CHAPTER ONE
Kyle
“Well, this time I’m doing things a little differently. I need out of this office. Out of this damned building,” I explain.
Telling myself really.
The team of consultants, lawyers, and my regular staff all blink up at me from the long table.
I need out of this suit.
Into a big warm bed with someone, I can grab a hold of and never let go of for a week.
And by a week I mean forever.
They call it the long table, and not just because of its length.
Mostly because at the main table in the meeting room I’ve got a reputation of keeping people back long after hours, going over every tiny detail of my real estate development projects.
I don’t pay anyone by the hour.
It’s a per-project fee, and if it takes all night to work on one thing, then it takes all fucking night.
It’s not like I have anyone to go home to, is it?
But that’s nobody else’s problem.
None of their business either.
I puff air out from my cheeks. Pointing a pistol finger and thumb at my go-to guy for new project material.
“Rick. What’s simmering on the surface this quarter?” I ask, noticing his bashful look for the first time in the decade he’s worked for me.
Not enough mojo in your latte this morning, Rick? What is it with these people today?
Is it because it’s a Sunday, or is it that they can sense something’s different?
“Rick?” I ask him again sharply. He clears his throat before opening a thin red folder.
“Uh… Cherry,” he mumbles.
“Excuse me?” I ask impatiently, leaning my big hands on the back of a thick office chair, making it creak.
Pretending the name isn’t familiar to me.
Even though I know full well what the next project’s all about, I’ve been doing my own research. Made sure I slid all the information right to my team weeks back without them knowing where it came from.
“Cherry, Mr. Lundstrom. It’s a peek-a-boo town in what used to be farm country.”
“And what is it now?” I ask knowingly, scanning the table, waiting for the well-rehearsed reply when a new project’s about to start.
“It’s a Lundstrom town.” Everyone mumbles, with all the enthusiasm of a losing cheer squad about to face a firing squad.
“I said, what is it now?” I ask again, raising my voice as I try to lift their spirits.
“It’s a Lundstrom town!” Everybody says, playing along even though it’s probably only to shut me up.
“That’s right,” I affirm, then figure it’s time to give them some actual good news.
“Now, I didn’t drag you all in here on a Sunday just to hear your cheering voices,” I say. “But I will be taking a working break, taking on the final assessment before planning our next project on my own.”
There are nervous murmurs from around the table.
“Not only will you have me out of the office for a few days, but I’ll be doing all of the inspections myself, meaning a lot of you will have some spare time on your hands.
A ripple of satisfaction from some folks at the long table cancels out any concerns.
The world as it is today, folks are walking on eggshells every minute of the day, wondering if they’ll even have a job tomorrow.
But Lundstrom is as safe as houses.
Towns full of houses.
Legal is poring over their own folders as I caution everyone that just because I won’t be here doesn’t mean they can slack off.
“Two of you, you know who you are, will be reporting to me directly daily or as required. So no sitting around while I’m gone,” I warn everyone, noticing how they’re instantly suspicious of one another, even though there’s nobody really checking in.
I just say things like that to make sure people focus on actual work instead of a working holiday when I’m gone.
I want as far away from this place as possible with as little interference as possible.
My rehearsal vacation before the big one.
A final little glimpse at the past, at how it all started for me before I hang it all up for good.
I guess some people are born to succeed, but it doesn’t always mean they have everything.
A wife, kids in the yard, and maybe even a dog or two?
Not something everyone gets in this life automatically.