stay with the system. If I can shut down a limb of this tree, we all benefit. It’s worth a shot. What’s to lose?”
“I’ll talk to the old man, see what he says,” Paul said. He eased around the coffee table and went towards the front door. Burke stepped back and let him go.
“I can talk to your dad,” Burke said. “I really feel like this could be a break.”
Paul looked at me, and then at Burke. “All right. Give it another couple of weeks. Then we’ll get together and see where to go from there.”
“Fair enough,” Burke said, holding out his hand. “It’s good to see you again, Paul.”
Paul shook hands and opened the door. “Enjoy the rest of your day,” he said on his way out, winking at me.
“We will,” Burke answered, and closed the door behind him.
“Here’s another fine mess you’ve gotten me into,” I told him once Paul’s footsteps faded down the stairs.
Burke grinned at me.
“He’s just jealous,” he chuckled. “Always has been.”
“Nothing for him to be jealous of,” I corrected. “You know what happened as well as I do.”
“He doesn’t know that,” Burke laughed. “I love getting his goat. Keeps him on his toes.”
“And he’s gonna get on my toes,” I said, getting up and going to the kitchen. “I guarantee that is not going to go over well.”
“Ah, come on, Marlena,” Burke argued, coming to fill his cup again. “No harm done. It’s not like you have someone else. Even your boss can’t tell you who you can date.”
He was right. Didn’t help. I was still ticked off.
“You’re up, you’re dressed, you’re out of here,” I told him, turning my back.
“Come on, babe. Not even breakfast? I already cooked the bacon.”
I counted to ten again, then turned and leaned back against the counter. “You’ve done enough damage today. Go to work. You can buy breakfast at Kelly’s or hit the drive through.”
Burke sighed and set his cup down. He needed a shave, his thick blond hair was flattened on one side, and his shirt wrinkled in fifty places, still better than he had looked when he rolled in last night. The circles under his eyes weren’t as dark nor as puffy.
“Thanks for the couch,” he mumbled, heading for the door.
“You’re welcome,” I said, and left it at that.
He gave me a long, searching look before he finally opened the door and closed it behind him.
I opened the office and promptly checked all the cameras to be sure Paul Murphy was off the premises. Once I was sure he was absent, I put on another pot of coffee and went to work.
With the events of the morning, I had forgotten to show Burke the picture I had printed off. Coming out of the shower, dressed and ready for coffee to find your boss on the couch is not a good start on the day.
I brought the file down at lunch and went over it again, seeing nothing new. I stuck it under the counter to give to Burke the next time I saw him. Whenever that would be.
I just finished that thought when he walked in.
He looked a whole lot better than he had this morning, having shaved and cleaned up. A white collar peeked over a green sweater worn over jeans. He looked a little sheepish.
I waited, giving him the lead.
He glanced around the office, folded his arms and leaned on the counter.
“Are we speaking?”
“Of course. Can I help you?”
Burke chuckled. “How about I say I’m sorry? Really, all I did was open the door. You were in the shower. It could have been a customer, you know. What if someone was stuck in the gate? Or a door fell? I mean, after all, the customers know me, I’ve been around for a while. If it was an emergency I could have handled it.”
Valid points all. He could indeed have handled almost anything, including opening the office if need be. He had keys. There was no way he could have known
“I’ll talk to the old man, see what he says,” Paul said. He eased around the coffee table and went towards the front door. Burke stepped back and let him go.
“I can talk to your dad,” Burke said. “I really feel like this could be a break.”
Paul looked at me, and then at Burke. “All right. Give it another couple of weeks. Then we’ll get together and see where to go from there.”
“Fair enough,” Burke said, holding out his hand. “It’s good to see you again, Paul.”
Paul shook hands and opened the door. “Enjoy the rest of your day,” he said on his way out, winking at me.
“We will,” Burke answered, and closed the door behind him.
“Here’s another fine mess you’ve gotten me into,” I told him once Paul’s footsteps faded down the stairs.
Burke grinned at me.
“He’s just jealous,” he chuckled. “Always has been.”
“Nothing for him to be jealous of,” I corrected. “You know what happened as well as I do.”
“He doesn’t know that,” Burke laughed. “I love getting his goat. Keeps him on his toes.”
“And he’s gonna get on my toes,” I said, getting up and going to the kitchen. “I guarantee that is not going to go over well.”
“Ah, come on, Marlena,” Burke argued, coming to fill his cup again. “No harm done. It’s not like you have someone else. Even your boss can’t tell you who you can date.”
He was right. Didn’t help. I was still ticked off.
“You’re up, you’re dressed, you’re out of here,” I told him, turning my back.
“Come on, babe. Not even breakfast? I already cooked the bacon.”
I counted to ten again, then turned and leaned back against the counter. “You’ve done enough damage today. Go to work. You can buy breakfast at Kelly’s or hit the drive through.”
Burke sighed and set his cup down. He needed a shave, his thick blond hair was flattened on one side, and his shirt wrinkled in fifty places, still better than he had looked when he rolled in last night. The circles under his eyes weren’t as dark nor as puffy.
“Thanks for the couch,” he mumbled, heading for the door.
“You’re welcome,” I said, and left it at that.
He gave me a long, searching look before he finally opened the door and closed it behind him.
I opened the office and promptly checked all the cameras to be sure Paul Murphy was off the premises. Once I was sure he was absent, I put on another pot of coffee and went to work.
With the events of the morning, I had forgotten to show Burke the picture I had printed off. Coming out of the shower, dressed and ready for coffee to find your boss on the couch is not a good start on the day.
I brought the file down at lunch and went over it again, seeing nothing new. I stuck it under the counter to give to Burke the next time I saw him. Whenever that would be.
I just finished that thought when he walked in.
He looked a whole lot better than he had this morning, having shaved and cleaned up. A white collar peeked over a green sweater worn over jeans. He looked a little sheepish.
I waited, giving him the lead.
He glanced around the office, folded his arms and leaned on the counter.
“Are we speaking?”
“Of course. Can I help you?”
Burke chuckled. “How about I say I’m sorry? Really, all I did was open the door. You were in the shower. It could have been a customer, you know. What if someone was stuck in the gate? Or a door fell? I mean, after all, the customers know me, I’ve been around for a while. If it was an emergency I could have handled it.”
Valid points all. He could indeed have handled almost anything, including opening the office if need be. He had keys. There was no way he could have known
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