Seducing my hot maintenance man

Chapter 3

Aubrey’s POV

Lunch was really great! I’m tempted to make that little pho shop a regular haunt of mine, but not if that guy goes there regularly, too. Such drop dead gorgeous sexy men always seem to intimidate me. I never know what to say or how to act around such specimens of manly perfection. So I plan to be doing my best to avoid running into him again in the future.

It’s a shame I signed a one year lease, or I’d consider moving elsewhere if I do happen to start running into him regularly. Although I do like the area. It’s about five blocks from my office, so I can walk or bike to work. And it’s close to pretty much everything that makes Seattle such a great city!

“I think you made a mistake not giving that guy a chance to get to know you,” Nick was lecturing me on the walk back to The Pines on 4th. “I could tell he was really into you!”

“Just drop it, alright?” I reply testily. “I’m too busy today to socialize. I have to get all my stuff out of the old place before Friday, and I only have today off of work!”

“You didn’t really take a day off, though. Labor Day is a national holiday!” Nick reminds me, sounding exasperated with me as if it’s some sort of crime to do something besides relax on the last three day weekend of summer. “You should be able to take a real day off, not just the ones your law firm has to give you anyway. You work too hard.”

“Of course I work hard,” I say as we get into the first of the four elevators to open its doors. “I’m the newest and youngest lawyer in the firm! I have to put in my time and do all the grunt work if I want to work my way up to partner.”

“Yeah, whatever,” Nick finally gave up on that issue. But he still wasn’t ready to stop bugging me about the guy from the pho place. “Still, even if you’re busy today, you could have gotten the guy’s number and planned a date for the weekend.”

“I’m not interested in that guy, OK?” I claim, although it’s a lie. But that guy was completely out of my league! I may look like some hot fun party girl since the little glow up I did right before applying to any professional law firm jobs, but deep down I’m still the awkward nerdy bookworm of my youth. I wouldn’t know how to party even if I knew where one was happening! Which I didn’t, since no one ever thought to invite me to any wild parties. And anyway, my idea of a good time at university involved a pizza and a study group cramming for a test, not a frat party.

“If you say so, Pinocchio!” Nick says, obviously thinking he’s so clever.

“Do me a favor and get the last few boxes from the car, OK?” I say as I hand him the car keys.

“Ugh, we just got back and I need to use the bathroom!” He moans.

“Well I’m not letting you break the other toilet,” I tell him sternly. “So you can use the one near the front office on your way to the garage to finish unloading the car!”

“Fine,” Nick says, taking the key from my outstretched fingers and turning back to the elevator bank. “But for the last time I didn’t break the f*****g toilet!”

“Language!” I call after him. “And don’t you dare flip me off or you can spend the last few days of summer at dad’s house!”

He gives me an angry look as the elevator closes, and I’m just going to assume he gave me all sorts of rude gestures once I could no longer see them. Whatever. I have work to do to make my new place homey.

I leave the door slightly ajar, since I haven’t given Nick an access key yet, toss my AirPods in my ear, and start adding sheets onto my brand new bed as I rock out to my favorite tunes. Brand new 800 count Egyptian ‘natural’ color cotton sheets, and a cream color duvet. Then a couple boho throw pillows with different nubby textures but in a coordinating soft neutral color palette. So beautiful and serene!

I lay down on the bed just to try it out. Oh my god it’s so comfortable!

And so lonely. Just me in my bed. Alone. But with an amazing view of Puget Sound.

Maybe I should have considered exchanging phone numbers with that guy? I’m sure he’d be willing to have s*x with me at least once before he realizes what a boring nerd I am.

Did I just hear someone call out hello?

I take out my ear buds, but don’t hear anything so I put them back in. Maybe I should just go check the front door just to make sure it didn’t close, leaving Nick stranded in the hallway with his arms full of stuff.

I exit my room not really paying any attention, when I find a stranger in my apartment! The gorgeous guy from the restaurant! Somehow he followed me to my apartment and broke into the building! And then forced his way into my own apartment! I’m so dead!

“Aaaahhh!” I scream, backing my way back to my room, shutting the door, and holding the nob so he can’t turn it and force his way in here to rape me! And my pepper spray is in my purse in the kitchen, just great!

“Leave at once! Do you hear me?” I scream at the intruder through the door. Only I don’t hear anything in reply, because I still have the AirPods in my ear like a dummy. He hasn’t tried to force his way in yet, so I take a chance and grab the AirPods out of my ears, tossing them in the direction of the bed. “Or I’ll call the cops on you for stalking me!”

“Excuse me, ma’am, but I have a work order to fix your toilet,” he claims, his sexy voice muffled by the thickness of the solid wood door. “I’m Greyson, the building superintendent. Linda said you gave verbal permission for me to enter the apartment!”

“Have you got any proof of that?” I call back, still uncertain and on an adrenaline rush that makes me want to run away, crap my pants, and cry all at once.

“I’m holding a repair kit to replace the missing parts of the toilet,” he said. “And I have the work order from Linda. I’ll slide it under your door.”

Two seconds later a form is pushed underneath the door and I pick it up. It is indeed a work order for the toilet, and there is a box checked off stating the renter has given verbal permission to enter the apartment.

I feel stupid.

“Why didn’t you at least knock?” I call out.

“The door was open,” he claims, sounding almost bored. Wait, that’s right! I did leave it open for Nick. I facepalm. “And I called out hello to see if anyone answered. When you didn’t answer, I assumed I must have accidentally left the door open after I was in here earlier.”

I open the bedroom door just a crack.

“You were in here earlier, too?” I ask, confused.

“Yes, like I said, I’m the building superintendent, Mr. Greyson,” he tells me once again. “I came in earlier to have a look at the toilet to determine what the issue was. Then I left because I needed to go grab some parts.”

He shows me the toilet repair kit in his hands.

“Oh,” I say lamely.

“The chain is missing from the flush mechanism,” he informs me.

“Oh.”

“I’ll just go get started on it, then,” he says, pointing to the room next to where he stood.

“Sure,” I mumble, and shut the bedroom door. Then I go scream into one of my brand new throw pillows. The poor things probably better get used to this sort of treatment sooner or later.

I’ve got a freaking 1 year lease on this apartment! A very expensive apartment! I’d have to pay a HUGE fine to break the lease! I can’t afford another apartment of this caliber if I have to pay a huge fine to break a lease. But how in the heck am I going to manage to live in the same building as freaking ‘Adonis’ Greyson the maintenance man for a whole year without losing my sanity?

Ugh!

And then I hear Nick is back and talking with the guy. Mr. Greyson. Great. Greyson the great.

I open the bedroom door.

“Nick, is the car completely unloaded now?” I ask warily.

“Yup!” Nick says happily. “And Grayson here just told me I didn’t break the toilet at all! The chain was completely missing!”

“Mhm,” I respond cautiously as I peek into the bathroom to see Greyson bent over and working away. “And how exactly can that happen? It couldn’t just disintegrate, could it?”

“The old tenant used to enjoy messing with me,” he grumbles unhappily. “A Mrs. Patterson. She was constantly disabling the toilet on purpose, sometimes as often twice a week. Obviously a bored housewife, and a pain in my neck.”

Seeing this guy bent over in tight fitting denim jeans, I can certainly understand the appeal. His ass is pretty damn fine.

Wake up, Aubrey! This guy isn’t even your type! Although I’m not exactly sure what my type is.

“Well, Nick,” I say, suddenly feeling like this space was far too small for the three of us. And two of the current occupants of this space are unnecessary to fixing the toilet. “Let’s go, so Mr. Greyson can work. We have more things to move in here.”

“This is child labor!” Nick grumbles.

“You’re 21 years old,” I remind him as I practically drag him towards the door. “It’s not against the law. And I’m paying you in free room and board until you go back to Arizona.”

“Fine!” He agrees, while giving me the biggest eye roll ever.

And thank god Greyson was long gone by the time we came back. Having him in my personal space felt far too intimate.