Page 34 of Whatever Will Be

I look him over and do my best to appear unimpressed. “You don’t shock me, Trent. Go get yourself an inexperienced little wallflower to play with. Maybe you’ll have better success shocking her. There’s nothing you can show me that I haven’t seen and done already.”

He chokes on his laughter and then shoots me a look of respect.

There’s something else there too. He’s so keyed up he would probably drop his pants in half a second if I gave him a sign.

Trent shakes his head and tightens his hold on the spatula. “You’re killing me, honey.”

Pointedly, I glance down at his pants. I cluck my tongue at the evidence of a significant bulge trying to break through his zipper. “Funny, from my perspective you look immensely healthy.

On that note, I leave him there and take a short stroll to the carriage house to check on the girls.

I’m sure he’s watching me go.

Good.

I feel the grin spreading across my face. I haven’t felt this energized in quite some time.

6

Trent

I’ve been slacking on my workouts and the pent up energy is getting to me. On an average day I’m disciplined when it comes to spending an hour at sunrise and another hour in the evening using my personal gym. However, I left my setup behind in Miami and I haven’t replaced it yet. Unlike Danny, who uses the gym in town, I have a strong dislike for public gyms teeming with sweaty creeps who think too much of themselves. So far I’ve been making due at home with a set of free weights and a floor mat.

I’m on the tail end of my fourth set of one-handed pushups when I hear the chime from my phone, a warning it’s time for my video conference call. Throwing on a t-shirt is about all I’m willing to do to look presentable. The call is just my daily check in with Kaia Morales, who’s been my second in command at Payback for the last three years. Kaia doesn’t give a shit if I look like a bum.

Taking a seat at the kitchen counter, I flip open my laptop and find that Kaia is already waiting.

“Ready,” I say by way of greeting.

Kaia has worked for me long enough to be unaffected when I don’t waste time with a show of manners. She launches straight into a detailed account of what’s new with the variety of properties under the company’s umbrella. She recites from memory, not looking down at her notes once.

“It’s time to renegotiate lease terms for three of the tenants in the Centerpoint complex.”

“Which tenants?”

“The dry cleaner, the dance studio and the deli.”

All family owned businesses. “Don’t raise the rent.”

“I thought you’d say that. But I still feel compelled to point out that rents in that particular neighborhood have risen by thirty percent in the last two years.”

“Noted. Don’t raise the rent.”

“Fine. Have you made up your mind about the condo building on First Street?”

“Yup. Unload it.”

“The market is down since the holidays,” she warns. “Might be better to wait and see what happens in the summer.”

“I’m aware. Unload it anyway.”

Her brow furrows. She’s wondering why I’ve decided to switch tactics lately and keep a drastic amount of liquidity on hand. That’s not a subject that requires discussion right now.

“When are you starting your maternity leave?” I ask her, partly in an effort to move on.

“I’m not due for another three weeks. I can work right up the labor pains start and even then I’ll probably stay on the clock until it’s time to push.”

I let out a low whistle. “That’s crazy. Why don’t you start next week?”

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