She looked around the apartment. He developed commercial real estate and helped run his family’s ranch. The buildings on Main Street were old and historic. On the ground level were businesses—restaurants, salons, law firms. Upstairs, Mitchell had created a few luxury apartments. Some of the walls were old exposed brick. She loved the character that brought to the place. Other walls had drywall so he could run lights, switches, and outlets. She liked how that melded the modern with the old. When she walked into the kitchen, her mouth fell open. She didn’t know who did his interior design, but she was going to see if she could hire them! The kitchen was modern with solid black granite countertops and top-of-the-line appliances. Hell, she may never leave. Not. She admired the hardwood floors as she walked toward the bedroom. Again, luxurious didn’t even begin to describe the room. It had a king-size bed and dark, modern furniture. All of the linens were pure, crisp white. Floor-to-ceiling French doors led out of the bedroom to a small balcony, which had just enough room for two small, wrought-iron chairs and a bistro table. When she closed the doors, she turned toward the bathroom. Her eyes bulged as she took in the natural tile floor, the shower’s stone walls with a rain shower head on the ceiling, and extra sprayers coming from the wall. The soaking tub was what caught her attention next. Holy shit! She’d be using that before she went to bed tonight. This place was gorgeous. She wondered why he hadn’t rented it. When she finished looking around, she made her way back to the leather sectional in the living area. She turned on the stereo so music flowed through the entire apartment while she got to work.
An hour later, she’d sent several emails and made a list of what she needed to do around town the next day. First on her list was to call Catherine Livingston. They’d been friends since middle school. Now she was working her way up the ladder at the local branch of the United Southeastern Bank. Since Cat sat on several boards for companies in the area, she’d know if there were any newcomers in town. Someone looking to scare an elderly couple into selling their property. Next, she planned a trip to City Hall to look at tax and property records. There had to be more to this than meets the eye.
She poured a glass of wine while the bath filled with the bubble bath she found under the sink. Hopefully that would calm her enough to get some sleep tonight. She lounged in the tub full of bubbles as soft music came through the speakers. A sigh left her body as her muscles began to relax. She took a sip of wine and closed her eyes. Heaven. This was Heaven. She started to drift off a little when she heard banging on the door of the apartment. She startled before she remembered where she was. What the hell? Mitchell was the only person who knew exactly which apartment she was in, but he wouldn’t need to knock. Her family didn’t even know. She jumped out of the tub, suds and all, and scurried to the front door while she wrapped a towel around herself. Maybe he left her the only key. She looked out through the peephole, but saw nothing. She opened the door as far as the chain would allow. Again, nothing. She closed the door, unhooked the chain, and re-opened it. There was no one there. She looked out toward the street and saw a set of head lights. Just as she faced the vehicle, the driver turned the headlights on bright, right in her eyes. She tried to shield her eyes to see if she could tell what kind of car it was, but she was holding her towel. That’s when they revved the engine, spun the tires, and drove off, leaving black marks on the road. What the hell was going on?
After locking herself back inside the apartment, she knew there was no going back to the bath so she went straight to bed. As she lay there, staring at the ceiling, she contemplated what she’d come back to.
With very little sleep last night, she needed coffee this morning. As the smell permeated the apartment, she called Catherine.
“Catherine Livingston.”
“Cat! What are you up to?”
“Kayla? Are you okay? Why are you calling?”
“I’m good. I’m in town. Want to do lunch?”
“I’d love to. I have a meeting at two, so can you go at twelve?”
“Sure. Is there somewhere we can go to talk?”
“This sounds serious.”
“Yeah, well, it might be. I need some info. But I don’t need a lot of prying eyes or ears.”
“Since my meeting is in Cloverville, do you want to meet at that little diner they have on States Street?” Catherine knew the people there would know her, but none of them would know Kayla. The waitress knew Catherine sometimes held meetings there and would seat them in the back corner booth as far away from the other customers as possible. She’d only ever let anyone else sit next to them if the dining room was full.
“Sounds perfect. See you at noon.”
She finished getting ready for the day and headed over to City Hall. She’d learned through the years that when dealing with men, sometimes it helped to show off your…assets. Black pencil skirt, tight white blouse, and four inch brightly colored heels should do it. City Hall was close enough to walk, even in heels. Plus, the weather was beautiful, so why not. What she didn’t expect was the crowd at the café on Main Street as she passed. Some she didn’t know, others she did. Curtis Taylor just happened to be the Chief of Police, and she just happened to know him. He plastered on a wide smile as he greeted her, “Well if it isn’t Miss Makayla Gregory. To what do we owe the pleasure of your presence in our humble, little town?”
She didn’t think any more sarcasm could fit in that statement if he tried. She never bought into this town being the best place to live. She had wanted out of there since she was fourteen. The locals didn’t like people that wanted to move. In their minds, people who wanted to leave thought they were better than the people who stayed. That wasn’t her, but she needed to have some anonymity this town couldn’t give her. It was all she could do to put a smile on her face and not give into the urge to be just as evil. She let a fake smile cross her lips. “Just here for a few days visiting my folks.”
“You sure didn’t waste any time calling ole Mitchell, did you? Are you going to drag him through the mud again while you’re here? He and Sally Crawford ended things because she couldn’t take being called “Mak” in bed anymore. Damn, girl. Maybe I need to see what’s so golden about your pussy. Mitchell isn’t around right now. What d’ya say? Want to take me back to that apartment you just came from?”
“Curtis, you may be Chief of Police, but that doesn’t give you the right to speak to me that way. Ever heard of a sexual harassment charge? I’ll be more than happy to file one while I’m at City Hall.”
Curtis walked directly up to her and leaned in closely. “I don’t think you want to do that, little girl. You may get more than you bargained for.” He stepped back and addressed the crowd that had gathered. “Did anyone here see me sexually harass Miss Gregory? Did I touch her in any way?” Every single person shook their head. “See, Kayla, it was just your imagination. Be careful what you stick your nose in at City Hall. You may not like what you find. I’ll see you around. Maybe I’ll swing by Mitchell’s apartment late tonight to see if you’ll answer the door in a bath towel.”
She narrowed her eyes. “What did you just say?” How the hell did he know she was in one of Mitch’s apartments, or that she answered the door in a towel? What the fuck! Was it him last night?
“I said, ‘I’ll see you around’.”
“No, after that.”
“Oh, nothing. Just a fantasy I have of a woman answering the door in nothing but a towel, with bubbles slowly sliding down her wet, slick skin. If her hair is piled on top of her head, she’d be perfect.” A mocking smile slid across his face once more. “Hell, Kayla. Now I’m going to have to go over to Ruby’s and get her to take care of this,” he said as he cupped himself.
She schooled her emotions because he just described what she looked like last night. There was no way that was a coincidence. “Seriously? I hear Ruby Johnson is so popular these days, you may need an appointment. At least she has her own house and doesn’t have to go rent rooms by the hour. Hell, maybe she’ll even p
ut fresh sheets on the bed for ya,” she said with a sweet-as-honey smile. Stay calm. Stay calm.
“With this,” he said tapping his badge, “I won’t need an appointment. It allows me to jump to the front of the line.”
She shuddered as she walked away, not only from what he just said, but also because she got the feeling Curtis was involved in what happened last night. He was gross in high school, but she swore he was even more disgusting now. How did he ever become Chief? If she ever doubted this town was corrupt before, now she was convinced of it. Right there was good ole boy southern politics at its finest.
Kayla spent about an hour looking up tax and foreclosure information on some properties before heading to the Zoning Department. She decided to play the naive woman who didn’t know what she was doing. Not too many people knew that she was a real estate investor and developer. Mitch helped her get started several years ago, and she hadn’t looked back. People underestimated a woman in this profession, so she was curious how many hoops this town would make her jump through to get the information she needed. From what she understood, the guy in the Zoning Department wasn’t from around here. How did some outsider get that job?
The receptionist was young. Kayla didn’t recognize her, but she wasn’t surprised since she didn’t socialize much when she was in town. “Hello. Is Mr. Dribble in?”
“Do you have an appointment?”
“No. I’m Makayla Gregory with Almost Home Properties. I’m in town for a few days and would like to discuss some development ideas with him if he has a few moments.”
“I’ll check to see if he’s in.”
As she waited, she looked around the office at the old photos that showed the town growing from its early days. She smiled when she saw a picture of Mitch when he was around four. He was with his parents and Evan as they were cutting the ribbon on the new fire station. Damn, he was even cute back then.
“Miss?” She heard the receptionist say.
She turned around and the young woman continued, “Mr. Dribble says he can see you. I’ll show you to the conference room.”
“Thank you.”
The young woman showed Kayla in and closed the door when she left. Kayla walked to the bank of windows that looked out over the park. The park really was pretty. Maybe that’s where she and Mitch would walk tonight.
Suddenly remembering why she was in the Zoning Department, she felt a twinge of guilt, knowing she shouldn’t do what she was about to do. She knew women should be respected for their minds, but sometimes one has to fight fire with fire. She knew she’d never get straight answers simply by asking, so she undid the next button on her blouse as she waited for Mr. Dribble. First, she was dealing with a Dick, and now a Dribble. She stifled a giggle when she heard someone clear their throat.
She turned and pasted on her most innocent smile. Mr. Dribble was about fifty, partially bald with a comb over that was quite disturbing. As greasy as his hair was, she wondered if he’d washed it in a month or if he used some kind of styling product. She walked over to him with a sexy sway to her hips. The girls were sitting high and perky as she watched Mr. Dribble’s eyes scan her body from head to toe. On the way back up, they hesitated at her chest before they made it to her face. “Gotcha,” she thought.
Mr. Dribble stuttered, “M-Ms. Gregory?”
She reached her hand out to shake his. Her grip was firm. No spaghetti noodle hand shake from her. “Good morning, Mr. Dribble. How are you?”
“Fine, fine. Would you like to take a seat?”
“Yes, please.” She made sure the girls were front and center since she wanted him a little distracted. “Mr. Dribble, as I told the receptionist, I invest in and develop residential real estate. I’d like to know what someone would have to do to develop land around here. I’ve seen several plots that look promising.” She shifted in her seat and her arms squeezed her breasts up a little. Mr. Dribble’s eyes widened for a moment, but he gathered himself quickly.
“Is there any land in particular that you’re interested in?” He pulled at his collar a little.
“I like the properties on Old Pond Road and Chestnut Creek.”
“Not your parents’ property? I’m surprised. It seems to be the hot property right now.”
So, he did know who she was. She ran her fingers along the edge of her blouse. “All in due time. My parents still enjoy living there for the most part. They haven’t put it on the market, so why is it hot?”
Mr. Dribble licked his lips and quickly asked, “Do you want some water? I can have some brought in.”
It must’ve been some time since this man had gotten laid. “No, thank you, Mr. Dribble. I did leave my purse by the door, and I’ll need my note pad.” She rose and walked toward the door. Very slowly she bent over so he had full view of her backside. As she started to straighten, she heard him cough. “Are you okay? Do you need some water?” She looked at him over her shoulder and smiled. This man was so distracted. She thought he’d say just about anything to get her out of his office.
“So, where were we?” She leaned over as she sat down. If his face got any redder, she swore he’d pass out. His blood pressure had to be through the roof. “Oh, yes. You were going to tell me what I had to do to develop land here.”
“Yes. Those two parcels you mentioned have had some interest, but like I said, it’s your parents’ property that most people want. Some out-of-town investor has been coming in and buying all of the larger parcels.”
“Do you know who it is? Maybe I could contact them directly to see if they’d sell to a fellow investor,” she said.
“Masterson Investments. They’re from the Midwest.”
“Great. I’ll find them. Now, what requirements does Riverton Crossing have that I need to know?”
Mr. Dribble found his footing and rattled off all the necessary information from getting her plan approved to which permits had to be pulled. Talking requirements seemed to be how he dealt with women in the workplace.
“Thank you, Mr. Dribble. You’ve been quite helpful. Maybe we’ll be seeing more of each other.”
“Yes, Ms. Gregory, I hope so.”
She left Mr. Dribble at the elevators with his tongue practically on the tile. She rebuttoned her blouse before the elevator hit the ground floor and left the building, heading toward her car for lunch with Cat. Kayla hoped she knew about Masterson Investments.
As she drove to Cloverville with just the radio to keep her company, she let her mind wander toward Mitch when “Think of You” by Chris Young and Cassadee Pope came on. She wondered if that’s what their friends thought about them. Maybe it won’t have to be that way. Before she knew it, she was pulling up to the diner where she and Cat planned to meet. As soon as she stepped out of her car, she was bear hugged from behind. She couldn’t help the laugh that exploded from her body. It was so good to see her long-time friend.
“Cat!”
“Kayla!”
They screamed like teenagers. People in the vicinity actually gave them nasty looks since they were in their mid-twenties.
“I think people are telling us we need to act our age,” Kayla said.
“Well, if someone would come see me, I wouldn’t need to be so excited when I see her. I’m not mentioning any names or anything, Makayla Gregory,” Cat quipped.
“Yeah, yeah, I think I’ve heard that a time or two since I’ve been here. Last time I checked, the road goes both ways, hon,” Kayla said with the biggest smile on her face as she followed Cat into the restaurant.
“Shut up.” Cat turned to face the hostess and said, “Mildred, we’re actually having a business luncheon. Can you sit us someplace with a little privacy?” Cat followed Mildred to the back corner booth with a little bounce in her step while Kayla brought up the rear, scanning everyone they passed.
They placed their orders, and Kayla pulled out her notepad. “Ever heard of Masterson Investments?” She asked.
“Gee, let’s get straight to business. No, I don’t want
to spend any time catching up.”
“Hey, we can do that later because I do have some personal questions for you, too. I just want to cover this while it’s fresh in my mind.”
“Ok. Yes, I’ve heard of them. They’re a big outfit with a lot of cash, and they don’t mind flaunting it. They’ve come into the bank a few times. I don’t know who they talk to or what they talk about. Why?”
“They’ve been inquiring about my parents’ property. Do you know Richard ‘Dick’ Beal?” She put Dick in air quotes.
“Oh, yeah. The guy that built the house next to your folks? He’s a real piece of work. I swear that man needs a psyche evaluation. He’s got a temper, especially when he drinks. I’ve seen him at the bar on Main Street hanging with a rough-looking bunch of guys. They aren’t from around here, so I don’t know who they are. One guy was sniffing a lot, and it wasn’t pollen season. You know what I mean?”
Kayla nodded her head as their lunch arrived. They started eating as the topic of conversation changed. “Not to be nosy, but have you gone out with Thomas yet?” Kayla asked.
“Um, no! Are you kidding me?”
“You know he’s had the hots for you for years. Why won’t you go?
“He hasn’t asked me, plus he’s always busy. I guess the hospital keeps him hopping.”
“Well, since I’m in town for a few days, I know he’ll make time to see me. I see a fix-up coming.”
“Right, I’m game only when you go out with Mitchell.”
“We’re going on a walk tonight, thank you very much.”
“A walk down the street or a walk between your legs?”
“A walk down the street for now. He told me last night not to start something I wasn’t willing to finish. I don’t know. He’s always had my head all over the place so I need to make sure we’re on the same page before I let my body take over.”
Unwelcomed Greeting: A Riverton Crossing Novel Page 2
