Nikki Bolt scores one for the feminine side.

I’m back to posting stories. It’s been a five-month hiatus. Initially I paused to recover from the 2024 election. Then I got hit with a few medical issues. Treatments caused me a great deal of fatigue and a loss of motivation. I’m feeling much better now and trying to regain momentum with the short stories. Thank you for your patience.

Enjoy this story.

Patriarchy: Zero

A physical therapy appointment cancellation gave Eva Havens a rare morning break. She sipped her chai latte as she eyed the almond croissant in front of her. Chatter from nearby tables on the coffee shop patio filled the space. One table seemed to have a group of athletic coaches from a nearby high school. All dressed in athletic wear, talking loudly.

“Eva!”

At table’s edge stood a tall woman in a navy blue business suit, short blond bob, coffee and phone in hand.

“Nikki?”

Nikki Bolt nodded, smiled.

Eva stood. Started to step around the table to hug Nikki, but Nikki  sat down right away.

“Nikki, it’s been a while. How are you?” Eva sat.

Nikki waggled her hand. “Could be better.”

“Can you chat for a few minutes?”

Nikki glanced at her phone. Looked at Eva. “Sure, I’m good.”

“I’ve got a croissant here. I can split it.”

“I could do with a jolt of sugar,” Nikki said. Since she had begun working in real estate, she had never sat for more than fifteen minutes at a time.

As Nikki sat, Eva caught a whiff of perfume, a fragrance she was sure she could never afford. 

She fumbled with the bag and napkin. “Let me get a plastic knife.”

“No need,” Nikki said. She glanced around quickly, pulled a switchblade knife out of her purse.

Eva pulled back a bit in her chair.

Nikki flicked the knife open, cut the croissant cleanly, wiped the blade on Eva’s paper napkin, and slipped it back in her purse.

“Is that a –“

Nikki touched a red-nailed index finger to her glossy matching red lips. “Yes, it is.”

“Wow.” Eva eased forward.

“A girl has to protect herself. I’m often alone when I’m showing a property.”

“Is that legal?”

Nikki shrugged. “How are you? Still doing physical therapy?”

Eva nodded. “I lost a patient today. That’s why I’m sitting here having coffee.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Constipation.”

“What?”

“Constipation. Third patient I’ve lost to it. Seniors. They strain so hard they cut off oxygen to the brain.”

“Huh.” 

Eva asked, “So how are you? Is the real estate business good?”

“Not today.” Nikki scowled, pointed to her phone. “I just got off the phone with my manager. I lost a sale. A four million dollar property in Malibu.”

“Your commission would have bought you a lot of croissants. What happened?”

“Patriarchy, that’s what happened.”

Nikki’s phone chirped. She looked, let it ring.

“Yesterday I showed a property to a guy who’s here in L.A. looking for investment properties. The asshole is out here from some Southern state. Alabama, Arkansas…I don’t remember.”

“Couldn’t he have invested more easily in Florida?”

“The dude thinks he’ll rub elbows with movie stars.”

“How did you lose the sale?”

Nikki gripped her coffee cup tightly, leaned in.

“Get this. I showed the property yesterday. The guy showed up at our office first thing this morning. Told Bill, my manager, he did not want to deal with a female agent. Bill said the guy had a stupid grin on his face, said ‘My gran’pappy told me years ago, never trust anyone who bleeds for five days and doesn’t die.’”

“What? That’s bullshit!” Eva slammed a palm on the table. Ignored the stares from the other tables.

“Bill threw him out of the office. Told him to take his business elsewhere.”

“Yes! Good for him.”

Nikki nodded. “Yeah, Bill is one of the good ones.”

Her phone chirped again. Nikki held up a finger to pause with Eva. She picked up the phone. Nikki “yessed” several times, smiled, said “I love karma.”

She cut off the call, turned back to Eva.

“That was Bill. Our guy tried to buy the property through another agency.”

“You lost the commission for sure.”

“Yeah, well, so did they. Here’s the karma.” Nikki leaned forward grinning. “No insurance company will sell him a homeowner’s policy. The property sits in a high risk fire zone… The guy turned down the purchase, went back home.”

“Sweet. Don’t let the the door hit your ass on the way out.”

Nikki bit off a piece of croissant, stood up. “Gotta run.” She leaned in to Eva. “Nikki: one, patriarchy: zero.”

***