ADRIAN.

“Fix it before I get back or you can clear your desk. I do not care how many years you have worked for me.”

I ended the call and threw the phone onto the passenger seat. The secretary’s mistake had cost me a full day of negotiations and nearly lost the final clause on the downtown property. My jaw stayed locked the entire drive. I needed the house quiet, a shower, and a willing body under me long enough to clear the noise in my head so I could plan the next move.

The street looked almost the same as it had five years ago. I had not set...