Page 2 of The Deadbeat DILF
“Tell me the issue,” I said with an encouraging smile.
Robert rubbed his jaw, his fingers grazing stubble. He’d always had facial hair, even back when I was in college. Nowadays, as part of my job, I was constantly surrounded by clean-shaven men, but Robert’s stubble suited him, accentuating the sharp cut of his jaw. Sure, it added to his overall disheveled appearance, but he made it work. It made him look… rugged.
“I’ve been evicted from my home,” he said. “My landlord gave me the notice last week, and they’re giving me two weeks to find a new place. Apparently, they’re bulldozing the building and turning it into an apartment complex. I was wondering if there’s anything I can do.” He gave me an embarrassed smile. “I know I’m asking a lot of you, and you can say no, of course. But I wasn’t sure where else to go.”
He looked out of place in my shiny office, with my long mahogany desk and the abstract art that hung on the walls—all gifts from previous clients. I wondered whether he felt intimidated walking into this building. He must’ve been brave.
Or desperate.
“I’d love to help,” I said, “but I’m a corporate lawyer. Have you considered going to someone who specializes in real estate?”
He winced. “No, not yet.”
The implied meaning hung in the air: he couldn’t afford it.
I knew as well as the next person that lawyers were expensive, but I remembered Robert had his own construction company. More importantly, why was he living in a rental when he had a gorgeous home in the suburbs with his wife?
“It’s okay if you can’t,” Robert said, and he smiled again, but his eyes looked defeated. “I just thought I’d give it a shot.”
I glanced at my computer screen, where I had hours of work to complete. My stomach twisted. I was used to turning down acquaintances’ requests for help, but something about Robert made me hesitate.
Maybe it was because I could tell that underneath his nonchalant smiles, he was stressed.
Or maybe it was because I remembered how kind he was when I visited Mike’s home in college.
Or maybe it was because he was good-looking, and something about his deep brown eyes made me want to help.
God, I was shallow.
“I can’t promise anything,” I said. “But I can take a look at your rental contract and see if there’s anything I can do.”
His entire face lit up, and I noticed that his brown irises had flecks of gold in them. When was the last time I’d seen someone with such breathtaking eyes?
“Are you sure? I don’t want to impose.”
I waved my hand dismissively before plucking a business card off the holder on my desk and extending it to him. “It’s no problem. If you send me the lease agreement and any other related documents, I can look over it all tonight and let you know what I find.”
Robert took the card from me, his fingertips brushing mine and sending an electric charge through my body. “I really appreciate it, Brooke. You’re an angel.”
My stomach flipped.Angel.He was just being kind, but when was the last time someone called me something like that?
“Just a lawyer,” I insisted with a small smile. “Once again, I can’t promise a favorable solution.”
“That’s okay. This is more than enough.” He rose to his feet, towering over me at a little over six feet. A few strands of his hair fell onto his forehead as he looked down at me. “I won’t take up any more of your time, but thank you, Brooke. Really.”
I stood from my leather office chair, reaching out to shake his hand. His hand was warm and swallowed mine.
“I’ll try my best,” I said. I did want to help him out—if there was one thing I hated, it was disappointing others. “I’ll call you once I’ve finished looking over everything.”
Robert nodded, holding my hand for a second longer before releasing me. He headed toward the door before pausing in the doorway and looking over his shoulder at me. “It was nice seeing you again.”
“You too, Mr. James.”
“Robert,” he corrected again with a smile, then left the office, gently closing the door behind him.
I dropped back down into my chair with a long exhale, my heart thumping faster than usual. That blast from the past had been nice, but now I felt unease pooling in my stomach. I didn’t want to disappoint Robert. On top of that, I had a whole bunch of work to do, and I had to see my family this weekend.
Well, the only thing I could do was get through it all, one step at a time.
