7. Chloe
Chapter seven
Chloe
“ D avis! In my office. Now!”
Shocked out of the daze I’d fallen into, I jump up from my desk and hurry back to Mr. Holt’s office. He’s standing behind his desk, his hands on his hips and his brow furrowed in clear agitation.
“Yes, sir?” I ask cautiously as I come to a stop in front of his desk.
He meets my gaze and snaps, “I need you to oversee a building of rental units that we’ve been hired to find residents for.”
I gawk at him in surprise. “What? Me?”
He nods. “Yes, you. Kelsey just called and quit. She was supposed to take the rentals on. Everyone is busy with other listings, so you’re all I’ve got.”
Not exactly a vote of confidence, but I recognize the opportunity for what it is.
“Absolutely, sir. I won’t let you down,” I say, hiding my surprise with a firm resolution. My heart thumps in my chest with the thrill of the unexpected challenge.
“Good,” he replies curtly. He slides a folder across the desk towards me, filled with documents and details about the rental units. “Get familiar with the basics. You start tomorrow.”
Nodding, I take the folder in my trembling hands. But before I can turn to leave, Mr. Holt adds, “Oh, and Davis, do not mess this opportunity up. You’re going to be getting more work now to make up for Kelsey’s slack, and I expect you to stay on top of all of it.”
I swallow hard at his warning. “Understood, sir.” I manage to sound steady, despite the wave of anxiety washing over me.
Leaving his office, I head back to my desk and start diving into the paperwork given to me. As I read through the details about the rental units—charming, yet slightly outdated apartments in an up-and-coming area—I can’t help but feel thrilled at such an opportunity being handed to me on a silver platter. It’ll be my chance to impress Mr. Holt and to prove to myself that I can actually succeed at something.
I’m so focused on the papers in front of me that I don’t notice a figure approaching my desk until a shadow falls over me. With a gasp, I glance up and am shocked to find Parker staring down at me.
“Hey, gorgeous,” he says while giving me a crooked half-smile.
“Hey,” I croak out. “What-what are you doing here?”
I’ve been thinking about him nonstop since last night. I can hardly believe we had sex. When I remember it, I feel giddy…and hot. It was some of the best sex I’ve ever had, and I cannot wait until we do it again. However, I can’t let that get in the way of my job. Parker is going to drop into the office now and again because of his work with Holt, and I need to keep things professional when that happens.
His eyes land on the papers spread out on my desk, and he points at one of the rental listings.
“I’m actually here about that,” he explains. “Holt wants my company to go through the units and make sure everything is up to code and functioning.”
His words pull me up short, and I blink at him. "You’re-you're working on this project, too?”
Parker shrugs and slips his hands into his pockets.
“Holt likes my work,” he says simply. “And I guess you could say we have a mutual understanding.”
Spending extra time with Park will be amazing, no doubt, but during that time, it’ll be hands-off. No flirting, no suggestive glances or nicknames, and especially no touching. Can I handle that? I would like to say yes, but I’m not so confident in my self-control.
My heart thumps wildly in my chest as I take in Parker’s easy smile, so out of place in the rigid atmosphere of Mr. Holt’s office, yet so perfectly aligned with the wild twist of events unraveling in front of me.
“Great! That’s great…” I clear my throat and sit up straighter in my chair. “Just remember, we need to keep things professional. This project is the first real chance Mr. Holt is giving me, and I can’t afford to screw it up.”
Parker considers my words for a moment before nodding slowly.
“Fair enough,” he says while running a hand through his hair. “But keep in mind, Chloe…”
He leans over the desk, his face coming dangerously close to mine.
“When we’re alone…” His voice drops to a husky whisper that makes goosebumps run up my arms. “I will be anything but professional.”
With that, he straightens up and winks at me. This whole friends-with-benefits thing is going to be harder than I thought. I pinch the bridge of my nose and try to organize my thoughts with Parker’s heated words echoing in my head.
“Parker…” I groan.
He holds up his hands as if in surrender. “Don’t worry, Chloe. When we’re on the clock, I’ll be good. Scout’s honor.”
“You weren’t a scout.”
He shrugs. “Details. Anyway, I was actually going to run out to the building and look over some of the units and thought I’d stop by to see if whoever was in charge of the listings wanted to join. Seeing as that’s you, do you want to go on a fieldtrip?”
I fight the urge to roll my eyes at his flippant suggestion, but I can’t deny that it actually makes sense. Seeing the units in person would help me update the listings with even greater precision. Having Parker along wouldn’t be terrible, either, as long as he can keep his promises of professionalism.
“I suppose that would be beneficial,” I say, feigning reluctance. He grins widely in response.
“Wonderful.” Holding out a hand to help me up from my desk chair, he shoots me a wicked grin.
As I stand, grabbing my notebook and pen, I realize that this is it: my first real challenge. Can I really manage to work alongside Parker without letting our personal entanglement get in the way? The thought sends a shiver of anticipation through me.
I hurry to Mr. Holt’s office to let him know I’m heading out with Parker, and I get his grunt of approval. Parker is waiting by the door when I get back, and we make our way out into the warm afternoon and head toward his big, black truck parked nearby.
As we climb into the truck, I can’t help but notice the interior is as tidy as his house. Parker slips on a pair of sunglasses and starts the engine, another grin playing on his lips as he notices my inspection.
“Something wrong with my truck?” he teases as he pulls out onto the road.
“No, it’s just…immaculate,” I answer, trying to keep my voice neutral.
He chuckles at that. “Well, I find it’s easier to keep things shipshape if they never get messy in the first place.”
We drive in comfortable silence for a while, the hum of the engine and the occasional comment about traffic being our only topic of conversation. It feels almost like any regular day, except for the fact that this isn’t a regular day, and certainly not with a regular colleague.
We arrive at the residential block an hour later, and my professional mindset starts to kick in. The building is older, its faded, red brickwork harking back to a different era, giving it an old-world charm that modern buildings often lack. Unfortunately, that probably also means more issues we’ll have to address.
Parker parks the truck, and we both hop out, standing side by side as we take in the building. We split up to start our separate inspections, agreeing to meet back in two hours.
I push open the door of one of the units, and something about its rustic interior reminds me of Parker’s sly grin back at my office. Just like him, this place has an alluring charm that’s hard to ignore.
The next few hours are spent exploring room after room, taking notes on everything from floorplan layouts to plumbing issues. My notebook fills with scribbles and diagrams faster than I’d expected. Not a surprise, but a little daunting, nonetheless.
Before I know it, the two hours have passed, and I find myself walking back down to meet Parker at his truck. As I approach, I see him leaning against the side of the vehicle, his face tilted toward the sun as he flicks through his own notes.
“Find anything interesting?” I ask.
He grins but doesn’t look up from his paperwork.
“Nothing as interesting as you,” he says, making me blush in spite of myself.
I roll my eyes at him, ignoring the fluttering sensation in my stomach. “Parker…”
“I meant professionally,” he amends with a laugh while holding up his hands defensively again.
I can’t help my small grin, but I clear my throat and get us back on track.
“Okay, what are some of the issues you found?” I question. “I’ve got quite a few.”
He gazes at me, his laughter fading and his face taking on a more serious expression.
“Well, most of the plumbing is outdated. We’re going to need major work there,” he says as he flips through his notes. “Also, the wiring in most of the units seems to have problems. Some aren’t even up to code.”
I make a note of these points in my own notebook, appreciating his thoroughness. As we continue discussing the problems and potentially viable solutions, I feel a newfound respect for Parker’s professional abilities. His flippant persona gives way to someone who clearly takes his job seriously.
Still, there’s so much work to be done. I don’t know how I’m going to manage it. It’s a lot for my first listing, for sure.
Did Mr. Holt pick me for this project on purpose? Does he somehow want me to fail? Maybe he’s been trying to decide if I’m worth keeping around, and my work here will help him make up his mind.
I push that thought away. Mr. Holt might not be all that friendly, but he’s not cruel enough to set me up for failure.
As the sun starts to set and the long shadows of buildings stretch out across the streets, we finally wrap up our discussion.
“All right,” Parker says, tucking away his notes and looking at me with an unreadable expression. “I think we’ve got a pretty good idea of what we’re dealing with here.”
I nod in agreement, feeling mentally exhausted but also strangely satisfied. We’ve made progress today; not just in examining the units that needed updating, but also in navigating this precarious balance between our personal situationship and professional obligations.
“Let’s call it a day before my brain explodes,” I suggest with a small laugh.
Parker chuckles, agreeing wholeheartedly as he jumps into the driver’s seat of his truck. I climb in beside him, feeling the exhaustion creep into my muscles now that the adrenaline of work has subsided. The drive back is quiet once again, but it still feels comfortable.
This time, I lean back against the seat and let my eyes flutter shut.
Parker’s low chuckle rouses me enough that I crack my eyes open to look over at him.
“What?”
“Oh, nothing,” he says softly, his eyes on the road. “I just think we make quite the team.”
I can’t help but smile at his words.
“Yeah," I admit quietly as I gaze out the window at the city lights twinkling in the twilight. “I think we do, too.”