I was at home waiting for Evelyn to get back with her ingredients for dinner. I had only caught a glimpse of her as she was walking out. I called out to her, but the elevator doors had already closed. I didn’t think much of it and slumped down on the couch to relax and watch some television until it was time to eat. I flipped through some channels, but nothing caught my interest so I left it on some sitcom.
I leaned back and stared at the ceiling, zoning out with a sigh. My thoughts turned to Evelyn right away. I loved how uniquely beautiful she was. She wasn’t the average ditsy women I always dated. She was different from other women. Everything about her was new to me. She was interesting and alluring. Even the way I felt about and reacted to her was different.
I thought about the sex we had. Both times were great, but each felt different in one way or another. I liked how she let loose and went with the flow. I knew how strict and proper she was otherwise and it was thrilling to see her let her walls down. Evelyn wasn’t just another woman, and she certainly wasn’t just someone I had hired. I ran my hand through my hair and drew in a deep breath. As great as she was, this was all a bit drastic and fast for me.
My thoughts were interrupted when my cell phone rang out. I bolted upright to look at the screen, thinking it might be her calling. It was my father. I let out a long sigh, already feeling frustrated. I really wasn’t in the mood, but I decided to answer anyway. I reluctantly pressed the answer button.
“Remi Parker,” my father spoke before I could say anything. “I’ve been hearing an interesting rumor about you, young man.”
“What’s that?” I said flatly. I was already starting to regret answering the call. He didn’t even start with anything mundane like the weather. Instead he was already about to start in on me.
“I’ve been hearing you’re looking at a new place for your gym headquarters,” he said. It didn’t sound like he disapproved, which shocked me.
“Oh, that. Well, that’s true for the most part.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Oh, I am looking at a new spot, but it isn’t for the headquarters necessarily. I’m looking at this prime piece of real estate and if I snatch it up it would be perfect for the plan I have in mind. I’ve had this idea for one of my gyms for a long time. Sort of a ‘mega gym’. It’ll be the face of the whole business.”
“By the sounds of it, you have it worked out, son. So it’s not headquarters, but not a regular gym of yours either?”
“Right.” I wasn’t really willing to say much else in detail about my plan. I didn’t need him nosing into my business.
“Well, son, it would be truly impressive if you actually managed to buy it.”
My breath caught in my throat as I sat up straight. I couldn’t believe the words that just came out of his mouth. Just a few days ago my dad was chewing me out over the phone like he always did and now he was practically congratulating me. I was speechless and a small smile formed across my lips. I couldn’t help it. Now more than ever I knew I had made the right choice when I set my sights on this prime location. I always knew I had an eye for real estate, but this was really the kicker.
“Just keep in mind there will be plenty of people wanting to buy it,” he warned.
My smile didn’t fade. I didn’t care that my dad ended it on a less positive note. I also brushed aside the somewhat negative and shocked tone of his voice when he said it would be an impressive buy. All I cared about was the good parts of the phone call.
My grin grew even bigger at the thought of successfully buying the location and making him actually respect me for once. There would be no ifs, ands, or buts about it if I nabbed the place.
“Right,” I finally said, “I know. I have a great realtor, though, and I’ve been preparing for this.”
“Well, son, I just want to–”
I heard the elevator ding at my floor. “Oh. Hold on. Hey, dad? Sorry but I’ve got to go,” I said hastily.
I ended the call and sat back on the couch to look casual, not sure why I cared about that at all. The elevator doors opened and I heard Evelyn at the foyer. I sat up and called out, “Do you need help?”
“I’m fine,” she yelled back before rushing into the kitchen.
I furrowed my brows and turned to look in the direction of the kitchen. I could hear her getting everything ready, but I was focused on the way she sounded. She had seemed like she was in a hurry to leave without talking to me. She was standoffish, but I couldn’t figure out why.