Okay, I’m pretty sure I hadn’t had a nap in my entire life, but Dee told me that sleep experts believe that daytime naps would increase my alertness, boost creativity and memory, ease stress, improve perception, enhance my non-existent sex life, help me lose weight, reduce the risk of heart attack, and brighten my not-so-sunny disposition.
According to Dee, naps were like a miracle drug.
I was willing to give them a shot.
“For an older guy, Nick looks delicious.”
“Older guy?”
Dee nodded. “Yeah—he must be up there in his forties.”
I glared at her, even though I knew it would have zero effect. “Excuse me? Up there? I guess that means I’m up there, too. Careful or I’ll bounce your next paycheck on purpose.”
I was forty-five years old and didn’t have a problem with getting older, but I didn’t consider myself to be up there.
Dee smiled. “Yeah, but you don’t look a day over thirty-five. I hope I look half as good as you when I’m your age.”
“You’re forgiven.” I smiled. “I don’t understand how you get anything done when you get off topic so much.”
“I’m a multitasking queen. By the way, I already sent Nick a message to let him know I would meet him instead of you.”
Dee had met with Nick the last two times he had come to my house to take measurements and do some calculations in my yard, since I’d been out of town on business. All of my communication with Nick had been through email and phone calls because my schedule had been crazy lately.
He sounded professional when we talked and it appeared that we were on the same page, but I knew from experience that many business owners were trained in the skill of telling the client exactly what they wanted to hear so they could get the job. That’s why I had a rule of meeting everyone I did business with in person, to make sure there weren’t any negative vibes, red flags, or personality conflicts. I wanted to look that person in the eyes and trust what I felt in my gut. I had one of the best bullshit detectors around and could determine almost immediately when a person wasn’t being sincere.
My gut is always right.
“Maybe I should tell Nick to hold off and I can meet him after I get back from Phoenix.”
“No.” Dee was adamant, as usual. “I’ll take care of everything and give him the key. And remember, he’s the best in the business. You have nothing to worry about.”
“Just because Nick Morris is the best doesn’t mean he can’t be a pain in my butt. I already have enough stress in my life and don’t need more.”
“And that’s why you hired him in the first place, remember?”
Dee had come up with the idea of the backyard project. She claimed that the stress in my life would kill me and that I needed a place to disconnect and destress. My backyard would be transformed into a tranquil space, my little zen garden. Yes, I only lived three blocks from the beach, but sometimes I needed just a minute or two to step right outside my home office, take a few deep breaths, clear my head, and lower my blood pressure. Hopefully, my new zen garden would be a game changer, but I wasn’t going to worry about that right now. I needed to get ready to fly to Phoenix.
I downed the rest of my coffee. “Okay, gotta run.”
“Wait!” Dee scooted closer to her camera again. “Before you go, tell me what happened to your wrist. And the spinning class. What was that all about?”
I stared at her, not wanting to tell her, but knowing she would keep insisting. “Okay, but don’t you dare laugh.”
“I would never do such a thing.”
“Right.” I sighed. “Well . . .”
“Just tell me.” Dee took a sip of her tea.
I sighed. “I hurt myself in the spinning class trying to remove . . . a wedgie.”
Dee’s eyes went wide and tea sprayed from her mouth straight onto her computer monitor. She coughed and snorted, her laugh building until it became hysterical. I could no longer see her since her camera was obviously covered with tea. Waiting for her to get it out of her system was my only option. Hopefully, it wouldn’t take all morning.
“At least your problems are behind you!” Dee laughed harder as she started to come back into view, furiously wiping her monitor like she wanted nothing more than to see how embarrassed I was.
I’m glad somebody thought it was funny because it wasn’t to me.
After she finished wiping her computer screen, she wiped her eyes. “You made my day. I’m not sure if I ruined my monitor, but it was worth it.”
“I’m glad my pain is your gain. May I go now?”
Dee nodded, her bottom lip quivering from trying to hold in more laughter. “Keep me updated on Amsterion, and good luck.”
I nodded and disconnected the video conference, knowing luck would not help me one bit.
I could attribute the success in my career to hard work, determination, experience, and knowing how to deal with men’s super-sized egos. It was also about having the right information available to make the right decision at the right time.
Teddy Markston was a brilliant businessman who believed in honesty and integrity.
Stewart Peters was a lying, cheating douchebag.
That was all the info I needed to make things right in Phoenix.
Chapter Two
NICK
“Careful!” I said to Brandon, who was laughing and on the verge of dropping the brand-new french door he was carrying to my truck. “If you drop it, you’re paying for it.”
I pointed at the door and gave him my best serious look, even though I could never get mad at him. He was one of the nicest and hardest working guys I had ever met. I was lucky to have him working for me.
“Relax. I’m not going to drop it.” Brandon continued to laugh but got a better grip on the door. “And it’s your fault. Don’t tell me things like that when I’m in the middle of something that requires my attention. That’s hysterical.”
I had just mentioned to him that a woman in my spinning class fell off her bike while she was trying to remove a wedgie.
“Maybe she was falling for you.”
I shook my head. “Not funny.”
Brandon was a rare man, a hopeless romantic. They weren’t very easy to spot in the wild, but he assured me that there were many more out there if I looked close enough.
Maybe I needed to buy binoculars.
“Is she okay?” Brandon asked.
I nodded. “She’ll be fine. She injured her wrist, but I’m guessing the bruised ego is what’s bothering her. Talk about embarrassing. Hang on.” I opened the tailgate of my truck and stepped out of Brandon’s way. “Okay, go for it.”
Brandon laid the edge of the second door on top of the first one and slid it into the bed of my truck. Then he closed the tailgate and wiped his hands on his jeans.
We were headed to a client’s place to get the key to her house, but had to make a stop to pick up custom-ordered french doors for the job.
Brandon was my employee, even though he felt more like an equal partner because of everything he did, including the grunt work that my doctor ordered me not to do. The same doctor who told me the spinning class was okay for me.