The Couple Next Door

THE COUPLE NEXT DOOR COLE BAXTER Published by Inkubator Books www.inkubatorbooks.com Copyright © 2023 by Cole Baxter Cole Baxter has asserted his right to be identified as the author of this work. ISBN (eBook): 978-1-83756-164-3 ISBN (Paperback): 978-1-83756-165-0 ISBN (Hardback): 978-1-83756-166-7 THE COUPLE NEXT DOOR is a work of fiction. People, places, events, and situations are the product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead is entirely coincidental. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher. CONTENTS Inkubator Books 1. The Party 2. The After-party 3. The Good Life 4. Mothers and Daughters 5. Trouble in Paradise 6. Day of Reckoning 7. Business as Usual 8. The Importance of Art 9. The Uber Experience 10. Puzzle Pieces 11. The Police Business 12. Empty Threats 13. Sound Advice 14. Hot Encounter 15. Fire and Smoke 16. The List 17. The Repairs 18. The Night Off 19. The Enemies Within 20. The Interrogation 21. Matters of the Plants 22. New Interests 23. Good Among the Bad 24. All Alone 25. Sad News 26. Another Disaster Ahead 27. Misery Likes Company 28. Dead End 29. The Things We Do For Sex 30. World Tumbling Down 31. From Bad to Worse 32. The Return Home 33. The Big Revelation 34. The Confrontation 35. Fear 36. The Chase 37. Staying Alive 38. Bitterness 39. Moving On 40. Old Habits Die Hard Inkubator Newsletter THE PERFECT SUITOR Thank You For Reading About the Author Also by Cole Baxter JOIN THE INKUBATOR MAILING LIST You will be the first to learn about new releases plus the many FREE and discounted Kindle books we offer! bit.ly/3dOTSW2 1 THE PARTY I couldn’t stop smiling, and more importantly, I didn’t want to. It was my party, after all. I did it. Everything was finally going my way, everything was slowly coming together, all my dreams were coming true. Well, not all of them, but I knew that eventually, they would, so of course I was happy. “It is my honor to present Amber Dennis, the newest junior partner at Grant, Bryant, and Dawson,” my boss said. One day it will be Grant, Dawson, and Dennis, I thought. I really wanted my name added to the mix. Mr. Grant had been giving his speech for the last couple of minutes, but I wasn’t really paying close attention. I’d heard it all before. As always, he was doing this more to stroke his own ego than mine. I didn’t care. He’d helped me a great deal over the years and was the first person to notice what a brilliant asset I would become. For that, I tolerated his quirks. The enjoyment of hearing the sound of his own voice was definitely one of them. The entire firm had gathered in an exclusive steakhouse conveniently located just a block away from the office. Lawyers were nothing if not practical. I knew at least half of them would return to the office after the party to do some work and clock a few more billing hours before calling it a night. I had become the youngest junior partner in the firm at just thirty-six, and I deserved it. This wasn’t me bragging. I really had worked my ass off to get here. It had taken a good chunk of money to meet the buy-in for the position too, but I’d done it because I wanted to become a partner in this firm. I wanted that and so much more. I had been saving since college, putting aside chunks of each and every paycheck I received working as a lawyer, knowing this day would come. I was prepared for it, and still, my heart froze for a couple of seconds when receiving the stipulations of becoming a partner. Damn inflation was ruining everything. It was time to stop focusing on the negative. I am here now. And the money given was an investment. And a pretty sound investment at that because our firm was one of the best, and I wasn’t stopping at junior partner. In a matter of a few years I planned on becoming a senior partner. For that, I would have to replace one of the existing ones, and only then would I become a named partner. I already knew whom I was going to replace. Phoebe Bryant. She was a named partner, so I would be killing two birds with one stone, purely metaphorically speaking. My ticket in, the way to achieve all my plans, was precisely the man who was giving this long speech. Michael Grant, a sixty-four-year-old senior partner, was the founder of the firm. Of course, back then it was simply called Grant and Associates. He was such a brilliant lawyer and savvy businessman who didn’t mind getting his hands dirty every once in a while. He was also a power-hungry, driven workaholic, who was desperate to leave a significant mark on this city. Over the years he managed to achieve something great, and along the way, the firm grew as more equal-minded people joined in. Today, Grant, Bryant, and Dawson law firm was one of the most successful companies on the west coast. And although all the senior partners were equal, some were more equal than others, and Grant had the most say. So when he took me under his wing just over ten years ago, it was a sign to all the rest that I was the new shining star. Naturally, I had to back that up with hard work, an excellent record, and an impressive client list, but for me, that was the easiest part. I loved my job, and I was competitive enough to want to be one of the best. “I remember the first time Amber came to us, fresh out of Harvard Law School and so green… we corrected that quickly,” he continued, and that last comment raised a