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“Of course not. My money bought it. There wasn’t nothing she could do and now Milton gets to see it every day and remember he can’t get anything past me.”
I’m not sure what I expected her explanation to be, but a revenge toilet wasn’t top of the list. Maren studies the disgusting lawn ornament for a moment, then asks, “Are you going to plant flowers this year?”
“Of course. I might wait a bit later than I did last year since I lost a lot to the late frost.”
“What if we turned it into a planter? You could actually get two out of it. The bowl and the tank. I could paint them and if you put one on either side of your steps, they’d be nice for you and anyone else to look at, but a secret reminder for Milton.”
They discuss the possibilities and a few minutes later, Maren turns to me. “Problem solved.” With a tiny tilt of her head, she looks from the toilet to me. “It looks heavy. Can you move it to my backyard, or do I need to get Dylan to help?”
Does she really think challenging my strength is going to make me scoop up that muddy mess and dutifully follow behind her?
CHAPTER
SEVEN
MAREN
After Cooper lugs the toilet of vengeance back to my place, we go door to door, handing out the rent waivers and answering a few questions. He didn’t need to be with me, but he said he wants to put names to faces and get to know everyone. Most of the tenants who are home aren’t quite as guarded with him when they see they really do have six months to live rent free. I’m not sure what his actual reason for doing it is, but with his signature, at least he can’t turn around and accuse us of not paying.
I use the last hour of my workday to get the office more organized and usable while Cooper joins Dylan again. He steps back into the office right at five o’clock when I’m getting ready to go home.
“Good first day. Nine o’clock start tomorrow.” His lips twitch up “Unless you’re looking for another peek. I’m not shy. It’s up to you.”
“You just couldn’t help yourself, could you?” I sigh, and he chuckles when I give him the middle finger on the way out. So much for a professional work environment. It doesn’t matter. I can handle him.
Louise sticks her head out her door when I approach my trailer. “Smoke?”
“Hell yes. Give me one second.” I change into a pair of comfortable jeans and a hoodie, grab us both a Coke, and head next door.
Louise and I are unlikely friends considering she’s twice my age, but I adore her. She comes off as weird—I mean, she is odd but it’s what makes her interesting. She’s also kind and gives great advice despite the differences in our beliefs. She’s into a lot of mystical stuff and I don’t put faith in anything without proof.
By the time I return, Cara and Lila are sitting on either end of Louise’s couch. “Thought we’d celebrate your first day at work,” Louise says, lighting a joint and trading it for the bottle of Coke.
“How did it go?” Cara asks.
“It wasn’t bad. There’s going to be a lot to do but it’s not difficult.”
“And you have something nice to look at. Did you get him naked yet?” Lila teases. The sight of his body dripping in front of me flashes in my mind and her jaw drops at my hesitation. “Oh my god, did you?”
“No! You think I slept with my boss on the first day of work?”
“I would’ve,” Lila mumbles, taking the joint from me.
“I told you I’m not interested in anyone, especially a slumlord.” Slumping onto the couch, I rub my palm over my face. “I did accidentally walk in on him as he got out of the shower.”
All heads spin in my direction and I hold up my hands. “It wasn’t my fault. I didn’t know he was showering in that trailer.”
“Did he do it on purpose?” Louise asks. I’m not surprised. If anyone has a more critical view of men in general, it’s Louise. She’s been alone for years and swears toys are a better choice. She’s one of the happiest people I know so maybe she’s on to something.
“No, I showed up early and he forgot to lock the door. It was an accident. Other than that, the day was fine.”
Lila scoffs. “Starting the day with a random dick sighting on a guy that looks like that is not a drawback. Was it big?”
When my only response is an exasperated look, Louise speaks up, “Of course it was.”
“How would you know?” I ask.
“I have a sixth sense. I can spot some good dick from a mile away.”
