Thin Walls

by Lawson, Cassandra

  “I want to tell you that she’s going to take the hint and go away,” he began. “I can’t do that. Eventually, she’ll figure out I’m not interested in her, but I’m obviously not able to guess when since I thought she’d already taken the hint that we were over.”

  “I just started going out again,” I explained. “Until recently, I spent my days hiding from the world in my condo. You seem great, and you’re very attractive.”

  “But you don’t want to risk having to deal with Suri,” he finished for me.

  “Yeah,” I replied. “That sounds terrible, but it’s how I feel. Maybe after you have the situation sorted out with Suri, we can try this again.”

  He masked his look of disappointment with a reassuring smile. “I’d be lying if I said I’m not disappointed, but I also understand your reasoning. I hope worries about Suri won’t deter you from working with me.”

  While I was intrigued, a small part of me wanted to steer clear of anything that would remind me of my life before the shooting. I also knew it would bother me if The Frisky Beaver was in any kind of trouble. It didn’t matter that I’d sold it; the club was still my baby. Yes, I had a baby strip club. Don’t judge me.

  Despite any concerns I had, the bigger part of me wanted the challenge. I felt confident in my ability to help. I knew the ins and outs of running a strip club, things Spencer might never consider. With a nod, I said, “I’ll do it if the contract looks good.”

  Spencer grinned. “That’s great! I’ll need to get the okay from the client since you owned one of the clubs, but I don’t expect there to be a problem. Can you start this week?”

  I went over my schedule of projects I had booked for the next few weeks. “How many hours do you need me every week? And do you need me to go into the office, or can I work from home? I have other deadlines this month.”

  Spencer thought for a moment. “We just looked at the files today. I could use you in the office as soon as possible to review everything and give my team your thoughts. I’ll have the staffing team send out a proposal for eighty hours spread over four weeks. We may need to update the contract based on the needs of the project. Do you have to work from your home?”

  I shook my head. “It’s all computer work except for my baking.”

  He nodded. “How about if I get an office set up for you so you can work out of our building? I’ll schedule your time on the project around your other commitments. This way, we can also commute in together.”

  “I’m not so sure about that,” I hedged. Surprisingly, I wasn’t worried about leaving my condo anymore. My concern was much more practical. “What if I need to leave early?”

  “If you need to leave early, I’ll make sure you get home,” he assured me. “Do you have any other concerns?”

  “Not at the moment. Send me the contract tomorrow,” I told him. “I’ll look it over and let you know.”

  “Can you start Wednesday?” he asked.

  “If the contract is acceptable,” I replied.

  He grinned. “If it’s not acceptable, feel free to send it back with notes.”

  “Don’t worry,” I assured him. “I will.”

  Chapter 12

  Spencer

  After dropping Mercy at home, I emailed the client and got his okay to hire her. He seemed thrilled that she’d be on the project team. Once that was settled, I needed to relieve some tension, so I headed to the gym. One of the reasons I didn’t mind paying the hefty monthly HOA dues was the amenities the complex offered. We had a state-of-the-art gym, sauna, two heated pools, and two hot tubs.

  My date with Mercy hadn’t gone as I’d hoped. From a business perspective, I was excited to have her working with me. When I’d mentioned the possibility of hiring her earlier that day, I hadn’t realized she was so perfect for the position. Mia wouldn’t be happy when she found out. She’d accuse me of trying to get into Mercy’s panties, and I couldn’t deny I wanted to get into them, but that wasn’t going to happen any time soon.

  I pushed myself harder on the treadmill as thoughts of Mercy threatened to make me miss a step. There was no denying her appeal. She was gorgeous, witty, and a savvy businesswoman. The more I got to know her, the more intriguing she became.

  When I finished my run, I was still so wound up that as soon as I got home, I ended up jerking off twice in the shower. At thirty-five, I’d thought myself past my insatiably horny days. After showering, I dried off and dropped down onto my bed, frowning at my dick.

  “You have no business being this lively after all we’ve done.” I sighed and closed my eyes. “Right. My hand is a poor substitute, but it’s the best I can do. Mercy is completely off limits. She made that clear.”

  I grabbed my phone to see if there were any messages. I’d left it behind when I went to the gym, and I hadn’t checked it since I’d gotten back. There were a couple of texts from Mia and a few from Suri.

  My finger hovered over the text string from Suri. I wasn’t foolish enough to believe she wanted to apologize or tell me she planned to stay away. I instantly regretted my decision to see what she wanted as my screen filled with several pornographic selfies she’d taken. All were deleted with no response so as not to encourage Suri.

  Next, I clicked on the string from Mia.

  Mia: Call me when you get home. It’s been a horrible evening.

  Mia: I forgot you have a hot date with your neighbor. I guess it went well since you haven’t called yet. If you manage to slip away from her for a minute, call me.

  I immediately got out of bed and grabbed a pair of shorts before heading into the front room to call Mia. She answered on the first ring.

  “Hi, Spence.” She sounded so down that it tugged at my heartstrings.

  “What’s wrong, Mia?” I asked.

  “What’s not wrong?” she asked with a dry laugh. “Before I bring down the mood of your evening, how was your date? If you’re calling me back this late, then I assume it went well.”

  “I’m calling you back late because I didn’t grab my phone when I headed to the gym,” I explained. “The date was great, but Mercy isn’t keen on dating me with Suri still in the picture. I can’t say I blame her.”

  “Sorry, Spence,” she said with genuine sympathy.

  “There is one bright spot,” I told her. “It seems Mercy used to own The Frisky Beaver. She sold it to the current owner.”

  “You’re shitting me,” she accused.

  “Nope,” I replied. “Mercy is a fascinating woman.”

  “Too bad Suri cock-blocked you,” Mia replied.

  I chuckled. “You always have such a poetic way with words. It looks like I can hire Mercy since we aren’t going to date. I already got the okay from the client.”

  Mia surprised me with her immediate acquiescence to the idea. “I’m going in early tomorrow, so I’ll get someone from staffing on the east coast to start the job offer and contract. I’ll need you to get her information so they can do a quick background check. Email the details including the number of hours you think we’ll need her.”

  “That’s it?” I asked. “No accusing me of hiring her to convince her she should give me a chance?”

  “Nope,” she replied. “If she’s any good, then I’m glad she turned you down.”

  “Harsh,” I accused. “She could be my soulmate, and you’re glad she turned me down. Where’s the loyalty, Mia?”

  “Poor Spencer,” she cooed with mock sympathy. “I’m sure you’ll find someone else. We need a consultant more than you need to get laid.”

  I laughed at her response. “Now that we’ve covered my date and our new contract employee, what’s going on?”

  She let out a sad sigh. “My mom called.”

  A beat of silence passed before I asked, “Where is she?”

  Mia had recently hired a private investigator because her mom had fallen off the face of the Earth for longer than usual. Mia’s dad was great, but her mom had always been selfish and distant. She showed up when she nee
ded money, and Mia’s father had given it to her for years. Finally, he’d had enough and filed for divorce. The only good thing I can say about Mia’s mom is that she didn’t try to take any shares in the business. Since the divorce about ten years ago, Mia’s mom has disappeared even more frequently.

  “I don’t know,” Mia admitted. “She called to tell me she’s in love and planning to marry some guy. She told me he’s not a club owner, so that rumor was false.”

  “You’re worried about this new guy,” I deduced. Normally, once Mia knew her mom was still alive, she stopped looking. Some searches ended in a visit, but most did not.

  “I always feel like the adult in my relationship with my mom,” she muttered.

  “You are,” I told her. “It’s a good thing your dad’s not like that.”

  “I know,” she agreed. “Can you imagine how messed up I’d be if both of my parents were overgrown children?”

  Mia’s dad was a fantastic father. “It’s too bad he hasn’t remarried.”

  “He’s been living with Jeremy for ten years, so they’re as good as married,” she argued. “They’ll make it official when they’re ready.”

  “What are you going to do about your mom?”

  “I’m tired of being my mother’s caretaker, and I’m tired of chasing her down every time she disappears,” Mia stated in a firm tone. “I won’t do it anymore. Did that sound believable?”

  “Not really,” I replied. “That’s okay. You love her.”

  “Remind me of that tomorrow when you bring donuts in,” she told me. “My mom convinced me to visit her during our holiday break, so I need either donuts or vodka.”

  I laughed at her not-so-subtle hint. “It looks like I’d better set my alarm early enough to pick up donuts.”

  “You’re the best, Spence.”

  “I’ll see you in the morning,” I told her.

  “See you at work,” she agreed.

  I headed off to bed again with a smile. Mia hadn’t complained about hiring Mercy. I was glad since I was looking forward to spending more time with her. Who knew? Maybe, by the time Mercy’s contract was up, Suri would give up on me. As my phone buzzed with another message from Suri, I groaned. On second thought, I might need to fake my own death before Suri accepted that we weren’t getting back together.

  Chapter 13

  Mercy

  My Tuesday was so busy that I didn’t have time to think about my date with Spencer or the job I’d agreed to accept. I got an email from Mia early that morning requesting information for a background check. She had the contract over to me by two in the afternoon. I’m not going to lie; I squealed a little when I saw the figure. I was happy to sign the contract. Money wasn’t an issue after selling my clubs, but I didn’t have enough to retire on. The money from this job would go straight into savings.

  Wednesday morning, I felt a rush of excitement about seeing Spencer again, even as I reminded myself that we weren’t dating. Looking in the mirror, I was satisfied with my appearance. At The Frisky Beaver, I’d worn business attire, so I had plenty to choose from in my closet. I’d gone with a cute purple and black blazer over a conservative black dress. I’d started in red, but it had seemed too flashy for the first day. My hair was pulled back in a French braid, and my makeup was all in neutral tones. I’d picked a pair of black heels to finish off the outfit.

  Spencer knocked rather than ringing the bell, and I grabbed my laptop bag and purse on the way to the door.

  “Good morning,” Spencer said after a slight hesitation.

  “Good morning,” I replied with a bright smile. “Are you ready to brave the commute traffic?”

  “No,” he admitted. “I hate driving across the bridge in commute traffic.”

  “You could always let me drive,” I teased as I locked the front door.

  “Don’t tempt me,” he replied.

  “I’m a good driver,” I insisted on the way to his car. “Not one ticket.”

  He chuckled. “Why doesn’t that surprise me?” He paused outside the car and looked across at me. “I love this car.”

  “So do I,” I agreed. “If I weren’t so cheap, I’d buy one for myself.”

  Spencer laughed and shook head. “This goes to show how much I hate driving in commute traffic.” Moving around to the other side of the car, he handed me the key fob and climbed into the passenger’s seat.

  I barely suppressed my squeal of delight as I raced around to the other side of the car and climbed behind the wheel. I inhaled deeply and sighed. “It still has the new car smell.”

  “I’m jealous of my car,” Spencer uttered.

  “Would it make you feel better if I told you that while we were on our date, I kept my love for your car a secret so you wouldn’t feel jealous?” I asked.

  “Are you sure it wasn’t so I wouldn’t think you were using me to get to my car,” he teased.

  “I should have had driving your car added to the contract,” I mused. “Is it too late to update the contract now?”

  “Yes, but I’m sure we can come up with a compromise,” he offered.

  “What do you have in mind?” I asked.

  “You can drive my car to and from work in exchange for baked goods once a week,” he suggested. “I dreamt about those cupcakes last night, and I’m dying to see what else you can bake.”

  “Deal,” I agreed. “Though something tells me you would have let me drive, anyway, since you hate commute traffic.”

  “You might be right,” he agreed with a grin. “I was a little worried it would be awkward between us this morning.”

  “Because of what happened last night?” I asked with a serious expression.

  “What happened last night?” he asked.

  “You had indecent dreams about my cupcakes,” I explained.

  “Indecent dreams?” he asked. “What do you think I was doing with your cupcakes in my dreams?”

  I shrugged as I drove toward the highway. “I have no clue what you do in your dreams, and I’m sure I don’t want to know. So, tell me what I’ll be doing today?”

  “You’ll be going over some records for The Frisky Beaver so you can tell the team about anything you think we need to focus on,” he explained. “Just log your hours. I have some meetings out of the office today, but we have a team meeting near the end of the day. I can introduce you to everyone then. Mia will meet with you this morning to show you your office and make sure you have everything you need. I think she said you still need to sign some documents.”

  I nodded. “Sounds good. I’ll look over the files this morning. I have another project to finish up this afternoon before the team meeting.”

  “All right,” he agreed. “If I’m back in time, maybe we can grab lunch together. Not just with me, but with the team. That way you won’t have to stop working on your other project for the afternoon meeting.”

  “Either will work for me,” I assured him. “Just let me know times and places as soon as you have them figured out.”

  “You seem excited,” he remarked.

  “I love a challenge,” I admitted.

  Chapter 14

  Spencer

  Mia was stalking me. It was the only explanation I could come up with for her tracking me down at an off-sight meeting.

  “Wow! Spence, you have to marry her.”

  “Marry who?” I asked in a distracted tone as I finished packing up from my meeting.

  “Mercedes Whitier,” she replied with a roll of her eyes. “Who else would I be talking about?”

  “How should I know?” I asked. “You told me to keep it professional, so I assumed marriage to Mercy was off limits.”

  “You’ll have to wait until she finishes her part of the project to propose,” she agreed. “Don’t wait too long after it’s over. I don’t want her to get away.”

  “Did you drive here?” I asked.

  She looked at me like I was insane for asking if she’d driven. We only drove when heading somewhere outside the fi
nancial district. Parking was a royal pain. Mia wouldn’t normally drive to this location, but she also wouldn’t usually suggest I marry a near stranger.

  “I walked over here after I picked up lunch,” she explained as she gestured to her bag. “I got you a sandwich.”

  “Thanks,” I replied. “Let’s head back to the office and eat there. I’d hoped to have lunch with Mercy, but my schedule’s been a mess today. We can talk about your sudden desire to see me wed on the way back to the office.”

  “It’s not a sudden desire to see you wed,” she argued as we walked toward the elevator.

  The floor I was working on was almost completely deserted. I’d suggested meeting with the client here to help drive home my point about why they should give up their lease on this space and consolidate their staff on the other two floors they occupied.

  “You’ve thrown me for a loop on this one, Mia,” I admitted as we stepped into the empty elevator. “What happened with Mercy while I was out of the office this morning?”

  “She knows her stuff,” Mia replied. “I’m not going to lie. After you told me she used to own a strip club, I expected her to be different. I’m ashamed of myself for thinking that way, considering how much I hate stereotypical judgments. Mercy was all over the reports, sending me notes and requests for additional information. I can’t wait to see what she has for us.”

  We stepped out of the elevator and into the lobby. “She’s only had a few hours to read through everything,” I reminded her. “I think she’ll need a few days to have anything solid for us.”

  “When I stopped by her temporary office, she already had a preliminary report, and it’s more than our last contract employee managed to put together in a week,” Mia replied. “Granted, she’s familiar with the club, so that helps.”

  “She’s also a hard worker,” I added. “There’s no other way she could have run two successful clubs. I suppose one could also hire the best management companies to manage their clubs. Either way, it takes a lot to accomplish all she has.”