Page 22 of The Estate
Rachel bit back her response, knowing it would get them nowhere. She had a job to do and new clients to impress. She’d put up with this guy while she had to. Forcing a small smile, she agreed, “Let’s.”
Over the next several hours, Cal and Rachel ran through the overall makeup and day-to-day running of the business. Although she hadn’t seen the books or financials, Cal’s accomplishments impressed her. It didn’t hurt that he had a shoreline estate with amazing grounds and sweeping views of Long Island Sound.
Just when Rachel was on the verge of calling for a break, a man knocked on Cal’s open office door. “Sorry to interrupt, Cal,” he said, glancing over at Rachel.
“No worries, Marshal,” Cal shifted his head side-to-side to loosen his neck. “Rachel, this is Marshal, head of maintenance here. Marshall, Rachel is a consultant working for my parents. Please give her your full cooperation.”
“You got it, boss. Pleased to meet you, Rachel.”
“You as well.”
Marshal turned to Cal, “The reason I stopped in is I need to get over to the tile place before they close today and a bathroom sink is leaking. I can call in a plumber...”
Cal stood up. “No. No need. I’m sure I can repair it real quick. Which one is it?”
“One of the single stall bathrooms under the stairs,” he said. Looking at Rachel, he said, “I’m sure our paths will cross around here. Have a nice day.”
“You, too,” she said, watching Cal open a file cabinet drawer. Reaching inside, he didn’t pull out a folder as she expected, but a large green toolbox. One that had seen better days with the various nicks and dents marring its surface.
No wonder all the papers lay scattered across his office if he used file cabinets to hold his tools.
Turning back, he lifted the toolbox, “What are your thoughts on plumbing repair?”
“Are you serious?”
“Plumbing waits for no man, or woman, as the case may be,” Cal responded a little too brightly.
Rachel grumbled softly to herself. She definitely wasn’t letting that challenge go. “Lead on, sir. You can walk me through your invoicing system as we go.”
She took extreme satisfaction in his crestfallen look. Served him right for thinking he would run her off.
Chapter Eight
It’s Gonna Be Messy
Cal was just happy to escape his office finally. He’d promised to work with the consultant, but if he had to spend one more minute in shut in a room with her, he’d start banging his head against the wall. Not that she didn’t ask good questions or make insightful comments. That part he could tolerate, actually. Well, maybe he’d had to bite his tongue once or twice, but it was fine.
It was her perfume that was making him frantic, and he needed a break. It was understated and at first he leaned closer, attempting to get a sniff. Now that they had been locked in the office for hours, the delicate flower and woodsy cedar scent surrounded him, disrupting his concentration. It was intoxicating.
He tightened his grip on his grandfather’s toolbox and started down the hall. Realizing his stride was too long for her to keep up, he slowed. Having her around would deprive him of the time he needed to focus on the estate. With a shake of his head, he started telling her about the billing system, but she interrupted him.
“Do you always handle the plumbing repairs around here rather than using a qualified plumber?”
He bristled at her insinuation that he wasn’t good enough for the job. Gritting his teeth, he responded politely, “Well, forminor repairs, Marshal or I have a run at it. For larger jobs or for renovations, we hire a plumber.”
Her only response was to take out her notebook and make a notation, setting his teeth on edge. Walking through the foyer, Cal went over to the bathroom door that was inset into the wall. He wasn’t sure what relative had installed two bathrooms underneath the staircase, but it was a good use of space.
During construction, they’d installed multiple stall restrooms just around the corner from the foyer. It allowed them to accommodate the number of guests that might be in the ballroom. But Cal just couldn’t bear to remove these two single bathrooms. He liked they were quirky and unusual. Besides, there was no such thing as too many bathrooms.
He checked the room to the left, but it looked fine. Opening the other door, he noticed water on the floor. Guess they’d found the leak. Addressing Rachel again, he asked, “Would you mind grabbing some towels?”
He was relieved when she didn’t seem put out by the request. “Sure thing. Just tell me where they are.”
“If you walk back toward my office,” he said, closing his eyes so he could count. “The third door down on the right is a small closet with cleaning supplies. There should be towels in there on the shelving unit to the right.”
She disappeared without another word while Cal knelt on the floor of the bathroom, careful to avoid the puddle.
By the time Rachel came back with a small stack of towels, he’d shut off the water and identified the leak. Grabbing the towels, he cleaned up the floor and laid down so he could reach under the sink. As he was getting into position, Rachel asked, “I just can’t help but think this is not the best use of your time.”
