“Oh good morning, Mrs. Miller,” Tom said. “I see you’re back again. What can we help you with today?”
The woman looked back at the house and smiled. “Morning, Tom, I just came by to see what’s new. This is the first chance I’ve had to stop by in a couple weeks. Is it okay if I take a little peek?”
“Oh sure… no problem. I was wondering when you’d be stopping by again. Mr. Miller’s not with you this time?”
“Oh he’s already at work. I just thought I’d stop by before I headed into the office.” She opened the door and stepped out of the car.
“Wow, you’re coming right along,” Tom smiled, as he looked down at her round belly. “Not much longer now is it?”
Alex couldn’t move. All he could think about was Clair. That could be her! That’s what Clair would look like, glowing and happy. The woman looked similar enough to Clair that he didn’t have a problem imagining her pregnant—with his child. He hadn’t thought about having a family with someone since Mia, and he didn’t think he ever would again. But Clair brought new feelings out in him. Alex knew he wanted a family and hadn’t thought about it until now. He could very easily have that family with Clair. Does she even want kids? he thought. Suddenly seeing her in that moment, he wanted nothing more than to be with Clair, to touch her, hold her, and kiss her.
Mrs. Miller patted her belly, “Nope three more months to go. We were hoping we’d be able to move in soon, because you know, moving sucks when you’re nine months pregnant. But it’s better than trying to do it with a newborn.”
Tom laughed, “I can imagine it is.”
Half listening, half stuck in thought, Alex heard his name but it didn’t register until Tom shouted, “Hey Alex! Are you coming?”
Alex walked in behind them and watched Mrs. Miller survey the rooms. He couldn’t take his eyes off her. From behind, she looked just like Clair. Her hair hung just at the right length down her back and she stood at nearly the same height.
She turned toward Alex. “So how much longer do you think it will take before everything’s finished?”
Alex glanced at Tom for an answer. By the looks of the house, he didn’t think it would be that long, but he didn’t know what their time frames were and he wasn’t about to offer up an answer.
Tom looked back over his notes on his clipboard. “We’re just finishing up a couple of things, but for the most part, it’s almost ready to go. I’d say by the end of next week we’ll be ready for the landscapers. And according to how fast the closing goes on your house, you could be moving in within a few weeks.”
“Oh! That’s great news!” she shrieked. “Can I go up to the bedrooms real quick? Then I’ll let you get back to work.”
“Sure, let me help you up the steps,” Tom said as he held his hand out to her. She took it and carefully walked up the steps.
Alex followed her up the staircase and watched as she walked into each room, giving it the once over before going to the next. When she went into the last room, she turned slowly, taking in the whole room before going to the window and looking out. Tom glanced at Alex and shrugged his shoulders. She had been through the entire house so fast up until she got to this room and now she stood silent, staring out the window.
Alex spoke up, “So, what do you think of this room?”
When she turned to look at him, his stomach dropped. Tears fell from her face and for a split second, he was seeing the image of Clair on the night he left for the business trip.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” she said, as she wiped her eyes. “Look at me, I’m a mess. It’s just… this is it. This will be our little girl’s room. It’s perfect. We’ve waited so long for this and it’s finally here.” She paused as her eyes roamed around the room. “It’s going to be so fun to decorate!”
Alex had to find a way to get her out or he was going to drop everything and go back home. He didn’t know if he’d be able to stand one more week without seeing Clair. He cleared his throat, “I imagine planning everything for your little one can be fun. We should be able to work on quite a bit today as soon as the guys can get started.” Alex looked at his watch as if to signal he was ready to begin anytime now.
“Oh right, absolutely. I better let your men get back to work. Thank you two for letting me look around. I can’t wait for my husband to see.” She giggled, “I’m not sure who’s more excited about the baby… me or him.”
Running his fingers through his hair, Alex was glad this woman was happy, but all her cheerfulness had started to aggravate him. Damn it! This woman is killing me, he thought, as he started walking toward the door to encourage her to join him.
“You’ll be moving in before you know it,” he said. “If you’re ready, we’ll walk you out.”
Mrs. Miller took the hint and left. Though she was a very sweet woman, Alex was glad to see her go. He already felt like he’d go crazy before he could see Clair again and that woman wasn’t helping. She was a constant reminder of what he was missing at home and what the possibilities of the future could look like. Alex usually waited to talk to Clair before bed, but he needed to tell her he missed her, so he pulled out his phone and texted her.
It had been a long, drawn-out day. After Mrs. Miller left, Alex talked with each one of the employees at the site and was pleasantly surprised to discover that they all seemed very skilled and grateful for their jobs. He had no doubt some had been laying it on a little thick, trying to kiss his ass, but he knew that came with every company. Alex was sure they had a few workers like that back home, too. If Stu decided to buy the company, he had no problem weeding out the bad apples from the bunch, if he had to. It was all part of the job and there was no room for errors when working in construction. After lunch, Tom walked him through the neighborhood blueprints, sales contracts for individual homes already under contract, and every floor plan they used. He was efficient and detailed and they spent the remainder of the day going over everything.
Finally calling it a day, Alex headed back to the condo to meet Stu for dinner and tell him what he thought about the jobsite. All he really wanted to do was take a shower, lie across his bed and talk to Clair, but that wasn’t an option. When Alex walked in the house, Stu was sitting at the table, papers spread everywhere.
“Hey. How did it go today?” Stu asked.
“The usual. The site was great, actually better than the other four.” Alex walked toward his bedroom. “I’m going to take a shower. I’ll fill you in later.”
After his shower, Alex checked his phone. There was still no message from Clair and he wondered what she was doing. He sulked back into the kitchen where Stu was sitting and sat down across from him. It took him a while to go through everything he learned from Tom and what he thought about all of it. He couldn’t resist picking up his phone every so often to see if he’d gotten a message from Clair… but nothing. He felt disappointed, but knew she was probably sleeping or working the night shift, and eventually she would text him back.
Stu drummed his fingers on the table until Alex looked at him.
“Are you even paying attention to me?” Stu asked.
“No, not really. Sorry.”
“What’s your problem today?” He picked up the pile of papers in front him and waved them in front of Alex’s face.
“I get it,” Alex said, throwing his hands up, “we still have a whole week to be here. Does everything have to be done right this second?” Alex ran his fingers through his hair and blew out a big puff of air. “You’re right, I know it’s important. I’m sorry; I’m just ready to go home. I miss… I just need some sleep. Can we go over all this in the morning?” He got up and started to walk toward his room.
“It’s the girl, isn’t it?” Stu said as he leaned back in his chair with a grin.
Alex spun around and glared at him. “She has a name.”
Stu held his hands out as if surrendering, “I know, I know. Sorry, calm down. You don’t have to get so defensive about it.”
“What makes you t
hink it has anything to do with Clair anyway?” He said, crossing his arms over his chest as he leaned against the counter.
Stu’s smile faded, “Seriously? You check your phone every five minutes. From what I remember, you hated your phone. You only got it because I made you get one for work. And unless you’re talking to yourself at night, I assume you’re talking to her.”
Damn! Am I that transparent? He went back to the table and slumped down in the chair, propping his elbows on the table to hold his head up. “I was doing okay. I mean, I was starting to miss her, the longer I’ve been here, but I was handling it just fine. Then today, that woman showed up at the jobsite and ruined everything.”
Stu tilted his head, “Woman? What woman?”
“Mrs. Miller. Apparently, she goes out there a lot to check on her house. She looked just like Clair, minus the green eyes and pregnant belly. It was almost like Clair was right there and I was looking at the future.”
“Oh boy… you got it bad,” Stu said, leaning forward and gripping his shoulder. “Are you really thinking about a future with her? I knew you cared a lot for her, but are you two that serious?”
“Yeah, I think so… maybe… oh I don’t know. I can’t picture being without her. We’ve got this connection that I’ve never felt with anyone else before. I feel like its wrong though; like I shouldn’t feel this way so soon since we haven’t known each other that long.” Alex shook his head, “Just forget I said anything. I sound like some crazy, obsessed boyfriend.”
“No Alex. You sound like you’re in love.” Stu looked at his watch. “I’ll tell you what. You answer a few more questions about the jobsite and… as long as you’re back by Sunday night, I’ll let you go see Clair. But it’s up to you if you want to make the six-hour trip just to stay one night.”
Alex sat straight up, “What? Are you serious?”
“Sure! Who am I to stand in the way of true love? If you think it’s worth it, go.”
“Hell yeah, she is! Thanks a lot, Stu.”
Alex told Stu all about the Raven Wood job site, letting him know the pros and cons. He gave him run-downs on all the employees and told him that Tom was definitely a good asset and they needed to keep him around. After Stu was satisfied with his report, Alex packed a small bag and planned to get a couple hours of sleep. He would be leaving early enough that he’d make it to Virginia by lunchtime. Alex wanted to call Clair and let her know, but thought it would be a great surprise for her to see him pop up when she least expected him. He’d leave around lunch on Sunday and arrive back in Pittsburgh for dinner.
His phone vibrated in his pocket and he instantly smiled, knowing it would be Clair. He opened it and read the text message.
I hope you’re not mad at me. I worked a double today. I’m going to bed since I’m so exhausted. I wish you could snuggle with me.
Alex texted back: Of course I’m not mad. I wish I could snuggle with you too. But I’ll see you soon. Not much longer now. Get some rest.
I miss you…7 days and counting… Goodnight, Clair messaged back.
Alex smiled, No, one day and counting, he thought because by this time tomorrow, she would be in his arms again.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Clair
Clair felt exhausted. It seemed impossible to even roll herself out of bed for work the next morning. Going to sleep before the sun went down the night before seemed to have done nothing to help restore the hours of sleep she’d lost working double shifts at the diner. When she stood up from her bed, she could still feel the ache in her feet and legs from all the standing and walking she’d been doing. Clair dropped back down across the bed and stretched her limbs, pulling at her muscles, trying to get them ready for another long day. She heard her stomach growl and felt the hunger of a skipped meal, something she’d accepted as normal only weeks ago. Now it was the busy days that kept her stomach empty, not a lack of money. There was no doubt about it; her life was so much better now. Sometimes complaining over tired body parts and long work hours made Clair feel guilty, since she had so much to be thankful for.
After eating a few crackers to fill her stomach, Clair showered and dressed quickly before driving to work in the used car Roz had given her. Earlier in the week, Clair rode with Roz to a dealership to pick out a bigger automobile. After a couple of hours, looking and test-driving, Roz settled on an SUV. The dealership tried to get her to trade her old car in, but she told them they were crazy. Her old car was already paid for and still under warranty. Roz demanded Clair take the old one, insisting it would sit in the garage otherwise.
Clair was terrified to drive because it had been years since she’d gotten behind the wheel of a car. Having her license when she was sixteen didn’t seem to do her much good when her mother wouldn’t buy her a car or let Clair drive hers. But forgetting her birthday seem to put enough guilt in her mother to let her use her car whenever she was out with one of her shady barfly boyfriends. The nice-mom attitude didn’t last long though; and Clair’s mom was back to her narcissistic self again, refusing to let her use her car for anything. Clair resorted to borrowing it whenever her mother was out on a date. Once she left home, she depended on other people for rides.
Roz took her to an empty parking lot and let her drive around until she felt comfortable again. She still felt rusty but was thankful she’d only be driving to the diner and back every day. Now that she had a car, Clair wouldn’t have to feel guilty about asking Roz for a ride to work anymore.
Clair sat in the diner’s back room and attempted to eat lunch. They had been busy and she had to run out in between bites to serve as cashier. She tried to stay in the back as much as possible because she had a feeling Gavin would be in soon and she didn’t feel like putting up with his flirty comments after having to deal with him every day this week. Somehow, he seemed to know exactly when she was working and every day he’d ask her the same question— Would you go on a date with me? And every day she’d give him the same answer—No. She was so sick and tired of him running his mouth. No matter how many times she told him she wasn’t interested, he still harassed her. Clair was tired and achy and definitely not in the mood for his questions today.
Since she didn’t eat dinner the night before and only ate a few crackers before coming into work, she was starved. But after eating a few bites of her burger and fries, something wasn’t sitting right on her stomach. When Theresa walked by with a plate of food, Clair stopped her.
“Hey Theresa, did the grease get changed on the fries today? They don’t taste right.”
Theresa shrugged her shoulders, “No it’s the same. I just had some and they taste like they always do.”
After a few more bites of her burger, she pushed her plate aside. As fast as her appetite had come, it was gone again. She looked at her watch, thankful to only have an hour before she could go home, rest her feet and sleep. She didn’t care if it was still only lunchtime. Clair knew once she got home and sat still for longer than five minutes, she was going to fall fast asleep.
When Theresa walked back through the kitchen, she was carrying a stack of plates. “Is it busy out there?” Clair asked.
“No, not at the moment. Just one guy at table two, and someone just walked in but I told him I’d be with him in a second. Not sure how many were in the group, I had my hands full.” Theresa set the plates on the counter next to the sink and leaned against it with a sigh. Her exhaustion was visible as her shoulders slumped and she rubbed her temples with her fingers.
Clair stood, “Why don’t you take a break? I’ll be leaving soon anyway and you haven’t slowed down since you came in this morning.”
Theresa wiped the hair from her face, “Thanks. Let me know if you get busy though.”
Clair agreed and washed her hands before stepping out into the dining room. She stopped when she saw him sitting in the far corner booth by the window. Crap! Can’t I just have one freaking day without seeing his face? she thought when she saw him smiling.
Clair walke
d up to Gavin’s table, notepad and pen ready, hoping to get his order so she could move away from his table as soon as possible. “What can I get you?” She didn’t bother saying hi to him because that only evoked pointless conversation that she had no interest in.
“Oh c’mon, Clair. Is this how it’s going to be every time I come in here? You know, you had such a pretty smile before Alex left; it’s such a pity,” Gavin said as he drummed his fingers on the table in front of him.
“How do you know he left? What business is it of yours anyway?”
Gavin ran his hand across Clair’s arm in a comforting motion. “Oh sweetie, it doesn’t have to be my business, but I like to keep my eyes on the competition. Come sit with me. You’ve been moping around here for days now. Tell me what he did and how I can make you feel better.” Gavin scooted over and patted the bench beside him.
“Don’t touch me!” she snapped, pulling her hand away. Resting her hand on her hip, furious at how bold he was being towards her, Clair said, “I don’t know what you’re talking about. My issues with Alex, if there ever were any, are none of your business. But, for your information, he hasn’t done anything to me.” She placed the tip of her pen on the notepad, “Now are you going to eat here or not? I’d prefer you didn’t, if you want my opinion.”
“Well, now that depends. Is your shift about to end?” he asked with a wink.
Clair glanced at the clock on the wall and gritted her teeth, “Not soon enough.”
Gavin’s face lit up and he clapped his hands together. “Oh goodie, well since you’re going to be here, I’ll have a burger all the way, fries, and a Coke.”
Clair scribbled his order on the notepad before she turned and walked away. She could feel his eyes watching her and it made her shudder. Please let me make it through this last hour. She opened the door to the kitchen and gave his order to the cook before filling a cup with Coke. When she carried his drink to the table, she thought about accidentally spilling it in his lap. But as bad as she hated Gavin, Clair knew she still had a job to perform.
Taking Chances Page 17