by Aurora Rey
By the time she was home and everything was unpacked, she was exhausted. It was the good kind of exhaustion, though. She made a salad and took it outside. She’d have to get some outdoor furniture so she could enjoy the rest of the summer. In the meantime, she found a patch of grass in the shade and sat cross-legged on the ground. She ate her dinner, trying to decide if she should try to put in a vegetable garden first, or a berry patch. She’d probably need a rototiller, along with someone to teach her how to use it.
One thing at a time. Olivia chuckled, certain she’d be telling herself that a lot in the upcoming weeks.
Chapter Six
Olivia woke up in a good mood. Today Joss was coming to start pre-project exploration. Olivia didn’t know what that meant, but she didn’t really care. Her renovation was getting started. She was also going to see Joss, who she’d been thinking about probably more than was healthy.
She put on a casual dress and resisted the urge to fuss with her hair. In the kitchen, she put on a full pot of coffee instead of the half pot she typically made for herself. She indulged in a bit of daydreaming about how the space would look when it was all done. She wondered if it was too soon to go shopping for appliances. The sound of a car in the driveway pulled her back to the present.
Olivia approached the back door, then realized it wasn’t Joss standing on the other side. It was a tall, lanky guy carrying a toolbox. That was strange. She opened the door and offered a smile. “Good morning.”
“Good morning. I’m Ben Bauer, with Bauer and Sons Construction. Are you Olivia?”
“I am. Come in, please.”
Ben stepped inside. “Thanks.”
Olivia closed the door behind him and extended her hand. While he shook it, she studied him, trying to figure out why he looked familiar. “Have we met before?”
“No, but we were supposed to. I was scheduled to do your inspection, but I was sick that morning, so my sister, Joss, did it instead.”
“Right. Ben. I remember now.” Well, that explained why he looked familiar. Although Olivia couldn’t put her finger on it at first, there was definitely a family resemblance. “I’m glad you’re feeling better.”
“Thanks. I hope you don’t feel like we keep doing a bait and switch on you. Joss needed to help wrap up a project today, but we didn’t want to make you wait.”
It did feel like a bait and switch, but only because she’d been so looking forward to seeing Joss again, even if her manner was a little aloof. “It’s fine. I really appreciate you coming.”
“Of course. We really are a family operation, so you’ll likely see both of us quite a bit before it’s all said and done.”
Olivia hoped so. Despite the odd chill that permeated her last meeting with Joss, she wanted to see more of her. As for Ben, he seemed nice enough, and really did look like the taller and skinnier male version of Joss. “That’s good to know. So are you the Bauer, or the and sons?”
Ben laughed. “Technically, Joss and I are the grandchildren. Despite his sincerest wishes, my grandfather only had one child, my dad. He, in turn, had me and two girls. We all work at the company.”
Olivia thought about her family business. Nothing would have thrilled her parents more than if she’d gone to law school and joined the ranks of Bennett and Associates. She shuddered at the thought. “That’s quite a legacy.”
“It’s nice we all ended up deciding that’s what we wanted to do. Anyway, I didn’t come here to give you the family tree of the company.”
Olivia smiled. “It’s fine. I asked and it’s a good story.”
“Thanks.” Ben seemed to get almost shy at the compliment. Olivia found it quite adorable.
“So you’re here to take measurements?”
Ben quickly regained his composure. “Sort of. I’m mostly playing detective. Since your plan involves taking out a couple of walls, I’m here to figure out what’s load bearing and make sure there aren’t any surprises.”
“You can do that?”
“Absolutely. After working on enough houses, you get a feel for what’s where, but you never really know. I drill a few holes, put in my little camera, and poof—no guesswork.”
“That’s really cool.” Olivia thought of all the home improvement shows she watched. People always seemed to go tearing into walls first, then freak out when they discovered the main sewer line in the way.
“Well, it gives you a lot more control. If we find something we weren’t expecting, we can estimate the cost so you can decide if you want to absorb it or change the plans. It’s less dramatic than what you see on TV, but generally better for the home owner.”
The fact that he seemed to be reading her thoughts made Olivia laugh. “I appreciate that.”
Ben flashed a winning smile. “We do want our clients to be happy. You’re welcome to watch, but I’m fine if there is something else you’d like to do. I also have the key you gave Joss. If you need to leave, I’m happy to lock up when I’m done.”
Olivia thought for a moment. She’d considered going to her office for a few hours, but there wasn’t anything that was immediately pressing. If she stayed, she could tackle the wallpaper on the walls that weren’t going anywhere. She’d also know the results of Ben’s poking around. “I don’t want to be in your way. I’ll work on a couple of projects and you can let me know if you find anything of note.”
“Sounds like a plan. I’ll holler if there’s something you should see.”
“Perfect.” Olivia went to her makeshift bedroom to put on appropriate work clothes. When she arrived back in the kitchen, Ben was scribbling something on a notepad.
“So far so good,” he said.
“Music to my ears. Would you like a cup of coffee?”
His eyes lit up. “Really? That would be great.”
Olivia poured two cups. “Cream and sugar?”
“Only if it’s not too much trouble.”
She added both and handed it to him. “No trouble at all. Even in a construction zone, coffee is a must.”
Ben lifted his mug. “I’ll drink to that.”
“I’ll be in the living room fighting with wallpaper if you need me.”
“Thank you. I’ll let you know what I find.”
Olivia took her coffee and headed into the living room. If she had to guess, she’d have dated the decor around 1983. The wallpaper was mauve and gray, with large, faux brush strokes hinting at floral shapes. It reminded her of the very first living room of her childhood. Her mother had redecorated often, always in whatever look was both trendy and expensive.
She took the spray bottle of adhesive remover she’d bought and gave a ten-foot section of wall the once-over. Once it was saturated, she wedged a putty knife under one of the seams. She grabbed a corner and pulled. She pulled and pulled, growing more and more excited as an entire strip came away in one large piece. Excitement quickly turned to dismay when she looked at the wall and realized only the top layer of paper had come off. The wall remained coated in a soggy, sticky mess.
“Fuck.”
“Is everything okay in there?” Ben’s question made Olivia realize she’d spoken out loud.
“Fine, fine.” She clearly wasn’t very convincing, because the next thing she knew Ben was hovering in the doorway.
“Something wrong?”
Olivia sighed. “Only that this is harder and grosser than I’d expected.”
Ben laughed. “I think hard and gross is the definition of wallpaper removal.”
She arched a brow. “Thanks, Mr. Merriam. Or are you Webster?”
“Can I give you a hand?”
“Do I really look that helpless?” She hated the perception that she was some hapless female who couldn’t handle projects on her own.
“Not at all. You look exceedingly capable.” He winked at her.
Ben’s smile seemed genuine. So did the rest of him. And he was nice and chatty—so different from Joss. “Flattery will get you everywhere.”
“Your techni
que is very good. If you wet it down just a little more, you can take your scraper and get most of the goop in one sweep. May I?”
“By all means.” Olivia handed over the spray bottle and putty knife.
Ben spritzed a small area, waited for maybe a count of ten, then scraped the wall. As promised, the residue came off in a gooey blob. Hallelujah.
“Besides getting it really wet, you want to make sure you hold the blade at a forty-five-degree angle.”
“That I can do.”
Ben looked at her. “You’ll still need to give it a good wash, but that should be it. Would you like a hand? I don’t need to be anywhere for another hour or so.”
Olivia thought about Joss. She’d looked so incredulous when Olivia negotiated some of her DIY projects into the contract. At the time, her push had been as much about wanting to get her hands dirty as it had been about saving money. Now, it felt like a matter of principle. “I think I can manage, but I appreciate the offer.”
Ben cocked his head. “Are you sure? It could be our little secret.”
It was as though he’d been reading her mind. Olivia had to laugh. “Okay, but only just a little.”
They devised a system in which Olivia sprayed and Ben scraped. In less than a half hour, they’d done the better part of a wall. Olivia stepped back to admire the progress.
“Not bad, right?” Ben said.
“Not bad at all. Thank you so much for the advice and the help. I really don’t want to keep you.”
“My pleasure, really. I’m sorry now that I have to leave.”
Olivia gave him a sideways look. “Okay, now you’re just being silly.”
“I mean it. Of course, I might be talking about the company more than the work.”
“Well, that seems far more plausible.” Olivia enjoyed the banter. It was exactly the kind of easy, almost flirtatious back-and-forth she wanted with Joss. Why did Joss have to make it so difficult?
“Would you like to have dinner, or maybe drinks, sometime?”
Olivia was so caught up in thinking about Joss that she barely caught the question. It sounded like Ben was asking her on a date, and that couldn’t be right. “Excuse me?”
“I asked if you might join me for dinner or a drink sometime. I don’t normally mix business with pleasure, but since this is really Joss’s project, I don’t think it counts.”
She hadn’t misheard. Well, hell. She could barely get Joss to give her the time of day and here was her brother asking her out on a date. Not that he wasn’t good-looking, and far more charming than his sister had turned out to be, but really. The universe was playing a little joke on her.
“I, uh, I’m flattered, really.” She had a fair amount of practice in deflecting male interest, but Ben had caught her by surprise and she struggled to find the right words.
“Hey, no worries. I just couldn’t resist asking.”
For some reason, she felt the need to explain. She liked Ben and didn’t want there to be any awkwardness between them. She had enough of that with Joss. “It’s just that I…” Why was it hard to spit out the words suddenly? “I’m a lesbian.”
Ben let out a sound that was something between a laugh and a guffaw. Olivia narrowed her eyes at him.
“Sorry, sorry,” he said quickly. “Well, that’s ironic.”
Olivia was used to being read as straight. It irritated her, but if people weren’t asses about it, she took it with a grain of salt. She wasn’t sure why Ben was laughing, or why he found it ironic, for that matter. “I’m sorry?”
Ben scratched his temple. “No, it’s me who should be sorry. It’s just…my sister made some comment about you being more my type than hers. I figured she had something concrete to base it on.”
Realizing her hands were fisted on her hips, Olivia made a point of dropping them to her sides and unclenching. She probably shouldn’t respond, but she couldn’t contain herself. “I can assure you I gave her no such thing.”
Olivia started putting the pieces together. If Joss assumed she was straight, that might explain why she was so standoffish. On one hand, it was a relief. On the other, it was infuriating. It was one thing to be invisible. It was another to be presumed straight and essentially judged for it. By another lesbian.
Olivia liked to think she possessed some fundamental essence of gayness. That, combined with a certain look—or smile—should be enough to create a blip on the gaydar. And she’d given Joss plenty of looks, and smiles.
“Look, I’m sure there was some misunderstanding. I meant no harm, and I can assure you my sister didn’t either.”
Olivia tried to regain her composure. It wasn’t his fault that his sister played into such ridiculous and annoying stereotypes. “It’s fine, really. Clearly, some signals got crossed somewhere along the way.”
“Are you sure? I feel really bad now.” Ben looked so sheepish, Olivia couldn’t hold it against him. Especially since it wasn’t his fault in the first place.
“I’m sure. I’m not bothered that you asked me out, I promise.” He didn’t look relieved. Olivia shook her head. “It’s that Joss assumed I was straight.”
“Oh. I see.”
Olivia wasn’t sure he did, but she didn’t want to belabor the point. Nor did she want to make him any more uncomfortable than he already was. “It’s all good. Don’t you have somewhere to be?”
The look on his face made Olivia think he’d completely forgotten. “Right. I do. I should go. Joss will be here in the morning to do all the prep work for demo.”
Great. “That sounds good. I’ll be here, at least in the morning for a bit.”
“Okay. I’ll see you later in the week, likely. I really am sorry.”
“No need. It’s water under the bridge.”
Whether it was her assurance or the fact that he was leaving, Ben finally looked relieved. “Thanks. Good luck with the rest of your wallpaper.”
“Thanks. I’m going to need it.”
Olivia closed the door behind him as he left. She stood at the window and watched as he pulled out of the driveway and down the street. She shook her head again, then went back to work.
Three hours later, Olivia’s arms ached and she was covered in a combination of sweat and wallpaper residue. The living room was done, however, except for the wall that was coming out. The walls were discolored and a little sad, but they weren’t in terrible shape. She was pleased with the results and quite satisfied with herself, even if she’d had a little help.
After taking a shower, she made herself a late lunch and took it outside. Since the porch was off-limits, she’d set up a plastic patio set in the backyard. It would tide her over until she could put a pair of big, old rocking chairs out front. There was a light breeze and it was, by all accounts, a gorgeous late summer afternoon.
Still, Olivia couldn’t quite seem to relax. Something about the whole interaction with Ben continued to nag at her. It was Joss—her quick assessment and ready dismissal. In principle, it infuriated her. In reality, it felt hugely disappointing. She’d been attracted to Joss, more so than she’d been to anyone since moving to New York. Clearly, the feeling was not mutual.
*
Joss pulled into the parking lot of Bauer and Sons. The sun was shining, John Cougar was pumping from the speakers, and the Sharpstein project was finished a day ahead of schedule. Seeing Ben’s truck in its usual spot was icing on the cake. It meant he’d survived the discovery work and measurements at Olivia’s house. She pulled in next to him and climbed out of her truck. On her way into the office, she mentally corrected herself. It was the Bennett house, no different than any other project.
She walked into the office and found Daphne laughing and Ben shaking his head. She’d either missed a good joke or Ben making an ass of himself. Either way, she wanted to know what it was.
“Dude, you were so wrong.” Ben continued shaking his head while Daphne tried, unsuccessfully, to stop laughing.
“What? What was I wrong about?” Joss wondere
d if maybe she’d estimated the supplies for a project wrong, but it seemed unlikely that would cause such a stir.
“Your little professor, the Southern one you seem to dislike so much.”
Joss felt the muscles in her jaw twitch. “I don’t dislike her. She’s a paying client, which means I like her just fine.”
“She’s also a lesbian.”
“What? What are you talking about?”
Daphne jumped in. “Casanova here decided to put the moves on her and she shut him down.”
Joss felt an involuntary tightening in her chest. “What?”
Ben huffed. “I didn’t put the moves on her. I asked her, very casually, if she might like to have a drink sometime.”
“I thought we agreed not to date clients.” The mental image of Ben getting cozy with Olivia made her queasy.
“You agreed. I only acknowledged it was probably a good idea. Besides, this is primarily your project.”
“But you’re missing the best part,” Daphne said. “She turned him down because she’s a lesbian.”
Joss tried to process everything that was happening. Olivia wasn’t straight. That, in itself, was…something. Joss thought back to the first time she’d seen Olivia, swaying in her kitchen to imaginary music. Joss had been attracted to her—instantly and intensely—but those feelings were quashed when she learned what Olivia did for a living, where she was from. It had never occurred to her that, in spite of those things, or maybe in addition to them, Olivia might be gay.
“And she was pretty annoyed that I’d assumed she was straight because of you.”
Joss pinched the bridge of her nose. “Hold up. Start over, from the beginning, and tell me everything.”
Ben shrugged. “There isn’t that much to tell. I showed up and she was there, wearing this dress that made her look like a fifties housewife, only sexy.”