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Chapter Twenty-Nine
Mara
"Make sure the new sign gets put up today, and change those lights in the second-floor hallway," I said to Roger, the head of maintenance in this apartment building. "I don't want any gloomy areas in the public spaces. This building needs to be light and cheerful and welcoming."
"Will do." Roger smiled. "You're really on fire these days, aren't you? A new sign, new decor, new furniture in the lobby. You even hired full-time, on-call child care so parents can go out to dinner and a show without needing to search for a sitter."
"Everyone deserves to have fun. That's something I've learned lately, and I want to ensure our tenants enjoy living here." An idea popped into my head, and I said, "Oh, I also want to have weekly pool parties, weather permitting, with free food and beverages."
Roger scribbled on the almost-full sheet of paper clamped onto his clipboard. "Danny says the tenants keep raving about you and all the changes you're implementing. They love the suggestion boxes you've put on every floor too."
Danny manned the front desk during the daytime, while his twin brother, Dave, handled things at night. Twenty-four-hour concierge service was another new perk. The suggestion boxes on every floor meant nobody needed to feel self-conscious about voicing their opinions, since they no longer had to drop off their suggestion cards at the front desk. They could still do that if they wanted, but they had other options too.
"Thank you, Roger," I said. "I couldn't have done any of this without you and the rest of the staff. It's a team effort."
"With one very smart, very talented woman at the helm. You're our captain, Mara. We follow your lead---not because we have to, but because we love you."
He smiled again and strode off down the hall.
I walked back into my office. Sitting down behind the desk, I got back to work on the new marketing campaign. This one needed more oomph, since it would promote not only this complex but also the two new buildings I'd purchased and planned to refurbish in the same vein as this building. I hadn't asked my parents for money. I hadn't needed to. This apartment complex had become successful enough that I could get a loan from the bank, one I knew I could pay off swiftly once I got the new buildings up and running.
Two weeks had elapsed since I left Au Naturel Naturist Resort---and Ollie. He called me every day, twice a day, and we talked for hours sometimes. I'd told him all about the changes I was making to my business. He often told me how proud he was and how I amazing I was, which always made me blush. Ollie could see that, considering that we usually turned our calls in video chats.
Once, we even turned it into video phone sex. Yeah, that had been soooo hot.
He never asked when we would see each other again. Ollie was too sweet to pester me about that.
I wanted to see him in person. Wanted it so badly I dreamed about it every night. But I needed to finish what I'd started here first. How long could it take to get my chain of apartment complexes going full steam? It had taken months to get this one complex rolling along smoothly.
Waiting that long to see him...
Focus, Mara. You'll never get there unless you finish this marketing campaign.
For the rest of the day, I worked my brain to its limits. Then I headed home to my condo---the big, empty one. Sure, I had plenty of furniture and even artwork on the walls, but this place didn't feel like home anymore. The nudist resort did.
After ordering dinner in, I cuddled up on the sofa with my favorite fleece throw and an action movie on TV. Watching a hunky man fight the bad guys, getting sexily covered in sweat in the process, usually cheered me up. Tonight, it just made me think of Ollie.
Halfway through the movie, I heard the doorbell ring.
I paused the movie and padded over to the door, my fuzzy purple slippers dragging on the wood floor, and swung the door inward.
Nico grinned at me. "Mar-Mar, baby, I've missed you."
"Yeah, I know. I made sure you missed me every time you showed up at my work or showed up at my home or showed up anywhere within a ten-block radius of me."
Had I been running away from my ex-husband? Hell yes. I'd had enough of Nico at the resort, and I did not need to see him ever again.
"Come on, Mara," Nico said in a wheedling tone. "We can still work things out."
I laughed too loudly, because really, his statement was the dumbest thing I'd heard in ages. "Which part of me kicking you in the gut made you think I might ever want to see you again, much less get back together?"
"Thought you'd cool down and get back to being yourself. You know, now that you've gotten away from that freak show."
"I'm looking at a freak show right now." I flapped my hand in a go-away gesture. "Skedaddle."
"We belong together." He slid a hand up and down my arm. "You know I'm the only one who'll put up with your neurotic behavior."
I hadn't been neurotic since I left the resort. I'd found a new focus and a new determination to make my life what I wanted it to be instead of what others thought it should be.
