Lollipop

Chapter 7: Wasted Tea

Fact: The Assistant grows up with their boss from the age of five to the end of their life span. If the boss dies, and they leave everything to the Assistant, the Assistant can take over. If the Assistant is left with nothing, then they are given to someone else.

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A week and a half had passed since James and Penelope had last spoken. One foggy morning Penelope walked to her shop when James walked up beside her.

“Miss Eve," his voice prompt.

“Mr. Brooks," she responded. She wanted to sneak a glance but forced her eyes forward.

“How have you been?" he asked.

“Fine. Yourself?"

“Doing well. I have a new relationship with Beatrice Wells."

“Of course you go for a skirt lifting twat." she muttered under her breath.

“Problem?" James raised a brow.

“Not at all. It's your personal business. And if you want to shag with a blonde w***e, who am I to judge?" she said. Her tone was bitter as she picked up her pace.

"You don't even know her," he scoffed.

“I know her very well. She's a little parasite who tried to destroy my father's company. Not surprising you two get along so well."

“Penelope," he reached for her, but she shifted. “Can we talk about this?"

“Good day, Mr. Brooks," she stomped away.

“You know what, whatever. You want to be rivals, fine by me!" he shouted back angrily.

***

Penelope worked in her office when Marlene knocked on the door, "Rory is here," she announced.

"Let him in." She answered, keeping her eyes on her work. Rory entered and handed her an old leather book with the initials B.W engraved near the corner.

"Just drop it on my desk"

Rory did as he was told and watched her for a moment, "You okay?"

"I'm fine," she replied. Rory stayed and watched a little longer until he locked the door and sat in front of her.

"You're making that face," he said.

"What face?"

"The face when you're worried."

"I've always looked like this."

"No, you don't. You have that face when something is wrong.

Penelope looked up and sat her pen down. “I told James, we were nothing more than rivals."

“Okay, and?" Rory shrugged.

“We're not taking it well," she said, swallowing a lump in her throat.

“I don't see how. You two slept together once and have done nothing more than fight for the last month. I'm must be missing the picture,"

“I don't know why either. I shotgunned his shop last month and he's dating Beatrice and-"

“That b***h? What the hell is she doing in town?" Rory growled.

I don't know, but it's not looking good," said Penelope. Rory could tell she was trying not to look at him and she shut her eyes tight. He got up and hugged her.

She still couldn't get the image of James' face out of her mind when she pushed him away.

"It's for the best," she thought.

***

“Are you sure this is a good idea?" asked Tommy. He was cleaning the teacups, while James wrote up plans for an attack.

“She just wants to be rivals, so I'm going to be just that," James shrugged. Some of his men came into his office. The boss gave his orders and his men left to fulfill them.

“Have you thought about what will happen when she retaliates? You can't afford a loss of product, regular or drug wise."

“I'm just being a pain in her side like I always am. And if I slow her down she's going to retaliate, that's just natural," James opened his paper.

“Right…" Tommy mumbled. He looked at the desk and saw that the teacup was still filled with tea, “Did you drink any tea?"

“Hm? Oh, no. You can throw it away. I'm not feeling it today."

“Yes, sir." Tommy picked up the teacup and went to the sink. He stared at the filled cup for a moment then poured it down the drain. It was the third cup this week to be poured out.

“He never even touched it," he thought.

***

Later that night, the men slipped through the tunnels and navigated through them until they reached the underground portion of Penelope's factory. Once they finished, they placed glue on the machinery, ultimately ruining the gears, before slipping back into the night. Penelope and Marlene opened her next shop the next morning with a note from James pinned to the front door.

Have fun today Doll.

-James XXX

Penelope ran to the shop and found a good portion of her machines ruined by a mixture of glue and chewing gum. Marlene saw the damage and called some of the factory works. Any production that could have been ready would be set back by a week.

Penelope couldn't hide her displeasure. When the counter girls came to work, Penelope gave them a special assignment.

The next morning, Two ships of James' product would never make it to the docks. Including the ingredients to the product, he would need for the competition. The first two weeks would continue like this until the workers were soon begging for a truce. Night after night, product and equipment were getting destroyed and during the day nothing could be done because of it. Both shops were beginning to suffer financially and soon the two bosses backed off from one another.

***

James took his seat at the restaurant, running late for his date with Beatrice again.

“Another long day?" she sighed.

“Sadly. I'm just now getting my shop back together," he said. He made a motion to the waiter to bring him a glass of brandy.

“Why don't you just get rid of her? Especially when she's taking all of your time away from me?" she leaned in and took his hand. Her dress was open in the front, revealing so much of her chest that James couldn't help but stare down.

“Because…" he tried to contain his thoughts, “Because if I take her out then none of us wins."

She pulled on his suit jacket so that she was right in his ear, “Play your cards right, and you can win tonight." she whispered, making James' face burn red. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Penelope glancing at them from outside the restaurant. She smirked and then took his face, pressing her lips gently into his. When she pulled away, Penelope was gone.

James was confused, but aroused, “Any reason you're showing me so much affection?" he grinned.

“I just missed you," her voice soothed.

James chuckled. He finished his brandy and had another with his dinner, while Tommy watched from the side, shaking his head in disapproval. He had grown had picked up certain traits over the years, especially drinking habits. And this is what he knew.

He drinks all of his tea when he's calm and happy. He drank brandy when he not only had bad days but was feigning happiness. And he drank wine when he was content and celebratory.

***

Penelope lied in bed, but she couldn't sleep. Normally it was due to the paranoia of someone taking her life. Tonight she had the image of Beatrice kissing James burning through her mind when she passed by to buy some supplies.

A coded knock beat on the door and Penelope pulled out a gun from her pillow. She waited fifteen minutes then concealed her footsteps as she stepped to the door. No one could be seen through the peephole, but something flapped into view. She carefully opened the door and found a note. Stuck to her door.

All that was written was an address, a time, and James' signature with three XXX's.