The Love Of Money - Episode 112
28-07-25 (10:45)
"Don't like him?" Chloe asked.
"Oh, I like him well enough," I said, "but I went cross-
eyed after two minutes of looking at the reports he
emailed me. It's a lot.
One of the only patrons of the the Mudd not gawking
was the blonde in front of me who was too busy
scrolling through her phone to bother with whatever
was happening around her. However, as soon as I said
Chandler's name, she glanced at me, and from the way
her face lit up, could tell she immediately recognized
me.
This coffee shop attracted a lot of people like me who
had - until recently been part of the middle class, but
there were a lot of upper middle class that enjoyed the
folksy, hipster -environment of the Mudd. Most of them
were able to afford the time and means to keep
themselves trim and looking their best, and this woman
was no exception.
She appeared in her mid-thirties with light, honey-
blonde hair from a bottle that hung around her in gently
layered waves with cute bangs that came dangerously
close to falling into her lovely hazel eyes. She had a
strong, Roman nose and a pair of plump, cupid's bow
lips covered in an understated shade of lipstick that
probably wasn't far off from her lips' natural color. Her
perfect, white teeth almost sparkled as she smiled at
me. The high heels she wore made her almost exactly
my height, and she was clad in a wispy black-and-
white skirt that stopped just below her knees and a
loose blouse with a plunging neckline that showed off
an enticing amount of cleavage. My very male brain
immediately judged her to be at least a D or even a
DD-cup.
"You're Marcus Upton," she said, surprise in her tone. "I
saw you on the news!"
She offered me her hand, and I glanced around to see
if everyone else was still paying attention, Much to my
chagrin, most of them were still eyeing me, whispering
to each other with phones still out.
Erin and Chloe had better be right, I thought to myself
as I took the woman's hand.
"Yes, ma'am. And you are?"
"Carla Tanaka," she said, offering a bright smile as we
shook.
I glanced at her left hand and saw a wedding ring set,
the engagement ring had a large princess-cut diamond
that bordered on gaudy. Her last name must have been
given to her along with the ring. "Good to meet you,
Mrs. Tanaka."
"Oh please," Mrs. Tanaka said with a wave of her hand,
"Carla, please. And is this your... wife?" She looked at
Chloe.
"No," I said, "this is Chloe. She's my bodyguard."
"Bodyguard! Oh, how nice!"
Her body language changed subtly as she leaned in
close and said, "I heard how you're interested in taking
over your grandfather's role in his company, Good for
you! My husband owns a lot of shares in VistaVision
and is on the board. I don't usually go with him." Her
gaze dropped from mine to look me up and down as
she said, "Though, I might start going if you'll be there.
It's always filled with boring old men. Though, I have to
admit, Chandler is fun. Amber too, when she was on
the board."
"," I started to say, but was cut off as she continued.
"A friend was supposed to meet me here for coffee this
morning, but she canceled. I was planning on getting
something anyway. but I don't really want to sit by
myself." She gave me a look that put Ashlee's bedroom
eyes to shame as she said, "I don't suppose you'd be
interested in keeping me company?"
What the hell was happening? Was this married
woman hitting on me, or was this some sort of secret
corporate espionage? I mean, what were the odds of
someone with shares in VistaVision just happening to
be at the coffee shop frequented? Was she here to
keep an eye on me? Was I going to get blackmailed by
simply talking to her? I glanced around at the few
phones still out, even more uncomfortable with their
presence.
"..." I glanced at Chloe, but she was staring at the
specials board very intently, appearing to be
purposefully avoiding our conversation.
"... would love to," finally said as I turned my attention
back to Carla, "but I'm actually meeting a friend here
too."
"Aw," she said, giving me a little pout with her
beestung lips. "I'm
sorry to hear. Listen, I'd love to meet up for coffee or
drinks
sometime and get to know you more. You're the
newest member of the billionaire class and all. You
probably don't know any of the people you should, yet.
I could introduce you! I know so many who would love
to meet you!" She held out her hand, "Here... give me
your phone. III give you my number."
"... It's out of battery."
Carla wasn't phased by that. "Well, I-"
"Excuse me, ma'am. What can I get for you today?"
Saved by the barista.
Carla gave me a look that I couldn't quite read and
then placed her order. Once she was done, she turned
back to me. "Well," she said, "I don't want to kee you.
It was really nice meeting you, Marcus. Here," she said,
reaching into her purse and handing me a card, "My
card. If you ever need anything or have some free time
and want to grab a coffee or lunch, just call this
number."
I took the card and glanced at it. It was a business card
for a massage therapist, with her name printed just
under the title 'New Design Massage Therapy and
Holistic Treatments.
I pocketed the card, looked back up at her, and said,
"Thanks, Carla! It was nice meeting you too!" I watched
as she walked away, her ass swaying enticingly in that
skirt. She seemed genuinely helpful, but still I wasn't
sure. My first impression was that she
was giving off some strong Ashlee vibes, and I wasn't
ready to take on a second sticky situation like that.
Fuck me.. I get a little money and suddenly I can't beat
them off with a stick.
I placed an order for us, then Chloe and I entered the
main sitting area and found two small, available tables
sitting near each other. There was just enough distance
between our tables to afford Dillon and me a modicum
of privacy while close enough to let my bodyguard do
her job. John and one of the other bodyguards were
sitting near the window and the other was sitting on
the opposite side of the room.
"So, someone is looking for a new sidepiece," Chloe
said as she pulled an e-reader out of her bag.
"Sidepiece?" I said. "No, I'm not. I've already got my
hands full."
"Not you. Her. Or she's just looking to upgrade. This is
her husband," she said and handed me her phone. I
glanced across the room where' Carla was sitting in a
plush chair staring at her phone. Then I took Chloe's
phone to see the image of an old Japanese man who
looked to be in his sixties. He may have been pushing
seventy. Hiro Tanaka.
"Oof. Gold digger," I said. Don't forget to leave a Comment 
