Page 4 of Obsessed with the Man of the House

Vanessa’s eyes were fixed on her feet.

“Thanks, Gray,” she mumbled. Then she looked at me again, peering a bit over my shoulder. “Is my mom here?”

I took a deep breath.

“It doesn’t look like it, but I’m sure Renata will catch up with us later. I told her to meet us for lunch at Wexler’s and I’m sure she’ll turn up then. She’s probably just experiencing car trouble. She asked me to front her some money for repairs a couple weeks ago, but knowing your mother, Renata has yet to take her Volvo to the shop.”

After all, I’m the one paying my ex-wife’s living expenses. The pool boy is obviously broke, and I’d be surprised if he’s able to do much to support their lifestyle. As a result,I’mthe one paying their bills, as perverse as that sounds. Fortunately, due to the short length of our marriage, the judge settled on five years of support and soon, my obligations will be over. But still, that didn’t alleviate my stepdaughter’s disappointment.

“Yeah, it must be car troubles,” said Vanessa in stilted voice. “I’m sure that’s it.”

I could have beaten my ex at that moment. I wanted to take Renata by the shoulders and shake her until her head bobbed back and forth, screaming at her to pay attention to her daughter. Didn’t she see how talented Vanessa was? How intelligent and resourceful? And how much she needed her mother?

But Renata’s a crazy one. Beautiful yes, but when she gets it in her head that she wants something, she doesn’t let go. She was dead set on starting a new life with Jeremy the pool boy, and there was no stopping her. Last I heard, they’re living in a sad, run-down apartment on the edge of town with the air reeking of weed at all hours. Oh yeah, Jeremy got her hooked on that stuff. They’re now total stoners from what I understand.

But it’s not my business.Vanessais my business, especially since she’s just offered to extend a lifeline to my company.

“Are you sure you can afford it?” I ask in a low voice, coming back to the present. “You don’t need to re-invest in your business or anything?”

“Oh no,” my stepdaughter says in a light voice. “There’s no reinvesting in real estate. Well, not in the way that you’re thinking. I just need some good equipment and lighting, and I’ll be fine!”

That’s strange. Why would my stepdaughter need equipment and light fixtures for buying and selling homes?Perhaps for some comp cards, I muse.Or maybe staging?I get flyers in the mail all the time from brokers hoping to drum up business, and they’re always accompanied by a flattering headshot, not to mention gorgeous pictures of the property for sale. That must be it. Still, don’t brokers generally use professional photographers for this kind of work? But I push it out of my mind. I’m grateful and turn to the young woman, nodding with gratitude.

“If you’re okay with it, then I’d be grateful for the help, Vanessa. Trust me, I don’t want to be in this position, but Thomas Builders hasn’t been in a good place for a while now. That’s why I reached out to Joanna. She’s a rep with Countryside, and they’re known for extending short-term bridge loans to distressed companies. I just need some cash until I get my feet underneath me.”

Vanessa nods but then plants her hands on her wide, sassy hips.

“Yeah, but does Countryside know what Joanna’s up to? Her underhanded tactics, not to mention the blatant sexual harassment? I mean, that woman was demanding oral from you just to put in a loan application from what I overheard! Who does that?”

I shake my head.

“I know, but I couldn’t see any way out because Joanna’s the district manager for Countryside. She’s the boss for our region, and there’s no one else I could turn to. At least, not without ruffling a lot of feathers.”

Vanessa arches her brow at me.

“Ruffling feathers? That’s a euphemistic way to put things. It looks more like you were being sexually assaulted, Gray. If I hadn’t stepped in, you would have been face first in what looked like a burned orange.”

I wince because Vanessa’s right. Joanna’s pussy didn’t look very good.

“I know, but I needed the money fast. I need the money immediately, in fact.”

“Oh, why didn’t you say so? It’s no problem,” Vanessa says while reaching for her phone. “Let me transfer the cash to you now. Let’s see… I have Thomas Builders’ bank account info already, which is helpful. Okay, they need additional authorization, so let me just wait for the code on my phone … ah, here it is. Okay, done!”

Then, I feel my cell vibrate in my pocket. Holy shit, did that really happen? Dumbfounded, I reach for my phone and pull it out to see that indeed, Vanessa just transferred three hundred thousand dollars into my business bank account. The money won’t be available until tomorrow, but that’s soon enough. I’ll be able to pay some outstanding bills first thing in the morning, and get that asshole Crenshaw off my back too. I hate that fucker. He owns a company that rents out porta-potties, and we use his services at our construction sites. But fuck! The asshole has been refusing to come and clean out those fucking fake toilets on the schedule we agreed to, citing my “failure to pay.” As a result, our porta-potties reek to high heaven at the moment, and I could wring his neck for it.

But the three hundred thousand is going to make things right. I just need to wait for the punch list on the Trinity Church project to be completed, and then we’ll be back in the black. Hell, I’ll even be able to pay back Vanessa and then some. Meanwhile, hope has broken through the clouds, and I can literally feel my blood pressure dropping as my heart rate returns to normal.

“Thank you, honey,” I murmur. “I had no idea you had this much cash at your fingertips. But I get it. It’s not for free. I’ll pay you back with interest. How about ten percent per month?”

Obviously, the interest I’ve offered is highway robbery, but hell, my stepdaughter deserves it. She’s taking a risk with me, and I appreciate her investment. She trills with laughter.

“Oh no, Gray. That’s not necessary. I don’t need more money at the moment because I have plenty. But Idowant something else from you,” she says in a coy tone, wrapping a curl around one finger.

“Anything,” I growl. “Just name your price.”

“Well,” Vanessa giggles, wiggling her hips a bit. “I’ve wanted this one thing for so long—”

“It’s yours,” I say in a deep voice, my blue eyes intense. “You can’t imagine how much you’ve helped me, sweetheart. I’ll deliver whatever your heart desires.”

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