Foreclosure: A Novel Read Online Free Page B

ounces. Perfect , he thought. The year I started law school .
    He raised the snifter for a toast to a picture of Holloway and his trophy wife. “To assholes.” He slammed the drink, poured himself a refill, and raised it for another toast. “And to of counsel.” He belched, sending a queasy sensation rippling through his gut like a monsoon. “I’m going to beat you, Alton Holloway. As soon as Frank O’Reilly returns, I’m going to beat you at your own game.”
    He poured another drink and made a note to nurse this one. In fact, he couldn’t fit anything else in the old bladder until he made some room. He was about to leave for the john when inspiration struck.
    He turned to the ficus in the far corner of Alton’s office. “You look thirsty, buddy.”
    He unzipped his fly and let it flow. The most relief he’d felt in a while. And it never stopped. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d pissed this long. Hell, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d pissed. He checked the soil and made sure he had a few inches before there would be any overflow.
    Then he heard a door slam in the distance. He had no idea where, other than it was somewhere in the office. Regardless, there was no way he could stop this piss in midstream. He would have to wait another second. Or two. Or three. He pinched it shut, but that just sent a light spray like sea mist all over Alton’s wall.
    He quickly zipped up, tiptoed to the doorway, and peered into the long dark hallway. Nothing. Finally, he heard a voice, somewhere far off. Maybe two voices.
    He eased down the hallway. As he neared the corner to the adjoining hallway, the voices became clearer. Two distinct voices.
    “Hurry up if you want it,” one of them said.
    He followed the trail of voices to Mackenzie Alderman’s office. Just as he turned the corner, the door to her office slammed shut. He took a peek through the blinds on the small window running parallel to her door. There she was, lying on her desk with her legs wrapped around someone’s head.
    Another look confirmed it was none other than Alton’s head.
    This was certainly too good to be true. He stood aside and considered how to take advantage of this golden opportunity. After shoring up his plan, he pulled out his BlackBerry and peeked around the corner again. If only he could get a shot of Alton’s face, but now Alton was nowhere to be seen. Just then, David spotted him on the floor, clumsily undressing. Alton sprang back to his feet and started giving it to Mackenzie on the desktop from behind. Her moans sounded exaggerated and slurred.
    Alton tilted his head just enough to show his face breaking a sweat. His biceps bulged as he gripped her thighs, pounding her with an impressive rhythm.
    David raised the BlackBerry lens and snapped a shot. He stood aside and reviewed his handy work. It was golden all right, so much so that he could not resist the urge to take one more, just for good measure. He leaned back around the corner and held the BlackBerry steady.
    As he was about to click the button, the BlackBerry began ringing—the loudest damn ringtone he’d ever heard. He raced away from the window and fumbled with the button to turn the ringer off.
    He stopped at a safe distance and listened.
    “What was that?” Mackenzie moaned.
    “My phone,” Alton moaned back.
    “That wasn’t your ringer. And it’s outside.”
    Silence. Then the shuffling of feet and clothing. David turned the corner and sprinted down the hallway. Just as he turned the next corner, the light from the previous hallway chased him through the next corridor. There was no safe pathway to the office exit, the only door he could use at night. He raced through the next hallway, knowing they could catch him at any corner.
    He reached Terry’s office and remembered Terry’s big-ass mahogany desk—big enough to hide a Mini Cooper. As soon as he was safely under it, he checked the BlackBerry to see who’d called. Maybe he’d made a mistake