An Unlocked Mind (Secrets #2)(7)
“Deal. And if you go to the new place, would you let me know how it is? I really want us to get out again.”
“Of course. Have a good night, Sam.”
After his friend hung up, Vic picked up his suitcase and carried it to the bedroom. He opened it and tossed the dirty clothes into the hamper. Once he’d stripped off his clothes and added them to the growing pile, he headed for the shower.
When Aaron had renovated the house, Vic told him that he should consider the bathroom to be a focal point. Vic wanted a shower that would comfortably accommodate his six-foot-six-inch frame. A place where he could relax after a hard day. When he’d been shown the specs, Aaron had nailed it. A glass-and-marble stall with four jets in the ceiling that spilled out water with enough force to pound his aching muscles until they loosened up and left him feeling boneless.
He started up the shower and then checked the clock. It was still early enough that he could go to the club, but the combination of work and travel had left him exhausted. All he wanted was a shower, a cup of tea, and about twenty-four hours of sleep. Not that he was going to get anywhere near that much. The following morning he’d need to be up at the crack of dawn, slam down a few cups of coffee, and then rush to the office so he could make a start on the mountain of paperwork he knew would be waiting for him. That was the only downside to working away from the office—he knew that beyond the important things that Janice would have seen to, he’d still have plenty of things to deal with upon his return. Still, he loved his job. Montgomery and Trypp was one of the preeminent landscaping firms in London, and for Vic to be where he was at this time in his life spoke highly of his skill.
After a long, steamy shower, Vic trudged to the kitchen and put on the kettle. One cup of chamomile tea and he’d be out for the night. He went back into the dining room and picked up the envelope for Secrets. It was a high-quality print job, and the envelope alone must have cost a fortune. Whoever purchased Whispers had money, of that Vic was certain.
He decided to see if the club had an internet presence. The previous owners had believed a good reputation was enough, and that had cost them dearly when membership began a slow decline. By the time they’d realized it, the damage had been done. Add in the fact that they were both getting on in years, and it was easier to simply sell the place. Vic had heard they were talking with Thomas Williams, one of the co-owners of Collars & Cuffs in Manchester, but then Vic had had to go out of town and had been too busy to keep up on the latest developments.
He pulled out his phone and searched for the club online. Nothing yet, but then again, it was early days. Maybe that’s on their to-do list.
When the kettle beeped, Vic pulled out his favorite mug, dropped in a teabag, and waited for it to steep. His phone pinged and he pulled it from his pocket, then smiled at the message from his assistant.
You go away for two months and I get stuck working with Terrible Terry. You’d better have brought me back something nice, and by nice, I mean expensive.
Janice had worked for him for six years. She was a dream and many others in the firm wanted her, but she stayed loyal to Vic. He had indeed picked her up a very nice bottle of brandy while he was out of town, and would be giving it to her tomorrow. He was about to reply when another message popped up.
Sorry to do this to you, but you’ve got a meeting tomorrow with the big bosses. Hope you don’t have any plans, because you’re getting a new project. Not out of town this time, so you’ll be able to sleep in your own bed, but it’s going to be a long one. Expect up to four long weeks of work.
Vic groaned. He’d already missed the club opening, and he hadn’t gotten laid in…. God, what had it been? Four months? Not even time for a one-off, and now they were giving him something new to work on? He glanced over at the envelope again. Fuck it. He’d have to make time to get there. He pulled out his phone and tapped a few keys.
Fine, but you’re going to be working them with me. If you think I’m going to be the only one in the office for weeks on end, you’re sadly mistaken.
Janice’s reply was swift.
LOL. You’ll survive, I’m sure. After this one is done, I’ve already put you in for a holiday.
The woman was a gem. Vic knew he couldn’t survive without having her in the office.
Oh yeah? How long?
You’ll be off for three long, restful weeks starting March 23. And just so you know, I’m taking those weeks off too. Not getting stuck with Terry again.
He happily typed back to her, Sounds good. See you in the morning. After putting his phone to charge, he picked up his tea and sat down to enjoy it. Okay, so he wouldn’t get to visit Secrets until March, but once he got the free time, he’d be there every night, tearing the place up.
Those boys will never know what hit them.
Chapter Three
March
ROB WAS amazed he’d made it this long without going nuts, but there had to be a breaking point, and he’d reached it.
Two months of shit. Two months of crap. Two months of… hell, there weren’t enough nouns to adequately convey what he’d put up with since he’d gotten back from his last disastrous London trip. Of course, it shouldn’t have surprised him that the bitch had put in her complaint. What did surprise him was the aftermath. It seemed like Mr. Peterson was forever on his case, and whenever they spoke, he was snappy, always berating Rob for not learning the job fast enough. There was that constant feeling of being under scrutiny, and it wasn’t long before Rob’s stress levels started to rise. No matter what he did, it was never good enough.