I whirled around when I heard footsteps behind me.
“Did you just get home?” he asked. He was wearing a pair of jeans with a white button-up shirt. His cuffs were undone and hanging open, the top button of his shirt unfastened. His hair was still wet from the shower and he smelled absolutely divine.
“I did. Are you leaving?”
“Yeah,” he rubbed his forehead. “I have a shit ton of stuff to do today. I’m running out of time to get this bid together. I’m going to meet with another subcontractor today. If all goes right, they’ll cut me a good deal on the earthmoving. If it works, it could be our golden ticket to getting the job.”
I stood on my tiptoes and kissed his cheek. “You’ll nail it. I know you will. You’re irresistible.”
He smiled a crooked grin. “I hope they find me a charming as you do.”
“They will. You’ll see.”
“What are your plans for the day?”
I shrugged. “I’m going to take a nap if I can and then I am going to head to the grocery store. I’ve been so busy moving my stuff here that we’re out of food.”
“I’m out of red cups. I saw a commercial for these new 180 cups—there’s a shot glass on the bottom. Think you could find those?”
I rolled my eyes, earning me a swat to the backside.
“Keep it up and you’ll miss your meeting.”
He bent down and kissed me lazily. He nibbled on my bottom lip, tugging slightly before releasing it. “I’d love to stay in bed with you today, but we need this job. As soon as I get one nailed down, I’m taking you away for the weekend.”
“Deal.”
MAX
I hit the freeway and bounced in and out of cars. My mind was going a mile a minute. We had to get the job. All the big contractors in the Valley were going to be going after it, but I needed to make sure it was ours. I had worked on it as best I could, but there had been so many distractions.
I growled into the air.
The City of Mesa received a tip that we had manipulated the numbers on asphalt on a job we were already working on. The tipster said that we laid less asphalt than required, which was untrue. I had spent time I didn’t have dealing with that over the last week. Even though we were found to have done everything by the book, I was out a little money and a lot of time.
My phone rang beside me and I saw Cane’s name. “Yeah?” I asked, not in the mood for pleasantries.
“Good morning to you, too, asshole.”
“What’s up?”
“I just left the house for the office and Hilah called. Lucy left a voice message late yesterday that she would be back to work today. Hilah doesn’t know what to do with Sam.”
I heaved a breath.
“Well, I didn’t know Lucy was coming back either, so I don’t really have an answer.”
“I’ll just tell her to cut Sam’s last check then,” Cane said simply. “Works for me.”
“No. You know what? Just stick her in Dan’s old cubicle across from my office. She’s good at data entry and shit. I could use the help right now.”
Cane chuckled. “You sure about this?”
“Yeah. I’m pretty sure Norm would make a solid case to move her to Accounting anyway.”
“It’s your call, man. I’ll let Hilah know.”
MAX
“Hilah said you wanted to see me?” I looked up to see Sam batting her blue eyes at me. “I saw the girl at the front desk, so I bet I know what’s coming.”
“Nah, I told Cane you could help me out back here for a while. But you probably do need to start looking for another job. As soon as we get another bid, estimating will slow down and I won’t be able to justify having a secretary.”
She grinned. “So I’m your personal secretary now?”
“I guess,” I shrugged. “Whatever you want to call it. I can use your help, but I’m trying to give you time to find something else. Especially since you just moved in Kari’s house.” I ran a hand through my hair. “Just put your things in the cubicle across the hallway. I think Hilah had the rest of your stuff moved there already.”
Sam smiled triumphantly and left. I reclined back in my chair and closed my eyes, trying to ward off the massive headache that was beginning to lodge itself behind my forehead.
“Done! Now what, boss?” Sam asked, having reappeared back in the doorway.
“Did you do any entering in the estimating program for Norm?”
“The Adiplex Program? Yeah, a little.”
“Good. I’m going to give you a spec book and I need you to go in and add all of the quantities for the job we’re bidding tomorrow in there.” I looked around for the book, but it was nowhere to be found. “Let me see if it’s in my truck.”
I ran outside but the book wasn’t there, either. I racked my brain until I remembered it sitting on my office chair at the house.
Damn it!
I went back inside. Sam was sitting in the chair across from my desk, one leg crossed over the other.