“That’s alright,” he said. “You look great, by the way.”
I instinctively started playing with my hair, flirting with him without even realizing it. It didn’t take me long to snap back to reality, though.
“Thank you,” I replied.
“How about I call you and we’ll schedule something, then? When both of our schedules open up? I have a lot of work to do this afternoon, too.”
“That sounds great!”
Another lie.
No way would I see him again, unless it was at a family function, of course. He left and waved at me, and I wanted to fall to the floor. He was successful, sexy as hell, and could charm the pants off of any woman.
I made my way back to my office, with my head down, and slumped into my chair. Crystal left a note on my desk that she would be cleaning the locker rooms, which gave me some much-needed quiet time.
I pulled out the stack of papers about how to run a lifestyle brand and got to work. The first thing I wanted was to have a line of protein-packed oatmeal. Oats are a superfood, but they're also a carbohydrate that burned quickly. I started researching what type of protein I could add in prepackaged oatmeal.
My mind kept drifting back to Richard, though. I never expected him to come down here, to my studio, to ask me out. At best, I anticipated a late-night ‘are you up’ text, the kind guys only sent when they were horny. I wondered what he was so excited about, too.
It’s weird, I thought while staring at the papers in front of me. Richard and I had been friends for over a year, and neighbors for several more. I never thought of him as anything more than just that. Even though he was attractive, I had always managed to keep him at bay.
Now that I had a taste of him, however, I couldn’t seem to stay away.
There was something magnetic about Richard.
Even though I vowed never to see him again, deep down, I knew that was a lie, too.
There was no way I could stay away from Richard Truman.
8
Richard
Imade my way home after seeing Annie at her studio. While I was a bit disappointed that she couldn’t go to lunch, I still felt some sexual tension between us. Even if she had been holding back a little bit, it was impossible to ignore the magnetic attraction. She looked hot as hell in those yoga pants, too.
Since she couldn’t meet for lunch, I decided to make something for myself before heading back to work.
Less than five minutes after coming home, my front doorbell rang. I was a bit surprised to see a guy holding a large envelope that I had to sign for. Legal paperwork usually went to my parent’s mansion or our downtown office. Maybe it had to do with that piece of farmland Dad was talking about.
“Here you go,” I told the courier, signing the notice on the clipboard.
Then, I tossed the envelope onto the counter, realizing that I needed to eat before going over any paperwork. I could never work on an empty stomach.
After putting together a turkey sandwich, I sat down and started checking emails on my phone. At that point, nothing had come in about the farmland, which probably meant the paperwork was for some other purchase we were making.
I went upstairs and changed into workout shorts and a t-shirt. After seeing Gavin this morning, I remembered that I’d put on a few pounds after the wedding and should probably hit the gym after work today.
I finished eating in the kitchen while scrolling through social media. At some point, I glanced over at the envelope on the counter, and something told me to open it right away.
“That’s odd,” I whispered to myself, holding the envelope in my hands. It was from a local attorney we never used, but the law firm’s reputation proceeded it.
Since our expansion began, it was common for us to receive legal paperwork. I ransacked my brain, wondering what it was, but nothing came to mind. So, I immediately opened it and pulled out the documents inside. It was a thick packet. But at the top, instead of having the company name, my name was listed as the defendant in a lawsuit.
“What the hell is this?”
My mouth fell open as I read over the text, and suddenly I felt lightheaded and dizzy.
This paperwork had nothing to do with any expansion projects. They were legal documents from my ex-girlfriend, Heather, suing me for child custody and financial support.
