After All by Lynn Emery Page A

sleeping though. Funny how even
after just eighteen months in prison you can get so programmed to
follow orders.” Marcus tipped the bottle and finding it empty, went
to the small refrigerator behind the bar to get another.
    “ It's going to take some
time, but you'll be all right.”
    “ I'll do better than all
right.” Marcus looked up at him frowning. “I've got
plans.”
    “ Yeah?”Anthony kept his
voice and expression as neutral as possible. Marcus had always had
plans, plans that generally led to big trouble.
    “ Yeah. I'm going to start my
own business.”
    “ Really? That sounds
good.”Anthony gave him a slight smile.
    “ You don't think I can do
it, right?”
    “ If you work hard at
something and stick to it, you can do anything.”Anthony chose his
words carefully.
    “ Maybe I'm not the big shot
you are now, but wait and see. I intend to make it big.”
    “ You always do,” Anthony
muttered.
    “ Say what?”Marcus glared at
him.
    Ike strode into the room holding a
small cell phone. “It's always something. I tell you, Anthony, you
were right not to get into rental property. It’s one damn thing
after another with tenants. Now, what are you boys drinking? Say,
Anthony, Marcus looks pretty good, huh?” He was moving, talking,
and fixing himself a drink, still energized from a long
day.
    “ Yeah, sure.” Anthony tried
to put a lift into his voice that he did not feel.
    “ Yeah.” Ike took a sip of
his screwdriver and gave his son an appraising look. “Pretty good
for a jail bird.”
    “ If I was white I wouldn't
have gotten time for a little marijuana.” Marcus frowned, his face
showed bitterness.
    “ Lucky for you they only
found traces of cocaine. Else your butt would've been sent up for
twenty years. Not to mention you had violated probation four or
five times. I couldn't talk or buy you outta that fix. Your color
ain't had nothing to do with it.” Ike spoke
disdainfully.
    “ I'm through with drugs. I
got too much going for me for that. It's not worth it.”
    “ Yeah. How many times have I
heard that before?” Ike waved a hand at him.
    “ I'm serious. I don't need
it anymore.”
    “ Uh-huh, we'll see. Say,
boy, tell Anthony about your latest get rich scheme.”
    Anthony grew uneasy with the direction
the discussion was taking. “Hey, let's not talk about business now.
What do you say we go out to Phil's for steak.”
    “ No, no. You gotta hear this
one first. Go on, Marcus. Tell him.” Ike perched on one of the
leather bar stools.
    “ Insurance. I want to open
my own insurance company. It's a good idea, too,” Marcus added
defensively.
    Ike ignored him. “Anthony, will you
tell him how this state is cracking down on insurance companies.
They've got strict new regs.”
    “ Maybe he should try it out.
Besides, Marcus does well with selling,” Anthony said, trying to
support his cousin in the face of Ike's skepticism.
    “ The boy don't know a damn
thing about the insurance business.”
    Marcus stared at Ike, his dark eyes
flashing defiance. He spoke in a tight, controlled voice. “I worked
for Mr. Trahan selling policies and helping his customers collect
claims. I do know about insurance.”
    Ike gave a raspy grunt in derision.
“When you showed up for work. Trahan did me a favor hiring you,
boy.” Turning, he spoke to Anthony. “He tolerated his foolishness
because I got Trahan a lot of business.”
    “ He was good though. Mr.
Trahan said so.”Anthony hated having to defend Marcus.
    “ Like I said, when he showed
up for work. And where does he think he's going to get money to
start his own business?”
    “ It wouldn't cost that much.
Just a few thousand dollars. I could have a couple of offices in
your building. I'll need to hire a secretary--”
    “ Forget it,” Ike
snapped.
    “ At least listen to what I'm
trying to tell you.” Marcus came from behind the bar to stand next
to his father.
    “ Don't matter. I ain't
spendin' none of my money on you openin' up no