Page 107 of Hale Damage
Apollo does not, in fact, get my hot water heater fixed. And that’s how I find myself inside my boss’s office bathroom again for the third straight day. I feel like I have this down to a routine now. I take the bus to the bakery, and when I’m done, I walk down to the Hale building, arriving by 6:30, which gives me plenty of time to shower, dry my hair, and put on my makeup.
I even bring my own towels, washcloths, and toiletries in my duffel bag, wiping down the shower once I’m done to hide the evidence.
Dipping my head back into the spray to rinse away the conditioner, I revel in the heat of the water cascading down my body. Apollo returned from Dallas last night, and he promised to get to my water heater today. I’m kinda going to miss this roomy shower with its outstanding water pressure, though I’ve been nervous as hell sneaking into my boss’s private bathroom every morning this week.
But luckily I’ve hidden it well, and Remington Hale is none the wiser.
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
The Shower Surprise
Remington
I hangup the phone and immediately dial Helix. He answers on the second ring.
“What’s wrong?” he asks with concern since it’s 6:30 in the morning.
“Sorry about the early hour, but I just got a call from London. There was a small fire in the lab a few minutes ago.”
“Fuck,” he curses. “Is everyone okay?”
“Everyone is fine,” I assure him. “A grad student left some papers too close to a Bunsen burner and then left the room to get something. When he came back, there was smoke, and the sprinklers were going off. There’s apparently a good bit of water damage.”
“I imagine,” he sighs. “What do you need me to do?”
“Can you and Nicolette meet me in my office in an hour? They’re going to get back to me with a full assessment, and you two know more about all the equipment than I do.” I put him on speakerphone as I tug on a pair of jeans. “I might need one of you to go to London.”
“I’ll go,” he offers. “Nic’s been a little under the weather, and I don’t think it would be a good idea for her to travel that far.”
“What’s wrong with her?” I ask, concerned.
“She’s gotten dizzy twice this week. I checked her blood pressure,and it was low both times. Her doctor said that happens sometimes, but I still worry.” He pauses for a long second. “If I have to go, do you think you could check up on her while I’m gone?”
“Of course,” I say earnestly. “Do I need to find someone else to go?”
“No, all the labs are under our purview, so I think it’s best if one of us goes. And like I said, Nic’s doctor didn’t seem to be too worried because it was only slightly lower than normal. I’m sure I’m just being overprotective.”
“Gotcha covered, bro. I’m headed over to the office now.”
Sliding on a navy-blue cable-knit sweater, I put on my shoes and coat before heading out the door. It’s the first week of December, and Texas decided to have an actual winter this year. The weather service is predicting snow flurries by this afternoon.
Antonio looks up from reading the paper on the caramel leather couch in the downstairs lobby of my apartment building. “You’re early this morning.” His eyes drop to my attire. “And a bit casual, aren’t we?”
“Emergency meeting with London,” I say. “And the dry cleaner dropped off a couple of my suits at the office yesterday, so I’ll change after I get done.”
As we walk across the parking lot, I pull my coat tighter around me and fill Antonio in on the fire. Entering the warmth of the office building, he asks, “Do you need me to drive you to lunch today?”
“Nah, I’m having lunch with Perri, so we’ll take her car, but I think I want to go to Prime for a steak tonight.”
“I’ll have the car ready and meet you out front after work,” the burly man says as we step into an open elevator. “I’ll be hanging out in the security office if you need me.”
“I’ll buy you dinner if you want,” I say as the doors open on the second floor.
“Good deal,” he replies, stepping out.
The building is pretty much deserted at this time of the morning, other than a security guard downstairs and the cleaning and maintenance crew. The top floor is dimly lit with no other people in sight when I arrive. Passing the coffee shop, I can hear Ambrosia moving around in the back, probably baking her scones and croissants. I don’tcatch the scent of brewing coffee yet, but hopefully she’ll have some ready by the time I’m done with the London call.
I frown when I get to the anteroom of my office and see the lights on. Opening the door to my space, I notice the light is on in my bathroom as well. I make a mental note to remind the cleaning crew to turn those off once they’re done every night.
