Page 36 of Lying to the Boss

There is no elevator, but I guess three floors is normal for a building. The stairs are to the left, so I head up them to the second floor and find apartment 2B, which is where Tage lives, according to his file.

His door looks exactly like the other one, nothing outside of it to show he lives there or cares to decorate. He does seem like the simple type, but even his desk has a plant and a dinosaur tape dispenser. I’d expect a welcome sign on his door or one of those fancy wreaths.

I knock twice, then stand and wait. I hear shuffling on the other side, then muttering. Then the door is pulled open and Tage’s glare is on me.

“What are you doing here?” he grits out.

“Ah, the annoyance. I’ve missed this from you.”

I push my way inside before he can say another word, and he doesn’t do much to stop me. I look around. It’s bigger than I thought it would be, but still too small. It’s furnished with basic furniture you can get online with minimal decorations on the walls or elsewhere. I guess if this is new, it takes time to accumulate things.

“Hello?” he growls. “I asked what are you doing here?”

My gaze goes down the hall, and that’s when I hear it. I unbutton my sleeves and roll them up as I make my way down the hall to find the bathroom, where the running toilet gets even louder.

Screeching is right. Who is sleeping through that?

“Oh no. You’re kidding. You are kidding!” he shouts. Not in an angry way, but more disbelief.

I don’t say a word as I take the top off the toilet and rest it on the ground.

“What the hell, Lane? Are you eavesdropping on my phone calls now? Wait—have you always done that?” he hisses.

I ignore him as I stick my hand inside to feel around for all the parts. It’s all old, and he could probably use some new insides, but it is the landlord’s responsibility, so he shouldn’t have to pay for it.

I could pay for it, but that may result in an attitude from him for weeks, and we’re finally at a good place. Do I want to risk that to help him sleep at night? Kind of.

“Lane!” he shouts, grabbing my arm and yanking it out of the toilet, making water splash on me, him, and the floor.

“Was that necessary?” I complain.

“Yes!” His eyes are frantic, like I’m just a random person who doesn’t belong here. I don’t see what the problem is and why he’s so upset. “Tell me why the hell you’re here.”

“To fix your toilet.”

“I—you—” He lets out a frustrated sound, letting his head fall back. When he looks at me again, he seems slightly calmer. “Have you been listening to my phone calls?” His tone is even, but I can tell he’s forcing himself to be calm.

“No, I just happened to overhear the one from today. You didn’t sound happy, and I knew I could help.”

“You—” He looks from me to the toilet, then back to me. “You know how to fix a toilet?”

I roll my eyes. “I’m surprised you don’t. Now can I do my magic here, or are you going to assault me again?”

“Assault?” he snaps. “Are you—”

I grin, and he cuts off his words. Finally, a smile crosses his lips.

I smile back. He moves toward the door, leaning against the frame and crossing his arms to watch me. It shouldn’t be sexual, but it brings me back to the hotel. Still, I ignore it and get back to work.

After a moment or two, he speaks.

“Lane?” I look over my shoulder to see what he wants. “Do you like pizza?”

I huff a laugh. “Who doesn’t?”

Nodding, he leaves the room, and I focus on fixing his toilet.

Chapter Fourteen