Page 29 of Prospect Year

“Did you get the A-frame built?” Mac asked as Lola ambled into the garage, unzipping his leather jacket.

He nodded and hung his cut-covered jacket on the large hooks near the office door. “It turned out good. Don’t know how long she’ll be able to sit outside. That woman would shiver to death in a northern wind.”

Mac laughed. “That can be an advantage at times.”

“I don’t know about that, but she loved the set up.” He cocked his head toward Mac as he leaned over the engine of a car. “Met her therapist today.”

“And?”

Lola grinned, pulling the card from his pocket. “We had coffee and she agreed to meet again.”

Before Mac could reply, the clicking of Lorelei’s heels across the concrete interrupted them. Mac grinned then stepped around Lola. “Did you get lost looking for your desk?”

“Where’s the key?” demanded Lorelei.

“What key would that be?” Mac inquired, crossing his arms.

“You know what key. You put a lock on the thermostat,” she accused.

“You complained about the temperature being adjusted up and down. So, I fixed it.” He turned back toward the car.

“I was referring to agreeing on a common ground. Not this,” she complained, popping her hands to her hips.

Mac grinned and turned back toward Lorelei. “I tend to like the setting it’s on.”

“It’s cold in there.”

“Works for me,” he told her, his eyes dropping from her face.

Immediately, her arms flew to cross over her chest. “You’re insufferable!”

“So you keep telling me.” He walked back toward Lola and reached under the hood of the old car, helping to remove the breather as if there wasn’t a woman standing nearby glaring at him.

When the tapping of her heels faded back into the office, Lola let out a laugh. “She’s pissed.”

Mac joined his laugh. “Yeah. I’ll make it up to her later.”

Lola only shook his head, and they returned to the task at hand. Shortly after it was completed, Lorelei’s voice sounded over the intercom.

“You have a phone call.”

“Alright,” Mac replied.

“And some orders that need signing.”

“Bring them out here,” Mac ordered as he walked toward the phone mounted to the wall.

“I would, but I’m frozen to my chair. I don’t believe I can get through the door with the chair attached to my behind.”

Mac barked a laugh and answered the phone.

Lola caught the keys Mac tossed to him and walked into the office to be hit by a rush of what felt like arctic air. He singled out the only new key on the ring and proceeded to unlock the clear box mounted to the wall. Setting the temperature, he closed the lid without locking it.

“At least one of you has some sense,” Lorelei commented, tugging a pale blue square of material tight around her shoulders.

“Something I can sign for you?” he asked.

“No. It’s okay. I’m just too cold to work efficiently,” she told him.

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