Aaron's Kiss Series Boxed Set (Books 1 - 7) (93 page)

~~~

Maddy was crawling on the floor under the desk with twelve neat piles of paperwork in front of her when Aaron walked in, Sara close on his heels. There were also two piles on the chair and three across the sofa seat that she had dragged over when she needed sub files to the ones on the floor separated and six more on the desk. Neither of them said a word, but watched the woman. Her hair had come undone and she had ink smears on her face and hands, in the gabardine pants and silk shirt crawl around and listened to her talk with herself.

“Ah ha! Thought you could hide from me did you? Well, too bad. Who keeps papers from the eighteen hundreds? Shit! You don’t go there, you go over here. I think I need to have my head examined, this has got to be the dumbest thing I’ve ever done. Well, maybe not
the
dumbest, there was that time I took that homeless man in to the hospital to have him looked at, the ungrateful turd. How was I supposed to know he was going to squeeze the crap out of my boob when we’d not gotten but ten feet down the road? Had that bruise for awhile, didn’t ya dummy? But dumb, yep, this is pretty dumb.”

“Are you referring to the fact that you’re talking to yourself, or going through papers that don’t concern you?” Aaron watched in stunned silence as she picked up her conversation where she had stopped and continued working on the piles.

“Both I suppose. But the talking to myself usually frightens people enough that they run away from me rather than ask me to explain myself. You know come to think of it, that happens a lot. I haven’t the foggiest notion why, I guess it’s better than talking to the wall or this nice sofa here, my talking to myself I mean.”

The girl hadn’t looked up nor stopped doing what she was doing, when she answered Aaron. He could feel her embarrassment and thought it was odd that she didn’t seem to let it bother her.

“I see. Well, as it is our house, we won’t be leaving, so that leaves you explaining what exactly you are doing on the floor with the papers from my desk. Unless of course the sofa does talk to you…it doesn’t does it??”

“No, sadly it doesn’t. Can you image the stories it might have if it did? Like, ‘oh my, Ms Chair, did you see that woman’s butt, it was so huge’ then the sofa would have to answer, ‘oh no, Sofa honey, she was sitting on my lap and I couldn’t see a darned thing’. I don’t suppose you’d believe me if I said I was an escaped loony person and this is the one thing that calms me? Or that I have a paper fetish and this is my fix for the week? Hummm, I think I like that reason. No? Well, the truth isn’t much better. I’m Madison Harm with the Schaller and Schaller law firm, but please call me Maddy. I’m here to have you go over the Midland contract. Surprise! I’m a lawyer.”

Aaron was flustered when she stood up. She was very tall and extremely beautiful. He didn’t know why that should shock him other than when he had called the firm holding the properties he wanted to inquire about the woman on the phone indicated that the lawyer coming out had been with the firm for some years. He grinned at her apparent embarrassment. Aaron could hear Sara behind him still laughing. When she had to hang onto his shoulder to keep from falling over from her hysteria, he simply put his arm around her and led her to the couch.

‘Great now they’ll call in the guys with the straight jacket and butterfly net. Might be better than where I am at now.’ She was talking to herself again and Aaron wondered if she did that a lot. He figured she must for she was as comfortable with that as she had been with her embarrassment.

Aaron walked over to his now perfectly set up desk. She had put all the pens in a neat row, all facing the same direction, as was the stapler and tape dispenser. His computer, which he had just purchased two weeks ago, was out of the box and set up to a program he’d never seen before it looked like an accounting spread sheet. The trash can was overflowing with neatly folded, yes folded bits of paper and gum wrappers. He looked at her, with a cocked eyebrow.

“You fold your trash? Maybe I
should
call your firm and tell them that you’ve been folding my trash and going through my papers and have you fired.” A hand on his hips, Aaron was a formable man and he knew it.

Chapter Two

“Wouldn’t do you any good to complain, they already think I have a screw loose or two. Actually, they’d just add more time onto my sentence and I’d be there another forty years or so.” Maddy grinned back as she spoke, thinking he wasn’t so bad for a rich guy.

“Stop teasing her Aaron. You know that you are happy this has been taken out of your hands. Someone had to take over this desk or Duncan was going to take a match to it.” The woman walked closer to her with her hand extended. “I’m Sara MacManus, this is my mate Aaron. He has been working on that desk for nearly six years, so if he doesn’t thank you, everyone else in this house will. Now he won’t complain about it anymore nor will he be calling your boss, unless it’s to tell them what a great job you’ve done already.”

“Sure. Whatever. Hummm…well, if you want me to finish up, it’ll only take me about five more minutes. These just need to be put into the files, then into the drawers.”

She dropped to the floor again and proceeded to put each pile into the folder she had already neatly labeled. The filing cabinet had also been set up, the hanging files color coded, labeled and waiting as well. Opening one of the filing cabinet drawers she started dropping neat stacks of paper into each labeled slot. The top drawer was in alphabetical order and color coded as well, all by month and years.

“I’m sorry were late, well that’s not really true. And I do thank you for this. I hate paperwork, and that mess was overwhelming.”

Aaron stood over her watching what she was doing. She knew just where each piece of information was and her fingers went to them immediately. Once she had lain the paperwork out she knew where it went in the drawers. Simple once she had everything sorted out.

“Here let me get the contact for you, and you can go over it while I file this crap, I mean your papers away. Overwhelming? Yeah, I can see that. I hate it too, paperwork I mean. But once it’s cleared away it’ll be easier for you to put the little bits in their home now.” She had stood up again and pulled the fat files from under her bag and handed it to him. She’d also brought a copy for Mrs. MacManus as her name was on the contract too. Sitting back down she continued, “The property you’ve asked about is in receivership, meaning that in this particular case the owner has died and the family, his grandson, in this case actually can’t pay the past due taxes much less the mortgage. The original owner died about eighteen months ago and was already two payments behind on the loan and even more on the taxes, so even if the grandson comes up with the back taxes, he’ll be over two years into back payments by then. Also he’s asking entirely too much for the property, you should offer just over the lien amount, about one percent, I think.” She was still sitting on the floor with her feet under her, having finished all but two of the files.

There was a knock at the big door and in came, well they flew really, two kids and the man from the front door. He was carrying a very large tray overflowing with plates and glasses. He sat it down of the credenza and helped the children with each a plate of cookies.

“Careful Miss Lizzy, you do not want to dump it on the young lady. There you go Master Mac, mind your feet, please. May I get you anything to drink Ms. Harm?” Mr. Duncan had been directing these two for some time it seemed to Maddy, much as a general would his troops.

“A glass of water would be awesome, thanks.” She grinned at the little boy, Mac he’d called him and winked at the girl Lizzy when they fought over serving her their plate of cookies she intervened. “Sorry guys, but I don’t like cookies.” She told them quickly before she wore them.

“You don’t like cookies? Are you nuts! Everybody likes cookies. I think you’re just funning with us. Nobody doesn’t like cookies.” The little boy said with a wicked grin.

“
Aaron Colin MacManus”
Sara shouted. “Say you’re sorry right this minute! People have the right to dislike whatever they like without being ridiculed by you. You don’t like a great many things and no one calls you nuts, do they?” His mothers face showed she was shocked and embarrassed. 

“I’m sorry, but geez lady, how can you not like cookies?” He didn’t look the least bit repentant. Maddy looked over at their dad when she would swear that he growled at his son. With a mental shrug, she turned to answer Mac.

He was gonna be a heartbreaker, if he wasn’t already. He looked like a small replica of his dad. His eyes had to be the darkest shade of blue she’d ever seen, almost black. His hair dark and wavy hung slightly over the collar of his light green polo shirt. His shorts were dark green and baggy over long legs and scrapped knees. The little girl was stunning, just like her mom. Her hair and eyes were the on the opposite spectrum of the boys, her eyes were light blue and hair the color of honeyed wheat, and straight as a poker, it hung in two braids that had been through a couple of windstorms by the look of them. She was taller than her brother, but wouldn’t be much longer if the height of their dad was any indication. She was wearing a dark green polo shirt and light green shorts.

“I don’t like that they’re crunchy. Now, a good cake, or better yet a cupcake with about a ton of frosting, hummm, I’m in heaven. And I absolutely love chocolate; I don’t even care what it’s on or how it’s served, just give it to me. And my absolute, mostest favorite thing of all time is pie. Oh I love, love, love pie!!!” Maddy grinned at them; he still had a look of absolute horror on his face.

“My Aunt Sam owns a bakery. She makes the bestest cakes and pies in the whole world. You should have her make you a pie sometime. I bet she would.” Lizzy had moved over in front of Maddy and was touching her necklace that hung just inside and below her shirt opening. When she accidently got a little chocolate on Maddy’s collar Lizzy looked up. Maddy winked again Lizzy pulled the chain up and looked at the pretty stones.

“Maybe I will. Wait, ‘Sam’s Baked Goods’? Oh yeah, you’re right, they are the best. My Grammies favorite was the Boston cream pie. Sam makes the very best.” 

Maddy took the locket that accompanied the stones and opened for Lizzy, then handed it back. Her Grammie had given her this locket and chain; the stones she had told her had come from her mother and the locket from her father, it was a gift to and from each other she’d told her. 

“This is me when I was about your age,” she told Lizzy and when Mac pushed in she showed him too, “and this is my Mother. I don’t know her. She died a very long time ago. Just after I was born”

“She’s dead? Brent’s mommy got dead, but he gots a new one and a daddy too.” Lizzy asked her while still fingering the design on the locket.

“I don’t know anything about them.” Before someone started asking question she wasn’t comfortable answering, Maddy changed the subject. “What sort of confection do you guys like?”

“Sometimes Aunt Sam bakes us un-birthday cakes. That’s fun. We get to each pick a day and she bakes us what we want.” 

Each child took a turn holding and looking at the tiny pictures that had been enclosed within the gold locket. When they were both finished, she slipped the chain back into her blouse.

“That
is
very nice, I don’t even like to celebrate things when everyone else does, but I bet that would be fun-city to have a special un-day. Mr. MacManus, there are several other properties and businesses in that general area, most of which have all gone belly up. If you wanted to save some real money, I’d approach the lender directly and see if you can get them for about fifty cents on the dollar. Most of them will be willing to take a cut just to not have to carry it on their books anymore. No, no more tea for me please, I have a long drive home. Most of them are just defaulted loans, but quite a few are in for non-payment of taxes, as well.” 

Maddy set down her tea cup that was a part of the set Lizzy had gotten from the big closet across the room. Maddy went over to the computer on the desk she had set up and pulled up the city map for the area she was talking about. 

“This property is in default of their loan, as are these six here. This one and this one are in tax trouble by thousands of dollars, but not default yet, but it shouldn’t be much longer. If you’d like I can get you the names of the leaning institutions that are involved and you can see what you can work out.”

“As my lawyer, wouldn’t you be the better person to do this for me?” Aaron asked.

“Nah, I’m not really your lawyer. Mr. Butt Hole, err…Button sent me out here tonight as punishment. If you want to contact him and have him do it that’ll be fine, too. But it will be costly. He’ll charge you four hundred an hour and bill you for a minimum of eight hours. Doing it yourself will only take about an hour or so and it’s free. I could show you how, it’s really easy.” Maddy offered as she shut down their computer.

“You don’t like your boss.” Sara hadn’t asked, just made a statement. Maddy didn’t care if they knew about her feelings toward her boss, as far as she was concerned her employment couldn’t get much worse, just longer. They would add on more months, years, it didn’t matter; she was as stuck with them as they were with her. And if she could make them lose a little money in the deal, great! She wouldn’t complain.

“No, Mrs. MacManus I don’t, but then the feelings are very mutual. I should be going. I have to get home before it gets too dark to read the street signs. I can get lost in my own apartment.” 

She gathered up her things, and after shaking hands with the adults and getting a surprising hug from the two kids, she left. She’d told them to either call the firm or let her know by her email account it if they decided to do it on their own. She could get them the list as late as tomorrow morning when she got to work.

~~~

“What did you think of Maddy Harm?” Sara had waited until after they had put Lizzy and Mac to bed to sit with the contract that the girl had left them and to discuss it with Aaron. Maddy was all the children had talked about when they had put them to bed an hour ago. And wanted to invite her to their birthday party, the real one in three weeks.

“She’s great. Did you get anything from her?” Aaron had truly liked the girl. She was upbeat, honest and the kids had taken to her immediately. And to him that was the great testimony of all kind. Children could spot an insincere person right away.

“Nothing other than she is as honest and sincere as she acts. She does hate her boss though, but I couldn’t get the why. Did you get anything?”

Both were telepaths, Sara being the stronger of the two. It had paid them well to be able to ‘read’ people in dealings whether personal or business. They both had a great many other talents and powers. Sara being the cousin to the Queen of all Magick and Aaron was a fourteen hundred year old vampire, a Master one at that.

“No, just the same. I couldn’t believe how well she interacted with the children. But Lizzy crawling up in her lap to play tea with, her that was a shock. She is normally very standoffish with strangers.”

Aaron had been amazed. They had played tea party and Maddy had never once seemed impatient nor did she seem to be trying to impress them by interacting with their children.

“Well, how do you want to handle the other properties, buy them ourselves or call Mr. Butt Hole?” Aaron loved that it had slipped out; it showed the girl had a good sense of humor on top of everything else.

“Caught that did you, I nearly hurt myself trying not to laugh out loud. I’m thinking we should do a little investigation into this firm, I think there’s something off there. Couldn’t hurt, and it may gain us a much needed ally in the legal world with her. I have an old friend that I can call; it’s about time for him to visit anyway.”

“Aaron honey, I hate to break it to you, but all of your friends are old.”