“Miss Watson, I have to admit I am rather confused. Your receipts say you only spend on average $30 a month on food. That can’t be right.”

Talia stretched, she hated meetings with her accountant, scum sucking leeches… every last one of them. She lifted her feet, carefully resting them on the accountant’s nice desk, her boots hitting the desk with a thud. “That’s right Brucey baby.”

“Miss Watson” the accountant shook his head, thinking better of it that to challenge the boots on his desk “That can’t be correct.”

“Brucey Baby, I know I don’t have a lot of money. Like what? $20 left at the end of the month? Plus I have to pay you every year so I avoid paying things like.. .urgh… taxes. So I find alternative ways of you know… eating.”

Bruce frowned slightly, a confused expression appearing upon his face.

“Listen, do you know how much food supermarkets like Aldi, Walmart and Publix throw out? You just wait round back, they pull the cage of food that has expired round to the dumpster and you can either wait or get in good with the staff and take your pick. I mean what's this world coming to? The 'man' at the supermarket is just throwing good food away when there are people starving on the streets. Food banks and soup kitchens could put a lot of it to good use but there he is just throwing it in a dumpster because if the man doesn't benefit from it no one does... am I right Bruce?”

“But Miss Watson, its out of date…”

“So? Dates on food are just guidelines… except fish… I don’t mess with fish. The majority of the time the stuff that is going out of date has anything from another 2 to 5 days left in it. If it’s best before it’s a winner because it is not actually out of date and still lasts a long time. I do what I got to do. ”

Bruce blinked “Miss Watson, you are not as poor as you think. Your disposable income is… much higher than $20.” The accountant slid an income and expenditure report across the desk.

Talia picked up the piece of paper “$1300? Now I think it is you who has made the error here Brucey Baby!”

Bruce took a deep breath, Talia was challenging at times but she was a good customer. “Miss Watson. Your business is doing well; the work you did with some of the law firms in Boston has given you a good reputation in your field. That number is correct, it could be better if you accepted more work.”

“But Brucey baby, I don’t want to accept more work. I have enough… other things going on… you know my charity work.” By charity work she meant freehold business. “You sure that number is correct?”

Bruce smiled as politely as he could “Yes. When was the last time you checked your bank account or any of the statements my office sends over?”

Talia shrugged “ohhh last time was between Christmas and never.”

Bruce stood up and went to the filing cabinet as he riffled through Talia’s files. “and please stop calling me Brucey Baby. You know I am not a fan of that nickname.” He took out last months statement and summary and passed them to Talia as he sat back down.

“Okay okay if you wanna be like every other accountant with one of those number 2 pencils shoved so far up their...”

Bruce coughed politely.

“Okay okay got it… Bruce”

Bruce smiled politely as Talia absorbed the information contained on the papers.

“Well! Fuck me sideways Brucey Baby!” She smiled the sudden realisation that she indeed could afford to spend more and you know… actually put lights on in her apartment spread across her face.

Bruce sighed, he knew it wouldn’t last long.

“This is a lovely little Brucey Bonus! I am going to buy a new lava lamp to celebrate… that’s tax deductable right?”

“No” Bruce responded with a shake of his head, after this meeting he was going to need to go home and sleep. Meetings with Talia were prone to giving him a migraine.


OOC