“Just leaving this notice here and then I’ll go.”
Ambrose stepped closer. “How dare you come over here!” he blustered, and I could feel the suppressed anger throbbing from him.
“Honey, is he bothering you?” Dr. González called out.
Now, if Ambrose was becoming a silver fox, with his salt and pepper hair, his boss Dr. González was a whole silver bear, a big man in his 50s with a rough, craggy face and massive hands.
“Since you weresokind to tell me that what I was wearing was obscene, I thought I would return the favor so we canbothbe in compliance with our HOA. Your grass is a fourth of an inch too long. It’s lowering the tone of the neighborhood. The rest of us work hard to make sure our lawns look good and you’re lowering our property values. You’re welcome for the info.”
Since I knew Ambrose was very proud of his little highly regulated lawn, I was pleased to see his face flush, and a muscle twitch in his jaw.
“Now, what's all this about clothing?” Dr. González said in astonishment.
He was not a classically handsome man, but his craggy face was quite appealing and he pulsed with raw masculine energy.
“I don't see anything wrong with your clothing,” he said. “I would have to disagree with Dr. Hargreaves that you need to change what you wear.”
I saw Astrid shoot a furious glance at my ex, and I knew Ambrose hadn’t told her about what he had said to me. Interesting. Apparently he was keeping it a secret that mybreastswere upsetting him. Ambrose only looked flushed and miserable, darting his eyes around like he was avoiding looking directly at me.
His other colleagues agreed with the Chair, surrounding me and murmuring in assent.
“Nothing wrong with what you’re wearing, Indigo”
“I think you look very nice”
“Don’t listen to him”
I gestured down at my bikini. “It's a very warm day, and I was merely gardening, but Ambrose tells me if I wear things like this he’ll report me to the HOA!”
There were gasps of horror all around the room.
“I am sure that was a misunderstanding,” Dr. González rumbled. “Surely Dr. Hargreaves didn’t mean that. If what she is wearing bothers you so much, professor, perhaps you should close the blinds.”
There was silence for a moment, and I crossed my arms over my chest.
My ex glanced down at me and I saw the angry beet-red color rise in his cheeks.
But of course he couldn’t say anything in front of his boss and fiancée.
“That’s right,” he said stiffly. “It was a misunderstanding.”
I couldn’t tell if Astrid was madder at me or Ambrose, but her nostrils were flaring like laundry blowing in the wind.
Now I had no desire to be around my ex and his grim little girlfriend, so it was time to go.
“Thank you so much, Dr. González,” I said. “I’ll let you all go back to your party now. Bye bye.”
I waved pleasantly and headed down the steps.
Now, was itmyfault if several of his colleagues preferred to bring their wine and cheese and prosciutto over to my yard and chat with me as I deadleafed my rose bushes?
It would serve him right for disguising a campaign for Chair event as a sociable get-together.
“Here’s my card,” Dr. González said as the party wrapped up. “Call me if you need anything, sweetheart. I’d love to help out. A sweet girl like you shouldn’t be mowing her own lawn just to keep up with these goofy HOA regulations.”
Then with a wink he was gone.
As he passed by, I saw Ambrose standing at the doorway, his hands gripping his arms so hard he was wrinkling his perfect little silk sleeves.
