Page 23 of Pressure

When I got to the rental office, I noticed a silver Porsche Cayenne parked in front along with a few other cars. Did a six-foot-fuck-me-three Silver Fox Daddy drive a Porsche? There were two other SUVs in the parking lot, but I’d seen both of those around the lake at the cabins, so it was safe to assume those belonged to people who were checking out.

I headed inside, and my eyes immediately found Joel’s. So Joelisthe Porsche driver. Joel’s warm smile made me feel … wanted. Like, if he was here to meet with me and go over what he could probably have anyone who worked for him show me, I had to think it was because he valued me. And even if that wasn’t the case, I allowed myself to think that it was.

The counter area was busy with two families checking out, and the older lady, Bea, was helping both of them at the same time. Joel picked up some keys from a drawer, a stack of folded shirts, and headed my way.

“Morning, Cash,” he said as soon as he was closer to me.

“Morning,” I answered as he held out the shirts.

“I had our human resources manager collect some shirts. You looked like a medium to me, so let me know if you need a different size.”

“No, medium is perfect; thank you,” I said as I opened one of the shirts. There was a mix of t-shirts and polo shirts with the Equinox Lake Tahoe logo in black, gray, and navy.

“Let’s go take a look at your place, and then we’ll go walk-through the two cabins that we just checked out. On our way, I’m going to call the cleaning company. If we’re lucky, it’ll be timed just right and then you can see the process.”

“That would be great,” I replied.

As we walked to where I’d be staying, Joel asked, “How has your morning been so far?”

“Good. Braxton and Quinn left earlier. After that I sat on the deck and enjoyed the quiet.” I left the part out about drawing and the part about my unnerving text notifications from the bank.

“Did you get yourself all packed up?”

“I have all my clothes just about ready and need to gather some stuff. But it won’t take long.”

We climbed the steps to a rustic A-frame cabin, and I stood behind Joel while he unlocked the door. Was it bad that I watched the line of his shoulder blade move under his shirt as he turned the door handle and opened the door? Even if it were, I didn’t give a fuck. Joel was hot as fuck.

I stepped inside and only after a few moments of being there and looking around, I felt like this was perfect for me and that I’d made the right decision. From the entryway I could see the entire place, which was just the right size for me. Downstairs was a living room, nook with a small table, kitchen with barstools at a breakfast bar, and a bathroom. Through the glass slidingdoor across the room, I could see there was a deck with some furniture.

“This is perfect for me; thank you.”

Joel motioned for me to follow him upstairs and with each step, my eyes focused on his ass.

“Up here is a loft with the bed. You have a set of drawers just over there and a closet here,” Joel opened a door that led to a small walk-in closet while I set my new shirts on the dresser. “Over here is the bathroom.” He paused so I could poke my head in and take a peek.

“It’s perfect,” I reiterated. Perfect was the only word that came to mind.

As we left the bedroom, Joel stopped at the top of the stairs and opened another door revealing a washer and dryer unit.

“After each tenant checks out, our cleaners run clean cycles in the washers and the dishwashers so everything is fresh for the next guest. The dryer and appliances downstairs are also cleaned, along with the rest of the place.”

“It all looks great and really is a good size for me.”

Joel handed me a key once we were back downstairs. We locked the door then walked over to one of the cabins that had been vacated this morning.

For the next hour or so, Joel showed me how to do my initial sweep of a cabin to check everything and see if anything needed repair or replaced before the next tenants. I also needed to check that the heat and air conditioning worked by turning them on and letting them run for a few minutes each. Every time Joel talked about the air conditioning, I thought about the day I caught him and Tristen getting blown by the a/c tech on their deck. It was easily one of the best days I’d had this summer.

“Once you go through the place and decide it’s all good, you can call the cleaning company and let them know which cabin number is ready for cleaning. They’ll give you the time they’ll behere, and you just need to be here to unlock the door and let them in. They’ll text you when they’re done and then you come back to lock the place up.”

“This sounds very easy and not a ton of work on my part. I almost feel guilty taking your money.”

Joel laughed out loud as he looked at me.

“What?” I asked as I grinned. Something about looking at him while he laughed made me smile.

“Don’t take this the wrong way, Cash, but you wouldn’t have been a good attorney. Not after saying something like you’d feel guilty for taking money.”

I burst out laughing and nodded because he was so right. I was glad I didn’t have to worry about that fucking career field.