Page 26 of Corporate Escapades

Vic rolled over and covered his head with his pillow, hoping he could ignore the sounds and get another hour of sleep, but it was no use. He rolled out of bed and headed for the shower. If he couldn't ignore it, he would take a nice long shower to relax some before heading back to the boardroom.

Paris found herself wishing she had some earplugs when the ruckus began. She ducked under the covers and pressed her hands to her ears, but she could still hear and feel the sound and vibrations of the pounding. Sitting up, she threw back the blankets and let out a frustrated growl. This was not how she wanted to start her Monday. She threw her pillow in contempt.

Clenching her teeth, she sprung out of bed and headed for her bathroom. Turning on the water, she stepped away for a moment to locate a playlist on her phone while the temperature warmed. Finding what she was looking for, she pressed play and stepped into the shower. The needles of hot spray felt great as they massaged into her tired body.

In his own shower, Vic was enjoying his own playlist. The Celtic sound of theDropkick Murphy'sfilled the room as Vic sang along loudly. No one would have guessed that Vic Alarie was into the concept of singing in the shower, and he preferred to keep it that way, despite how great his voice actually sounded. He had barely finished rinsing when the water cut out. As his playlist began shuffling to the next song, he heard Paris screaming in anger next door. He hopped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around himself.

Banging on Paris's door, he waited a moment and received no answer, so he tried the handle. It was unlocked, so, he let himself in. “Paris? Hello? Are you okay?” he called out.

Paris presented herself in a pair of sweatpants and a tank, with a towel atop her head. “My water has stopped working mid-shower!” she cried. “I'm covered in suds. I can't go to work like this. My hair’s a mess! Why are you wearing nothing but a towel?”

“Oh, yeah, sorry. I was in the shower as well and heard your screams. I wanted to make sure you didn't get hurt or something,” he replied carefully.

“Don't make any sudden moves!” she blurted. “I don't want that towel coming undone.”

“Why not? You seemed to have trouble looking away that night at my condo.” He laughed.

Removing the towel from her head, she threw it at him. “I doubt that very much!” she snapped.

“Dang, you weren't kidding. Your hair is full of suds,” said Vic. “Why don't we go over to Mya's, and you can finish showering?”

“We need to find out why the water is off and how long it's going to be. This is ridiculous,” she whined.

“Calm down, princess, I’ll look into it. Get your phone and call Mya. Tell her you’ll be over shortly. I'm sure she’ll let you use her shower.”

Paris picked up her phone and dialed Mya. She hated having to ask for a favor, but she was desperate.

“Hello?” answered Mya.

“Hi. It's Paris. While I was showering, someone turned off the water. I’m covered in soap and desperate. Do you still have water?”

“As far as I know. Let me check.” Mya set the phone down and went to the faucet. Flipping it on, she watched as water flowed into the sink. Turning back to her phone, she said, “Yep. My water’s still running.”

“May I please come over and finish showering at your place?” she begged.

“Yeah, sure,” replied Mya. “I'll see you in a few.”

Paris hung up the phone and gathered her work clothes. When she exited her apartment, Vic was already dressed and waiting by the elevator. “I tried to talk to one of the workers, but he couldn’t hear me. I called and asked Chase to bring coffee. Lord knows I need it this morning. I wonder how long the remodel is scheduled to continue for?” Paris followed Vic into the elevator.

“I don't know, but this is driving me mad,” she said. “I feel like I’ve time-warped to some other dimension.”

“Woman, you don't have to tell me how it feels. I'm right here with you.”

Stepping off the elevator, Paris fast-walked to Mya's apartment, hoping no one else would be in the hall. Once inside,Mya gave her a new towel, and she headed off to the bathroom to finish cleaning up.

Mya looked to Vic, “How are things? Are you ready for the meeting today?”

“Yes and no,” he replied. “I'm already tired of this charade and wanting it to be over.”

“You can want, all you desire, but it won't be over until you actually make some changes,” she said.

A knock sounded at the door. Vic opened it to find Chase standing in the hallway with four cups of coffee in a cardboard carrier. “Morning,” he said happily as he handed Mya and Vic each a cup. “Did everyone sleep well?”

“Not particularly,” replied Vic. “This morning, we were once again awoken by the construction at six-o-clock and then while we were showering, the water to our apartments was turned off.”

“Oh, that's too bad. Drink your coffee. It’ll make you feel a little more human,” he instructed.

“You’re enjoying this a bit too much,” replied Vic. Chase nodded in return and Vic rolled his eyes.

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