Never Saw it Coming

by Bernadette Marie

  She huffed out a breath as she walked back to the bar. “Fine. I can get away about eight.”

  “I’ll have it ready.”

  Chandra pushed the printed paper with the email on it toward him. “This is Gabe’s list for the apartment.”

  Mike took it and looked it over. “Seems reasonable. He gave me his number, so I’ll give him a call and talk it over with him.”

  “Do that.”

  “I will.” He smiled. Damn it, he smiled. “I’m going upstairs to replan my route. I’ll be back down in about twenty minutes to fix the faucet on the sink in the kitchen.”

  “Who told you there was something wrong with it?”

  “The guy using it. I have my own little list started.” He winked this time before he walked away and disappeared into the kitchen.

  Mike wasn’t sure why it was so rewarding to get under Chandra’s skin, but it was. Perhaps because she seemed like the kind of woman who wouldn’t let anyone get to her—and yet he did.

  He climbed the steps to his apartment as his cell phone rang. It seemed like the day was getting even better. The moving company would be delivering his container in the morning. Things were almost normal again, he thought.

  It only took him ten minutes to reroute his trip to the Tech Center and another twenty to plan out a menu for dinner. He’d never thought to ask if there was something she wouldn’t, or couldn’t eat. He’d ask when he went back down to fix the faucet.

  Mike changed his clothes and headed down to the kitchen to fix the faucet.

  The kitchen was bustling with everyone getting ready for the lunch rush. He was going to be in the way, but he knew if he got in and out, the rush would go smoother.

  He settled in and got to work.

  There was a multitude of different languages being spoken around him. He’d forgotten how much fun it could be to be mixed in with different people from all over the world. For years he’d been in his office and then downsized to a cubicle. It had been lonely. The people he worked with had big educations, but little personality, and yet here he was chasing that dream all over again.

  Giving the wrench a turn, he thought about what his parents did while he was growing up. The bed and breakfast was always filled with different people. They traveled far and wide to visit the area. What an awesome thing to have when he was growing up. It was sad that he was now late into his forties and just figuring out how amazing it was to have had that.

  His life then wasn’t too different than Chandra’s now, he supposed. People walked in and out every day from somewhere, and she’d greet them on their journey.

  He finished the faucet and checked it before turning it back over to José who moved right back in and began prepping.

  It felt good to be part of something that wasn’t cold like coding. There was satisfaction in seeing José’s face when the faucet worked again, and he could do his job. That wasn’t something Mike had the pleasure of seeing when he developed software. In fact, the few times he’d been on call and received the angry words from an end user, there was no satisfaction in his career at that moment—or lack of career as the case might be.

  Mike gathered his tools and walked them back up to the apartment. He then cleaned up and put back on his suit.

  Chandra was knee-deep in orders when he walked back downstairs to the bar.

  “I’m going to head out. Can I get anything for you on my way back?”

  She shook her head so that the ponytail flipped from side to side. “I’m good. I’m busy.”

  “I see that. Any food allergies?”

  She looked up at him as she mixed a drink with a bottle in each hand. “What?”

  “For dinner tonight.”

  “Oh. That. I forgot. You don’t have to do that.”

  “Already planned out. Just wanted to ask. You let me know if something comes up. Have a nice lunch rush.” He winked as he swung on his coat and headed out to Chandra’s car.

  Chandra watched him walk out the door with that grin plastered on his face. It irritated her, but she knew that was her own irritation at play. She was only mad because, unlike everyone else in her life, when she switched to bitch mode, he hadn’t seemed to be bothered by it.

  Well, she was bothered by it, and that made it worse. The man was just trying to be nice and do the job she’d set him up to do.

  He was off to interview for a job. Once he got it, then he wouldn’t be under foot, and she wouldn’t have to worry about him getting in her way. Yes, that’s how it would be.

  Dinner would be nice since she’d forget to eat if he didn’t feed her. Some conversation that didn’t have to do with running the restaurant would be nice too.

  She turned to pull a beer from the draft, and take a deep breath. The man hadn’t come into her life to try and take it over. He wasn’t there to use Jason as a ploy to get her into bed. He had his own family to worry about.

  Chandra looked up as the door opened and two familiar faces walked in.

  Her mother smiled as she hugged the hostess and then moved toward the bar. The woman with her, Tracy Briggs waved, her zillion bangle bracelets chiming as she did so.

  “Hello, sweetheart.” Her mother leaned in over the bar and hugged her.

  “Mom, what are you guys doing here?”

  Tracy leaned in and hugged her as well. “We thought it was time to meet for lunch. It’s been awhile since we’ve done so.”

  The two women sat down.

  “Can I have a Blue Moon?” her mother asked.

  “You’re going to drink?”

  She narrowed her eyes at Chandra. “It’s lunch time. I’m out with my friend. I don’t have to pick up Jason until three. I promise only to have one. Now, bartender, may I have a Blue Moon?”

  Chandra growled and turned her attention to Tracy.

  “Hot water, honey.”

  Chandra nodded. That meant Tracy had some herbal tea concoction in her purse.

  She poured the water for Tracy and placed the orange atop the glass for her mother’s beer, then served them.

  The two women at the bar were both in their fifties. There wasn’t a speck of color on their faces or in their hair. Her mother’s hair was pulled back. Silver and black strands weaved together to create a braid that traveled toward her waist. Under the leather jacket, she wore, was a Harley Davidson shirt Chandra had given her. It was from Sturgis, and a patron had brought it back for her.

  Tracy, on the other hand, had jewelry on every finger and bracelets nearly all the way up her arm. Her earrings dangled and also chimed as she shook her head.

  Her hair was just as long as Chandra’s mother’s, only it flowed freely with its own natural curl. She had on a flowy, cotton blouse, and a tie-dyed skirt. She was practical though. Unlike some of the women in the restaurant who still wore heels in the snow, Tracy had on a pair of big snow boots.

  The two women had met when Gabe and Holly had their first baby. Tracy, who owned a textile company, was Holly’s boss and surrogate mother—the kind that pampered and didn’t belittle, as Holly’s actual mother tended to do.

  Chandra had always laughed. The biker chick and the hippie had become quick, and dear friends. And why not? They were two of the most down to earth, and lovely ladies anyone could ever meet.

  She felt her bitterness ease as she leaned in to take their orders.

  Chandra filled a few more orders and served a few more drinks before the food was brought out to her mother and Tracy.

  Tracy reached for Chandra’s hand as she refilled her hot water. “Your mom tells me there is a nice gentleman living upstairs now.”

  “Did she?”

  Her mother grinned, and it warmed Chandra’s heart to see her do so.

  “Yeah, he’s a nice guy. He’s out on an interview right now, so hopefully, he’ll be an employed man soon.”

  Tracy’s eyes opened wide. “I thought he worked for Gabe.”

  “He’s helping out. Seems to have gotten stranded here without a job.”<
br />
  “I heard Jason likes him,” she said as she unrolled her silverware from the napkin and placed it on her lap.

  Chandra looked at her mother, who kept her eyes and her smile diverted.

  “Jason likes him just fine. Is there anything else I can get you ladies?”

  Tracy reached out to her again and gave her hand a squeeze. “Have you found me a rich old man yet? I really want a rich old man to take care of me.”

  Now Chandra chuckled. “You’ve been asking that for the past two years. I seem to be falling short in that department.”

  Tracy eased back. “Maybe he doesn’t have to be old. But he has to appreciate the Grateful Dead.”

  That had both Tracy and her mother laughing. Chandra shook her head with a smile and went back to work.

  Chapter Eight

  Mike was no fool when it came to reading a map, but damn if he could find his way around the area they called the Denver Tech Center. He’d merged onto one highway, only to find himself on another, and then the sign read Colorado Springs.

  He cursed as he turned off on another street to find a parking lot where he could recalculate his route.

  With a call to the office where he was headed, he started back around, and a half hour later he found the location he’d been looking for—across the street.

  One thing he’d always been taught was to be plenty early, especially if he didn’t know where he was going. It seemed as though mom’s words of wisdom were the savior for the day. That meant he’d better call her and let her know he was thinking of her.

  He checked his appearance in the mirror and laughed wondering if Chandra ever did that. She didn’t seem like the kind of woman to use the mirror for anything but backing up. Then again, she didn’t need a mirror. She was naturally the most beautiful woman he’d ever met.

  And with that thought, he shook his head. This was no time for daydreaming about the bartender. He had a job to land.

  The campus of offices reminded him of back home where he’d become a number on a time card and a cubicle in a sea of nameless workers.

  It should have felt like home, but it was quite depressing.

  The reception area was filled with job applicants. And here he’d thought he held something special to get an invite. Obviously, they were thinning the heard, and at the moment he looked like the oldest applicant in the room.

  Mike checked in with the receptionist who offered him a drink, which he turned down. No need to spill coffee on the only clean suit he had.

  The younger applicants moved in and out of the office until he was the last one waiting. Perhaps he should have just walked out with them. This had disaster written all over it.

  “Mr. Cavanagh?” The woman behind the desk said, and he raised his head from the copy of the 5280 magazine he’d picked up to read. “They’re ready for you.”

  Mike laid the magazine back on the pile and followed the receptionist into a conference room just down the hall.

  Finally, he thought, men who were his age.

  “Mr. Cavanagh?” The first man stood to shake his hand. He was dressed casually in a pair of khakis and a polo shirt with the company’s name on it. “Peter Roberts, CEO.”

  Mike shook his hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”

  The other’s shook his hand and introduced themselves. He knew he wouldn’t remember names, but it was Peter Roberts that was important. He’d been through this process before.

  The interview began with basic questions about his previous jobs and lead to the story of his being in Colorado looking for a job. The usual education questions and interests, and of course, “Why are you right for the job?”

  Mike pondered the question and gave his very best answer, of course, suddenly, he wasn’t sure he was the right guy for the job. His mind seemed to wander a lot during the interview back to fixing the faucet and the work he had to do in the apartment. It certainly wasn’t the time to be distracted.

  Once the interview was over, Peter Roberts walked him to the door and out the reception area, which Mike hadn’t seen him do with anyone else.

  “It was a real pleasure to meet you, Mike.”

  “Likewise. I look forward to hearing from you,” he said with a firm handshake.

  “Play golf?”

  “Haven’t had the clubs out in a while, but yeah, I’ve knocked a few balls around.”

  Peter laughed. “There’s a great two story shooting range just a few miles from here. Maybe we could shoot a few rounds someday.”

  Mike hoped the smile was still firmly on his face and his mouth hadn’t dropped wide open. “That would be great.”

  Peter gave him a nod and went back to the conference room, no doubt to weed him out with the other applicants.

  Mike drove back toward town, exactly how Siri told him to. And once again, he ended up in a residential area that was on the outskirts of downtown. How was it that he couldn’t find the center of this city?

  As he maneuvered his way down one-way streets that crossed diagonally with others, he slowed down and took in the sights. There were some magnificent houses mixed in with the modern architecture. One specifically caught his eye, and he pulled over to take a look.

  It was a Queen Anne style house with window crowns and undecorated masonry. The yard was overgrown, and one of the windows was broken. But it reminded him of the bed and breakfast his parents had owned when he was growing up.

  Mike found a parking space a few blocks away and walked back to the house. It didn’t look occupied, but there was no sign on it.

  Carefully, hoping that there wasn’t some deranged homeowner with a gun inside, he walked up to the house and looked in the window.

  It certainly had been abandoned. The inside hadn’t been taken care of, which was a shame because the plaster molding and the woodwork had been exquisite at one time.

  All this house needed to be was loved and it would be the most beautiful house on the block. People would come to stay here, he thought. They’d eat breakfast on the small patio above the front porch, which must have been accessed from a bedroom.

  He looked at the trees. They could be shaped and groomed to block out the other neighbors, but leave a peaceful view of the city skyline.

  His blood was pumping now, and he laughed at himself. Fixing up an old house wasn’t in his plans. Neither was dreaming up his parents’ old bed and breakfast. But he couldn’t help but think of how fun it might be.

  He took out his phone and took a picture of it before he walked back to Chandra’s car only to find Jason looking inside of it.

  “Hey, Jason,” he called out, and the boy’s eyes widened as if he might run. But he looked at him and eased back.

  “This is my mom’s car.”

  “She let me borrow it for a job interview. I saw an old house I wanted to look at, so I stopped.” Mike looked around. “What are you doing here?”

  “Just got off the bus. We only live about six blocks from here.”

  And that gave him a little more insight into Chandra, knowing where she lived.

  Mike noticed a few kids on the other side of the street watching them. “Those your friends?”

  Jason shrugged. “Not really. I usually try to walk on this side of the street and let them have the other.”

  That hurt him to the core to think that someone might cause his new friend pain.

  “I could walk you home if you’d like. As long as I don’t get lost walking back.”

  Jason laughed. “I suppose that would be okay.”

  And so they began to walk the neighborhood toward Chandra’s house. “You ready for that game this Saturday?”

  “Sure,” Jason shrugged. “I mean we’ve never won against this team, but I’m ready.”

  “My son is a good soccer player. Played for years growing up. Was a goalie his first two years, but he wanted to be the guy who scored.”

  “I wanna be that guy too,” Jason said with his voice soft.

  As they turned the corner, Jas
on walked up the walk toward a house.

  Mike was familiar with this architecture too. A basic foursquare house, he assumed it had been built at the turn of the last century.

  “Thanks for walking me home,” Jason said as he climbed the three steps to the front porch.

  “My pleasure. If anyone ever gives you trouble, I could walk you home anytime. You let me know.”

  He laughed and opened the screen door, disappearing inside.

  Mike tucked his hands into his pockets and started back to the car when he heard his name called from behind him.

  He turned to see Esther in the doorway. “What are you doing here?” she asked.

  “I went on a job interview. Jason saw Chandra’s car since she lent it to me,” he made sure Esther knew that. “He was walking home, and I offered to walk with him. I’m heading back to the restaurant now. After I make a trip to the store,” he said suddenly remembering he was making dinner for Chandra.

  “I have that plant I told you about. Would you like it?”

  He wasn’t sure this was the right time to go into their house and accept gifts, but then too, it would be rude not to.

  With a smile, he walked up the front steps and into Chandra’s house.

  The inside of the house was simple. There was nothing for show in her home. Everything was practical.

  Jason had discarded his backpack and his shoes just beyond the door and disappeared.

  “The plant is in the kitchen. I just made some cookies. Would you like one?”

  Mike breathed in the air, and that took him back. The scent of warm cookies. “I would love that.”

  His mother made fresh cookies every day for those staying with them, and that was the scent he came home to every day. His mother made sure that there were two cookies and a glass of milk waiting for him on the counter when he got off the bus.

  He flashed a smile at Esther who was busy excusing the state of the house, though Mike saw nothing out of place.

  Esther told him to have a seat at the table, and she hurried about the kitchen collecting a plate for the cookies and a glass of milk.

  His heart might have exploded right then when she set them on the table and then joined him, just as his mother would every afternoon.