Page 29 of Mr. July

“Excuse me Mr. Carmichael. I won’t be a moment…”

“Gran?”

“Sorry. I just started a new job. My boss is one of those difficult—anyway something crawled up his butt the past hour and made a home there!”

“I heard that, Bunny!”

“You let him call you Bunny?” I was stunned. Floored. Gran only let Pops call her by her given name. I can’t believe whoever owned that sexy voice on the line does the same. Or maybe I can see why Gran loves it.

“I-I need to go, darling. We’ll talk soon!” Gran quickly ended the call.

I was dazed as I drove back to campus. My mind was so busy thinking of my impending future that thoughts of the weekend barely slipped through. Until I was unpacking my bag later that night. With one last look at my sexy calendar guy, I slipped him in my desk drawer and got busy looking at classifieds.

Ten

“…the house was a mess. I’m sorry Mr. Carmichael my usual cleaning fee is $250 like we discussed, but it’s so bad I’ll need to charge you double. Maybe triple. You’re lucky it’s off season and I don’t have five houses to clean a day.”

My fingertips tapped on my desk. With the phone pressed to one ear, I breathed in and out slowly, processing my house cleaner’s words. The lawyer in me stayed calm. Cool. My questions short and clipped.

“Can you expand on your assessment, please?”

“They left wet towels outside. Empty wine bottles everywhere. Spilled sticky daiquiri like drinks on your new white quartz counters that probably stained them even though you say it’s sealed. I’ll need a special stone cleaner with a Mr. Clean sponge and spend forty minutes just on that. The beds are a mess… and there’s… her voice lowered to a whisper, “Sex toys. Sex toys everywhere. And used condoms on the deck.” I felt her blush as she said the words to me over the phone.

“Are you still there?”

“I’m in the driveway.”

“Thank you, for calling. Don’t touch a thing. I’m leaving work to see this for myself.”

“Am I fired?”

“No, Doreen. You have my apologies for walking into that. I’ll be in touch.”

I sat back in my desk chair; jaw clenched. My beach house has been defiled. I did a google search for Ryan Hill, finding nothing. Did this person use a fake name? My nostrils were flaring now, I logged into my app, finding the reservation. There was a 3% damage fee. Doreen came recommended from the real estate attorney I used to close on the shore house. I didn’t take more money yet. Not before I laid my own eyes on whatever debauchery and havoc was done to my home. After all, I am an attorney. I know exactly how to use the law to make my enemies pay.

I logged into my desktop, opened my outlook calendar, and changed my status for the rest of the day from “in” to “out.”

“I’m leaving for the rest of the day,” I muttered to Bunny as I moved past her desk.

She turned, “Who pissed in your Cheerios?”

My fists clenched. “I’m not exactly sure. But you can bet on Texas I’m going to find out,” I growled. Bunny’s hand went to the pearl choker necklace around her throat. She’s never seen me angry. What Bun Bun and I had going on was a good thing. I shot her a wink over my shoulder as I pressed the button for the elevator. “Look, I’m sorry if I was a bit of a jerk today. I’m about to go all crazy Kraken on someone’s ass. Wanna come along for a ride?”

She pursed her lips, her hot pink nails clicking away on her keyboard. “Someone has to stay behind for Diersky watch. I caught him acting suspicious outside your office door yesterday morning.”

“What?”

Her eyes never left the screen in front of her as she spoke. “Sure did.”

“Order me a camera. One of those that sits on a shelf or something. Expense it.”

“Seriously?”

“You bet, Bun.”

“You want me to shop for a spy camera?”

“Office security. One can never be too safe.” My wheels started turning.Cameras.I should invest for the shore house. “Actually Bun, order me some of those doorbell camera things…. Outdoor wireless cameras… the works.” I opened my wallet, walked back over, and dropped my Amex on her desk.

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