Page 9 of The Dragon in the Corner Office (Monstrous New York #1)
Chapter 9
“ C are to explain what happened back there?” Settling into the driver’s seat of my truck, I hook a thumb over my shoulder, toward the building.
Penelope buckles her seatbelt before clasping her hands in her lap. “That, Mr. Wilcox, was a dragon shifter nearly losing her temper on you. First time?”
I choke on a laugh. “Uh… yeah. Does that happen often?”
She shrugs, wincing. “When it comes to matters involving you? Yes. Small piece of advice, Mr. Wilcox. Don’t push her buttons. ”
“It’s Cyrus.” Cranking the key in the ignition, I shift into reverse and back out of the parking spot.
“What?”
Waving at the parking garage attendant, I pull onto the busy city street, horns honking around us as cars weave in and out of traffic. “You keep calling me ‘Mr. Wilcox.’ I don’t like it. Call me Cyrus, please.”
Penelope nods, hands clutching the shoulder strap of her seat belt. “Okay, Cyrus. Annie’s already struggling with this merger. You don’t have to make it even more difficult by being a… a dick.” She coughs. “No offense.”
I can’t help but chuckle. I get the impression Penelope Martin doesn’t curse often, so the fact I’ve gotten a rise out of her is amusing. “None taken. I know I can come off a little pompous, but sometimes you have to be if you want to make it in this business.”
She hums, eyes straight ahead. “Annie’s worked hard to get where she is. You might think she’s cold and heartless, but I know better. She’s an amazing boss and one of my closest friends.”
Fuck. My stomach drops. Was I being an asshole on purpose earlier? Yes.
Did I have to be? Probably not.
Maggie’s words come to mind again. Don’t be so hard on her. You don’t know the whole story. I realize I know virtually nothing about Antoinette Bauer. And if I want to survive the next month working together, I need to know one thing for sure. “So what’s the secret?”
“Hmmm?” The ends of her perky blonde ponytail swish over her shoulders when her head jerks toward me. “Secret to what?”
“To get on Ms. Bauer’s good side.” The leather of the steering wheel creaks when my grip tightens. “If she has one,” I add under my breath.
“I don’t know if I’m comfortable getting in the middle of whatever is going on between you two.”
“Look, Penelope, to tell you the truth, I’m not entirely sure what’s going on between us either. Antoinette hates me for reasons beyond my understanding, but I’d like to change that to make our working conditions more desirable for everyone. Yourself included.”
Her delicate throat ripples with a swallow and she blows out a breath, the burst of air ruffling the stray hairs framing her face. “Okay, if you think it will help.”
I shrug. “It can’t hurt.”
“Well, she really likes lavender chamomile tea. It helps keep her temper in check. You could try making her a cup before talking to her. Especially first thing in the morning. That’s when she’s most volatile. Oh! And everything bagels with cream cheese are her kryptonite. Especially from Cream Me Up.”
My eyebrows shoot up. “Excuse me. ”
Penelope giggles at what I’m sure is a look of mortification on my face. “You know the diner on 7th? It’s called Cream Me Up. Phil runs it. He’s an orc. Real nice guy.”
I shake my head, still trying to get over the name. “I’m afraid I’m not familiar.”
“I’ll send you the address. And… my favorite is the blueberry with cinnamon sugar cream cheese.” Long lashes lower in a wink, a cheeky smile showcasing twin dimples on her cheeks. “Since you’d be stopping anyway.”
Sneaky minx. My booming laughter fills the small space of the truck cab, soon joined by Penelope’s giggles. “Fair point. And noted. Anything else?”
She taps her chin, lips pursing as she thinks. “If smoke starts to come out of her nose, you better make like a magician’s assistant and disappear.”
I swallow around the lump in my throat, remembering the look of unhindered rage in Antoinette’s eyes earlier. I’ve never seen them glow so bright before, like we were on the surface of the sun. In that moment, I wasn’t totally sure she wouldn’t burn me to a crisp. Not something I want to experience again. “Got it. I rather enjoy being alive.” I flash a quick smile at Penelope before turning right to follow the river.
“ T his is your hole in one?” In the passenger seat, Penelope turns toward me, eyes wide.
The truck crawls to a stop, and I throw it in park. “Umm, I guess the pictures were a little misleading.” Climbing out of the truck, I’m met by a row of brownstones that have seen better days. The brick facade is crumbling, a pile of tan bricks scattered across the sidewalk near one corner. Vines cover most of the front, rooted deep into the mortar. “Maybe the inside is in better shape.” But my stomach sinks as I say the words. The inside is almost never in better shape than the outside.
As I’m rounding the front of my truck, a flashy red sports car screeches to a stop behind my vehicle, nearly hitting my bumper. The driver’s side door swings open, and my college buddy, Martin, steps out.
We met in business school, but ended up taking commercial broker jobs that took us to different parts of the city. Every now and then, he’ll throw me a bone if one of his clients has a property that needs to be offloaded for cheap. Case and point: the pile of bricks in front of us.
“Get her to sign those papers. No matter what. We need this deal,” he commands into the earpiece sticking out of his ear.
Ripping it from his ear, he tosses it on the seat and slams the door before turning to me with a smile plastered on his face. “Cy! Good to see you!” He grips my hand in a firm shake, but his eyes are glued to Penelope’s ass as she walks away from us, inspecting the building. “Sorry I’m late. Trying to close this deal that could make me a fortune. You know how it goes.”
Letting go of my hand, he bumps my shoulder, like we’re old pals. We aren’t. I’ve kept in contact with Martin simply because he finds me hidden gems on occasion. Except, as another brick tumbles off the front of the building, I’m doubting his skills. Penelope jumps out of the way of the falling debris with a shriek.
“Who’s the dime? You mixing business with pleasure? Cy, you sly dog.” Martin tips his head toward Pen and waggles his eyebrows. The slimy smirk on his face reminds me exactly why I keep our interactions strictly business.
“ That is my assistant, Martin. Show her some respect. She puts up with a lot between me and Antoinette.”
His smile turns even more lecherous at my words. “The dragon shifter… That’s right. And how is the big, bad bitch of the west?”
Gnashing my teeth, my jaw muscles flex, and I resist the urge to knock him out. Just because there’s animosity between me and Antoinette, it doesn’t mean I’ll allow someone to insult her.
Deep down, some latent part of me feels possessive of her. And I don’t have the faintest idea why.
“Watch it, Martin.” The growl in my voice doesn’t seem to faze him .
He chuckles, hands raised as he backs toward the building. “Sorry, man. Didn’t mean to offend anyone.”
Reluctantly, I follow him and Penelope into the run-down building, my hopes of this being a diamond in the rough dropping with each step.
“My client will cut you a sweet deal if you sign the papers today. The place just needs a little love, but the bones are there.” He knocks his knuckles against the drywall, scowling and brushing his hand on his pants when it comes away covered in plaster dust. Schooling his features, Martin swings his smarmy smile my way, continuing down the hall. “Plus, the location is dynamite. Can’t beat being right on the river. You know Andrews and his brother can afford the rehab.”
“A little love?” Pen winces, stepping around a patch of black mold on the water-stained hardwood floor.
Any and all confidence in Martin is obliterated when I walk into the living room. Water drips from a giant hole in the ceiling, the upstairs floorboards hanging down into the first floor.
Mouth gaping, I walk under the hole with my head tipped and sunlight meets my eyes. “This goes all the way to the roof. And with the black mold in the hallway, it’s a complete gut job.”
Before I can berate Martin for wasting my time, Penelope’s scream fills the air. “Rats!”
Spinning on my heels, sure enough, a handful of rats scatters to the corner of the room.
I’m out.
This property is a money pit. There’s no way Andrews and the board would give me the money for repairs.
Scream trailing behind her, Penelope bolts out the front door, and I’m only a few steps behind.
By the time I make it outside, Penelope is in the truck. Coming to stand next to me, Martin runs a hand over his gelled brown hair, scratching the back of his neck. “I swear I didn’t know it was this bad, Cy.” But his face is anything but apologetic. The man only sees dollar signs, so I’m sure that’s why he tried to get me to take this place off his hands.
“Can’t do it, Martin. Next time, vet the place before wasting my time.”
He nods.
Feeling that I don’t owe him anything else, I climb my defeated ass into my truck and head back to the office.
I guess all my eggs will have to go into Antoinette’s basket. And, starting tomorrow, I’ll be making daily trips to Cream Me Up to butter her up in hopes of getting on her good side.