Lie, Lie Again - Stacy Wise Page 0,79
Well, that hadn’t gone exactly as planned, but at least she had her photos. And information. Now she knew exactly why Hugh had decided to ghost her when he did. His love nest was no longer available.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Jonathan rolled into his mom’s old parking spot and strode to the hot blonde’s apartment, a tattered briefcase in hand. It wasn’t his—he’d found it in Ma’s apartment tucked in the back of the hall closet—but the prop would make him look more authoritative. Imposing. With any luck, he’d be able to get them all to sign the papers he’d stuffed in the case. He reached the door and rang the bell.
“Mama! Someone’s at the door,” a whiny voice said from inside. “I open it?”
“I’m coming, sugar.”
He rolled his eyes and tapped his foot. How long did it take to open a freaking door?
Finally, she swung it open. He offered a wide smile, even though the sight of her with a baby on her hip and her ponytail askew was enough to make him vow to never get involved with a woman who wanted children. Kids turned hot chicks into hot messes. “Hello, Elizabeth.”
“It’s Embry.”
“Shit. Right.”
She glared at him. “I have small children here,” she said tightly. “I’d appreciate if you’d keep that in mind when you speak.”
“Yeah. Sorry about that.” He straightened. “I wanted to make sure Dave fixed the garbage disposal to your satisfaction.”
“Yeah. It’s working now.”
He waited for a thank-you, but she continued to glare. Ungrateful bitch. “Good. Another quick thing,” he began, shifting his briefcase so he could open it. “I need you to sign this paper for me.” The less he said, the better. With any luck, the baby, who was now grabbing at her shirt, would act as a distraction.
“What am I signing?” she asked, gently removing the baby’s hand from where he’d nearly pulled it low enough to reveal her bra. “Does this have something to do with you selling the place?”
Jesus Christ! He swallowed wrong and coughed into his hand. “What do you mean?” he asked, recovering.
“Dave told us. The handyman?”
“Right, right.” The idiot. He wasn’t ready for the tenants to know just yet. That would only create complaining and questions he couldn’t answer. Rolling back on his heels, he said, “It’s always a possibility, I suppose. Dave can fix things, but he clearly can’t differentiate hypothetical from reality,” he added with a smirk. “This page is just confirming that you’re on a month-to-month lease. It allows you to leave whenever you want. At the end of the day, it’s for your own protection.” He nodded as he handed her the paper. It was something he’d found on the internet on an attorney’s website.
“Fine. Will you hold Carson for a sec?” she asked, offering the baby to him.
The things he had to do to get what he wanted. Tentatively, he took the baby and held it under the armpits while she scribbled her signature across the line with the pen he’d generously offered. At least she was quick about it. She handed the paper to him and reached for the baby.
“Thanks. Let me know if that garbage disposal gives you any more trouble.”
She closed the door without a word. Whatever. He’d gotten what he wanted. One down, two to go. Bam! He grabbed his briefcase and crossed the driveway. Something bright orange on one of the stairs caught his eye, and he picked up his pace. Shit. He’d forgotten about the message Sylvia had left. What had Dave been thinking, taping the step like that? He climbed the stairs and stopped on the sixth, reaching out his foot to tap the seventh. Huh. It actually felt pretty darn sturdy. Grabbing the railing, he put some weight on it and smiled. Totally fine. If it could hold his weight, it could hold hers. Traipsing up the rest of the stairs, he knocked on her door. When she didn’t answer immediately, he jammed his finger against the bell and knocked once more.
Not home. He took another document from his briefcase and slid it under her mat, leaving a corner sticking out, before jogging down the stairs.
As he reached the ground, the girl from the lower apartment pranced out, dressed in black leggings and a tight little top. She’d be totally hot if there were a little more to grab on to. “Hiya! I was just about to knock on your door.”
“Oh. Is something wrong?”
“No, no. We’re good! I was just checking on a few things, and I