office. Yeah, this skirt had been a bad idea. I had to hike it up past my knees just so I could bend. Now it was going to wrinkle.
I shook my head. Whatever. I just wanted this day to be over.
It took me several hours and it was pushing five o’clock by the time I was finally done. I’d just finished brushing myself off when the phone rang at my desk. I sighed as I hurried over to it. That was one nice thing about doing files after hours—the phone didn’t ring. It had rung all afternoon and I’d been up and down enough times to count it as a workout.
“Sage, it’s me,” Parker said after I’d answered. “I won’t be coming back to the office tonight. Take the cleaning by my place, if you would, and bring the ZNT file with you.”
“Um, okay,” I said, closing my eyes and rubbing a hand across my forehead. “Sure.” I didn’t have to do this very often, but tonight I’d really just wanted to go home and sleep.
NewYorkNewYorkNewYork.
Okay, I could suck it up for a three-day trip to New York.
“You have a key, right?” he asked.
“Yeah, I do. I’ll drop off your things.”
“Thank you, Sage.” He disconnected.
Hmm. Another thank you. I could get used to that.
My arms were full when I left and it took a few minutes to hail a cab. “Yuck,” I muttered, using my foot to shove aside some food wrappers on the floor. I gave the driver Parker’s address.
I lived in a nice part of town. Parker lived in the expensive part of town. The rent for his condo cost thousands each month and I secretly envied the place. It was a gorgeous, two-bedroom with granite counters, a gas stove, and corner windows that overlooked downtown on one side and Lake Michigan on the other.
I juggled the clothes, my purse, Parker’s briefcase, all while trying to unlock the door. Finally, I managed to get inside. I promptly dropped everything on his sofa, because my arms were aching. There were even indentations in my skin from the damn hangers.
“Oh, Parker! It’s about time you got home! Have I got a surprise for y—” The singsong feminine voice abruptly cut off as I turned to see a woman come around the corner, clad in nothing but a thong and one of Parker’s ties. She screamed, crossing her arms over her ample breasts. “Who the hell are you?”
With a sinking in my gut, I cursed Parker. He didn’t have a girlfriend, no, but that didn’t mean he didn’t sleep around. Some women could be really persistent in trying to have a relationship with him, despite his near-brutal brush-offs. This looked like one of them.
“How did you get in here?” I asked. It wasn’t as if Parker would ever give his key to one of them.
“None of your business,” the blonde spluttered, her face beet red. “You didn’t answer my question. Who are you?”
I raised an eyebrow. “I’m Mr. Anderson’s assistant, and unless he gave you a key”—I could tell by her face he hadn’t—“you’re trespassing and need to go.”
She tossed her long hair and straightened her spine, her brown eyes flashing. “I’m his girlfriend,” she insisted. “This was a surprise for him.”
“I’m sure him having a girlfriend certainly will be a surprise,” I said, especially since he’d just told me last night that he wasn’t dating anyone. I brushed past her into the bedroom. Seeing her clothes on the chair in the corner, I snatched them up. “Here’s your clothes. Now, leave.” I pushed them into her chest. Grabbing her arm, I started hauling her to the entry.
“He’s going to fire you when I tell him what you did,” she spat as I pulled open the door.
“Awesome,” I said, shoving her through. “I could use a vacation.” I reached for her, slipping the tie off her head quick as a wink, then slammed the door shut in her face.
I was going to have a talk with the doorman about this. Hell, maybe I should have a talk with Parker about this, not that it was really his fault. Guess he must be so good in bed he was beating them off with a stick. And no, I totally was not jealous. It was just…irritating, that’s all.
I sniffed. Something smelled good. Had the blonde cooked dinner? No, it had probably been Deirdre, Parker’s maid. She came by daily to straighten things and made dinner for him several times a week. I needed