Page 20 of Fall Apart

I roll my eyes and groan. As much as I like Jessica, I don’t want to give her all the details about Clay. “It would be just my luck that the contractor working upstairs hates me and likes to stomp around every morning, waking me up.”

She laughs and shakes her head. “I never thought I’d see the day that someone would get under your skin. It’s been two weeks of early mornings and you haven’t gone full Lizzy on them?”

I squint at her through the video chat, thinking about what she just said. Ignoring the fact that I know the loud, grumpy jerk upstairs, she’s got a point.

“You know I’m right,” she continues. “If this was a vendor or plant manager, you’d have already gone off on them and gotten them in line. Come on, work that Lizzy magic.”

By the timeI get back to the condo after the day in the office, I’m beat. After my call with Jessica, I had non-stop meetings with the plant management and accounting teams. Throw on getting stuck in traffic and all I want to do is get into bed to take a quick power nap to make up for my lack of sleep at night.

I change into a pair of sweats and an oversized t-shirt and hop into my bed. It feels like heaven after the long day. I really need to start getting to bed earlier so I can get a full eight hours of sleep. But somehow, a glass of wine and a good book just seems so much more appealing most nights.

My eyes are just fluttering shut for my power nap when I hear a loud bang on the ceiling above me, followed by shouting.

You’ve got to be kidding me. I try burying my head under the pillow, but the noise only continues. I hear Jessica’s voice in the back of my head fueling my rage. She’s right. I don’t put up with this shit.

I grab the pillow and throw it across the room before hopping out of bed.

I slide on my slippers and head out of the condo towards the elevator.

This is bullshit and I’m going to give Clay a piece of my mind. He’s going to get a full dose of the bad bitch energy I bring at work every day.

Do I expect it to fix anything? Probably not.

Am I going to feel better for doing it? One thousand percent yes.

I ride the elevator up one floor, my arms crossed and my foot tapping, already looking forward to the confrontation. Who does he think he is?

When the elevator pings and the door opens, I stomp as dramatically as one can across the hall in fuzzy slippers and bang my fist against the door to the penthouse.

“Clay Chapman!” I shout. “Get your ass out here.”

The sound of power tools come to a stop and I hear some mumbling followed by laughter. My blood is boiling now. They’re really laughing about this? Or at me? The nerve of these assholes. I guess it makes sense if they are anything like Clay.

I hear the door unlatch and watch as the door opens.

Ok.

This was a bad idea.

CHAPTER 11

CLAY

OH THIS IS TOO GOOD

“How much longer are yougoing to be here? I’ll stay and make sure the place is cleaned up and closed tonight.” I tip my head to Marco on the other side of the penthouse before taking a sip of my iced coffee. I probably shouldn’t mainline these the way I do, but it’s the only way I make it through the second half of the day. “He can’t be too much longer right?”

Luke puts his hand on his hip, surveying the penthouse. “No, not too much longer. Probably half an hour or so?”

I nod, taking another sip when we’re startled by loud banging at the door. I jump, spilling my coffee down my shirt.

“Son of a bitch.” I set the coffee down and glare at Luke who’s already wearing a shit eating grin and laughing at me.

“Would you go grab my bag? I have another shirt in there.” I point across the penthouse foyer towards my gym bag in the corner and pull my shirt off.

“Clay Chapman!” We both jerk our heads towards the door when I hear her voice coming from the other side of it.

Oh, this is too good.

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