by David Horne
I shake my head and clear my throat because a lump is trying to form there. “You won’t have to worry about him sticking around,” I finally manage to say to Caleb. “I was the one who did the tile work in here. A master suite deserves something special, so I made sure I was the one to take on this job. It took the crew Jim sent me four days to put down the vinyl in the guest bathroom. There was no way I was letting them near this tile.”
“Well, it’s great work, man.” Caleb runs his hand through his hair and squints his eyes. “Really. Four days? Damn. I saw that bathroom. That should have been a couple hours, tops.”
“And now you see what I’ve been working with and why we’re weeks behind schedule. So what’ll it take to get you on board?”
***
After we reached an agreement to pay for Caleb and his crew members he left to talk to his team and let them know he’d found new work, and I stayed behind to talk to the guys Jim had hired. This was the worst part about being the boss. It wasn’t these guys’ fault that Jim had hired them for a job for which they were not qualified, but that is what happened and now I had to break it to them that they were being replaced. If Jim had hired one or two people who needed to be taught I could have taken the time to do so with an established crew, but he handicapped me by hiring an entire crew of guys who were new to construction, and with how far behind we were now, I wouldn’t have time to teach any of them all the things they don’t know.
I brought them all together in what would soon be the kitchen. “Listen guys, I know some of you have worked as hard as you could trying to figure this job out. Unfortunately, you were not dealt an ideal hand for learning a new trade and I didn’t have the help I needed to get the job done or teach anyone new. At this point I’ve hired a crew with years of experience who might actually have a chance at getting this job back on track, and I’m going to have to let you all go. You will be paid for the work you’ve done plus two additional weeks’ pay.”
The guys left without any push-back, which really didn’t surprise me. I don’t think most of them intended to sign up for as much work as the job required. Now I just had to find a way to get the right cabinets for the kitchen here in the next day or two if we had any hope of getting back on track. Maybe a visit to our supplier in person could help get that ball rolling a little faster. It was worth a shot.
Chapter Four
Caleb
I filled my thermos with coffee and headed out to my truck. I’d given the address to my crew and I wanted to make sure I made it to the house before they did. Couldn’t have them showing up before me and making me look like the slacker in front of Aaron on the first day, and knowing Jessica she was already halfway there. That girl was going to be the first woman in history to be early for her wedding, I was sure of it.
As soon as I pulled up it was clear that I’d slept too late because Jessica was leaning against the back of her truck playing with her hammer like it was the most interesting thing she’d ever held in her hand and smiling at Aaron the way she used to smile at me before she realized I was gay. I didn’t like her flirting with him. Sure, it wasn’t professional for her to flirt with our new boss like that, but that wasn’t what was bothering me. I didn’t like her flirting with him because I didn’t want to see him flirt back. I didn’t know if he was straight or gay or whatever, but I knew I didn’t want to see him flirting with anyone which makes zero sense because he is not mine. Hell, I hadn’t even flirted with him. Sure, I’d noticed how hot he was, and he seemed to be a good guy with a good head on him, but we’d just met yesterday. Jealousy should be nowhere on my radar, and here it was. Well, it was just going to have to get shoved back down where it came from. He is my boss and I can’t mess that up.
As soon as I get out of my truck, Aaron practically runs from Jessica over to me, his eyes wide and asking for a safe escape from Jessica’s clutches. Jessica is a beautiful girl and she has a way with flirting that leads me to believe any man who can resist her must be gay. That makes me a little happier than it should because I can only assume Aaron looks like he wants to be saved from her because he’s not interested. I smirk and he takes my hand shaking it a bit too hard. “Don’t worry,” I say with a smile. “She’s harmless.”
Aaron’s eyebrows draw together and he glances back at her. “You sure about that. I’m pretty sure she’s bending over right now just to show off her round ass.”
“Oh, she is definitely doing that. You just have to make it clear you’re not interested.”
Aaron turns back to me. “You sound pretty sure.”
“She did the same thing to me, but as soon as she figured out I’d only be interested if she were a man, she knocked it off. Plus, she’s one of my best crew members, so I could deal with her glancing at my ass from time to time to keep her around.”
“You’re gay?” Aaron asked. He sounded shocked. Maybe he wasn’t gay and thought I should fall into some stupid stereotype. Typical.
“Yeah, but don’t worry. I won’t be too distracted drooling over you to get the job done.”
I rolled my eyes and started to walk away, but Aaron grabbed my arms and stopped me. “Sorry, I know that made me sound like a dick. Trust me, I am not judging you.”
I pulled my arm away from him. “Heard that one before too.”
Aaron moved faster than me and blocked my way. He stood in front of me until I met his eyes. “I’m gay too.”
“Really? Then why the big deal over finding out I am too?”
He sighed. He seemed frustrated, but I didn’t care. I’d done nothing to get him so worked up. This was on him. He moved his eyes away so he wasn’t looking at me anymore. “Because it was easier to pretend I’m not attracted to you if I thought you were straight.”
I felt my lips curl up in a smile and took a step forward to close the little bit of space that was between us. “Oh, that really isn’t a problem. Not at all.”
Aaron took an abrupt step back and narrowed his eyes at me. “It is. I can’t do that to Ben.”
I don’t know why I hadn’t noticed it before, but the second I heard him say “Ben” my eyes darted to his left hand and the gold wedding band on his ring finger. He’s married. Well, I guess that would make being attracted to someone else a bit of an issue. When I brought my eyes back up to his I swear I saw tears forming, but he quickly blinked them away. I held my hands up in surrender. “Hey, you don’t have to worry about me. I see you’re taken and I respect that. I won’t try to flirt or whatever. I’m just here to do a job.”
He looked off into the sky like he was searching for something for a moment before he looked at me again. “Good. Let’s get to work. I got through to the supplier yesterday and we’ll have the right cabinets here tomorrow morning, so I want to make sure we are ready to get them installed as soon as they bring them.”
“All right. Let’s get this done.”
I call over Jessica and Pete, and they grab their tools and follow us inside. Just like that, it’s all business. This is a job and Aaron is just another boss. No need to get all bent out of shape because he’s already taken. I wasn’t really looking for anything anyway…at least that’s what I’m going to tell myself.
Chapter Five
Aaron
What’s wrong with me? Flirting with someone I just met, hell, just hired! I am not interested in dating anyone, least of all Caleb with his knack for making me laugh, and his kind eyes, or his sexy…NO. He’s here to work and that’s all this is going to be. Ben was my other half and no one can replace him; not possible. There’s no point wasting Caleb’s time when I’m not available, not really, because my heart went with Ben and I’m okay with that. It was his to take, always and forever.
Caleb went right into work mode after I went over the plans for finishing up the house and I was glad for that. There were no more smiling or snarky moments to make me laugh, and he didn’t look at me, not like he had. It actually seemed like he was making sure to keep as much distance between him and me
as he possibly could considering we were working in the same room to get all the flooring and painting done in the kitchen before the cabinets arrived. It was a good thing. I’d hired him to do a job and he was focused on getting it done. We weren’t friends, so there was no need for us to shoot the bull while we got that work done. None at all.
The days seemed to drag by despite how busy we stayed all day. Everything was set in place and once we installed the cabinets and countertops the kitchen would be complete. Hell, Caleb had even gotten Jessica and Pete to clean the floors so there wasn’t a speck of dust to be seen on them. It would have to be done again after the cabinet install, but it was nice to see the finished hardwoods shining under the light that poured in from the windows. I smiled as Ben’s voice filled my mind. “A good, dark hardwood could make any room look a thousand times better, Aaron. If you’d let me throw a hardwood floor in the shack at the lake even, it would look like a million bucks!”
“You all right?”
I shook off the memory and looked up at Caleb. “Uh, what?”
He arched a brow. “You’ve been staring at that floor with a sad smile on your face for like ten minutes. I was worried you’d developed an aneurysm or somethin’ and your brain’d gone to mush.”
A small smile lifted the corner of Caleb’s mouth and my first thought was how good it looked on him. What the hell’s my problem? Rubbing the back of my neck I looked away from him before he could catch me staring at his mouth and get the wrong idea, or the right one…damn. “I’m fine. Just ready for this job to be done.”
“No worries.” Caleb clapped his hand on my shoulder and squeezed. “We’ll have it finished up before you know it. I’ve got you.”
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I know he was just talking about the work on the house, but damn if it didn’t feel good to imagine for a moment that I wasn’t alone; that someone else was in this with me. Damn, I miss Ben.
“Hey.” Caleb’s voice was low, and close. So close. I felt his body heat before I opened my eyes. He was standing directly in front of me, his eyes drawn together as he ran them over my face, and he was running his hands softly up and down my arms trying to comfort me. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” My voice cracked betraying me and making my lie obvious.
Caleb shocked me by pulling me in for a quick hug, then he just stepped back and walked outside. I heard his truck start up and pull away, and once I was alone in the quiet of the house I realized my cheeks were wet. I swiped away the tears and cleared my throat. I hadn’t broken down outside of my own home in almost a year. This attraction I am feeling toward Caleb is clearly going to be an issue. “I need a fucking drink.”
***
Walking out of the liquor store I nearly dropped my brown paper bag to the ground when I ran into a guy trying to go in the same door I was walking out of. “Oh, sorry man. I guess I was stuck in my own head.” A hand softly gripped my arm and I finally looked at the guy I’d plowed into. “Oh, Jim. Hey. Sorry about that.”
Jim brought his hand up and cupped my cheek with his hand, and I took a step back. “You look sad,” he said.
“No. I’m just tired. We worked our asses off today. I just need to get home and put my feet up.”
“And have a drink.” Jim pointed to the brown bag clutched in my hand.
I held it up. “Yeah. A good end to a good day of work.”
“I could come over like old times and hang out.” I ran my free hand through my hair. I wasn’t really feeling up to company, then again, I hadn’t had any company at the house since…Ben. “Come on, Aaron. All of us used to hang out all the time. It’s like I lost my brother and my friend. I miss you. Plus, I owe you an apology for the cheapskate crap at work. Let me buy you a pizza to make it up to you.”
He had a point. The three of us used to get together at least once a week and watch movies, or just have a few beers and pizza to burn off the work week. I’d shut him out without even realizing it. No wonder he’s been acting like an ass at work. “I’m a bad friend,” I said. “I’ll grab the pizza. I owe you for putting up with me these past couple years. I’ll see you at the house, okay?”
Jim smiled like I’d just offered him the world. “Great.”
Sometimes I forget he lost Ben too. I need to be a better friend. I will be from now on.
I grab a pizza and head home. Jim’s car is out front, but he’s nowhere to be seen. When I get to the door and go to put my key in the knob I realize it’s already unlocked. I could have sworn I locked it when I left this morning. I can hear the TV on when I walk in and find Jim lounging on the couch with his feet up on my coffee table and a glass of brown liquid in his hand. Apparently he’d already dove into his liquor purchase.
“Was the door unlocked when you got here?” I asked him.
He shook his head while taking a swallow from his glass. He dipped his other hand into his pants pocket and pulled out a set of keys. “I’ve still got my key.”
I set the pizza box down on the coffee table once he finally moves his feet out of the way, and go grab some paper towels off the kitchen counter. I tried to remember when I would have given him a key, but for the life of me I don’t remember ever giving him one. “I wasn’t aware you had a key,” I tell him as I take a seat on the opposite end of the couch.
Jim turned his body toward me. “Remember, Ben gave it to me to keep an eye on things whenever the two of you would go out of town together.”
I stared at him for a minute trying to remember Ben telling me he’d given his brother a key. Nothing came to mind, and where Ben was concerned my memory was usually spot on. A strange feeling creeps up my spine, but I just shake it off and pour myself a shot from my own brown bag purchase. I don’t remember it, but Ben must have given him a key. That’s the only explanation. I grab a slice of pizza and hand it to him, then take a slice for myself and relax back into the couch.
“So, you found a way to get the cabinets changed for the job in a hurry?” Jim says.
Great. I thought we were just going to relax and have a drink. I guess we’re going to hash this out now. Sighing, I sit up and put my half-eaten slice of pizza back down on the box and take a long sip of my whiskey. “Sometimes taking the initiative to talk to the suppliers in person makes all the difference.”
Jim pursed his lips and I heard him make a low, “Mmm,” while he stared back at me.
“Carol didn’t even hesitate to schedule someone to pick up the other merchandise they’d already brought out and replace it with what we needed. She said she had actually been surprised when the order for the cheaper cabinets came in from us. Said she called the office and spoke with you about it to make sure it wasn’t a mistake and you assured her it was not. That we were making some much needed changes in our home models.”
I kept my eyes locked on Jim waiting for him to say something, for him to acknowledge how he’d screwed up and assure me he was back with the program. He watched me while he ate the last bite of his pizza, then he leaned forward and put a hand on my knee. “I’m sorry about all of that, Aaron. I truly thought you’d be happy that I was saving us so much money.”
It felt weird hearing him say us while his hand remained on my knee, but I shrugged it off. We’d been friends since high school. Hell, he had been the one to introduce me to his brother since he was a couple years older than us, and way more popular and outgoing than we were. He was just trying to be my friend again and I was on edge because of the stuff with Caleb.
“I know you were trying to look out for the business, but no more cutting corners okay? People hire us because we build quality homes. There’s plenty of options out there for those who need cheap, but we aren’t gonna be one of them.”
“Understood,” Jim said. He patted my knee twice, then grabbed another slice of pizza and sat back on the couch with his feet propped on the coffee table again.
I shoved his feet off the table with a laugh. “Come on, man! I don’t want your foot fungus on
my food or my table for that matter. I could smell those things as soon as I walked in the house.”
Jim laughed and threw the pillow his elbow had been resting on at me. “I don’t think so. Those are your own sweaty stink bombs fogging up the air.” I caught the pillow and propped it behind my back before I leaned back and put my feet in Jim’s lap. He shoved them off of him and jumped up waving his hand in front of his face like he could push the smell away. “Damn, Aaron. You’re going to need to burn that couch. A smell like that will never come out.”
We spend the rest of the night laughing and giving each other crap the way we used to. This is what I needed: a friend. Not some sexy stranger who’s good with his tools and makes me laugh.
Chapter Six
Caleb
I have to mentally prepare myself for the work day ahead. I sat up half the night worried about seeing Aaron this morning. He basically told me to back off, and before the day was over I was wrapping my arms around him while something made him cry. I’m not exactly sure what caused that reaction from him, but something tells me that despite his marriage, he’s lonely. I run cold water over my face to get my head back on straight. It doesn’t matter why he reacted that way. I need this job and I’m not about to mess that up by screwing around with my married boss.
When I get to the house I’m surprised Aaron isn’t already there, but Jessica and Pete are sitting on the porch drinking their coffee and waiting to get the day started, so we get in and get right to work. It’s a couple hours later when Aaron shows up with dark circles marring his brown eyes. I was in the downstairs bathroom ripping out the floor the old crew put down so I can fix the disastrous job they’d done when he walks in. “Rough night?” I ask.
He huffs, “You could say that. It’s been a while since I tried to take on a bottle of whiskey in one night. Seems my tolerance isn’t quite what it used to be. I slept right through my alarm clock apparently. I didn’t know they cut off after a while if you just let them keep blarin’, but it seems they do. Sorry about being so late and not even calling to give you a heads up.”