Now that I had a crew and the pipes in stock, I wanted to get as much of the work done as quickly and safely as I could.
I was in the back using a Sawzall to remove the damaged pipe, when Jonathan, one of my crew members, motioned for me to turn it off.
I pushed the safety goggles onto my forehead. "What's going on?"
"There's someone out front, says he needs to speak to you."
"I'll check it out." I set my tools down and removed my gloves. I wiped the sweat from my brow as I headed to the front.
Bill was standing just inside the door.
Knowing that Angela wouldn't want this man in her shop, I walked past him and pushed open the door. "Let's talk outside."
I crossed my arms over my chest. "What can I do for you?"
"I was hoping you'd replace my pipes first."
"This is Eve's project, so it was her call. We usually take care of damaged properties first. Get the business up andrunning again. There's an apartment on the second floor that is uninhabitable until we replace the pipes. The work on your building is preventative."
His face screwed up. "The pipes could leak at any moment."
"As soon as we're done here, we'll move onto replacing the pipes in the other buildings."
"I don't understand why this property would get fixed if it's just a temporary lease. If Eve doesn't renew the lease, then she won't need anything fixed right away."
My stomach twisted. I couldn't believe that he didn't care if a mother and her daughter were out on the street. "I already explained the situation, and I have work to do. If you have any more questions, you should talk to Eve."
She was the town's owner and coordinator. I hated to send him her way, but it was her job to deal with difficult people.
He harrumphed and walked away.
I let out a breath, relishing the cool air after working in the warm and dusty space inside.
Jonathan joined me outside. "He give you a hard time?"
"He wants us to work on his shop first."
"There's always an asshole, isn't there?"
I chuckled. "Yeah."
We headed inside to continue working, but I couldn't shake the feeling of unease. Would Bill try to kick Angela out of her space? Did he have that kind of power over her or the decisions that Eve made? I didn't like that Angela only had a short-term lease. It left her in a precarious situation.
I didn't want her to be stressed out any more than she already was. She didn't need Bill meddling in her life, but there was nothing I could do about it.
I was here to do a job, and I wasn't treating her differently by working on her shop first. It was the same procedure I'd use in any large project.
But I couldn't shake the feeling that Bill acted entitled because he was used to getting his way. I didn't want him to push Angela out or make it more difficult for her to stay.
I'd only just gotten her, and I didn't want to lose her.
What if Eve asked me to abort my work on Angela's shop and work on Bill's? It would be within her rights to direct me in any direction she preferred. My professional judgment was just a guideline in this situation. The owner might have different priorities, and Angela was just a temporary lease holder.
What if Eve terminated her lease? I hated the idea. I didn't want that for Angela and Ayla. They were just getting on their feet, and they didn't need someone pushing them down again.
In the evening, I ran home to shower before calling Angela and offering to pick up a pizza. When I knocked on Angela's door, Ayla answered.
"You got dressed today," I said as soon as I saw her in sweats and a hoodie.
