He picks up the laptop in his large hand. I notice his nails are neatly trimmed and clean. Not sure why, but I expected them to be dirty and rough. Though I suppose they could feel rough—and why is my brain focused on his hands?
He whistles as he looks it over. “That’s one of our more popular ones for sure. It’s a monster.”
I cock my brow at him. “And that’s a problem?”
He chuckles, his white smile nearly blinding as he grins at me. “Well, you only want one person to do the job, and it’s a huge job.”
“I don’t see why it should be a problem. Just might take a little longer.”
He’s studying me carefully, and I don’t care for it. I don’t want to be analyzed. “Sure. I can do most of this myself, no problem. But to frame it out, I’ll need at least one other person. My friend Jackson is great?—”
“No,” I interrupt him, my skin prickling with anxiousness. One big jock type is enough. I don’t need two running around my place.
He’s still staring at me in this kind, understanding—has to be fake—sort of way. I imagine it’s how someone would look at a lion they were trying to approach, and I will snap his damn hand right off if he gets too close. “It’s just?—”
“No,” I say again, but somehow, he doesn’t seem all that rattled. Maybe a hint of frustration, but he doesn’t look angry. “You just need help with the framing part?”
He looks slightly relieved, like he thinks I’m going to give in. “Yeah. It would take a day or two tops.”
“Fine.” Again, he looks relieved, but it won’t last long. “I’ll help with that part.”
“What?” He looks at me, and I bristle again, my hackles raised because I may not look like much, but I’m strong, buddy.
“What? I can hold a damn post. It can’t be that hard,” I say, rolling my eyes at him like he’s balking at me doing any sort of hard labor.
“No. I mean, sure . . . but.”
“Great,” I say, standing up. “So when can you start?”
He looks shaken now, that’s for sure as he stands up too. “Um... you sure you want to help with that part? I know it probably seems easy, but it can be grueling work. I could get a guy to come out, and we would be done in a day or two tops.”
“You said that,” I point out, still salty about him assuming I can’t do any sort of manual labor because I’m just a scrawny nerd in his eyes. “I’ll manage. I worked on my parents’ farm every summer of my life until I turned eighteen. I’m no stranger to a hammer and nails.” I hated fixing fence posts in the hot summer Kansas sun, but I did what I was told.
“Okay,” he says, sounding resigned. “I just have to go back to the office and run it all by my boss. I can get a cement truck here tomorrow afternoon, since it’s supposed to be pretty nice, and get started right away.”
The forecast high for today is forty degrees and seventy-five for tomorrow. Welcome to Kansas. “Okay, sounds good. Let me know if there’s a problem, and if not, I’ll see you tomorrow.” I walk him to the door. “And only you,” I say firmly because I can see him trying to show up with another crew member tomorrow, thinking I’ll just go along with it.
Boy, does he have another thing coming.
I’m not a weak little wallflower anymore.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” he says as he pulls open the door. “Just me.”
That better be true.
4
GABE
Okay, that was weird, but not too strange, I guess. The guy definitely has some trust issues or something. I’m not sure what’s up with him, but I guess it doesn’t matter. It’s a job.
A big job at that.
One that’ll keep me busy and hopefully keep my mind off everything going on in my life.
Or things thataren’tgoing on is more like it. I was never really one to chase after girls, growing up. Shelly had to ask me out, then I fell for her pretty fast, and that was it for me. I didn’t ever think about having to date again.
Not that I want to now. But I can’t help feeling like I’m being left behind.
