Mad Men

“James, is the blindfold really necessary?” Lisa succeeded at hiding the slight irritation in her voice.

She felt James’ hand guiding her up and out of the low car seat before helping her step onto the hot concrete. “Yes, it is. Just one more second though…”

Lisa heard a dog barking and a car pass down the street they were apparently on. It smelled like fresh cut grass and the chatter of a sprinkler got clearer as they walked away from the car. Butterflies ravished her stomach and seemed to spread from the tips of her bare feet to the ends of her hair. She was definitely nervous.

It wasn’t that Lisa was ungrateful with everything James had been doing; the brand new pink corvette convertible was amazing, the new clothes and the huge ring were breathtaking, and the sudden apparent relief from their financial burden was nothing short of a God-given miracle. But there was an underlying issue with the occurrences of the last month of Lisa’s life, and she was starting to feel all alone in experiencing it. James was hardly around, working strange hours even on the weekend, coming and going at a moment’s notice. He smothered her with gifts when he was at their apartment, gushing over her and talking about all of the places he would take her. Of course, he wasn’t around enough to do that. Lisa felt nearly selfish feeling that James should be spending more time with her instead of being beyond grateful for their newfound security. She was unsettled, definitely, but as James led her down the sidewalk, she thought about how happy and oblivious he’d been and tried to mirror his attitude.

“Okay,” There was a slight change of direction before James pulled Lisa to a halt, “Ready?”

James didn’t wait for an answer as he pulled the blindfold up and off of her head. Lisa’s mouth dropped open at the beautiful house in front of her. A little sidewalk lined with lights led to a big porch with posts and a large front door. Red shutters were on all the windows and bushes and gardens lined the house up to the backyard fence. There were at least two stories, and it looked like more than enough rooms for James and Lisa.

“James…” She was stunned.

“There’s a pool in the backyard. And a bunch of trees. And there’s a big deck with a hot tub and chairs…”

Lisa could only gape at the house in front of her. It was immaculate, everything she’d ever dreamed of owning some day.

“Please say you love it, ‘cause I already bought it.” James looked eagerly for Lisa’s approval from her side. "We can fill the bathtub with money, if you want..." James laughed nervously, but Lisa got the idea that he wasn't kidding.

“I love it.” After a moment, She managed to form words. “I absolutely love it. I love you.” James pulled his wife into a sweeping hug and kissed her like she’d just agreed to marry him. His life was better than it had ever been. He might even say it was perfect. An exciting job, new friends, all the money he’d ever wanted, and all the luxuries that came with it.

“I love you too, babe.”

xxxxxxx

It was Wednesday and raining heavily in downtown Pittsburgh. James and the rest of Power Play was cooped up in the offices at headquarters playing cards while he waited for Brandon’s arrival. Beau and Rob were rummaging through a stack of audio recordings and transferring them to a laptop. Fleury was getting into what sounded like a heated argument in French over the phone while Kris was trying to tell him what to say. Brooks was alternating between scratching off lottery tickets and holding money up to the florescent light on the ceiling.

Brandon had called in early, telling James he was going to take him along on an errand to pick up “supplies” in the afternoon, and to be ready to go when he got there. James didn’t know if he was more curious or nervous for their little job.

“Happy Humpday boys!” Brandon announced his arrival by bounding into the room, and was met with boisterous greetings.

“We’re still trying to get the deal done.” Kris spoke up from across the room. James guessed that whoever they were talking to had something to do with their job today. He gulped, knowing the two frenchmens’ specialty was weapons.

“Tell him we’re leaving now and will be there soon.” Brandon grabbed a dufflebag from one of the tables and motioned for James to follow him back out through the door. “Don’t forget our mandatory company trip to Diamonds tonight, boys.”

Shouts of ‘How could we forget that!’ and similar sentiments were lost as James followed him down the hallway. He assumed that remind belonged to him as well, but he hadn’t been told anything and didn’t know what Diamonds was.

“What’s Diamonds?” James had stopped feeling like an amateur asking the guys questions after his first week. There was seemingly no end to all of things he had to learn.

“Gentleman’s club. Nicest one in Pittsburgh. I can get us in anywhere, but I have especially good connections with the guy who owns Diamonds, so we go there most often.”

James had no choice but to keep walking since Brandon hadn’t stopped, but he felt his heart sink in his chest with the new piece of information.

“And, uh, it’s mandatory, and everything?” They both waved to Deryk and Matt as they walked past the front desk and grabbed umbrellas to head outside.

“Come on, you know, bonding and all that. It’s a fact, James, that we are more productive when we get together outside of business every once in a while.” Brandon smiled knowingly. “Besides, you don’t have to do anything. Lisa will be fine.”

xxxxxxxx

The drive had been short, to an old warehouse close to the waterfront. Brandon hadn’t needed a key to get in, and provided no information to James except that it wouldn’t take too long. James kept his questions to himself, feeling stubborn about having to go to Diamonds that night. They waited just inside the dry building for only a few minutes before a large SUV with the windows blacked out pulled up outside. A blonde man hurried out of the driver’s seat before opening the back door and pulling a large duffle bag out. Like Brandon and James, he was dressed out of his suit, tie loose and jacket missing. The rain wetted his shirt and pants despite his close proximity to the door. Brandon pushed off of the wall as he entered and picked up his own duffle from the floor.

“Jokinen,” Brandon shook the man’s hand before nodding back towards James. “This is James.”

The man simply nodded his head before swapping the duffle bags. “No problems then, lately?” He unzipped his new bag and rifled through for a moment before closing it again.

“You know how it is.” Brandon did the same to his bag. “Good. I’ll see you next month.” They shook hands one more time before Brandon turned and motioned for James to come forward. They left the building without hesitation, hurrying into their car and leaving the man behind.

“He comes off as unfriendly, I know, but he has too. For job security and all that.” Brandon spoke without provocation.

“Our job security?” James’ brow furrowed. He’d wondered, of course, how Power Play got away with everything. They were good, but they were at times sloppy. Everyone’s advice to James to “not worry” about the police only served to confuse him further.

“No, his job. He’s on the Pittsburgh PD Bomb Squad. What did you think was in the bag?”

Brandon busted out laughing as James shot around in his seat staring at the duffle in the backseat. There couldn’t seriously be a bomb in there…

“Don’t worry, it’s just pieces. We won’t build anything, just sell the scraps for money. He gets us firearms too, which obviously does get kept.”

“You have a guy on the Pittsburgh Bomb Squad working for Power Play?! How the hell did you manage that?!” James suddenly had an idea of just how they got away with everything. “I bet there are guys all over the inside! That’s why this whole thing can work, right?!”

Brandon laughed again. “This whole thing works because we’re all good at our job. And because Engell’s sleeping with the chief of police. She’s one fine piece of-“

“Holy shit!” James cut him off. But he wasn’t as shocked as he was amused. He didn’t know if he could believe Brandon, but it was funny either way. The laughter in the car settled the mood enough to give Brandon an opening to talk about the evening again.

“About Diamonds,” he continued. “Seriously, we probably won’t even be by the stage. It really is just a good time to get away from the biz for a bit. Plus, Geno’s back and he’ll be there tonight. He’s a riot, I really think you guys will hit it off.”

James nodded his head slowly from the passenger seat. All of the guys really were great. Going to Diamonds wouldn’t hurt anyone. He’d just tell Lisa he was working. No big deal.

xxxxxxxx

“Dammit Joe, you can’t give the damn strippers our counterfeit bills! That’s not what we made that shit for!”

The group laughed freely at their friend’s expense as Brooks scolded him before he took off for the stage anyway. The rest of them were crammed into a booth, empty beer bottles quickly piling up in the center of the table. Brandon had been right, James and Geno had hit it off very quickly, the broken English of the Russian becoming funnier with each drink. He had no reserves taunting James even though he’d just met him, and the ease at which he was friendly allowed James to be the same way. Geno’s specialty was transportation; specifically, the kind that flew. Apparently, he had private jets, airplanes, and helicopters all over the States, with more in his home country. He’d already promised James a flight over Pittsburgh, promising a great view and a good time.

“Nealsy, you come see girls with me now,” Geno shoved a fresh drink in one of James’ hands and a stack of ones in the other.

“No, I can’t, I’m married,” Even in his state, Lisa was at the front of his mind. Moving their belongings out of their apartment and into their new home had been the most time they’d spent together in a month, and that thought brought a scowl to his face. Thinking about the texts they’d shared earlier made James want to leave and go home to her right away. At the same time though, he wanted to be with his new friends. His drunken mind didn’t know what to do with itself.

“You have wife?” The way the ‘you’ was emphasized made James think Geno was mocking him, but he ignored it anyway.

“Yes, I have a wife, and she’s way hotter than any of those girls.” James indignantly dropped the money back on the table and stayed put.

“No! You show me and then I believe you.” Geno grabbed James’ beer and allowed him to pull his phone out of his pocket. It only took one swipe to the front to reveal the picture of her that was his phone’s wallpaper. Geno grabbed the phone and made an exaggerated gawking face.

“You no drive. I drive you home.” Geno laughed as he started flipping through more photos on James’ phone.

“She’s really great,” James could feel himself going into a state of word vomit but couldn’t care enough to stop, “I wish she could be here right now.” He sighed dramatically as Geno patted his shoulder and handed his phone back to him.

“She not know about Power Play Nealsy?” Geno shook his head disapprovingly. “Girls no like secrets.”

James rested his head in his hands and nodded. “I know that, Geno. God, she’s so great…” He trailed off.

Geno put a glass in front of him. “Drink up.”

“It’s okay,” James pushed himself up. “I’m gonna get a cab and go home.”

He bid the guys goodbye and stumbled out to the sidewalk. The rain had stopped, though he probably wouldn’t have cared if it hadn’t, and waited for a taxi. Girls mingled near bars next door, probably looking good and maybe even noticing his newly discovered wealth in his looks and suit, but James didn’t see them. He pulled out his phone to check the time and hoped Lisa might still be awake and waiting for him to get home.

He had a very fleeting thought about quitting Power Play; that Lisa would most definitely leave him if she knew, that she wouldn’t want him doing what he did. He’d made enough money in a month to support them. He could find a regular job again, or not work at all. Lisa had refused his offers and near begs to quit her job, claiming it kept her sane. Somewhere in James’ drunken mind he knew it was because he was never home anymore anyway. But thinking about his new found brotherhood and his happiness with them cut his thoughts, and he hopped in a cab and pushed his conflicts of interest from his mind.