(More writing inspired by quotes my friends send me. This one is inspired by my good friend Dusty Rhodes who told me the story of a guy who broke his ankle sliding into second base at a softball game.  I thought, let’s take it a bit darker. Today the mob makes a visit to a quiet sales office in the east coast.)

Richard was dressed in a orange and red plaid  suit.  His hair slicked back with grease, but it might have well enough been lard as much as it had been put in. His bookcase had cereal boxes from the sport teams that he supported because they were winners.  He once tore down a sign that had the letter D and a symbol of a fence and replaced it with a sign that said “Speed Kills”.  His championship debate trophy from high school as well as all of his achievements were on the wall behind him. Everything was about winning.  He never liked to lose. He lost once and his opponent sent him a cake in the shape of a tombstone.  He took a picture of the tombstone and showed it to anyone who didn’t understand why he didn’t like losing.

But in this moment of his life, it didn’t matter.

“Now Sally, I told you that I wasn’t going to take your smart ass bullshit anymore.  You’ve made my boss very angry,” said the 5′ pinstripe wearing guido that was watching as his “associates” repeatedly kick him in the groin and face.

“Please stop, I refund your money,” Richard said to Pinstripe.

“Look at you, what would your mother say?  Your ethics have gone to places where people don’t return.  You killed that kid.”

“I didn’t do anything, I was just trying to show her how to sell,” said Richards as Pinstripe called the beating to stop.

Pinstripe’s face turned into a stop sign.  His eyes bulged and he started to kick Richard in the balls repeatedly. “You call late night calls and harassment teaching son?  That was my niece.  She finished her life because you told her that she wouldn’t amount to anything. SHE KILLED HERSELF,” and with each word the cracking of the ribs continued to sound like popcorn.  People rushed up to try and stop the carnage but they were unable due to the 2 AK’s held in the hands of Pinstripe’s associates.

“I’m in so much pain, make them stop,” as the blood started to bubble from his mouth.

“It’ll feel better when it stops hurting, ” Pinstripe said as he kicked Richard in the face.  He slumped over and listened as the sounds of the police sirens got closer.  His associates had already left the building as people gathered around Richard.

“I can’t bring Sharee back, she was all my wife wanted in a child.  But you took that away.  So I’m taking it all from you.  You’re nothing but a two bit used car salesmen disguised as management.  Everyone will look at you and pity you because of what I did.  I’m warning you… if you hit on another woman in the office and I hear about it I’ll come back and remove your jaw with my bare hands.

“Come on boss, we gotta go,” said one of the gunman as he ran up the stairs.

“See ya later Dick,” Pinstripe said as he walked up the stairs to the exit.

As he passed the receptionist who stared in horror, Pinstripe turned and smiled “Have a nice day sugar tits!”

Richard never talked again.