Page 41 of Sutton and the CEO Forever

“You are probably right!” Natalie laughed. “Well, honestly, I don’t have a clue. And you said you talked it over with Brian?”

Katie blushed. “Yes, but he isn’t overly concerned.”

Natalie swirled the wine in her cup, “Well, Brian is the best neighbor to have if there is trouble. He might be a grumpy ass, but I would have him in my corner any day of the week.”

Katie would have him in her bed any day of the week but thought it best not to say it aloud.

“We have spent all this time talking about me,” Katie set her wine glass down. “Tell me, what’s going on with you?”

21

Julio felt like a damn fool knocking on Natalie’s apartment door with flowers in his hand and nobody answering. He cursed and placed the flowers by the door and turned to leave when an older gentleman’s voice stopped him.

“Lady troubles?”

Julio turned to see the elderly gentleman that was bent with age and thin as a rail. What caught his attention was the sparkle in the older man’s eyes and the way he spoke. It was confident as if he knew a thing or two about winning the hand of a fair lady.

“Julio,” he reached out his hand, and the elderly man shook it in his gnarled one.

“Lord, almighty, I know who you are. Name is Earl, and I am a close personal friend of Sutton and Mark’s.”

Julio nodded. After all, what reason did he have not to believe the man? In his line of work, one just didn’t start talking to someone on the street without at least a gun between them. This whole neighborly business was a bit hard for Julio to get his head wrapped around.

“What can I do for you, Earl?”

It sounded nice and friendly, Julio assured himself.

The older man’s face broke into a wide smile showing an odd number of teeth.

“No, my friend, this is about what I can do for you. My wife Martha said that I need a hobby. And I reckon you're it.”

“Pardon?” Julio placed a hand on his weapon, tucked into the back of his jeans.

Earl just motioned for Julio to follow him.

It was a gamble, but Julio knew he could take the man out in seconds if necessary, and quite frankly, he was intrigued to find out what on earth the man could possibly teach him. So, for better or worse, Julio followed his new guru down the apartment steps and into the local café where he had first seen Natalia—Natalie, he reminded himself.

“Martha,” Earl yelled out. “Got you a paying customer!”

Julio took a seat at the booth where Earl settled himself and looked at the menu. He wasn’t hungry and ended up ordering a cup of black coffee. Earl ordered two sandwiches, fries, and a milkshake. And Julio wondered with a bit of humor if he was paying Earl’s tab at Earl’s wife’s restaurant. It wasn’t like he couldn’t afford it.

And frankly, this was the most entertained he’d been since stepping into Otterville Falls.

“So, Julio, you want to win your girl back?”

“My wife,” Julio corrected. “But yes, that is the gist of it.”

“Well, I can see that you’re trying to court her with the flowers, but son, that won’t get you anywhere.”

Julio ran a hand through his dark hair, “She won’t answer my calls, refuses to talk to me, and I think she might be tracking my whereabouts, so she doesn’t come anywhere near me.”

Earl winced, “Time for some evasive maneuvers, Julio.”

“What do you mean?”

“Did you know that the senior center was vandalized?”

Julio blinked, trying to keep up with the change in the conversation.

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