“You wish…to terminate your contract with us?” Tired eyes glanced up from the piece of paper in his hands. Leaning back in his seat, Walter Munday regarded his client for a moment as well as the older woman seated next to her and the young man that was their lawyer.
His position was slightly bent in his seat, gaze skimming over the document once more. As old as he was, his hearing was still sharp and he listened to the tap of the young woman’s fingers against her lap while she signed to the redhead seated opposite of her.
“Mr. Mundy,” He cleared his throat and nodded to the young woman. “My client is prepared to go to court and we are willing to litigate this problem for as long as possible, long enough to give your music company a bad name, as well as decrease the sales of your performances.”
The old man’s lip twitched in a mixture of annoyance and amusement. Hands folding together, Walter Mundy tilted his head to the side at the young woman gazing back at him with a serious expression. His gaze lingered on her furrowed brow and the corner of her mouth twitching in annoyance. It gave him great pleasure at her discomfort. “Miss Wild…” He uttered, his voice was scratchy, almost like sandpaper. “We’ve been over this, darling-“ The Maestro stopped short when he saw the older woman scoot her chair closer.
She had the same expression as his agitator. Despite the graying brown in her hair, the “guardian” was stoic and not amused at his treatment.
“I’m not your darling.” She gestured vehemently, angered by his comment.
Sighing, he ran his hand over his face, and inhaled sharply. “Miss Wild, we have been over this many times. When you first signed your contract with us, the print was very clear. You would carry it out until you planned to retire.”
Here, her lawyer jumped in, “And while that is true she signed the contract within your employment, it is, in fact, illegal to sign life contracts.” The click of a briefcase opened and Walter Munday was served a manila folder, glaring at the brown-eyed attorney with his mouth tightened into a thin line. “Please, Mr. Munday. We can make this legal issue very ugly...my firm and I are known for dealing with...difficult people like yourselves.”
At this, the Maestro regarded the lawyer with a pleasant smile and he turned it on the girl instead. “Well, Miss Wild. We...don’t want things to be messy now do we and...it seems I underestimated you.”
Green eyes blinked at Walter Mundy, never leaving his face for her glare was as livid as her posture in the chair. She watched as he took out his fancy pen from his breast pocket and signed the papers, thrusting them back to the lawyer.
“Pleasure resolving this issue Mr. Mundy,” But judging by his tone, the attorney knew this wasn’t going to be so easy. Rising from the chair, he gestured to the girl to usher her towards the door with the older woman. “We keep this quiet, now sir and perhaps this can be settled in a civil trial instead of a criminal preceding.”
“This isn’t over...Miss Wild.” Walter Mundy called to the young girl hesitating at the doorway, he could practically hear her heart pounding in her chest. He inhaled deeply, almost offering her a sinister smile in return. Spawn of Ralcosel...
People stared. If there was anything she hated more than anything in the world, it was when onlookers couldn't mind their own business. It was the most uncomfortable feeling in the world. The sensation of someone else's eyes washing over you, sizing you up, almost like a predator observed its prey. The pharmacy was one of the least expected places she had expected it to happen. She didn't think the customers would watch as she disputed her frustration to the pharmaceutical rep, who was the only one that could understand her. The manager, standing beside his employee merely gaped at the situation and tried to interrupt as the girl's hands moved rapidly, signing her words and using DJ to voice for her; between the two only once could speak.
"Your manager, I feel, is incapable of running this store. I've been here so many times, and I'm sick of having my orders delayed, mixed up, or not filled when Carol calls for it." The rep voiced for her, though it was strained because he couldn't hear his own tone. It was a prescription the third time in a row this has happened to her. Small fists clenched the strap to her instrument case wrapped around her shoulder. The anger in her nonverbal gestures mounted, before DJ finally resolved the issue and made sure to correct what his manager had done wrong.
The young man behind the counter, held out a small white bag to her. His expression sympathized with her frustration and he nudged his head in the direction of the older man standing behind him. "I'm so sorry for this, really. This shouldn't happen to you at all...I'm hoping the super will fire this asshole soon."
Reaching for the bag, green eyes settled on DJ adjusting his glasses. Her mouth set into a thin line and the girl exhaled a rasped noise of annoyance before she signed to him again, expressing her thanks and turning to face the small audience standing behind her. Their stares only proving to further agitate her.
"WHAT? What are you staring at?" She pointed to her eyes and then back at them, before gesturing to the counter behind her. It seemed the expression was understood, and all eyes darted away from her.
Rolling her eyes, she moved around the line of people in an effort to get out of there as fast as possible. Her heart began to pound in her chest, and her black ballet flats clicked rapidly against the tile floor. Without hesitating, Mara shoved the front door open and pushed her way out into the open air. She had to get away, had to get out of there...she had to leave the scene behind before she gave herself an anxiety attack. A five block power walk finally gave her enough room to breathe once the pharmacy was out of sight.
She clutched at the skirts of her cute blue sundress in an attempt to calm herself. The bag of temporary prescription balled into her fist, and against her other hand she clutched tightly to the leather strap around her shoulder. The pulse of the instrument case at her back further made effort to settle her nerves.
Dark chocolate curls fell in her face as she leaned up against the wall of Mike's Corner Store. Her breathing eventually settled and the tightness in her chest disappeared. Inhaling deeply, Mara lifted her head up to gaze across the street and remind herself of her surroundings. The pulse of the case against her back only reminded her, but briefly, that she wasn't entirely alone.