Jimmy

I felt refreshed after the weekend and was in the mood for a bright lunch. I stopped at the coffee shop a few blocks from work and decided to get some fruit as well as my regular coffee. Black, no sugar, and topped off with a shot of espresso. It was the perfect way to bounce back from any lingering hangover, and it would kick my work week off very well.

“Mr. Sheldon?”

I turned at the sound of my name and saw Mr. Hoppenmeier coming my way. I put on my best smile and greeted him, shaking his hand firmly. I remembered him. He was one of my most recent clients who’d purchased one of our top-of-the-line customizable yachts.

“Mr. Hoppenmeier. How are you doing this morning?” I asked.

“Doing great. Just got back from my first trip on the yacht.”

“Did you end up going to Key Biscayne?”

“Doesn’t sound like the greatest trip from the Port of Miami, but it meant a lot to me. I got to finally scatter my wife’s ashes.”

“And I’ve heard that brings great closure for a lot of people,” I said.

“It did for me. My wife always wanted to take a yacht trip, and when she died, I beat myself up for months about never taking her out on one. I was always too busy with something. Kept pushing it out in favor of other things.”

“I’m sure she understood, Mr. Hoppenmeier.”

“But I got to take her on one. I told myself when she died, I would do that. I wouldn’t scatter her ashes until I took her on the yacht ride she’d always wanted.”

I watched the man’s eyes glisten with tears, and it touched something in me. People thought I sold luxury goods because I was a materialistic man, but it wasn’t because of that. It was because of stories like this. Stories like Mr. Hoppenmeier and how being able to splurge on things he wanted helped him gain closure and bring him closer to people he loved who were now gone.

Yes, most people were materialistic. In fact, ninety percent of my clients were exactly that.

But it was that other ten percent that kept me going.

“When did she pass?” I asked.

“Two years ago,” he said. “And she’s greatly missed. But now, I have an excuse to yacht to Key Biscayne whenever I get free time. I can travel that same path and reminisce about our time together.”

“Sounds like a wonderful way to spend your vacation,” I said. “Maybe take the kids with you if you have any.”

“Oh, I plan on it. Family outings, cookouts, Fourth of July celebrations. I’ve got so many plans my wife would’ve loved, and we’ll do them all in her honor. I know you’re a busy man, but I saw you come in, and I had to thank you in person.”

“I’m never too busy for people like you, Mr. Hoppenmeier. You can stop me anytime.”

“A word of advice?” he asked.

“What’s that?”

“Enjoy that woman. I see you on the news with her sometimes. The two of you look like a great couple. Don’t neglect the time you have together. Take her on vacations. Treat her to nice things. They won’t be around forever, even though you might think it.”

I drew in a deep breath as I forced a smile onto my face.

“I most certainly will, then,” I said. “You have a good week, Mr. Hoppenmeier. And if there’s anything I can do for you, get in contact with me.”

I walked back out to my car and got in as my driver pulled away from the curb. I ate my fruit and stared out the window, trying to get myself in a mindset to work. The mere mentioning of Nina always threw me for a loop. She was becoming more expensive than I had planned, and the two of us needed to have a serious talk when she got back from her frolicking in New York.

Though I was tempted to demand her back now.

“Jimmy, I’m glad you’re here,” Ross said.

“Everything all right?” I asked as I stepped out of the car.

“We have a meeting with our lead certified personal accountant. You know, about the paperwork.”

“You mean Ashley?” I asked.

“Ashley’s going to be there, but the CPA we keep on retainer will give us a good first set of eyes. Just trust me on this?”

“That’s fine. I’m not worried about it. I trust your judgment on people and their skills. But why are we hurrying?”

“Because the meeting is now,” he said.

Rolling my eyes, I threw the rest of my fruit in the trash. I held onto my coffee in one hand and my briefcase in the other as we ascended to the Accounting floor of the building. We walked off the elevator and rounded into the CPA’s office, and I had to take a deep breath before approaching them.

Because I knew what was underneath Ashley’s clothes, and it would get very distracting during this meeting.

“Sorry for my tardiness,” I said. “Is there anyone else we’re expecting for this meeting?”

“You’re actually three minutes early, and no,” Ashley said.

“It’s good you guys are getting a jumpstart on your taxes because there are a few things here I don’t understand,” Jack said.

“You know Jackson Brent, our lead CPA,” Ross said.

“They’re very easy to explain, Mr. Sheldon. These confusions that have come up. Don’t worry,” Ashley said.

“I’m familiar with the new laws that have dropped into our laps. I simply want to make sure the totals are right,” I said.

“From what you’ve handed me, it looks like you doubled your charitable contributions from last year,” Jack said. “If that’s the case, you’ll only be able to claim up to a certain amount.”

“Not under the new tax law,” I said. “It’s one of the corporate tax breaks we’re getting. We can claim all of the charity donations we make against our net profit and the business expenses we rack up.”

“Which have become lax with these new stipulations as well, Mr. Sheldon,” Ashley said. “Not only has the tax bracket dropped in percentage, but—”

“Certain tax breaks have become available in certain states we do business with,” I said.

“Yes, which means some of the purchases made in those states—”

“Can be written off at greater costs depending on the specified use of the product. I’m familiar with the tax laws, Miss Ternbeau.”

I watched Ashley’s cheeks tint as a small grin ticked my cheek.

“If my numbers are accurate, then I can estimate you stand to get forty percent more back this year on your taxes than you have in the past decade,” Ashley said.

“I like the sound of that,” I said. “Here’s what we’re going to do. Jack, take all the information you have and feed it through your system. When it spits out what you usually bring to Ross, deliver it to Miss. Ternbeau instead. She’s going to be our second set of eyes on this.”

“Yes, sir,” Jack said.

“When would you like the finalized taxes on your desk?” Ashley asked.

“By the beginning of April. But I want you to have them, Miss Ternbeau, by the beginning of March. I want to give us plenty of time to bat these back and forth as new things emerge with this new tax law. I’ve got our lawyers digging into it, and I’m sure more is bound to come forth.”

“Consider it done,” Jack said.

“I’ll be ready and waiting,” Ashley said.

Oh, I enjoyed the sound of that phrase coming from her. I dismissed the two of them and watched as Ashley sauntered away from me. She wouldn’t have normally caught my eye. Her skirts didn’t fit her well, and her shirts left much to be desired in terms of the fit. She had thick, black-framed glasses that hid her sparkling eyes, and her hair was up in those horrendous chopsticks.

But I knew what was there.

I knew what was underneath those clothes.

“I figured that meeting would’ve taken longer,” Ross said as we exited the room.

“When you make things short and sweet, it never takes long,” I said.

“I guess you do have a way with people.”

“It was a pretty pointless meeting, but it was nice to have us all in one room.”

“It wasn’t pointless. These new tax laws are going to get hairy. We all needed to meet to figure out how best to approach this.”

“And fifteen minutes later, we accomplished what a single email could have done,” I said with a grin.

“Well, I’m glad we did it.”

“I never said I wasn’t glad we did it, though I am concerned Ashley might become uncomfortable working with me in a closer setting over the coming months.”

“Don’t worry about that. I’m going to supervise her work to make sure nothing gets messed up if she gets distracted.”

“Good. And I want to meet with her very rarely alone. I understand we’ll have to do it eventually, but there’s no point in doing it more than is required of either of us. The last thing I need right now is a corporate sexual harassment lawsuit.”

“Hmm. I wonder why those words sound familiar,” he said.

“You really want to play that game? Because I’ve got years of memories dedicated to this game with you.”

“No, thanks. You’re as competitive as they come, and I don’t have enough coffee in me to start that up,” he said.

“If you’re looking for some, I recommend that place down the street. Really good coffee.”

“It’s way too strong for me. I’d water your cup down and get five of them for myself.”

“How dare you destroy such a legacy with something as plain as water,” I said. “Get out of my office, you monster.”

“Is there anything else?” he said with a chuckle.

“There isn’t. Let me know if anything burns down.”

“You’ll be the last to know since I’ll be putting out the fire.”

“Spoken like a true right-hand man!” I said as Ross got off the elevator.

“And COO!” he said.