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“Morning,” Wyatt said as he took his seat.
“Hey. You starting today, too?”
He held out a hand. “Wyatt.”
“Aaron.”
He shook the kid’s hand and opened his own folder. More forms. Great.
“You don’t seem the type.”
Wyatt met his eyes. The kid looked to be all of eighteen. If he was twenty, Wyatt would eat the candles off his next birthday cake. “What do you mean?”
The kid shrugged. “You’re a little older, I guess.”
Wyatt stared at him until the kid’s cheeks showed a little color. He was only thirty-one. Not exactly ready for the nursing home. He gave his own shrug. “I guess.”
“It’s a great gig, though. A couple of my buddies work here.”
“What’s great about it?”
“It’s better than flipping burgers. Pay’s decent. Work’s not bad. And you can rack up some serious tips.”
“Tips?”
That was interesting. He’d have guessed a tip at Christmas would be normal. But tips, plural? What would earn a tip and how often? Was there something going on behind Sadie’s back? Boys would be boys, after all. And a college kid turning down strings-free sex seemed a little much to believe.
“My buddy Noah, he gets tons of tips.”
“What’s he gotta—”
There was a clatter on the hardwood floor and flash of black-and-white fur streaking through the room. The dog jumped to put its paws on the table across from them, tongue falling out of a doggy grin. Wyatt had to smile back.
“This our teacher?” Aaron asked.
The dog let out a playful yip.
“Jack!”
The dog dropped to all fours as Sadie came in. She frowned at Jack, whose tail wagged hard enough to shake the entire back end of his body. Sadie pointed out the door.
“Bed!”
Wyatt brought a hand up to cover his smile. She was sexy as sin. She wore that wildly curly black hair loose this morning, and he wondered how it would feel in his hands. Those full pink lips formed an irritated pout and made him want to make them smile again. She’d never have to order him to bed, that was a fact. She was dressed in jeans and a white Cleaning Crew T-shirt. The uniform looked much better on her. Especially the jeans. Especially her ass in those jeans. He shifted in the chair and dropped his gaze to the dog. Walking slowly out of the room with his nose pointed at the floor, he was a canine con artist of the finest sort.
“Good morning. Sorry about that,” she said. She took the seat across from them.
While she seemed perfectly composed with a smile lingering on her lips and her hands folded on the table, Wyatt could see the pulse point at the base of her throat fluttering. Why the nerves? Her hands were clasped tightly and her entire body was taut. Her gaze met his and a faint pink stain touched her cheeks, so he concentrated on the folder in front of him. Was he making her nervous? Why? Did she suspect something? Was he not acting his part well enough?
Maybe you should stop drooling over her. That might be what she’s picking up on.
“Today, we’ll go over the information in the packets. Most of it has to do with policy and procedures. Pretty dry stuff. Since there’s only the two of you, I hope we can get through it quickly. I’ll give you a tour. Then I’ll introduce you to your preceptors. You’ll spend at least two weeks with them—more if you or your preceptor thinks you need it—then you’ll be assigned to a partner. You’ll be on probation for three months.”
She rolled her eyes in Aaron’s direction and gave him a skeptical look. “But since Noah recommended you, I should keep you on probation for a year or so.”
Aaron laughed and so Wyatt did, making note of the name. Was Noah actually a troublemaker? As much as he disliked Marcus, he was a professional. He’d do a thorough investigation. Even if he was sure Sadie wasn’t the madam of a male prostitution ring, he had to make sure the guys weren’t supplementing their incomes with some hanky-panky. Which meant he was going to be hanging around for a while.
The morning passed slowly. There was no way to make going over policy and procedure interesting. Wyatt amused himself by watching Sadie. She had a snarky, sarcastic sense of humor she tried to keep hidden, but it slipped out in unguarded moments. Several times he’d made her laugh and had been rewarded with a conspiratorial smile. He found himself looking for ways to earn more of them.
“Okay,” Sadie said after they’d gone over how to sign up for their free Planet Fitness membership. She tilted her phone to look at the time. “I’m getting hoarse, and it’s close enough to lunch. Let’s take a break. Meet back here at twelve-thirty.”
Wyatt walked the few blocks and risked his life crossing Savannah Highway to have lunch at Gene’s Haufbrau. The Avondale burger with bacon, pimento cheese and a fried green tomato was worth the risk. While eating, he tried to devise a game plan. Whoever he was put with for initial training would most likely be someone who’d been there a long time. And he was sure the partner he’d be assigned to would be experienced, also. He’d have to gain their trust enough for them to talk freely around him. The age thing might be a problem. While it wasn’t a problem for Sadie, these college kids were looking at him like some sort of relic and it might make them reluctant to let him in on their secrets. If there are any. He dumped his trash and headed back.
The door was unlocked but Molly wasn’t at the receptionist’s desk when he let himself in. He almost called out when a small sound stopped him. He took a few quiet steps toward the hall. Funny how quickly the stealth came back. How familiar the feeling of adrenaline flooding the system, enhancing sight and hearing. A sense of dread drifted through him when he saw Jack sitting quietly in the hall. The dog turned his head toward Wyatt and let out a low whine. Before he could say anything, the dog stood and padded quietly into the room.
Wyatt froze and listened. Another whine from Jack, then the shuffle of feet and a sniff. Then Sadie’s voice.
“No, Lena. I’m okay. It’s just that I was hoping for...” A sigh drifted through the room. “I don’t know what I was hoping for. Not this.”
Silence again. She must be on the phone. He stepped into the hallway.
“I understand. I know it’s the right thing. I wish there was another way.”
More silence. Wyatt frowned, trying to put together the pieces of conversation. It certainly didn’t sound like anything criminal.
“I’m okay. Yes. That sounds good. Tell everyone I love them.”
Personal call. What did you expect? To overhear her booking one of the guys for a sex act? Plans for a drug buy? “Hello?” He stepped into the kitchen and spotted her leaning against the counter. He was suddenly, absurdly unsure of what to call her. Sadie? She was about his age, but also was now his boss. Miss Martin? Ms. Martin? “Hey, you okay?”
She spun around, clearly startled. Her hands wiped across her face and she cleared her throat. “Sure. Wow. It’s been an hour already?” She turned to the sink, filled a glass of water and took a long sip.
“Bad habit I picked up in the military. Being early.”
He leaned against the counter and crossed his arms. Her eyes were pink rimmed and her lower lip still wanted to quiver. He had no idea what to do. She was ignoring the tears. Should he? Maybe it was nothing. The call was clearly personal. But he was here for a reason.
* * *
CRAP. SADIE PUT the glass in the sink and turned away from Wyatt’s appraising eyes. I can’t believe I let him walk up on me.
Losing your touch, Sadie girl. Getting soft and stupid.
“Are you okay?” he asked. Again.
“Sure. Got some news I didn’t want to hear. It’s fine. I’m fine.”
She walked out of the kitchen. Fine, ha. What was that old saying? Fine meant fucked-up, insecure, neurotic and emotional. Sounded about right. He followed her. She could sense his gaze on her back and she purposefully straightened her spine and lengthened her stride. Show no weakness. She’d learned the lesson hard and young. By the time she was six, she knew tears and pain were invitations to predators and bullies. In the classroom, she pretended to look for something in a filing cabinet. He perched on the edge of the table, still watching, which was starting to get annoying. Oh, it didn’t bother you this morning when he was getting your jokes and Aaron wasn’t. All that eye contact was causing some serious non-boss-like feelings. She slammed the file shut in disgust.
“Anything I can help with?”
She looked at him. There was a faint look of concerned puzzlement in his expression. Proved how little he knew. She didn’t need help. Ever. “No. I’m going to take Jack for a walk before we get started again.”
Thank God he didn’t follow her this time. She and Jack circled the block and she struggled to get her emotions under control while he watered his favorite plants and sign posts. Lena’s phone call had not been unexpected. She wished it weren’t so soon.
When she and Lena became friends and her family learned Sadie was essentially alone in the world, it had horrified them. So they took her in. They’d reduced her to tears with a surprise birthday party once and refused to let her pull away when their love frightened her. Lena’s grandfather was especially concerned about her and she often found ten-or twenty-dollar bills tucked into her jacket or purse after leaving their home. He was the one she’d let get the closest to her heart.
He had decided to end treatment for his cancer and was going into hospice care. While she knew it was probably for the best—an eighty-three-year-old man should have a peaceful exit from life surrounded by his loved ones, not medical procedure after medical procedure—she didn’t know how to deal with the impending loss. The tools of self-preservation learned in childhood would do her no good now.
Jack bumped his head into her hand as they reached the backyard. She squatted and hugged his stupid, furry neck. He wiggled around and licked at her tears.
“I know, Jackie Boy. I’m a hot mess, huh?”
His doggy grin seemed to agree. But he loved her anyway. She buried her face in his fur. Time to suck it up. We’ll cry about this later. We’ll figure out what to do later. For now, you’ve got a business to run.
She found Wyatt sitting alone in the classroom. He looked up at her entrance and dropped his gaze immediately. Her stomach dropped almost as suddenly. She could feel the awkwardness in the air. He was being nice. Like a normal person. And you messed up. As usual. She took a deep breath. “Hey. I’m sorry. I got some bad news about someone I’m very close to and was trying to process it.”
“It’s okay. Sorry I intruded on a private moment.”
She sat on the edge of the table and rubbed her hands against the backs of her arms. He tilted his head to look up at her and she got caught up in those warm hazel eyes. The concern was still there. But why? Why would he care? A small frown crinkled the corners of his eyes and the urge to spill out the whole story bubbled up inside her. How she used to pretend Abuelito was her real grandfather and how that little fantasy gave her something to hold on to in the seemingly bottomless free fall of her life. How she was terrified to watch him slip away. She was afraid she’d run away and shame herself in front of the family who had done so much for her. Pain and anger and fear rose from her gut to clog her throat with unshed tears.
“Hey,” Wyatt said, reaching for her arm. The frown deepened and his voice was soft, so soft and tender.
She leaped away. Pity. No. Horror at the idea of him feeling sorry for her drowned the pain, at least momentarily. Confusion showed clearly on his face and remorse stung her again. Would she never get this right? Could she not let her walls down?
“Dudes. Sorry I’m late. Traffic is a bear.”
She turned to Aaron with relief. Normally, she would lecture him on punctuality, but he’d saved her from making an even bigger fool of herself, so she forgave him. This time.
CHAPTER SIX (#ulink_02ca888a-d500-5a8b-bf72-3a90db9e2e72)
A RUMBLE OF voices greeted Sadie as she stomped down the back stairs from her apartment to the first-floor kitchen. She had enlarged the pantry and turned it into a supply room but had left most of the kitchen intact. It had a stove, sink, fridge. She and Molly had filled the cabinets with garage-sale finds. It was large enough for her to cook up a company dinner every month. She kept the fridge stocked with lunch foods and snacks for the guys. College kids ate constantly, it seemed. All that learning must burn calories. Several of the crew were grouped around the coffeemaker, filling up cups for the Tuesday morning meeting. A burst of raucous laughter exploded from the conference room. When one hires college guys, one endures college-guy humor.
“Hey, boss,” Josh greeted her.
“Morning. Okay, y’all, boss is here, step away from the coffeepot.” She reached for the carafe and held it up, swirling the dregs. “I should randomly fire someone for this.”
“Like to see that,” Josh said as he took the carafe from her. “I’ll start a fresh pot. I told you to invest in one of those Keurig things.”
“I should. It’s almost cruel and unusual to make me face the lot of you without coffee.”
“It’s cruel and unusual for you to make us get up at this ungodly hour on a Monday,” one of them called from the conference room.
“Whoever said that is the randomly fired guy,” she yelled back, and a wave of laughter and hooting rolled from the room. She touched Josh on the arm as he poured grounds into the machine. “I want to talk to you after the meeting.”
“Sure thing, boss.”
She walked into the conference room where almost every employee was gathered around the large dining table. Others were holding up the walls. A silent scuffle at the end of the table caught her attention. The two went still when they realized she was watching. Malik gave her his best choirboy face. But Eric’s redhead complexion was giving him away. She stared at the faces around the table. Everyone had gone still with expressions ranging from innocent to amused. Except Wyatt Anderson. He lounged back casually in his chair, but his eyes were alert and appraising. She got the impression of a cat watching the spot where its prey hid. A little thrill ran through her, and she frowned at her body’s reaction. This had to stop. She turned Malik and held out a hand.
“Gimme. And it better not be porn again. Y’all drank my coffee, and it’s too freaking early for porn.”
A folded newspaper made its way down the table to her. She picked it up. The urge to laugh was accompanied by a prickle of irritation. It was an ad campaign by Marcus Canard, her closest competition. Well, she wasn’t competing with him. But he definitely was competing with her. For the first time, the Cleaning Crew had won the Charleston City Paper’s coveted Best of Charleston Award for Best Cleaning Company, beating out Canard’s Happy Housekeepers.
The photograph showed a diverse group. Three women, one white, one black and one Hispanic, and two young, handsome men, one white and one black, smiled at the camera. They were dressed in khakis and blue button-down shirts. “We meet all your cleaning needs!” the caption proclaimed.
Sadie tossed it on the table. She smiled and shook her head. Show no weakness. “They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. But, hey, any of you want to go work for Marcus Canard, I’ll give you a glowing recommendation.”
Josh handed her a cup of coffee, steaming hot and black. “Forget him,” he said as he took his seat. “Dude doesn’t get it. Never will.”
“Get what?” Wyatt asked, sitting forward and propping his arms on the table. He looked at Sadie. She shrugged and gestured at Josh.
“Simple,” Josh said, “you get what you pay for. We work our asses off. We go beyond the basics and go out of our way to make everything right for the client. Why? One, it’s what Sadie expects from us. Two, it’s what the customers pay more for. Three, it’s what she pays us good money to do. Marcus pays his staff minimum wage. He keeps them all part-time so he doesn’t have to provide benefits. Sadie offers benefits even to part-time employees, plus extras, like free gym memberships. He doesn’t care about his employees, so why should they care about him or his company’s reputation?”
Sadie sat down. Her knees were a little weak. Josh’s praise meant a lot to her. The guys clearly agreed with him, too, which made tears start in her eyes. She sipped coffee to wash down the lump in her throat. They believed she had it together. None of them knew she was running scared every day. It wasn’t about Marcus and the competition. It was about her. She had to succeed. She had to. She was supposed to have been a loser living in poverty, probably marrying a similar loser and having a passel of kids.
The Cleaning Crew was a fluke. She’d left her first maid job and was on her own. She’d cleaned private homes from sunup to sundown six days a week. It’d started with a conversation about the Powerball lottery, which was up to some unimaginably huge amount. The client had asked Sadie what she’d do if she won. Sadie replied she’d buy a nice house and hire a team of gorgeous guys to cook and clean for her. The client laughed and said, “Who wouldn’t? I’d pay extra for a hot man to clean my house.” The purr in the client’s voice had amused Sadie. When her client list grew to the point where she didn’t have enough hours in the day to do all the work and was thinking of hiring another person to help she remembered that purr. And hired a hot guy. It had grown from there. A joke. But she could point to it and say, “See, I’m not a loser. I’m doing fine, thank you very much. I don’t need help. I don’t need anything.” The fear that at any moment she could do something stupid and ruin it all haunted her. Then everyone would shrug and say, what do you expect from someone like her? She sipped more coffee and forced the doubts from her mind. Show no weakness. Wrap it up tight, shove it down deep and keep plowing forward.
“Okay,” she said when she thought she could speak. “Let’s get this meeting going. You have jobs to get to.”
“I’ve got a hot blonde in my bed to get back to,” Cody quipped.
“I don’t want to hear about your sister,” Sadie replied tartly, opening her notebook to the list of topics she wanted to cover.
The room erupted with laughter and shouts. Sadie looked up and her eyes met Wyatt’s. He was smiling but raised his eyebrows in a question. She shrugged and quirked up a corner of her mouth. Sometimes you had to play the audience.
“All right, come on. First item. We have two new employees, Wyatt Anderson and Aaron Stone. Welcome them.” She paused for the guy razzing and grunting that passed for welcoming. “Aaron, you’ll be with Sam. And Wyatt, you’ll be working with DeShawn. Now for the boring stuff. The state of South Carolina is requiring me to provide proof you know how to properly dilute the new floor-cleaning solution. Molly has the sign off sheets. Go tell her how to do it properly and get signed off. She may give you a lollipop.”
She ran through the list quickly. She hated meetings. Hated everyone looking at her, expecting her to be all boss-like and perfect. And she was beginning to hate the way she could feel Wyatt’s gaze on her skin. He seemed as though he was going to fit in and do a good job. She was going to have to get her hormones under control. She opened the floor to questions.
“What are you going to do about the ad?” Malik asked.
“Nothing. Marcus Canard advertises. We don’t. The work we do is the only advertising we need. Almost all our new clients, about 95 percent, come from referrals. The rest stumble on us by Google search. We have almost zero client loss. The last three clients we lost, it was only because they moved away. No one has canceled the Crew because of our service.”
She stood. “I need more coffee, and y’all need to get to work. Anyone who doesn’t have a client scheduled in the next hour needs to get Molly to check you off on the cleaner. Wyatt and Aaron, get with your partners. I gave them the packets already. They’ll show you what needs to be done. Everyone have a great day. Call me if you need anything. Don’t forget first Friday is this week.”
She caught Josh’s eye and tilted her head, indicating for him to come with her. She ran upstairs to let Jack into the office. He got too excited when so many people were here. While he amused himself by sniffing around the conference room, she poured more coffee and went to her office. Josh sat across from her desk, quiet and watchful as she slurped down the second cup.
“New guy seems interesting,” he said.
“Which one?”
Josh grinned and lounged back in the chair, his long lanky legs stretched out before him. He stretched and rested his clasped hands on top of his head. “Come on, Saff, how long have we known each other? You get a little panicky when you know he’s watching you.”
Was it obvious? “I do not. Do I?”
Josh laughed and her cheeks burned. “Yes, but I think I only noticed because I know you so well. I meant because he’s a little older than most of the guys.”
“He’s not too much older than you. He was a house painter. Economy is still shaky. Got custody of his niece and needed more steady hours and pay.”
“Seems like a decent guy. What’d you want to talk to me about?”
