“You know more than I do, so if you’re looking for the dish, I don’t have it.”
“You live in the enormous house, don’t you?”
“Zaiden, it’s like nine million square feet. I can go years without seeing Jalon.”
He snorts. “Wow. Exaggerate a little, will you?”
“Okay. How about this? Jalon is currently preoccupied with his new grandson. I haven’t heard anything about the project.”
“That I believe. Hey, listen. I’m heading out. Good luck with Lowell.”
I raise a shoulder and let it fall. “I’m done trying. If someone shows interest, I’ll send an offer. I won’t be going out of my way for them anymore. Not until they get a reality check.”
“Did you check out the cousin’s property by chance?”
“Yeah, it’s on a damn lake and has a boathouse. The lake now has an ordinance that no new boathouses can be built. That’s why it went for what it did. They’re grandfathered in on something coveted. Which is apparently irrelevant as far as Lowell is concerned.”
Zaiden sighs. “I’m cool if you want to drop them.”
“When we hit a year with no movement, we can revisit that.”
“Get out of here, huh?” He taps my doorframe and leaves my office.
I glance at the Van Doren name on the door again and muse that if anyone should have this office in Rome’s absence, it should be Zaiden. He’s the supervisor.
The privilege of living in the big house, I suppose. Then again, I could offer the office to Zaiden. I’m considering this as I shut down the laptop and pack up.
The sun is hot. It’s always hot. There aren’t enough clouds in the sky in Arizona. Like there’s an invisible wall that keeps them away.
I climb into my car, anxious to get the AC on, but as I try to start my car, the engine chugs or gurgles or something. The engine light is red. But then the car starts as if the moment never happened. No warning lights. No strange noises.
“I need to get this thing checked,” I muse. Not for the first time, I wish some Van Doren at the estate knew about cars. For right now, it’s running without complaint, so I head straight home, determined to remember to ask someone where I should go to check my car. There must be a mechanic on the property. There are dozens of vehicles used throughout the estate for the farm and shit.
Unsurprisingly, I forget about my car issues when I pull into the garage and take the elevator to the third floor. It’s still relatively early, so I don’t expect to see any of my friends around. By any, I mean Levis. Maybe Honey Bee, but let’s be real. She spends most nights at Myro’s. I don’t know why she pretends to keep her room here.
Yes, I do. Because I hate change. If she doesn’t officially move out of her room, I have no reason to turn into a dickwad.
I look at Honey Bee’s door as I leave my room. Hmm. I wonder if I poke my head in, I’ll find her belongings still there. Maybe she moved out and simply didn’t tell anyone. Maybe she told everyone but me. I don’t blame her. I’d have done that too.
Without an actual destination in mind, I wander down the hall and pause in front of Voss’ door. Over the last week, since he showed up in my room in the middle of the night with Axl, he’s been there often. Most nights.
In fact, we hang out again after work. Now with his mini me. Axlisa good baby. His cries are still startling because I rarely hear them. Perhaps alarming is a better word. When a child rarely cries, their cries can make me jumpy.
Across the hall is Axl’s nursery. The door is almost always open. He doesn’t use it yet. It’s easier for Voss to have all of Axl’s immediate needs in his room for easy access.
Instead of bothering Voss in case he’s asleep, I wander toward Axl’s room. The walls are dark, ranging from black to deep blue to royal purple. The walls and ceilings are covered with galaxies, stars, and asteroids. A meteor shoots across the ceiling. There are half a dozen planets that hang from the ceiling. Based on the wires I see, I think they serve as lights.
The furniture is black and light gray, both blending in and elegantly standing out. I’ve never seen a crib like that. You’d think it’d be a spaceship, but it’s this big, elegant wood beast with intricate carvings. The bedding isn’t space themed, and yet, there’s an industrial vibe to it, though I can’t say why.
This isn’t a nursery. This is a room out of a magazine.
“Visiting Axl’s room, huh?”
I jump and spin around to find Voss in the doorway, holding his son. “Sorry. The door was open, and I’ve only ever peeked on my way by.”
He shrugs. “No biggie.”
“It’s a cool room. I bet he’ll love it growing up.”
