That Night After School

By nine p.m. Dan customized the spreadsheet file so Frank could read the profit and loss with ease. From examining the books deeply, Dan concluded Frank was a type of middleman with his hands in various shipping and transportation rackets and two service areas that netted cash on zero purchased products.

These cash services must be gambling and prostitution. But why would you need van transportation for prostitutes, and all of these rent outlays?

As Dan deciphered Frank’s cryptic business structure his phone rang. He checked the caller i.d. and shook his head with a smile.

“Hello, Reyna.”

“♪ Hi Daniel, are you busy? ♫ Can I come over?”

“Heh, why do you want to come over here? So you can pee all over my couch like you peed all over my classroom today?”

“Now see here, Daniel! Are you accusing me of marking my womanly territory in front of your sweet students and Ms. Sandstrom, because I know that stone-faced cougar has her eye on you!”

“Haha! Yes yes, where are you now?”

“About five minutes away!”

Dan shook his head, “That's close, now what if I wasn’t home?”

“Oh please Dan, where would you be? Hmm? Teaching math to one of your other chicks? Yeah, no! And oh yeah, I left my panties in your hamper, so if your other chick finds them you tell her they’re mine! Hmph!”

Heh heh, this woman, “Dammit Reyna, my place is not your laundry facility!”

“What? You better be nice to me Dan, or I’ll make your apartment my shoe closet! Then what will you tell your other girls?”

“Easy, I’ll just say I have a fetish.”

“Oh, you do have a fetish, and it ain't shoes!”

"Eeep! Heh heh! You naughty girl!”

“Yup, that's how you like me!”

“Says who?”

“Later Dan!” Click!

Dan stood back and laughed at the phone call, but attempted to be firm with himself. Dan, you know girls like Reyna are nothing but trouble because bad girls like her always are. But on the other hand, bad girls are so much fun!

His phone chirped a text message. He didn’t recognize the number but read the text: “Mr. Capra, it’s Rica. Please bring the file down.”

Rica? Crap, talk about bad timing!

Downstairs

Dan raced downstairs with Frank’s file on a thumb drive. He needed to give it to Rica, and get rid of her before Reyna arrived. But as he exited the building he didn’t see Rica or the person behind him that shoved him to the ground.

“Ooof! Hey? What the fuck?” shouted Dan as he stumbled and spun around to face Bling and Ian.

“What’s up Dan?” Ian said, staring down at Dan with a cruel grin, “What’s the matter? You ain’t feelin froggy tonight tough guy?”

Bling stood behind Ian, watching the block for potential witnesses. “Yo Ian, hurry up, we ain't got all night.”

“Yeah yeah, just grab him when he hits the ground, B!” Ian grunted while advancing on Dan with balled fists.

These assholes are looking for a fight!

As Ian closed in, Dan straightened up and took a fighter’s stance, “So you want a piece of me, don’t you Ian?”

Ian smirked, “Don’t flatter yourself, Dan. It’s just business."

Business?

Ian launched forward and threw a one-two combo, but Dan blocked both punches with his arms and sprung right with a solid uppercut to Ian’s chest.

But Ian blocked Dan’s punch with two arms, and backed up, smiling, “Yo Bling, are you seeing this?”

Bling grinned, “Hell yeah, Dan got moves. And I’m not surprised, you know he’s a combat veteran right?”

“Yeah, I heard,” said Ian.

Dan kept his stance. The way Ian moves. These guys aren’t just thugs. They’re trained fighters. “What the heck do you two brutes wa-”

Ian threw a left punch before Dan finished. Crap! Dan defended with his right, however. Shit! Ian only feigned a left punch. But his right, I can’t block it in time!

Ian smashed his right fist into Dan’s gut, dead center.

“Gaaaah! Fuck!” Dan dropped like a rock.

Ian leaned over him and growled, “Did you really think you could take me, Dan?”

“Get the hell away from me!” shouted Dan and shoved Ian from the ground. But Bling got behind Dan and yoked him in a headlock, lifting him.

Crap, I can’t get free!

"Take it easy Dan, she likes you. But you broke her heart,” said Bling.

"Is that right?" Dan gasped, struggling to break Bling's hold.

Then Ian punched him in the gut.

“Gaah!” Dan yelped.

Ian leaned close to him with a smirk, “She told us to go easy on you Dan, and not hit you in the face.” He gut-punched Dan again.

Fuck!

and again...

God!

and again...

Damn you two! “Cough, cough!”

Bling finally released Dan and the math teacher fell to the ground coughing and clutching his gut.

“That’s enough, E. Dan ain’t no fool. He got the point,” said Bling.

“Assholes, cough,” mouthed Dan as he lifted himself.

Bling stuck his hand out to him. “The file. Give it to me.”

Dan slapped the thumb drive in Bling’s hand and asked, “So that’s how it is? I piss off your little boss and she sends you goons to beat me up?”

Bling and Ian chuckled.

“What can I tell you, Dan? She’s emotional. You know how teenage girls get,” Ian laughed.

“Yeah, but aside from that, we need you to be clear about something!” said Bling with a stern face. “Listen, don’t you say a word about Rica or what she does to her mother, you heard! You don’t know shit and you don’t need to say shit, homey!”

“Fuck you guys!” Dan growled.

A voice called out from the night.

“Dan!” yelled a woman.

He peered down the dark street. Reyna?

“Ha, speak of the devil!” said Ian, staring down the block at Reyna walking fast in her pumps.

“Let’s get outta here!” Bling grunted.

The two brutes hustled to their truck. And as Ian hopped in and closed the door, he turned to Dan.

“She likes you Dan, but a word of advice: Don’t piss her off.” He faced forward, “Or next time we’ll put you in a world of hurt.”

Then the truck peeled down the dark block and vanished.

Call The Cops

“Dan! Oh my god!” cried a hysterical Reyna as she hustled to Dan and tried to read Bling and Ian’s license plate, “Aaah, it’s too dark! Dan?”

“Reyna, please calm down,” said Dan.

Reyna stopped in front of him and checked him over, “No I won’t calm down! I parked down the block and then I saw you fighting with those guys from the corner, did they mug you?” she reached in her purse and pulled out her phone.

Dan reached for it, “Who are you calling?”

“The cops! Who else?”

“Reyna, honey, it’s a personal matter, not a police matter-” He pushed her phone in her bag.

“But are you sure? And did you just call me honey?”

Dan smiled and took a breath, “I’ll call you sugar too if you calm down.”

Reyna’s eyes lit up, “Hmmm, nah, don’t call me sugar. That’s trashy. I like honey better!”

Dan straightened up and tried to pretend he didn’t hurt. But the moment Reyna hugged him he flinched, “Ouch!” and grabbed his gut.

Reyna frowned, “Jeez Dan-”

“Reyna!”

“Oh you stupid boys,” she gently hugged him as the two walked into his building. “Seriously Dan, why do you men love pummeling each other?”

“Because some men have it coming to them,” he mumbled with a grin.

Reyna smirked, “Oh yeah? So did you have it coming tonight, Dan?”

“Oh yeah, I definitely did!” he smiled at her, “Total karma.”

"Karma's a bitch."

“She most certainly is,” Dan said as Reyna hugged him, “Ouch, honey, not too tight!”

“Oh, Dan!”

“Hey, that’s my line! Heh!” Ouch!

And yes, I most certainly had it coming.

…