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CHAPTER 10

LIZZY

THIS WAS A BAD IDEA

“Jeez, girl. You look rough.” Jessica scrunches her face and pulls back in mock disgust.

“Wow.” I drag the word out and raise my eyebrows. “That’s exactly what I want to hear from my boss on a Monday morning to start my week.”

Jessica shrugs and fiddles with something on her desk. These weekly Monday morning video check ins have been nice. I’ve been back in Utah for two weeks and so far it’s been smooth sailing in the office. I work a few days in the office, like today. Then I take advantage of Dad’s nice office at the condo a couple days a week and work from there.

Life at the condo though? It’s been alright. I’ve avoided running into Clay, the stranger working upstairs every day, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t been a pain in my ass.

“Just telling it like it is, Lizzy.” She leans on her desk, propping herself up on her fists, looking into the camera and waiting for my answer.

I roll my eyes and groan. As much as I like Jessica, I don’t want to give her all the details about Clay. “It would be just my luck that the contractor working upstairs hates me and likes to stomp around every morning, waking me up.”

She laughs and shakes her head. “I never thought I’d see the day that someone would get under your skin. It’s been two weeks of early mornings and you haven’t gone full Lizzy on them?”

I squint at her through the video chat, thinking about what she just said. Ignoring the fact that I know the loud, grumpy jerk upstairs, she’s got a point .

“You know I’m right,” she continues. “If this was a vendor or plant manager, you’d have already gone off on them and gotten them in line. Come on, work that Lizzy magic.”

By the time I get back to the condo after the day in the office, I’m beat. After my call with Jessica, I had non-stop meetings with the plant management and accounting teams. Throw on getting stuck in traffic and all I want to do is get into bed to take a quick power nap to make up for my lack of sleep at night.

I change into a pair of sweats and an oversized t-shirt and hop into my bed. It feels like heaven after the long day. I really need to start getting to bed earlier so I can get a full eight hours of sleep. But somehow, a glass of wine and a good book just seems so much more appealing most nights.

My eyes are just fluttering shut for my power nap when I hear a loud bang on the ceiling above me, followed by shouting.

You’ve got to be kidding me. I try burying my head under the pillow, but the noise only continues. I hear Jessica’s voice in the back of my head fueling my rage. She’s right. I don’t put up with this shit.

I grab the pillow and throw it across the room before hopping out of bed.

I slide on my slippers and head out of the condo towards the elevator.

This is bullshit and I’m going to give Clay a piece of my mind. He’s going to get a full dose of the bad bitch energy I bring at work every day.

Do I expect it to fix anything? Probably not.

Am I going to feel better for doing it? One thousand percent yes .

I ride the elevator up one floor, my arms crossed and my foot tapping, already looking forward to the confrontation. Who does he think he is?

When the elevator pings and the door opens, I stomp as dramatically as one can across the hall in fuzzy slippers and bang my fist against the door to the penthouse.

“Clay Chapman!” I shout. “Get your ass out here.”

The sound of power tools come to a stop and I hear some mumbling followed by laughter. My blood is boiling now. They’re really laughing about this? Or at me? The nerve of these assholes. I guess it makes sense if they are anything like Clay.

I hear the door unlatch and watch as the door opens.

Ok.

This was a bad idea.