Page 7 of Remember That Time

"Yes, sir." Lester quickly exited my office.

Instead of going back to the project file I was working on, I turned and looked out the row of windows that spanned one entire wall of my office. The view wasn't great because of the office building across the street, but there was a small slice of the eastern sky between that building and the next one.

Someone sending me a paternity test and claiming I was the father was nothing new. I was rich, very rich. People from all walks of life wanted a piece of the pie and they wanted to get it from me. I'd learned early on to have every single one of them verified or debunked through a very reputable lab here in the city.

It still rankled a bit every time I received one of those paternity tests, which was usually about every two weeks. I didn't even have sex that often.

Except for a couple of months ago.

I squinted as I tried to remember the man's face. I remembered his body. I'd been dreaming about it for the last two months. Unfortunately, his face was a little hazy.

I'd also failed to get a name and the guy had been gone by the time I woke up. I hadn't asked around about who he was because everyone has had a one night stand before and knew the rules.

You didn't ask questions or get too personal.

I certainly didn't want him to know who I was, but it looked like that wish might have come a little too late. This was the only guy I'd had sex with in the last six months. There was also the fact that maturity of the fetus lined up with that one-night stand.

Yet another reason to verify if the paternity test was real.

I picked up my cell phone and dialed my assistant. "Lester, I want all the surveillance tapes from that night I spent at the Savoy Hotel a couple of months ago, especially the hallway outside my room."

"Of course, sir."

I hung up and set my phone down. I wasn't positive the man in my dreams was the one sending me the paternity test, but it just seemed like too much of a coincidence for him not to be.

If he was the same man, I wanted to nip this problem in the bud immediately. If he wasn't, I wanted the guy's phone number. Maybe that one night stand could become two nights.

I groaned, tilting my head back to stare up at the ceiling. I was being ridiculous and I knew it. I needed to stop thinking with my little head and start thinking with my big head.

I had five big projects in the works right now, not to mention my grandmother breathing down my neck about getting marriedand carrying on the family name. I did not need to be getting involved with anyone.

I rubbed my hand over my face, wishing it was the end of the day so I could have a stiff drink. I was getting pretty tired of people playing these stupid games.

I scooted closer to my desk and began reading over the latest project notes again. Tough day or not, work did not stop.

When my cell phone rang, I glanced at the screen and then swiped my finger across it and held it to my ear. ""Frank Galeazzi, I thought I'd never hear from you again."

"You're not that lucky." Frank chuckled. "I'm calling about the project over on Madison."

I put my earpiece in my ear and then connected it to my cell phone before laying the phone down on my desk. It was easier to be hands free for business conversations like this.

"What about it?" I asked as I opened the project folder on my desk.

"I was looking over the plans you submitted and I wanted to talk to you about the bathrooms. They'll pass inspection just fine and you have the allotted number of ADA approved stalls, but you might want to consider a couple more per floor."

"Hold on a minute," I said. "I need to get the blueprints out." I tapped the button on the intercom to reach my secretary. "Mable, can you bring me the blueprints for the Madison project?"

"Right away, sir."

I got up and walked over to the small conference table I had on one side of my office. It was set up to only sit about eight people, unlike the conference room which could seat at least twenty.

When Mable walked in and handed me the blueprints, I spread them out over the table, placing a small golden deer shaped weight in each corner.

"Okay, tell me what I'm looking at, Frank."

"As it stands right now, you have four separate multi-user bathrooms on each floor for general use. Two for women and two for men. In each of those bathrooms, there are five stalls with at least one being ADA compliant."

I moved my fingers along the blueprint, looking to where each of the bathrooms were located. "I'm with you so far."

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