepped toward the screened-in porch.
“When you start a company,” said Flynn, “you’re thinking about yourself. Your wife and kids, maybe, if you’re lucky enough to have them. But my point is, you open a business to make money. That’s your goal.”
Flynn was on the deck, a shot of bourbon in hand. He was no longer acting, but in fact was now half drunk. Amanda stood beside him, concerned, loving, patient, and somewhat proud. He had built the business and earned the floor. For his troubles, he could be sentimental and smashed for one night.
Below them on the grass stood the employees and their companions, looking up at Flynn. Whatever they were feeling, and it ranged from loyalty to indifference, they were paying attention and respect. Some were finishing up their plates of food, some were still drinking, and others were completely sober. Isaac had Maria and his kids close by. The other children were running and playing in the yard.
“What you don’t expect, when you get yourself into this, is the feeling of responsibility and affection you get for the people you employ and have the privilege of working with every day. Now, I’ve had many employees over the years. For most of them, they and their wives and children have been better off and had better lives after coming to work for me. That’s quite an accomplishment. It’s the one I’m most proud of, you want the truth.
“I’m also very fortunate to be able to work with my family. You know my lovely and extremely capable wife, Amanda.” Flynn reached to his side and squeezed Amanda’s arm. “And my son, Chris, is an integral part of our installation team. But they’re not the only ones I’ve come to think of as family. I’m thinking of Isaac, of course, who has been with me for a long time. Isaac, you know this company doesn’t work without you.”
“Thank you, boss,” said Isaac, his posture erect.
“But it’s all of you, really,” said Flynn. “Friends and family are what we’re about. Together, we are gonna prosper. When we do a job and do it right…”
“It’s money for all of us,” said Chris under his breath, a rush of affection for his old man washing over his chest.
“It’s money for all of us,” said Flynn. “I know we’ve had a little downturn in business this summer. Hell, everybody’s taking gas in this economy. That’s nothing but a blip on the radar screen. So we didn’t make much money this month. But I promise you…” Flynn paused dramatically “… we will tomorrow.”
“Yes!” said Hector, too emphatically.
“Easy, Mary,” said Ben.
“ You Mary,” said Hector, with a lopsided smile.
“That’s it,” said Flynn. “See you at work on Monday.”
There was some mild applause as Amanda turned to him, put her hand around his waist, and kissed him on the mouth.
“Damn, I’m good,” said Flynn, a lock of black hair falling across his forehead. “Henry at Agincourt had nothin on me.”
“Save some of that bravado for the bedroom.”
“For real?”
“Yes.”
Chris said, “We’re taking off.” He was standing at the foot of the stairs, watching his parents, waiting for them to finish.
“You’re not driving, are you?” said Amanda.
“Katherine is,” said Chris. “Don’t worry, she barely drank.”
“That’s one lovely young woman,” said Flynn.
Chris nodded. They watched him join his group, saying good-bye to Ali, who was still talking to Lonnie.
“He’s the effusive type,” said Flynn.
“Come on,” said Amanda. “Help me clean up.”
Chris, Ben, and their girlfriends walked out of the backyard.
Two men, one large and one small, sat in a black Marquis, parked down Livingston, a good distance from the Flynn home. The old Mercury, though well maintained, was out of place among the late-model imports of Friendship Heights. Sonny Wade and Wayne Minors had not been here long and did not intend to stick around. They had come to check out the business address for Flynn’s Floors and were surprised to discover that it was a residential location.
“Party’s endin,” said Sonny.
“For them it is,” said Wayne.
A young white couple and a young black couple moved across the front yard of the colonial and came to a stop near a white work van. It looked like they were about to split up.
“By God, look at the titties on that redhead,” said Sonny.
“I’d make a tunnel outta them bad boys,” said Wayne.
“And what would you drive through the tunnel?”
“You know what they say about little dudes.”
“They got little pricks?”
“Ho,” said Wayne.
Sonny picked up a cheap 8? 21 monocular he had purchased at a surplus store and put it to one eye. “Our gal Mindy said it was a black and a blond, large and young. They’re both big. Could be them.”
“What you gonna do, walk up and ask ’em?”
“Keep your eyes on the white boy.” Sonny handed the monocular to Wayne, picked up his cell from the red velour seat, found the number he was looking for in his contacts, and punched it into the keyboard.
They waited.
“He’s answering,” said Wayne with a short giggle.
“Hello,” said Sonny. “Is Chris Carpet there?”
“Who is this?” Chris’s annoyed voice came through the speaker.
Sonny hit “end” and took the monocular back. Looking through it, he said, “Boy’s staring at his phone like it’s gonna tell him somethin.”
“But now he’s got your number on the caller ID.”
“Why would I give a fuck? He’s the thief. He stole from me. What’s he gonna do, go to the law?”
“Should we follow him to where he’s goin?”
“I’m thinking,” said Sonny, stroking his walrus mustache.
Katherine took Chris’s keys and the two of them got into the white van. Ben and Renee walked toward her black Hyundai, parked up by 41st Street.
“That coon’s really got some size on him,” said Wayne.
“The white boy looks like a tougher nut, though,” said Sonny, squinting. “The way the other one walks, all loose… somethin about him says soft to me.”
