Sebastian pulled into her driveway. “Well if you need a builder, you know where to find me. Home safe and sound,” he said putting the gearshift in park.
She got out of the car closing the door. Leaning down to talk to him through the window, she said, “Sebastian, you’re my hero today. Thank you so much.”
He laughed. “No problem, Taylor. I’m glad I was around. Oh, before I go, that friend of yours that is always hanging around…the little white dude.”
“Are you talking about Dillon?” She asked.
“I don’t know his name, but he was sneaking around your house late last night. Thor ran him off. He claimed he was checking on you. I found it strange he was peeping through your kitchen windows past midnight.”
A strong chill awakened every nerve in her body. She had forgotten to call a locksmith to have the locks changed and had not planned on doing it since accusing Mario of making her doubt Dillon. “Yes, that is odd. Thanks for letting me know. I will talk to him about it.”
She waved to him as he backed from her driveway into his. Standing on the porch, she twisted the doorknob before inserting the key; the door did not open and sighed with relief. Inside the house it was warm, stuffy and void of light. She turned on the central air and went into the living room.
Using the drawstring, she opened the drapes to let in the sunshine. Going into the kitchen, she heard a noise and stopped. She waited to hear it again before going forward. Silence swarmed except for the water filling the icemaker in the freezer.
This is stupid! There is no one in this house but me.
She pushed the brew button on the coffeemaker and opened the fridge removing a carton of eggs and butter. Taking a skillet from the rack, she placed it on the stove to preheat. Getting a bowl from the cabinet, she cracked the first egg dumping it in the bowl.
Another loud bang coming from outside her house startled her already shaky nerves. The egg in her hand dropped on the counter spilling yoke and whites down the front of the cabinet to the floor. “Damn it,” she cursed turning on the water in the sink and pulling several sheets of paper towels from the rack and wetting them.
Stooping down, she wiped the slimy goop from the cabinets and tile floor. A crash hit the window above the sink breaking the glass. Shards of glass rained over the appliances, countertops, and her. Standing up she bolted for the front door and outside. She was on Sebastian’s front porch in six leaping strides.
Banging on his door, she yelled. “Sebastian, are you home? Open the door?”
He snatched open the front door to Taylor’s wild eyes flaring. “Taylor, what’s the matter?”
She swallowed trying to catch her breath. “I think someone is in my house. I was in the kitchen, and the window broke….please come look.”
“Slow down and catch your breath. Let me get Thor; we’ll check it out.”
Taylor sat on the wooden chair looking across the street at her house shaking like a leaf. She had left the front door wide open. Sebastian came on the porch with Thor on a leash. She had never taken notice of Sebastian before. He was tall, muscular, with thick red hair and a thick short beard and moustache of the same color. He always wore a lumberman’s shirt and worn blue jeans. She guessed that would be his standard dress code since he was a builder.
“Stay put, I’ll be back in a second,” he said trotting across the street with Thor leading him.”
Taylor waited with baited breath for him or the dog to exit her house. She tapped her foot nervously when minutes passed and Sebastian still hadn’t emerged. The palms of her hands dampened. Her heart raced out of control. She had to know what was going on, or if Sebastian needed help.
Gaining the courage to get out the chair, she slowly walked across the street. On her porch, she poked her head inside the house. “Sebastian? Thor?” No answer replied to her callout.
She heard voices coming from the area of the kitchen. Looking for anything to use as a weapon, she took from the table, an antique African statute with sharp pointy edges. Tiptoeing in the kitchen, she saw the back door was ajar. Pieces of glass crushed under her feet as she moved to the back door. Laughter erupted suddenly. Stepping outside she saw Sebastian and her neighbor who lived on the other side of the fence talking.
She placed her hand on Sebastian’s shoulder. “Is everything okay?” She asked interrupting the conversation.
Sebastian put his arm around her. “Everything is fine, Taylor. Clay’s son broke the window playing baseball. I will board it up until Clay replaces it.”
She exhaled. “A baseball through the window is better than a masher prowling around my house. I feel so stupid.”
Sebastian bid his friend goodbye and returned with Taylor to the kitchen. “Don’t feel stupid for being scared. Soon as Clay gets the glass I will install it for you.” He patted his thigh. “Come on, Thor, time to go.” He winked at Taylor. “Be back in a flash to finish up.”
The smell of the smoldering skillet on the stove caught Taylor’s attention. She removed the skillet from the stove and placed it in the sink. Going to the broom closet, she removed the broom and dustpan and began sweeping the glass. She would do a thorough cleaning after Sebastian boarded the window.
Sebastian returned with plywood and nails. “This won’t be pretty but will keep the bugs out until the window is replaced,” he said joking.
Taylor dumped the contents of the dustpan in the trash and wiped her hands on her jeans. “That’s fine. I hope he gets the window before I leave for vacation.”
He measured the area of the window before nailing the plywood to make sure it fit. “Where are you headed for vacation?” He asked banging long nails into the frame surrounding the window.
“Some friends and I are going on a cruise to the Bahamas.”
“I’m jealous,” he said replacing the hammer in the loop of his tool belt. “Open waters, beautiful women….that will be a great vacation.”
“Have you ever taken a cruise to the Bahamas before?” She’d lived across the street from Sebastian for years and knew nothing about him other than his name and he stayed to himself. He was friendly when approached, but she never saw him sitting with other neighbors on their porches or hanging out with a lot of people. It was just him and his dog.
“Not the Bahamas but I took an Alaskan cruise once.” He stacked up the extra plywood on the marble granite countertop and turned to face her. This was the first time he’d been inside her home. He would only talk to her if she were in the yard or wave to her when she was out running. He always took notice of the sports attire she wore. The skimpy running clothes fueled every man’s fantasy, including him. He found her extremely attractive, but a nasty divorce left him bitter. He refrained from dating even though he was lonely.
She took two coffee mugs from the cabinet filling them steaming hot coffee. Handing one to Sebastian, she asked. “Do you use cream or sugar?”
He took the coffee shaking his head. “No, I like it black.”
She imagined she heard an abnormal undertone in his voice. Whatever she heard it iced her blood and she didn’t know why. Shaking off the feeling, she spooned sugar into her coffee. “I take a little sugar and cream. Um, do you want to sit on the porch? It’s such a nice day today.”
He sat at the table nullifying her suggestion. “Taylor, have you seen the news lately. I don’t want to alarm you, but I know you’re here alone and like to run by yourself.”
Taylor eased in the kitchen chair across from him. Removing the headband from her head, she laid it on the table. “I really haven’t had time to watch television. What is going on?”
“A few women have disappeared. It is happening on the eastside of Cleveland, but who knows what this sick individual might do. Taylor, get a dog, or friend to run with you. Also, I suggest you get an alarm installed to be on the safe side.”
“Yes, definitely I will do that. Do you install that stuff?”
“Yeah, I can if you want me to. I’ll drop off a brochure for you to cho
ose what type you want.”
She took a sip of her coffee. She’d never been afraid to do anything alone; suddenly she was feeling scared, and the only man she knew that would protect her, she had run off. “I would like that.”
The slight strands of silver mixing in with the red of his hair showed he was older than she. His green eyes flickered when he raised his cup to salute her. “I will make sure you are safe.”
Uneasiness rolled through her body, but she remained at ease. “I always assumed this neighborhood was safe. We look out for each other with the neighborhood watch.”
“We do. That’s why I confronted your friend.”
“Thank you for everything, Sebastian, I appreciate knowing that while I’m gone my house won’t be cleaned out.”
He put the coffee cup up to his lips. “Not under my watch it won’t.”
Taylor rose from the table to refill her mug. “Would you like a refill?” She asked with her back to him.
The chair scraped across the tiles of the floor when he got up. “No. I better be going. I have a lot of errands to run,” he said stretching.
She exhaled a breath and turned around smiling. “Okay, I’ll see you to the door.”
Taylor held the front door open for him to exit. He frowned. “I forgot my drywall.” Sebastian went to retrieve the drywall. Balancing it under his arm, he winked and said, “Thanks for the coffee. I will put the brochure in the mailbox if you aren’t home.”
She nodded her head. “I will look it over and let you know what I want. I’ll be in touch,” she said closing and locking the door. She went to the kitchen to put the coffee cup Sebastian used in the dishwasher.
She closed and locked the kitchen door and made sure all the windows were secure. Her body ached as she stretched. A hot shower and a nap called her, but she was too uptight to sleep. Running her fingers through her hair, she went to the table for the headband; it was gone.
She checked the floor, trash, and counter by the sink. Sighing Thor must have gotten it if it fell on the floor since he was lying at Sebastian’s feet.
Going into the living room, she lay on the sofa and clicked on the television. CNN was on doing a report on two women that had gone missing from the lower eastside of Cleveland within two days of each other. Why is this happening now?
She reached from the phone on the table. Dialing she waited for her sister to answer. “Sabrina, have you seen the news?”
“You’re talking about those missing women? Yes, I saw that.”
“Be careful leaving the shop at night, okay?”
“I will. We have a security guard in the parking lot until police capture this fool. You should be careful since you like to work late at night. But, then you have Mario to protect you.”
“I had Mario. We broke up today. What is wrong with me, Sabrina? Why can’t I keep a man?”
“What did you do?”
“We got into a fight about Dillon. I told him to take a walk since he can’t accept him as my friend. Was I wrong to do that?”
“YES! Girl, when are you going to stop protecting Dillon’s grown ass? He is not a kid, Taylor. Your man will not understand you are putting Dillon above him. You need to let that protective crap go and live your life and let Dillon live his.”
“So you are taking Mario’s side and think I should end my friendship with him?”
“No, you don’t have to end it. But you are willing to forego your joy to keep Dillon….I can imagine how Mario is dealing with it.”
She nestled the phone to her ear listening to her younger sister’s advice; it made a lot of sense. “I probably blew it with Mario. I will keep your advice handy for the next man that comes along.”
“Good luck finding one like Mario. I can’t believe you let that man go. Did you get a chance to um…you know?”
Taylor laughed. “I won’t kiss and tell but will let your imagination draw the picture. Anyhow, I’m in dire need of sleep. I will call you tomorrow.”
“Taylor, it’s not even noon yet. Oooh, okay, I get it. Well before you fall asleep to dream about what you won’t be getting anymore, call Mario, and patch it up with him. You aren’t getting any younger. I’m tired of mom bugging me to give her a grandchild.”
“That age thing was a low blow. I hope when you have a baby its triplets and all boys…bye, girl.”
“Ouch, Taylor; that was mean…bye.”
Taylor hung up the phone feeling better after talking to her sister. She turned on her side to watch TV. Folding a hand under her head, it wasn’t long before the heaviness from her eyelids slammed shut, forcing her to fall asleep immediately.
Chapter 9
Taylor swiveled her chair to face the window. The view from her office overlooked parts of Lake Erie and Burke Lakefront Airport. Closing her eyes, she needed a solid four more hours of sleep to feel human again. She had slept restlessly and jumped at every noise she heard outside her bedroom window last night.
Her office door opened. “Good morning, Taylor. I hate to bother you but we have to meet with counsel from Gallop in an hour.”
Taylor swung her chair around to face Mario. She stood up and gave a careful gaze up and down his well-dressed body. The slate gray suit, white shirt, and silk gray tie, encased and molded his body. She inhaled lightly taking in his scent. Her internal organs liquefied when he parted those sexy lips to smile.
Her heart softened. She missed him even though they had been apart for only one night. “Good morning, Mario. I was not aware of any meeting with Gallop. Was the meeting arranged this morning?”
Confident she would not throw him out; he stepped into her office and closed the door. Taylor had stood up walked in front of her desk leaning against it. Mario sighed; she had on the black power suit he’s chosen for her on their last trip to the mall. The skirt, snug at the hips, stopped at her calf with a tasteful split running down the side that showed her shapely thigh when she walked. The bodice of the white square-necked shell was cut low and gave a glimpse of her cleavage. It was tucked inside the waist of the skirt with a gold chain as a belt.
He sucked in a breath to cover moan of approval. Smoothing down his tie he said, “I made it yesterday. I received an email from opposing counsel and they are refusing to sign the settlement agreement.”
“Why wasn’t I included on the email? I’ve been working on this case forever…you are new to it. Why would they send an email to you and exclude me?”
He slipped a hand inside the pocket of his trouser. His other arm rested at his side. “Taylor, check your email…you were included in the chain.”
She went around her desk and tapped on the computer opening the email program. Reading the screen and biting her lower lip, she mumbled, “Huh—how did I miss this?”
“When you didn’t respond to their email, I called opposing counsel and suggested we meet this morning and iron out the problem. I did not mean to go over your head.”
“Of course you didn’t, and even if you did, you are a partner and higher on the food chain than I.”
He sighed. “Taylor, I’m not pulling rank.”
“I’m sorry; I know you are doing your job. I dropped the ball you picked it up and ran with it.” She moved to the front of her desk again. “So, why are they hedging on signing the settlement agreement? We had it all in the bag.”
“Tucker feels the million dollar price tag for the damages our client sustained, far exceed his injuries. Tucker argues our client was offered another position with the company and he refused to take it. His angle is to prove our client can support his family without a million dollar settlement padding his bank account.”
Taylor hissed. “Tucker is such a bastard. We advised our client not to take that position. Gallop would not guarantee it would not eliminate the position in a year or two, leaving our client unemployed and piled with medical bills.”
“Tucker is willing to keep the deal at $800,000. That is the highest amount Gallop is willing to go.”
She
threw her head back in disgust. “I can’t believe he won’t let this case die! The man will never work again! He lost his leg. His family will continue to suffer because of Gallop’s negligence in maintaining the machinery in their factory.”
“Well, since you object to the new proposal, what do you want to do?”
“Mario, a flat million is not too much to ask. That was the low end of our settlement demand. Damn, I wish I had seen the email last night. I could have been better prepared going to this meeting.”
“Taylor, I have a great deal of experience dealing with hard-nose negotiators. If you want, I will take a shot at keeping our price on the table and possibly out of the hands of a jury. But, if going to trial will be the only way to get our client justice, then we can do that.”
She patted her hand on the French roll her hair was styled in. The long bangs swept to one side of her head, framed her pretty face. She nodded looking down at the floor. “All right, why don’t you handle it since I’m not on my A-game today? I will go along with you to show my face, but will let you do the arguing unless you need my help in some way,” she conceded reluctantly.
“I’ll do my best to keep this from getting any uglier than it already is. I will meet you in the lobby in fifteen-minutes,” he said turning to leave her office.
She sat behind her desk banging her fist against her forehead. You are slipping, girl. Get it together and do not blow this case because you are suffering from a broken heart. She took her purse from the bottom desk drawer and buzzed her assistant to bring in the Gallop Industries file jacket.
Lynda came in the office with the jacket and handed it to her. “Taylor, are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine.” Taylor scanned through the files making sure what she needed was there.
“Do you have a meeting this morning?”
“Mario Infante and I are meeting with Tucker Plano on the Gallop matter. I don’t know how long I will be gone, so if an emergency arises, I have my cell phone on vibrate to leave me a message,” she said hoisting the heavy file jacket under her arm.
OBSESSED WITH TAYLOR JAMES Page 11
