Chapter 4
CHAPTER FOUR
Henley
Another day at the office
I hadn’t expected to find Maverick jogging up the street this late in the morning, but that didn’t keep me from staring out my window as he walked back to his house, holding a leash attached to a golden lab.
When did he get a dog? He spotted me in the window and raised his hand to wave as he made his way up his drive and smiled before he dashed around the corner and into his house.
Glancing at the clock on the wall, I’d spent more time outside than I had planned this morning, which meant a long relaxing shower was not in the cards for me today.
Thirty minutes later, I pulled my wet hair into a ponytail and hightailed it out of the house to battle the traffic into town, dreading what I knew would be another long day sitting behind my desk and dealing with harassment complaints that my boss hated to handle.
She always passed those on to me and lately there were a lot of them.
“Same bullshit, different day,” Amanda sighed as she entered my office holding a cup of coffee. “Ever think we’ll get out of the mortgage business and find jobs we enjoy?”
“For you no. This business is like the mafia, once you get in there’s no getting out.” I snorted at my own joke. “I’m going to die behind this desk, poor and penniless. Besides, I like what I do. It’s you that has the issue.”
“I guess you’re right, I’ll never find a job that pays me as much as I make as an underwriter here, and stop being so melodramatic.
” Amanda adjusted herself in her chair. “I call bullshit on the whole, I like what I do thing,” Amanda replied as she sat on the other side of my desk. “How’s the hunky neighbor?”
I shrugged. “I saw him this morning.”
My best friend asked every day if I’d spoken to my new neighbor again. I’ll never forget when I told her about my first encounter with tall, dark, and gorgeous. She’d refused to leave my office. It was like dealing with the spanish inquisition that day.
Amanda had moved closer to the edge of her seat, her eyes wide as she spoke. “Did you speak to him again? Tell me everything. Is he single or married? Does he have a big dick? I need to know these things.”
Part of me wanted to tell her he was married with kids just so she’d leave me alone about him.
But I knew I needed someone to talk about Maverick with, so I couldn’t lie to her.
Though I’m not sure what it said about my best friend that she would think I’d already seen his dick.
So, I sat quietly for a few moments just to torment her.
“You know I live vicariously through you,” Amanda chided. “Steve and I have been married so long I’ve forgotten what it feels like to be giddy until now.”
Amanda and Steve had only been married for several years.
Hardly a lifetime or even long enough that there shouldn’t be a spark there.
Steve was a hard worker, home every night for dinner, unlike Bill who rarely made it home in time for dinner.
Steve never hesitated to make sure Amanda wanted for nothing.
Something I felt all men should be like.
He was cute, not as hot as Maverick, but he could hold his own against the men on the calendar she kept hidden in her desk.
“Okay, okay. So maybe I’m exaggerating a little bit.” She’d sighed, “but my heart doesn’t flip in my chest when I see Steve. Not like it did when we were first dating.”
I stifled a laugh. “No one’s heart flips in their chest once they get past the new relationship phase. I’d bet mine wouldn’t if I was with Maverick for years.”
“Oh, please.” Amanda’s brows drew together and her lips formed a thin line on her face. “That man is one that heart will always make a girl’s heart summersault when he’s around.”
I threw a pen at her. She spoke as if she had known Maverick for years.
Had analyzed all the women he’d dated and concluded that all the data pointed towards him being a man that kept things fresh and new.
But all she knew were the few things I’d shared with her about what I’d written in my journal so far.
Like what time he jogged every morning, when he’d get home at night, what he wore, and how I’d seen him running with a dog.
His dog, who’d been visiting with his mother while some of the repairs were being done on the home.
Hell, I didn’t even know him that well. Why?
Because I was a chicken shit and afraid to even wave at him and say hello again.
Amanda took a sip of her coffee and filled me in on the latest gossip going around the office.
The new loan officer the company recently hired was already the talk of the busybody girls club.
I can’t lie; he was fairly good-looking and nice but not the brightest crayon in the box.
Though I’d never admit that out loud. That would be career suicide.
I could see the headlines now. H.R. manager insults intelligence level of company employee—fired the same day.
“It was like fishing in a bucket full of catfish,” Amanda shook her head.
“Those nasty bitches were bending over backward to do his work for him. Sylvia said she’d set up all his loans so he wouldn’t need to worry about learning the new software.
” Amanda rolled her eyes. “And don’t get me started about what Dawn agreed to do for him after hours.
Like she’s ever calculated income correctly in her life.
All she wants is to get him alone in her office when no one is around. ”
That was my best friend. She’d let herself get worked up over those three catty bitches, and I couldn’t understand why.
“You do remember that I am a manager in human resources, right? You shouldn’t be telling me these things.”
“Yeah, but you’re my friend, and when I’m on break, I’m talking to my friend, not my H.R. representative. Besides, you’ve never had an issue with it before.”
“Why does it matter to you so much what they do?”
Amanda shrugged. “Don’t know, it just does.”
My phone rang and I picked up the receiver. “Henley Peterson, can you hold a moment, please?” I placed the receiver on my desk. “Don’t you have somewhere you need to be?”
Amanda stood and rolled her eyes at me. “Fine, we’ll chat later. This conversation about your neighbor isn’t over.” Then she strode out of my office.
I lifted the receiver to my ear and pressed the hold button. “This is Henley; how may I help you?”
“Ms. Peterson, this is Sunny from Dr. Brock’s office.”
Why was my veterinarian’s office calling me? “Hi, Sunny. What can I do for you?”
“I want to preface this with everything is fine. But a man claiming to be your neighbor brought in a dog a bit ago, and when we scanned for a chip, your name came up. Hulk is here at our office.”