Chapter 10
Derek offered me a drink from his slushie to cool me down. I removed the top and took my precious time drinking, savoring the icy blueberry flavor. The syrup would stain my lips, but I didn’t care this late in the afternoon. We were sitting on the curb outside of the gas station’s store and trying our best to not faint from dehydration.
The summer heat pounded in my head. I tried piling my hair in a bun in hopes it’d ward off the rays. Unfortunately, my scalp still felt like it needed a good conditioning treatment to reclaim the lost moisture.
We were in between jobs while Dad filled up the gas tanks and I decided on whether to switch to Derek’s suburb route. Nate joined Leo and me today, and things were getting a little too awkward for my taste. Leo didn’t seem to mind. Unfortunately, I knew my brother far better than he did. Nate was onto us. I could feel it.
“We should have a team meeting,” I said, pulling away from the slushie.
Derek frowned and reclaimed his drink. “That’s a terrible idea.”
“We haven’t had one in a while.”
“I hate meetings,” Derek grumbled and shook his drink so that ice would mix with the separated juice. It was a lost cause because when in the history of ever did someone successfully remix their drink? Yet still, he tried vigorously.
“What has to be said in a meeting can’t be sent in a text?” Derek asked as if it were a philosophical dilemma.
I shrugged, partly distracted by watching Nate talk to Leo near the trucks.
“I just think we should clear the air,” I said.
Derek continued his drink shaking. “What air?”
“The air.” I waved my hands, nonsensically. “Like, remind everyone we have jobs to do and don’t have time to chat.”
“Nate and Leo taking long breaks?”
I gave him a knowing look. “What do you think?”
“I think you should take a step back and let them handle a job on their own,” he suggested. “Just like I think you should step back and let your parents worry about the business for once. You do a lot of work, Kira. You’re not even paid for half of it.”
“I know, I know.”
“Do you? Truly? Because if you ask me, you don’t and they take advantage of you. You want to have a team meeting? Let’s have one about that.”
I groaned at the thought of how much energy it’d take to confront my parents. “Derek, drop it.”
“Fine.” He shrugged and re-focused his gaze back on his drink. “Don’t talk to your parents. But at least let the guys know they need to carry their weight. No more long breaks.”
“I will.” I nodded and squared my shoulders at the idea of the potential confrontation.
“Will you?” Derek smiled, looking like he didn’t believe me for a second.
“Yes, I have to if I want to build a good reputation for Anderson Lawn. Good reputation starts with employees knowing how to do their job.”
“That reputation stuff should be your dad’s concern.”
Derek and I glanced in Dad’s direction now. He struggled with unscrewing one of the gas cartons. Leo and Nate were totally oblivious to the struggle until I whistled to get their attention and pointed at Dad. Nate shook his head with a smile and hurried over to help him.
“As you can see, my family would be rather clueless without me.” I wore a smug smile but something about the statement didn’t sit well with me. Because it was true. It shouldn’t be. Being the only one that took things so seriously was a breeding ground for frustration. Why couldn’t people just rise to the occasion without me having to drag them?
While Nate helped Dad, Leo started over in our direction. He wasn’t wearing the Anderson Lawn t-shirt today, but instead a gray, skin-tight athletic top. His shoulders curved underneath the fabric, displaying every hour of hard work he put into staying in shape for the past few years. It was impossible not to gawk at how beautifully his brown skin had darkened from the sun.
“Hey, heard you were thinking about abandoning us.” Leo stopped right in front of us with an easy smile on his face as he massaged one of his shoulders. I watched his hand knead his muscles and wondered if the job was already getting to him. I’d be shocked if he was sore from this.
“The suburbs are calling,” I joked, doing my best to sound unbothered by his perfect grin. Those lips were on my skin the other night and watching them curve made me replay that image. During our late-night meeting, Leo and I agreed on running together every other day and have swimming lessons in the mornings. Tomorrow would be my first lesson. I’d have to wait to leave the house after Nate to avoid running into him on his morning jog.
“I thought you hated doing front yards,” Leo pointed out. He shoved his hands in his pockets and the movement made his arms flex for a moment.
