Derailed Read Free

look. With his hand he gestured that she should keep ambling, and so she did.
    Massive light fixtures, chandeliers, and antique fans hung from the high ceilings, dusty and with many blown light bulbs.
    When they finally reached the end of their journey, Everett was in a room he’d spent time in before. As a child he’d played with little die cast cars on the rug in this very room, racing against his uncle—Ashton’s father.
    The carpets were worn. A massive leather couch was cracked and scuffed from years of weather and use. A television rested on the hearth, with wires hanging haphazardly down to the floor. Dozens of brown crunchy leaves curled on the floor.
    Ashton vigorously scratched his head as he sat on the worn couch, and it was the first time Everett noticed his attire. Denim jeans with large holes in the knees, fraying strings left to fly loose. His shirt was also denim—whether to match his jeans or for its enduring qualities Everett didn’t know. Three buttons were hooked, the others were left undone, or maybe there were only three. From where he stood Everett couldn’t tell, but suddenly he realized he was gawking. Courtney had already taken a seat in an iron patio chair so he took the cushion on the opposite end of the couch.
    That was when he noticed the smell. Diesel and leather. The smell was strong. What the hell had Ashton been doing before they arrived?
    “I’d rather hoped this meeting would be confidential.” Ashton cut his eyes toward Courtney.
    “Oh don’t mind her. Other than her mouth, she’s harmless.”
    Courtney thumbed through her phone, but managed to scoff at their exchange.
    She stood. “How about I prepare us some coffee?”
    “I don’t have any.”
    “Tea then.”
    “I’m fresh out.”
    “Right. Three waters coming up. If you would just point me in the direction.”
    Ashton gestured and Courtney strutted out in her three-inch heels.
    Everett took in the greasiness of Ashton’s hair and the unkempt beard and wondered how long it had been since he’d bathed. He didn’t really smell bad, but he reeked of petrochemicals.
    “You wanted me to take a look at an oil lease?”
    Ashton stood and walked over to a console table. From a drawer he pulled a shiny black folder that he then handed to Everett. It’s actually my lease. I own a fifth of the land as it’s divided equally among my brothers and me. Recently I’ve discovered crude running beneath the parcels outlined in the document. I’m set to begin extracting the product, but I need you to oversee the business end of the operation.
    “Me?”
    “Your family needs representation. You’ll see in the document crude is present beneath your land as well. We’ll need to discuss pump speed and number of wells to set up to capture the oil. Please, I don’t want a family discussion. Just speak with your father and relay the info back to me.”
    “Dad will probably want to speak with you.”
    Ashton abruptly stood. “Forget it. I won’t extract anything. The oil can run until it’s discovered by someone else along the line. Good day.”
    Ashton took hold of the document folder just as Everett tightened his grip on it. “Good day?”
    “Yes.”
    “You’d let it all go if extraction means you’d have to speak with my father, your uncle?”
    “No, I’d let it all go if it meant I had to converse with anyone other than you.”
    “Why?”
    Ashton resumed his vigorous head scratching. Only it wasn’t scratching per se, but more of a rubbing, and only with one hand on the back of the head. The other hand was propped at his waist. “I don’t want to answer questions. It’s not open for discussion. I stated the terms I desire. If I can’t have them, then you may as well leave.”
    “I’ll make it happen.”
    “Please, it’s imperative that you make everybody understand that I don’t want to be bothered.”
    “Fine. Consider it done.” Everett sighed, frustrated. “I’d like one question, however, as it