He laughed. “No. I know you don’t want me to get reamed out for not doing what I was told to do. I’ll just wait, if that’s okay with you.”
“Okay then,” she said, feeling a bit relieved that this would be much easier than she thought. “Thad said you live in my building.”
“Yes. Weird coincidence, huh?”
“Is it?”
“Yeah. Thad didn’t know until I took him there to pick you up for your date.”
“But he drove us.”
“Yes. Once he realized I lived in the building, he decided to just let me go home and take the car himself.”
“Well, that explains why he had to move the seat and drove up on the sidewalk.”
“Sidewalk, huh? I knew he did something. Car was out of line the next day for no apparent reason,” he laughed. “He doesn’t drive much since his parents died.”
“They died in an accident?”
“Yes. Just a few years ago. He was driving, so he’s never quite forgiven himself for it.”
“Oh, God.”
“Crap. I shouldn’t have told you that. Please don’t mention it to him. He’ll have a fit. Nothing he hates more than anyone feeling sorry for him.”
“It’ll be our secret. So, what floor do you live on?”
“I’m on the second. You?”
“Top floor.”
“Oh, the big apartments.”
“Big? No. It’s just a studio.”
“Really? I thought all the apartments up there were two story. I looked at one that was, but it was way out of my price range.”
“I don’t know, but mine isn’t.”
It had never occurred to her that her apartment was different other than the balcony and direct roof access, but it made sense now. She had her own private roof area because it was recessed into the area where a second floor would be in the adjoining apartments. She contemplated what it must have been used for back when the building was a factory as she watched the blur outside her window. Barron weaved in and out of traffic with the ease of a pro, finally pulling up to the curb in front of the cleaners.
“Here we go. Only six minutes to spare. Better hustle,” Barron said, throwing the car in park and starting to open his door.
“I can let myself out,” she said, opening her door and shuffling out onto the sidewalk. She hurried inside and gave the tickets to the clerk, thankful that there wasn’t a line in front of her. He disappeared and reappeared with a rolling cart full of clothes. Jaycee looked at it with a scowl. “All this?”
“Yes,” he replied.
“Fuck me,” she muttered, drawing a snicker from him.
“I hope you’re not on the bus,” he said.
“No. I’ve got a car outside,” she replied, now very happy that Barron had refused to just drop her off.
“Hey, Bob. I’m going to roll out this rack of clothes and then come back and lock up,” he shouted to someone in the back before pushing the clothes through the half door beside him and out to the sidewalk. Barron was waiting by the car to open her door this time and he laughed when he saw the clothes.
“I’ll pop the trunk.”
“He’ll kill me if they’re wrinkled,” she said uncertainly.
“They won’t be. I have a system.”
Jaycee smiled and watched as he carefully placed the suits in the trunk and closed it. He walked back to the passenger side of the car and opened the rear door for her to get in, thanking the guy from the cleaners and returning to the driver’s side. A police car flashed their lights at him as they neared, and he threw up a hand as if to tell them he was moving his illegally parked car now.
Back at the office, she was surprised when Barron pulled into the parking garage rather than pulling up to the curb. That was going to make it even further for her to carry the suits. He asked what floor she worked on and parked on the level adjacent, but they were still on the opposite side of the building from Nasteau’s office.
“Go up and ask him where he wants them. I guarantee you, he’ll say he wants them in his car and gives you the keys. Twenty bucks says it’s a Mercedes and he has an extendable pole across the back seat to hang them on. If you haul them up, he’s just going to make you carry them back down.”
“I don’t want to hold you up,” she said.
‘You’re not. I’ll just be here waiting on Thad anyway.”
“Okay. I’ll be back,” she told him.
Of course, he was right, about everything. She wondered if he just knew the type or if it was because Thad treated him like this too. Whatever the case, it had been to her benefit today, so she’d try not to overthink it.CHAPTER TWELVEThad
“Did you get her taken care of?” Thad asked when he returned to the car.