"Rebecca, there's a customer who says he'll only deal with you."
Rebecca looked up to see one of her younger colleagues standing in the doorway. Sonia looked immaculate in her pressed skirt suit and heels that only twenty year olds could get away with wearing.
"Did he give a name?" Rebecca asked as she turned her attention back to her desk and sorted through her papers.
"No, but he looks about your age. And he keeps eyeing up the new Louis Kenny oils that we put up last week. We need to sell those paintings and maybe he-"
"He won't buy them," Rebecca said dismissively as she stood and made her way to the door. "I'd bet anything that the last thing he bought was a dinosaur-shaped cookie." She left the room leaving a baffled Sonia scurrying along behind her.
There in the main room of the gallery stood a man with a messy mop of dark brown hair and broad shoulders.
"Stop looking at the Louis Kenneys, David," she told him sternly. He span round and a grin spread across his face, lighting up his eyes. "What are you doing here? In fact, what are you doing in Massachusetts?"
"Can't a guy come and see his little sister? Is that a crime?"
With a sigh Rebecca motioned for the man, David, to follow her. They entered her office and David immediately sat in the chair and put his feet up on the desk, his boots scrunching up various pieces of paper and leaving brown mud on others.
"Get your feet off the desk, David," Rebecca spat as she shut the door, her eyes turning venomous as she turned to face her brother again. "What part of 'get out of my life' did you not understand last time we spoke? I don't want you near me. I don't want you in the same state as my children, let alone the same city. The last thing Matt or Ben need is your influence on them; thank the heavens that Hal hates you after the last time you came here."
David remained in his position and sniffed loudly before wiping his nose with the sleeve of his anorak. Rebecca grimaced. "I'm not like I used to be, Becky."
With a snort Rebecca responded, "Well, you sure look like it to me. Get out of my office and get out of my life. You do not go near my family. You get on whatever train or plane you can and you go back to Chicago because no one wants you here."
"You used to be so nice and patient with me, Becky. You used to help me."
"And then you spent the $1000 Tom and I gave you on drugs and tried to get my oldest son onto steroids when he was fourteen. Leave us alone, David. You've done enough damage."
David slammed his feet onto the floor and stood, his face turning icy as he looked at his sister.
"You know aliens are coming, right, Becky?" Rebecca laughed bitterly in disbelief. He was back on the drugs.
"Just go away, David. And don't get anyone killed."
"Family are supposed to be there for each other."
With that, he left.
It took Rebecca ten minutes to compose herself.