Read Online Like Grownups Do by Nathan Roden - Free Book Online

Now get out of here before you break something.”
     
    Dante Vlada looked up from his computer screen when he caught sight of the young maid entering the room. She sat the steaming cup of latte ten inches away from his left wrist as she had been taught. The cup itself was worth six months of the girl’s salary.
    “Thank you, Monique. That will be all,” Vlada said.
    The girl nodded with a sly and practiced smile. She spun on her heels and left the room. Vlada admired the young girl’s shapely legs caressed inside the classic hose with the black line up the back, which was part of the maid’s outfit that Vlada provided and required the female members of his house staff to wear.
    A beeping notification came from Vlada’s computer as he took the first sip from his cup. He replaced the cup in the saucer, made a couple of mouse clicks, and sat forward. His smile spread wide.
     
    “Well, well, well,” he said out-loud to no one.
    “So you are not a machine after all, Jack Englemann. Humans are so much easier to deal with. Jack, Jack, Jack,” Vlada shook his head as he repeated the name slowly.
    Dante Vlada leaned back in his chair.
    “How interesting .”
     

 
     
    Nine
     
     
    Eight weeks later
     
     
    " G ood morning, Babe".
    "Good morning, Millie. You look amazing. "
    "Good morning, Babe".
    "Good morning, Tom. You look amazing as well, Sugar Pants.”
    “I’m weighing my indignation against that dozen and a half size box of Dunkin’ Donuts under your right arm, and I must concede that I am indeed, your Sugar Pants,” Tom said, as he propelled his office chair to the side of Millie's desk. He tugged at the box while Babe pretended to resist him.
    “Damn, this cursed weakness,” Tom said. “Suffer me the orbs of sweet depravity."

    "Joshua Owen Babelton, how many times do I have to tell you to stop this?” Millie asked, “I came into this office three years ago weighing one hundred and sixteen pounds with buns I could crack a walnut with. If it's not you with the pastry, then it's MG and the chocolate, and since I don't have her insane energy or insane metabolism, I get to spend six nights a week on the treadmill trying to burn this shit off. Pardon my French. Asshole."

    This sent Babe and Tom into giggling fits, since they found nothing funnier than hearing the former Miss Alabama runner-up rant like a truck driver.
    "I'm really sorry, Mil. Let me make it up to you. I'll get you a nice new pair of sweat pants. What size are you up to now?" Babe asked.
    Babe and Tom erupted into laughter, so neither noticed the Boston cream filled pastry inbound to the side of Babe's head, until it exploded. Cream filling covered one side of his head and was sprinkled throughout the rest.
    Babe and Tom froze momentarily, and then turned to stare at a wide-eyed Millie for about two seconds. Then all three laughed until they had peed themselves a little.

    “Babe, Jordan left a message early,” Millie said. “He’ll be in at eleven and needs to see you. He says it’s important. MG will be in at one thirty and wants to go over the two latest evaluations, and she has a new profile for you.”
    “Thanks, Millie,” Babe said. “I hope Jordan can do ‘important’ in an hour. Tom and I have reservations at Momma’s for twelve fifteen. You sure you don’t want to come with us?”
    “Oh, sure. Why not follow up the donuts with one of Momma’s burgers? What do they call that monster—the one that’s the size of a fucking badger? The Sectional. Oh, yes. Order me a side of Lipitor and drop me off at the Home Depot so I can buy a wheelbarrow to haul my fat ass around with.
    “No, my extremely sensible boyfriend is taking me to a real cafe, famous for its sticks, twigs and grass. While our meals are prepared somewhere on the jungle floor, we’ll likely hum some Far Eastern spirituals and dream of the day when our rib cages can finally be seen from the outside. No, no, I must respectfully decline your offer. As we say