“I think you need to take this to Adam and see what he wants to do,” I told him, closing the file, and handing it back to him.
“Ms. Hardwell has brought us a lot of money. But now that I know it’s not legit cash, I just want to give it all back. If I hadn’t just put a down payment on a lake house.” Jeremy groaned, rubbing his temples. “Okay, well I’ll go talk to Adam and see how he wants to handle this. Thanks, Rob.”
After he left I sat back in my chair, feeling better than my partner did at the information I had just been given.
Because now it seemed I had something called leverage.
**
I knew when I blew off Tiffany last week that it would only be a matter of time until I heard from her again. I still didn’t really understand why she had come to Southport and what her angle was, but if I wanted to really start something with Skylar and make it last, I had to deal with this very ugly part of my past.
I was just finishing up a meeting with a client after lunch when my phone vibrated with an incoming message. Thinking it was Skylar I chanced a glance at the screen.
You haven’t come by to see me. :-(
Even though the number wasn’t familiar, I knew exactly who it was.
Tiffany.
After showing my client to the door, I picked up my phone again to find three more messages. All from Tiffany.
I thought I made my desires clear. I need to see you.
I don’t like it when you ignore me. It makes me think I have to do things to get your attention.
Call me back today or I’ll be dropping into the office for a face-to-face chat.
I could feel her increasing anger with each subsequent text. This was a woman who thrived on control and she’d retain it in any way she could. I needed to handle this quickly before it escalated. And thanks to Jeremy I had my own cards in my pocket I could play if I needed to.
I tapped out a quick reply.
I’ll come by after work. Around six.
Tiffany’s reply was only a few seconds later.
Perfect. I’ll make dinner. Xoxo
I didn’t bother to tell her not to, that I wouldn’t be staying for dinner. She wouldn’t listen anyway.
My phone buzzed again. Expecting another message from Tiffany, I didn’t look at it right away. When I did, my stomach dropped.
What time will you be over this evening? I downloaded the new Star Wars movie.
Shit. I had made plans with Skylar. I was supposed to spend the night, the first time I would be doing so since we had been together. I knew it was a big deal to have someone stay in her house. She was very guarded of her space and the fact she was opening it up to me was on the same level as my taking her to meet Sam and Mom.
I’m going to be late. Probably not until after eight. Is that okay?
I could see the bubble that indicated she was typing and then her response.
Of course. I’ll see you then. :-)
I swore to myself it would be the last time I lied to her. I never wanted to give her a reason to feel betrayed by me. It was time I came clean.
But first I needed to handle Tiffany Hardwell.
**
Tiffany had purchased the Carmichael house in the center of Southport. It was one of the oldest properties in the state, having been built by a steel tycoon in the late eighteen-hundreds. It had been in a dilapidated state before she bought it and by the looks of it, she had put thousands of dollars into modernizing and fixing it up. She couldn’t have chosen a more ostentatious, attention-grabbing house if she tried.
I walked up the steps of the wrap-around porch. It was freshly painted with hanging plants hanging along the curve of the railing. The elaborately carved front door was a work of art all unto itself. I twisted the old doorbell, hearing it clang inside.
The door opened a second later, almost as if Tiffany had been waiting for my arrival. “Robbie,” she cooed as her familiar perfume wafted over me, making me slightly nauseous.
She was all done up in a tight-fitting green dress that barely covered her ass. Her large tits were on proud display, practically spilling out. She was dressed to seduce. There was no denying what she expected to happen.
I looked forward to disappointing her.
“You came empty-handed. I thought I taught you better manners than that,” she scolded, closing the door behind me. “Never mind, I have more than enough here already.” She slithered past me, making sure to brush against my arm. I could smell chicken parmigiana baking. “Come inside. We can’t hang out in the entryway all night.”
She waved me through to the living room. It was decked out just as I expected it to be. While the outside of the house kept in line with the period, inside had been completely gutted and decorated with a modern sensibility. It was all clean lines and stark white walls and furniture. It reminded me a lot of the penthouse she owned when I met her. It was cold, with zero personality. Nothing like the cozy warmth of Skylar’s house with the mismatched pillows on the couch and the brightly colored tiles in the kitchen.
“I hope you’re hungry,” she sang as sashayed into the kitchen. By habit, I watched the way her hips moved. The purposeful,
