Series: Doubting Power Pt. 4

At breakfast on Monday morning, Joey finally started putting speech to his thoughts, he watched as Maya poured herself a cup of coffee and buttered her toast, “Maya?”

“Joey?” she responded walking towards the table where he sat.

“How do you know him?”

“Who?” she asked looking through the window.

 “Don’t play dumb, please. Why do you know him? Why, how, from where?”

“Long story short,” she took a sip of her coffee then placed the cup on the table and stretched her hands across for Joey to hold them but he didn’t, “Why? Because he’s known for making people’s lives miserable. How? Because he’s known for making people’s lives miserable. From where? From making people’s lives miserable.”

“Maya! You can’t just know things and... and keep them from me! You said we’re a team, how can we play the same game on the same damn team and I don’t know the game plan?”

“Joey, trust me, it’s the truth.”

“Is that the full story, Maya?” She sat quietly staring at him, “Maya!” he was enraged, his jaws compressed and he looked at her darkly.

“No Joey, it’s not.”

“Then what is it!”

“Stop shouting please! I cannot! Tell you and I’m not going to either... At least not now anyway,” she picked up her mug and sipped, “It’s complicated,” she explained as she glanced out the window.

“This is bullshit! I’m leaving.”

“Calm down damn it.”

“Shut up and drink your coffee!”

“Okay, Joey.”

“I don’t know who this is!” He yelled and pointed to her, “Don’t expect me home.”

“Not a smart move with someone looking for you, now is it?”

“I don’t sleep with strangers, Maya, so until you are ready to tell me what I need to know, that’s it! Besides, if someone’s looking for me won’t they come look for me at my house first? And in any event, what are you, protector of Earth, how would you stop them from doing whatever?” Joey stormed out mumbling to himself.

“Joey...” She was interrupted by the slamming of the door.

Gloom painted the walls of the kitchen as Maya sat alone wondering if Joey really wasn’t going to come home that night. In the midst of all the sadness a bolt of anger struck her and in a split second her whole mood had changed. She marched upstairs, got dressed and headed out Downtown Ashburgh. Her heart pounded against her chest and it felt as though it vibrated her whole body with each beat. She pulled into the car park of the MoMoney Loans Headquarters. Her face showed no emotions but anger brewed inside her. She boarded the elevator with four others and squeezed the number 13. The elevator music pierced through to her brain and calmed her but that was all over once she exited. She strolled in the lobby where the receptionist sat and a plastic smile came across her face, “Good morning.”

“Good morning, how may I help you?”

“I’d like to see Mr. Johnson please.”

“Is he expecting you?”

“You could say that.”

“Well, I’m sorry he’s in a meeting. Would you like to leave a message?”

“I have an even better idea; I’ll be waiting in his office.”

“I’m sorry but you can’t do that.”

“Oh really...  Listen lady,” she said as she leaned forward looking straight into the receptionist’s eyes, “Today is not! The day you want to give me bullshit, okay?” She said with a smile.

“Excuse me?”

“You’re excused,” she walked towards the office.

“I’m going to have to call security.”

As Maya opened the door she turned and calmly spoke, “You do that and you make sure to tell them my name,” she paused as she watched the receptionist picked up the phone and dialed the number, “It’s Maya... By the way.” The receptionist looked at her stunned and hung up the phone slowly.

“I’m terribly sor...”

“I’ll be in here waiting then?”

“Yes ma’am, can I get you anythi..” Maya disrupted her speech when she entered the office and shut the door behind her. While at the Binder and Stoles accounting office in City Centre...

Joey was locked in his office whispering frantically on the phone, “Jeff, I have no idea what’s going on. I can’t think straight... What do you mean over-reacting! So Maya is not acting strange at all, she’s absolutely normal talking about stealing and killing. Oh and of course the regular lies... I’m sorry when I’m nervous I get sarcastic, but I’m telling you something is up and I have no idea what it is, she’s worrying me. I’m living in a fu**ing Mr. & Mrs. Smith movie?... Yeah later bro.” Joey could barely concentrate on his work and he was more anti-social than the norm. He was paranoid all day, with what had happened with Maya, he had new trust issues. He picked up his cell phone and called his other friend Marshall. “Yo, wassup?” he sat shaking his leg apprehensively, “Can you come see me?”  Back Downtown...

The office door opened and the man imperially dressed in his black suit steamed to perfection was on the phone a rush of adrenalin sprinted through Maya, his chair slowly spun around, “I’ll have to call you back.” His eyes did not leave hers for even a second as he ended the call and lowered the phone from his ear lethargically; his reaction was exactly what she had hoped for and Maya smiled balefully at him.

“Surprised? Thrilled? Disappointed? Irritated?” She sat slowly twisting the chair semi-circularly. He stood dead in his tracks; neither his facial expressions nor his body language described how he was feeling or what he was thinking and still, his eyes did not leave hers. “Please... have a seat.”

He turned to the door and before closing it he coolly said to the receptionist, “Hold all my calls.”

He turned back to face Maya who was still sitting in his chair twisting it leisurely wearing the same malevolent smile, it was evident to him that she had no intentions of getting up, he strolled over to the desk and placed his folders on it. Everything he did was in slow motion and an ounce of intimidation hinted in his eyes. This was the same man that had scared Joey.

“What are you doing here?”

TO BE CONTINUED! Next Week =P