17. My! My! McKleesh

Our new problem seriously gave Jim the peeves, and we spent the next few hours trying to reconstruct the plan.

"I got it!" I exclaimed, after a long time of hard thinking. "So 'e met me on the train right? 'e thinks I'se some rich lady names Mona St. John. So how 'bouts I be the client? If he recognizes me he'll see that the business is truly working well."

"That's good Loke, but he's seen all of us." Said Jim.

"I thought 'bout that as well. When he saw ya, you'se had yoah hair loose and yoah face smooth. As long as yah don't frown or mimic 'im, it will be fairly hard foah him tah recognize you."

"She has a good point Jim," agreed Madeline. "He surly didn't see Drake, and he was to busy gazing across at Loki to notice my features."

We all watched Jim silently, as he thought about our ideas and circumstances.

"It's still risky," he said finally. "Drake, you will take me place as the ownah. Loki, you can be the client, Madeleine will be the secretary."

"But I was Miss St. John's personal servant last time. If he does happen to recognize me he'll wonder why a clients servant works as a secretary."

" Why could dye 'er hair," I suggested brightly.

"You'll do no such thing!" shouted Madeline, throwing her hands over her head.

"You can have a lovely black wig then." Said Jim, calming her down.

"Fine, but what will you be?"

"I guess I'll just be a man in the waiting room. I'll stick around to make sure everything goes alright."

"Well that's boring," I commented. I leaned against the wall and lazily popped some bread into my mouth.

"This isn't all for fun Loki, this is work." Said Jim.

I was suddenly annoyed with him, and I wasn't sure why. If this wasn't for fun then why would he bother doing it? He could find a so much simpler job.

"Yeah, Yeah." I said rudely. I walked out of the apartment and headed downstairs to the bar for a drink to solve my problems.

"Can I get a beer?" I asked, sitting down at the bar. Brent was standing there and he just stared at me, not moving. "Well? You gonna get me one?"

Brent shook his head slowly. "You don't need a drink."

"And why not?" I asked. I was beginning to get annoyed. If Brent kept this up then I really would need a drink, and fast.

" 'Cause you're stressed. When people start drinking when they are stressed they become addicted," was his reply.

"Why should you care," I growled while eyeing another mans drink.

" Because you're like a daughter to me, and I wouldn't want any daughter of mine to be a drunk." I had been stressed up until this point, but I threw back my head and laughed.

"A daughtah? The only ting me fadda cared about was 'imself."

"Not all fathers treat their children like yours did."

"I ain't see anything to make me see othawise." I said snottily.

"I'll show you otherwise."

We were once again ready to take action with our newly prepared plan.

I was nervous when I entered the office building all dressed up. I would have loved to have a drink to calm me down before I began, but Brent was only letting me have three beers a week. I had already drunken those.

I asked him to give me just one more, but he kept saying he was trying to fix my drinking problem. Like I actually had a drinking problem. Sure lately I had been drinking quite a bit every night, but not enough to get me dead drunk, only enough to make the room seem slightly different then usual.

Jim was sitting in the waiting room dressed up in his flashy suit.

"You can go in.," he said, pointing to the office door. As I walked by him, he reached out and smacked my bottom. I spun around and glared at him.

"Good Luck?" he said with a grin.

I rolled my eyes (something I did a lot when around Jim) and entered into Drake's office. Drake was sitting in a chair behind a desk, puffing away on a cigar.

"Hey Drake, how ya feelin?"

"Nervous, Jim has always done all the talking in the past."

"Don't worry boy, you'll do great." I walked around the desk and took his cigar, sticking it into my own mouth.

There was a knock on the door and Madeline poked her wigged head in.

"He's coming up," she said, pulling her head out again.

I gave Drake his cigar and kissed him on top of his slicked hair. I went to my seat on the other side of the desk. We sat there for five minutes, before another knock came on the door.

" Come in." Drake called.

Madeline stepped in. "Sir, Mr. McKleesh is here to see you."

"Thank you Abigail, I will be ready for him in a moment." Madeline curtsied and closed the door behind her, and we could hear her telling Paul to wait a moment.

"Well good luck Drake, and have fun."

I stood up and straightened my dress. I stuck my nose in the air and looked towards Drake.

"Good day Mr. Brady." I turned and walked out of thee office.

I strutted superiorly through the waiting room, but stopped when a hand reached out and touched me. I turned around and faced Paul McKleesh.

"Say, haven't I met you before? On the train. Your name is Mona St. John, is it not?"

"Why yes, and I remember you. I apologize for the way my step-brother treated you, he is so protective."

"Oh it is quite alright. May I ask why you are here?" he asked, putting a hand to his chin in the most annoying manner.

"It is simple. This is the only place I trust all my money. And when you have so much of it like I do, you must choose the best."

" Tell me, why doesn't your husband do the banking?"

Ah there it was, the question he had been longing to ask from the start. I would give him the answer that he desperately wanted to know.

"I am not married."

"My! My! How marvelous."

His expression was so strange that I was struggling really hard not to laugh out loud.

This man only knew how to make a fool of himself. No wonder his wife had run away, though I wonder why she had actually married him in the first place.

"Mr. Brady can see you now Mr. McKleesh," said Madeline, coming to my rescue.

"I must go ma'am, but lets do keep in touch. Shall I give you my address?" he asked me.

"No, you should go in and see Mr. Brady, he doesn't like to be kept waiting. The secretary has my address, I will tell her to give it to you when you come out."

"That is capital." Paul McKleesh turned and walked into the office.

" Maddy, when he comes out, just give him some hokey address kay?"

Madeline nodded and began to scribble down an address. I was now supposed to go home and wait there to re-group. I was heading for the door when Jim leaned forward and smacked my bottom.

"For good luck right?" I asked him.

Jim just grinned and shrugged.

well there is the end of chapter 17. My chapter have become shorter, and take longer to write for a few reasons.

1. I have a writers block going on

2. I'm tired and have school

3. I'm also writing an X-Men fiction which takes some of my time as well.

Reviews really help the creative processs and also encourage me to write more. So keep up the great reviews!

Shouts Outs

Koodles4you: I'm glad you still love Jim. He may be hot, he does have to wear that heavy suit, i bet he's sweating...bad joke. I would answer your question about green day but i'm not sur what that is. Is it a band, a move or a clean up day for sociaty?

Air: I did a little dance when you said Maddy and Drake were good together, no one else seems to like that pairing. I'm very happy that i have got a new reader, even if she doesn't review. You can tell her that if she does want to review i will be pleased even more. Italy will even get to be in my shouts out!

I hope you liked this chapter.

And as always, a special thanks to Shrieksy and Doc Na Skywalker, who review personaly to me.

Leh Sundance