“If we hadn’t caught it, you might have had a real flood on your hands in a few weeks,” Troy added.
“This is a matter for the landlord! And I already have a real flood,” I pointed out, gesturing to the trail of water they were leaving across my floor. “Go put that in the kitchen sink before it soaks my rug.”
The guys juggled the heavy sink over to the kitchen and set it down, leaving a trail of dripping water in their wake.
“Why didn’t you guys put it in the shower?” I asked.
Rhett’s eyes widened in a way that told me I didn’t want to see my shower right now. “It’s fine. Don’t worry, your shower is fine.”
“I didn’t ask if my shower was fine!”
Karl cleared his throat beside me. “Um, should I…?”
Shit. I’d forgotten Karl even existed.
“Oh, hey, man,” Troy waved. “I’m Troy, this is Rhett. We’re friends of Aimee’s.”
“Maintenance friends,” I said. “They’re helping with a plumbing issue.”
“At nine o’clock at night?” Karl asked, his tone suggesting he wasn’t buying it.
Rhett’s eyes narrowed slightly as he sized Karl up. “Plumbing emergencies don’t keep business hours.” There was a protective glint in Rhett’s eyes. “And who might you be?”
“Karl,” he answered, noticeably not offering a hand to shake. “With a K.”
“Cool, cool,” Troy said, nodding like this was a normal situation as he grabbed a huge wad of paper towels from the roll. “We’re almost done here. Just need to get the replacement parts installed, and we’ll be out of your hair.”
“Replacement parts?” I echoed. “You don’t have replacement parts?”
“Well, not yet,” Rhett admitted, helping himself to some paper towels. “But the 24-hour hardware store is a fifteen-minute drive away. We can go now and be back in half an hour, tops.”
A hysterical laugh bubbled up in my throat. “Half an hour? You expect me to wait half an hour while my bathroom is in pieces? I was supposed to have SEX tonight.”
Karl shifted uncomfortably beside me, taking a small step back. “You know what, Aimee, maybe this isn’t the best time. You’ve got a lot going on here with your… friends.”
The way he said “friends” made it clear that he thought Rhett and Troy were more than neighbors helping with plumbing.
“No, it’s fine,” I insisted, even as Troy and Rhett started drying the floor with paper towels. “They’re just fixing the sink. They’ll be done soon. Right, guys?”
Rhett and Troy exchanged a glance that said they were nowhere near done.
“Sure,” Rhett lied, squatting down to dab at the mess with a wad of paper towels, his thick thighs flexing against the fabric of his jeans in a way that should be illegal. I forced my gaze over to Troy, who also seemed to be staring at Rhett’s thighs.
“Troy?”
He shook himself and met my eyes with that charming grin he used to win everyone over. “A quick trip to the store and we’ll have you fixed up. You won’t even notice us.”
“Won’t even notice you?” I yelled, waving my arms wildly at the mess. “I only have one bathroom!”
Karl was already edging toward the door. “I should get going. Early meeting tomorrow.”
“Karl, wait—” I started, but he was already shaking his head.
“It’s fine, really. Rain check?” He didn’t wait for my answer before adding, “I’ll text you,” and slipping out the door and slamming it behind him like he was fleeing the scene of a crime.
The click of the latch echoed in the silence that followed. I stood frozen, staring at the closed door, then slowly turned to face Troy and Rhett, who at least had the good sense to look guilty.
“You two,” I said, my voice dangerously low, “are unbelievable.”
