nd watched as she gracefully leapt up and caught it in her open mouth. She chewed it quickly and then sat back down waiting for more. I laughed. "Nope, that's it. No more."
Tesla wagged her tail a few times, and, when it became obvious that I meant what I'd said, she sighed loudly and dropped to the floor, resting her chin between her paws as she gave me a mournful look. I smiled as I shook my head then went back to scanning the headlines on the iPad I kept in the kitchen.
"It looks like we've got the usual mash up of things going on in the city, girl," I said as I read the headlines out loud to her. "I see that the mayor is pushing a new education program, the governor is trying to cut the budget down to a manageable level, and the South Side is still going to hell in a hand basket. Looks like business as usual!"
I set my dishes in the sink, pulled on my coat, grabbed my keys and sunglasses, and headed out to meet with Leo. The office was down in the Loop, which usually meant not being able to find a parking spot, but we'd contracted with a local valet service at one of the restaurants and they'd agreed to let us use two spots for Chicago Security Corporation when we needed it, so I was able to park and get up to the fourteenth floor quickly.
"Mr. Connor," Becky said, surprised to see me. "Was Mr. Marini expecting you this morning?"
"I certainly hope so." I smiled. "He sent me a message yesterday requesting a meeting."
"Will you be in your office, sir?" she asked as she picked up the phone and dialed Leo's extension.
"Nah, I'll just head back to Leo's office and see what he wants," I said as I headed down the hallway. I could hear her telling Leo I was on my way in a hushed whisper.
"So, what's up with this contract, Leo?" I said as I pushed his office door open and entered. Inside, I found a somewhat flustered Leo buttoning his shirt as a lovely young woman folded up a massage table.
"I thought you'd call first," he said as I gave him the once over. "I didn't know you'd be this early."
"Yeah, well, my shift is over at eight and I headed right over because you said it was important," I said with an amused grin. Dropping my voice, I said, "Barn door's open. Close her up, friend."
"Will you be needing me to come back on Friday, Mr. Marini?" the girl asked as she stood at the door. She was an exotic beauty with large breasts and shiny black hair, and I had little doubt that she was providing my friend with more than just a Swedish massage.
"Uh, yeah, that would be good, Misty," he said after zipping his pants. "Becky will give you a check for today. Stop by the front desk and pick it up."
"Thank you, Mr. Marini." She smiled before closing the door behind her.
"Jesus, Leo, what the hell are you doing?" I asked.
"Hey, look, I don't have time for dating and I have needs, my friend." He smiled as he regained control of the conversation. "It's just easier this way. No fuss, no muss."
"I do not understand you," I said, shaking my head.
"Yeah, well, if you'd let go of our Puritan ideals, you might," he said in a tone that was only mildly irritated. "Sorry, that wasn't fair. I just think you need to get out there and experience something other than work for a change. It's been a long time, Cam."
"You wanted to talk to me about business?" I said, cutting off the trip down a path that I didn't want to travel. Leo looked at me and shook his head before grabbing a stack of papers off of the desk and handing half to me.
"We've been asked to provide security for the next election cycle," Leo said. "It's a huge contract with multiple candidates and their families."
"You know how I feel about this, Leo," I said, reading the top page and shaking my head. "I don't want to get CSC involved in any contracts that will expose my involvement in the company. The answer is no. Anything else?"
"You can't just waltz in here and say no without actually discussing this," Leo protested.
"Actually, I can," I replied. "I own the majority stock and I have the deciding vote. You knew that when you accepted the position as public CEO."
"This isn't fair," Leo said quietly. "I've been doing everything you ask of me and I've run this company at a profit for the past eight years. Everything I've done has improved the standing of this company, and I've grown the business by more than one hundred percent since you started it."
"Leo, we discussed this at length when you agreed to accept the position," I said as I ran my hand through my hair. "I don't want any publicity. CSC is a private security firm that offers high-level protection services for people who want to stay out of the spotlight. We do not get involved in political campaigns or self-serving celebrity issues; we fly under the radar and we get the job done."
"But this is an opportunity to join the big league, Cam!" Leo pleaded. "We're incredibly good at what we do and we are recognized as being top in the field. Shouldn't we be able to capitalize on that reputation and increase our client base?"
"Not if it involves Chicago-based candidates," I said, shaking my head. "I do not want people digging into our business and uncovering the fact that I own controlling interest in a multi-billion dollar security firm. I want to keep working for the fire department without being hassled by every Tom, Dick, and Harry who wants to write a story on the poor firefighter who turned tragedy into triumph. I've had enough of that to last me a lifetime, thank you very much."
"You're so selfish," Leo muttered. "It's always about you, isn't it?"
"What do you mean? You agreed to this deal!" I said feeling defensive about his attack. "I didn't beg you to take the job; you offered to do it. I told you what the terms would be and you agreed!"
"Yes, I agreed -- EIGHT YEARS AGO!" Leo shouted. "Everything was different back then. We were different back then. I didn't know I'd be so good at this job, and I didn't realize that there was a potential for growth in the way it's come about. You can't blame me for wanting more, Cam."