Enemy Mine

Chapter 23

My phone rang at eight-thirty in the morning. An unknown caller, but most of them were, and I had been ignoring those too much lately. I answered.

"Reese Kentwell."

"Hey, Reese. This is Charles... from the DC flight and the Pigeons concert."

"Hi, Charles. How did you find me?" The words were out of my mouth before I could proofread them, and he responded with the obvious answer.

"I looked up your website. You do nice work. That's why I called. To offer you a job... and to say hey."

"Well, hey back. Is the job in Manhattan?"

"Yes. The architectural firm I work for needs a photographer to chart the progress of a project. Our regular photographer is out on maternity leave and I recommended you to my bosses. Are you interested?"

"Wow, that's really nice of you, Charles." I glanced into the hallway from my position on the couch. Just off to the left, a small den served as Vincent's command station, and the door had been closed since his conference call started two hours ago. "Where is the project, exactly?"

"Trinity Church. It's part renovation, part restoration. Your boyfriend's foundation is funding the restoration part."

"I'm not surprised. The foundation is close to his heart, as well as his late father."

"I didn't know his dad died. I probably shouldn't bring up the foundation as a talking point, should I? I never intended to get on Vincent's bad side, you know. I've been trying to think of ways I can change that. I've seen him at the site a couple of times."

"Has he seen you?"

"No. I'm the grunt man, relegated to the vestry at the back of the church. And I'm not going to seek Vincent out unless I have something to say."

"Having something to say doesn't seem to be a problem for you, and the gig sounds fun. Churches and I get along great. When do you need me?"

"Yesterday. That's when Crystal went into labor. Ideally, the photos should be taken every day, but there's wiggle room, and the crew doesn't work weekends."

"Just to be clear, you need me on-site right now?"

"Yes, or as soon as possible. The partners will be here for another hour, so you can meet them both if you hurry. How far are you from Trinity Church?"

"Not far at all."

"Great. Should I tell them to expect you, then?"

I gave my gut time to process the situation, specifically Vincent's reaction if I left the building without an escort. "Yeah, go ahead and tell them. I'll call if I get delayed."

"Thanks, Reese. I'll get your employment paperwork sent over for you to sign."

"See you soon, Charles."

I hung up the phone and stared at Vincent's office door. Bonnie and Clyde flanked either side of me, and the three of us deliberated whether to interrupt him. His office had a private vibe too it that kept me away. Even the dogs didn't venture in often. My other concern was telling him about Charles, the guy he tried to put his fist through. But first, I needed to find something to wear.

Thankfully, my closet in the spare room had begun to fill up, so options were there. The only trick would be hiding the scabs on my neck. I already tossed my cashmere turtle neck into the hamper, but I did have my favorite turquoise silk scarf, which paired well with a couple of things. As I looked through my collection, I typed out a text to Vincent, going the casual route.