Page 57 of The Ruckup
The police still don’t have an identity on the dead dude in the car. They also can’t—or won’t—tell me why the car was parked in my apartment complex. But at least I don’t have to deal with the trauma of knowing someone I saw once a month when they dropped off their rent check was turned into a charcoal briquette.
After rubbing my eyes, I check the time, and I’m a little surprised at how late in the day it is already. Well past lunch time, and while I’m not hungry—I’ve been oddlyunhungry the past few days—I am unusually exhausted. The kind of tired that’s probably due to stress, anxiety…
And staying up way too late having amazing sex with the hottest man I’ve ever known.
Since I can’t take a nap, I decide to attempt a little walk. Maybe some fresh air and exercise will help me tackle the afternoon appointments I have lined up.
I flip the sign on the newly replaced—and much sturdier—door, letting everyone know I'm not in the office, before locking up and meandering up the side of the building toward the large pond sitting at the center of the complex. From what I've heard, there used to be swans on the water. But like most of my tenants, they didn't act right and couldn't be trusted, so the birds were re-homed.
I don’t know exactly how difficult they were, but my maintenance man says he’d much rather run off the geese himself than deal with the swans. I have to assume they were pretty big pains in the ass since Hillard is usually a reasonable kind of guy.
Reaching the edge of the water, I stop and pull in a deep breath, hoping to release the last bits of anxiety dealing with Madame Carpet Catastrophe brought on.
Unfortunately, right as I let it out, my phone starts to ring.
Peering down at the screen, I swallow hard when Andy's phone number is the one staring back at me. I knew this would happen when I sent that email, and I genuinely believed I could handle it. But now that I’m staring down the consequences of my actions, panic is trying to set in.
Taking a steadying breath, I quickly answer before I can convince myself he’s going to yell at me and start a spiral I’ll struggle to get out of. "Hey, Andy."
I’m met by a long-suffering sigh. "Why did you go and give that woman my number?"
He doesn't sound mad, so that's good.
“She wanted to complain to my boss about me not replacing her dog pee carpets.” It sounds even more stupid now that I’m saying it out loud. I don’t know where she bought her audacity, but it probably came on a pallet.
“Oh, I know. I heard all about it.” He pauses. “Right up until my phone accidentally lost service.”
That has my feet stalling out. “We can pretend to lose service when a tenant is being a pain in the butt?”
“No one can prove I didn’t actually lose service.” Andy’s answer isn’t really an answer, but I’m taking it as one.
“Good to know.” I plop down on one of the benches set along the water’s edge. “What do you want me to do about the pee carpet?”
“We’re not doing anything about it. I told her I was confident her carpet wasn’t ruined because if she’d really let her dog urinate all over the brand-new carpet in her unit, that would have put her in direct violation of her lease.” I could swear there’s a smile in Andy’s voice when he continues. “I also explained I’d be on site next week doing walk-throughs, so I could give her my opinion on the state of her rugs then.”
Oh my damn. I didn’t realize how feral Andy could be. “I think you might be my new favorite person.”
“Wait until you hear what I told her about all we take into consideration when it’s time to renew a lease.” There’s a hint of amusement in his normally dry tone. “Let’s just say I’m guessing she won’t be giving you any more problems. I’m also guessing you’ll see a steam cleaning company outside her apartment in the next couple of days.”
I let out a sigh of relief. Not only is my boss not mad at me, but he’s also backing me up. He didn’t sayIwasn’t going to do anything. He saidwewouldn’t be doing anything. Like this is a team effort.
And I’m part of the team.
Andy has sort of a quirky personality, and there have been many times I’ve wondered if he genuinely likes me. I don’t think I have to wonder anymore. “Thank you.”
“Don’t let those people walk all over you, Maddie, because they will. There’s a reason I only own one fifty-five and up complex.” He snorts. “And it’s not because they don’t make money.”
I feel even better knowing I’ve got his permission to stand up to unruly tenants. “Okay. I’ll do my best.”
“I know you will. That’s why I hired you. You were the only person I interviewed who I thought had the right personality to keep that place in line.”
I… Don’t know what to say to that. To hear Andy saw potential in me that I didn’t see myself. Makes me wonder what else I’m not seeing.
We discuss his visit next week, and I fill him in on everything I know about the car fire. After promising to update him with any news, we end our call.
I want to smile. Want to be excited over how far I’ve come in my professional life and the way I handled that woman. But like so much else, I’m caught between the good and the bad. The great and the awful.
And the awful is hanging over my head and making it impossible for me to genuinely enjoy anything. Especially since my awful is affecting Leo so much.
