by Robin Stone
It felt like an eternity had gone by, but it was only lunchtime. I ate in the lunchroom with Frank and the other guys. They talked about their wives and kids. Brooke was on my mind, but I didn’t dare bring her up.
My radio beeped when I was packing up my lunch bag.
“Evan? It’s Carly. Do you have a minute?”
I picked up my radio. “Sure, what do you need?”
“One of the residents said he’s having trouble with his circuit breaker.”
“Be right there.”
I walked out to Carly’s desk. She was holding a resident work order and frowning.
“You don’t look too happy,” I said.
“I was having a good day until he called.”
“Who?”
“Mr. Jacobs,” she said, lowering her voice. “The jerk with the package yesterday.”
“Great.”
“He thinks his circuit breaker blew a fuse or something. Half his kitchen and living room lights don’t turn on.” She handed me the work order.
“Okay, I’m headed up there now.”
“Good luck.”
I headed up to the sixth floor and knocked on his door. He flung it open.
“Oh, it’s you,” he said, scowling.
“Evan,” I said, pointing to my name tag.
“Well, come in.”
I walked in, scanning his condo. It was always surprising to see the different ways the residents furnished their homes. Brad’s condo was filled with high-end leather chairs and glass tables. There were two laptops and a printer on the kitchen table. It looked cold and sterile, especially compared to the coziness of Brooke’s place.
“It’s about time you got here,” he said. “I called fifteen minutes ago. There’s something wrong with the circuit breaker. I opened the panel, but I couldn’t figure out the problem.”
What an ass. I walked over to the electrical panel to take a look.
“Have you touched any of these?” I asked, knowing the answer.
“Well, yes. I just touched this one. And this one, too.”
I walked over to the kitchen light switch and turned it on—nothing. I turned on a second light, and then a third—nothing. I had to go back downstairs to get some gear.
“I’ll be back in a few minutes,” I said. “I need to get some supplies.”
“Make it fast, please. I have a meeting here in twenty minutes! I have a slide show to present.”
“Mr. Jacobs, you can book one of the conference rooms downstairs for your meeting. They’re pretty quiet this time of day, I’m sure one’s available.”
“If I wanted to book a conference room, I would have. I wanted to have it here. More homey.”
I glanced at the bare windows and chrome and glass surfaces—homey… sure.
“I’ll be right back,” I assured him.
I came back with some tools. I was pretty good at fixing electrical problems. Brad hovered around me as I worked, but I quickly finished and packed up my tools.
“Just try not to overload the circuits,” I said.
“This building is only three years old. There shouldn’t be anything wrong with the electrical panel.”
I closed my toolbox and hoisted it up. “You can have problems if you run too many things at once to just a few plugs. You have two computers here, a printer, and I see a blender on the counter. And your dryer is on. The washer and dryer are on the same circuit as the kitchen.”
“I was making a smoothie.”
I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing.
“Well, try to keep the multitasking to a minimum.”
Later that afternoon, I stopped by Carly’s desk and told her about Brad.
“I was making a smoothie? He really said that?” she asked, her face pink from laughter.
“Yeah. What does he do, anyway? I’ve seen him in a suit. Doesn’t he go to an office?”
“He does, but he also works from home some days.”
“Always an adventure. Catch you later, Carly.”
I had a few more things to clean up, then it was time to go home.
Liam stood in the doorway to my room as I packed a bag. His arms were crossed, and he was frowning.
“So, you’re really doing this whole gigolo thing?”
“Yup.” I tossed my deodorant in my bag. “It’s just for a couple of weeks. We’ll be out late some nights, and you know I get up early. She gets up pretty early, too. What’s the big deal? Throw a party! Have the guys over.”
“Hmph,” he said. “Have you told Matty about this arrangement?”
I shot him a look. “No, and he doesn’t need to know about it, either.”
“Okay, okay.”
“What’s the big deal? You’ll get more privacy for a couple of weeks. Bring a girl home. Swing from the chandelier.”
“That seems to be your line of expertise.”
I zipped my bag shut. “We haven’t swung from the chandeliers yet.”
“But you have slept with her, right? Come on, give me some details!”
“We might have, but I’m not telling you anything else, you perv.”
“Is she a freak? She probably acts all demure, selling those big houses. But she has a dungeon and whips you, right?”
“No, she doesn’t have a dungeon or whips. Get a grip.”
I opened my closet and took out my few nice clothes. I’d gotten my jacket and nice pants dry cleaned, and they were wrapped in plastic bags. I headed for the door. Liam followed, looking sullen.
“You can call me any time,” I said. “The two weeks will be over, and I’ll be back here getting in your way.”
“Yeah, sure. Listen, are you sure she doesn’t have a rich friend who also needs a gigolo? I’m up for the challenge.”
“Goodbye, Liam.”
I opened the door and stepped into the hallway. Liam flipped me off, then shut and locked the door. I laughed and headed to the hotel.
Brooke had just gotten back to the room when I arrived. I put my bag in the bedroom and hung my clothes in the closet.
“Have you had dinner yet?” she asked. “I’m starving.”
“No. I was hoping you’d like to go out tonight.”
“Why don’t we go to the restaurant downstairs? I’ve eaten there a few times.”
I hesitated. I didn’t know what the prices were like in the restaurant, but I was betting it was pretty expensive. I had cash on me; I just hoped it was enough.
“Sure,” I said. “I should change, though.”
I’d worn my nicer dark jeans and a polo shirt in an effort to look somewhat nice. Brooke was impeccably dressed in a skirt, a silky looking blouse, and heels.
“No, you’re fine,” she said. “You look nice.”
“But I’m wearing jeans.”
“People walk into the restaurant all the time wearing jeans.”
“Okay, then. I just need to hit the bathroom first.”
Once I closed the bathroom door, I pulled out my wallet and counted my cash. I had sixty-three dollars. More than enough for dinner and beers at Cooper’s, but it probably wouldn’t get us very far in the hotel restaurant. I had a credit card, but I was trying not to use it much while I saved for a house.
Brooke chatted about work on the way downstairs. Her phone rang in her purse as we were about to enter the restaurant. She took out her phone and looked at the display.
“I need to get this. I’m sorry, Evan. Can you get us a table? I’ll be right there.”
“Sure,” I said. I walked up to the hostess stand, and the woman standing there looked me up and down.
“Can I help you?” she asked.
“I’d like a table for two, please.”
She looked down at her paper and frowned. “It’ll be about thirty minutes for a table. Can I get your name?”
The restaurant looked half-empty, but I gave my name and sat in the small waiting area. A few minutes later, Brooke came in and found me.
“All done. How long is the wait?�
�
“Miss Sinclair?” the hostess asked.
Brooke turned and looked at her. “Yes?”
“I didn’t know the table was for you. Come right this way, and I’ll get you seated.”
“Thank you,” Brooke said.
I tried to glare at the hostess when we sat down, but she didn’t look at me. She dropped off our menus and said our waitress would be right over.
“Hmm, she told me it would be a thirty-minute wait, but once you showed up, we got right in.”
“Really? I have no idea why.”
Opening the menu, I tried to put it out of my mind. I looked at the menu, and my heart stopped for a second. These prices were insane! Thirty-nine dollars for a small piece of steak? Eight dollars for a side of potatoes. The credit card was gonna get a good workout tonight.
“What’s good here?” I asked.
“Everything I’ve tried so far is good. The steak is very good.”
The waitress came over and took our drink orders. I ordered a beer. Brooke ordered a glass of white wine and put her menu down.
“I don’t think a restaurant like this is what you’re used to.”
“Nope, but I’m not fussy. I’ll eat nearly anything, except calamari. I draw the line there.”
Brooke laughed. “Why don’t we go somewhere else?”
“We just ordered drinks. Besides, I’m starvin’, and you said you’re hungry, too.”
“We’ll order an appetizer. The chicken fajita flatbread is really good. Then you can take me to your favorite place.”
“The flatbread sounds like a great plan, but I’m not sure my favorite place suits you, either. It’s a run-down sports bar, filled with guys like me who swear, burp, and yell at games on the TV.”
“It sounds like fun! That’s what we’ll do, then.” She closed her menu and smiled, looking pleased with herself.
“Okay. But you’ll have to change outta that skirt and heels. Do you have any jeans?”
“Yes, I do.”
I raised an eyebrow.
“I do have jeans, I promise.”
“And wear shoes that don’t cost a fortune. There are peanut shells on the floor sometimes.” I drummed my fingers on the table. “You sure you want to go there?”
“Yes,” she said firmly.
“Okay, then. Cooper’s Tavern, here we come.”
Twelve
After we finished our drink and appetizers, I paid, and we left. Brooke tried to pay the bill, but I grabbed it. I put my credit card down so I’d have enough cash for the bar.
When Brooke went upstairs to change, I sat in the lobby and texted Liam, letting him know we were on our way over. He called me immediately.
“Are you nuts? Don’t bring her here!”
“Why? Is everyone drunker than usual?” It was loud in the background, but I knew there wasn’t a game on tonight.
“No, but you know how rowdy they get sometimes. It’s one of those nights already. We ate, and now we’re playing darts. I’m half in the bag, myself.” He let out a short burp in my ear.
“I suggested it might not be a great idea, but she insisted. You think you could tell the guys to settle down just a bit tonight?”
Liam laughed so long and hard, I pulled the phone away, then he hung up. A few seconds later, he texted me a photo of him and Drew holding beer bottles and smiling. I didn’t hear Brooke approaching and jumped a little when she said my name.
She wore a red V-neck shirt with three-quarter length sleeves, dark jeans that hugged every curve, and brown leather boots.
“You look amazing,” I said.
She really did, but she was still wearing nice jewelry and carrying her brown leather purse that probably cost more than my truck. Even in more casual clothes, it was clear this woman had expensive taste.
“Thank you, Evan.”
I stood, and she approached, carrying her floral scent. She stood on her toes and placed a small kiss on my lips that warmed my chest.
“Brace yourself,” I said as she took my hand.
Cooper’s was a little subdued when we walked in. My friends were sitting at their usual tables, with beer bottles in front of them.
“Hey, there he is!”
“He’s slumming it!”
“Hey, Evan, you got that twenty bucks you owe me?”
“Very funny,” I said. “Everyone, this is Brooke. Brooke, this is Max, Drew, Travis, and Liam. Liam’s my roommate.”
“Hi,” Brooke said. “It smells so good in here.”
“We just ordered from Jenna a couple minutes ago,” Liam said. “You two hungry?”
The flatbread appetizer at the hotel was good, but it was tiny and had barely tamped down my hunger.
“Yeah,” I said.
“Come sit here,” Liam said, patting the seat beside him.
I shot him a look and took the seat next to him instead, leaving the seat across from me open. Brooke sat down, but that left her open to being ogled face-to-face by Liam. He had a goofy smile on his face, and I could tell he was buzzed.
“Yo, Jenna!” Liam yelled, making Brooke jump.
“Yeah, yeah,” Jenna said. “Be right over.”
“Do they have menus?” Brooke asked.
“Well, there’s a menu written in chalk over the bar, but you should just order the burger and fries basket. It’s wicked good here.”
“Okay, I’ll do that.”
Jenna came over, her blonde ponytail looking a little bedraggled today.
“What do you jerks—I mean, what do you fine gentlemen need?” she asked, taking her pen from behind her ear. She looked Brooke up and down. “You’re new here.”
“I’m Brooke Sinclair. How are you?”
Jenna’s mouth dropped open, and she looked at me, then back at Brooke.
“Good. I’m Jenna. You guys ordering baskets?”
“Yes,” I said.
“How do you want yours cooked, honey?” she asked Brooke.
“Medium. And I’ll have a beer. What do you have?”
I suggested my favorite local craft beer, and Jenna left to put in our order.
“So, what do you do for work, Brooke?” Liam asked, acting dumb.
“I’m an agent with Turner Real Estate. Here’s my card.” She pulled out a card and handed it to him.
“Really?” Liam took the card. “You know Evan’s looking for a house.”
“Yes, he told me. I’m going to help him.”
“Oh, yeah?” he asked. “So, what do you like to do for fun?”
“Hey, come on,” I said. “Don’t grill her. She just got here!”
“It’s fine, Evan. Really.”
Jenna came back with our beer bottles. “Here ya go. Your burgers will be out in a few.”
“Thanks,” we said.
Brooke took a sip of her beer. “This is good!”
“Glad you like it,” I said. “Hey, do you ever play darts?”
Some of the guys had gotten up to play, arguing over who was first.
“I played some back in college,” she said. “I’m not very good.”
“I beat Liam most of the time.”
“Hey! You do not. I trounce his ass most of the time.”
“After we eat, I’ll kick your ass in front of everyone,” I said.
“Looking forward to it. I’m gonna join the guys.”
He got up and left us alone at the tables to join the other guys, who had started playing. A group of guys in the back burst out in raucous laughter. Behind the bar, Jenna turned up the music, classic rock blaring out of the speakers.
“Not a great place to talk,” I said.
“It’s okay. This is a lot more fun than the Carlisle.”
The guys broke out in laughter after one of them missed the dartboard completely, but my eyes were drawn to Brooke. Even though she was still overdressed for the place, she looked good here. She looked at home.
We started talking about everything and nothing—what kind of food we liked an
d didn’t like, pets we had growing up, what we wanted to be when we were kids.
Jenna brought over our baskets of food, extra napkins, and ketchup.
“Here ya go. Just holler if you need anything else.”
We tucked in. I watched with interest as Brooke picked up her burger in her small hands, trying to get a grip on it. When she managed a bite, she moaned.
“Oh, you’re right, this is so good.”
“Told ya. If you can stand the ambiance, this place has the best burgers and fries.”
“It’s good we’re talking like this. Getting to know each other will help the next time we’re questioned on anything.”
Ouch. And here I was getting to know her because I was interested in her. But she was right, this was a business transaction, after all. I had to play the part, then I could get my money.
After we finished eating, I looked over at the guys. “Wanna play?”
She wiped her mouth with a napkin. “Aren’t they still playing?”
“No, they just finished. Wanna give it a try?”
“Sure.”
We got up and went over to the guys.
“Hey, Brooke wants a turn.”
“Here you go,” Drew said, handing over some darts.
“Okay, where do I stand?” she asked.
I pointed to a spot on the wooden floor, worn down by years and thousands of shoes.
“Right here.”
She picked up the first dart, aimed, and threw.
“Not bad,” I said. “Try again.”
She tossed another, and it landed close to the center.
“Oooh!” Drew said. “Liam, she’s better than you!”
“Shut up!” Liam said.
Brooke laughed. The next time, her throw was off, and the dart hit the wall and bounced onto the floor. Drew scurried over to get the darts for her.
“Here, try again,” he said.
“You throw like a girl,” Travis said.
“I am a girl,” Brooke said, pushing her hair out of her face.
“Here, let me show you.” Travis came forward with a dart. “Stand like this.”
He put his hand on Brooke’s hip and turned her a little. “Now, try holding it like this.”
He put his hand on hers, and jealousy clawed at my insides. Travis was a lady-killer, always flirting and touching women, and they usually fell for it.
