Romantic Renovations

by Blake Allwood

  “I’m glad you think that, ‘cause here’s my idea. The show before I arrived was about petty behavior and bullying Bennett and the workers. Frank, Bennett’s co-star was inconsistent and downright mean.” I intentionally didn’t make eye contact with Bennett because I knew what I was saying, although true, was a bitter pill to swallow. I continued, “So my thoughts were if we are going to be a show about transformations, we need to demonstrate what it’s like in real life for a good functional team of workers to blow off steam. I want to have a place for the workers to come laugh and tease one another. Not in the studio way either, the real-life hanging thing. Emmitt, the crew chief, secured the place for us after the owners said they’d even give us contractual rights to the place in the evenings, which is perfect. We can reserve the right to refuse other patrons if it starts getting busy but as you can see, the place isn’t very busy. I’m good with the regulars being here too. As long as they sign a waiver, it’d be good to make it feel as natural as possible.”

  “So,” Bennett surprised me by speaking. “you want this to be a way to show the opposite of Frank’s style of management. That being a team requires we actually like and respect each other?”

  I turned toward him, unsure what his expression would be and was surprised to see a grin on his face. “Yeah, that’s my thought.”

  “That’s perfect. Not only are you showing the world what it looks like when you, my partner, respects me but also what it looks like when each of the workers respect each other. I like it.”

  Mom chimed in then as well, “Yeah, we need this kind of demonstration in America more now than ever. And as your dad always says, a crew who like and respect each other will be much more dedicated to the job than a bunch of toxic monkeys all trying to one-up the other.”

  Dad pulled Mom into a hug and said, “I never called the monkeys toxic.”

  “Well, I added that part,” Mom said. “you know, woman’s prerogative and all.”

  “Prerogative my ass,” he said, kissing her. “you’re still stealing my line, old lady.”

  She punched him in the gut like she did when he was asking for trouble and said, “Speak for yourself, old man.”

  The two of them ended up kissing like they tended to when they were happy about something. Of course, I did the typical kid thing and told them to get a room.

  We all drank our pints as we talked about the potential for using the space for the show. We stayed half an hour and the space remained slow. I wondered how the owner stayed in business.

  When we got to the duplex, all four guys were waiting for us. Early, I thought to myself, again we are making progress.

  I introduced them to Mom and told them she’d be giving them directions tomorrow morning on what she wanted done. I was about to give them the “Do what she says or else” talk when Mom put her hand on my arm and said, “I’m tough to work for, boys. I don’t have much patience for tardiness or idle work. If you’re gonna work for me, you’ll be on top of your game. I expect you here at 6:30 sharp. I realize that’s earlier than you are used to, but I’ll be letting you go earlier as well. I work better in the mornings myself and you work for me, so you’ll be working mornings too. Anyone who has a problem with that, you’ll need to speak up now ‘cause if you’re late, I’ll fire you on the spot.”

  I chuckled inwardly as I knew this was almost the same speech I’d given when I stood up that first day of the job a few weeks ago. All four men nodded, and I knew they were gonna be fine. If they made it through the duplex renovation with her, they’d be ready for working on our bigger projects.

  When we were getting ready to leave, the old lady that lived in the other half of the duplex came out to speak with Bennett. She patted him on the arm like she was his grandmother and I smiled at how sweetly Bennett responded to her. I walked over to her to introduce myself when I heard Bennett ask if she needed help moving her things.

  “No son, I’ve got a company coming to empty my stuff. They are going to have an estate sale with the things I’m not keeping. They have a warehouse where those are held. I’ve already had the stuff I’m keeping moved to the retirement home. They’ll be here tomorrow and the next day to pack and move my apartment.”

  Bennett hugged the older woman and promised to come visit her when she was settled.

  She gushed at his attention. “Your grandpa would be so proud of how well you’ve turned out,” she said. “you and he have the same big heart you know.”

  Bennett’s face paled but he smiled at the lady, nonetheless.

  When she went back into the house, Bennett pulled me back to my parents and asked, “How much would you charge me to oversee the rehab of the other unit as well? Seems like my tenant is moving out three months early and if we could get the entire place fixed up, it would really go a long way in helping me avoid having another vacant property to deal with.”

  My father thought about it for a moment. “Why don’t you move in next door?” he asked. “That way you’ll be close to family and having you close would help to minimize the chaos of planning since we often do that on our own time.”

  Bennett thought about it for a moment. “I’m not sure. Don’t you think it might be too much to have me living next door when we’re all working so closely?” he asked.

  Both my parents laughed. “Of course, it’ll be too much but it’s always too much when you’re working with family,” my mom said. “but as long as you remember to be respectful, we’ll work out any problems that come up.”

  Bennett sighed. “I guess…”

  “Besides, the two of you are probably already going at it,” my dad said tongue in cheek. “it isn’t like my son won’t be wanting to be with you anyway.”

  Both Bennett and I gaped at my father wide eyed. “Going at it,” I said almost squeaking. “Dad, we aren’t going at it.”

  “Well...” Bennett said looking at me, and I slapped my head. My dad had been fishing and damn if he didn’t find what he was fishing for.

  “Well, what?” he asked.

  Bennett squinted his eyes at my pops and said, “You were trying to get a rise out of me, weren’t you?”

  Pops chuckled and said, “It worked too and now we know you two are an item.”

  “It shows, you know,” my mom chimed in. “thank goodness you’re both so damned cute ‘cause it works for you too.”

  Bennett’s face matched my shade of crimson. When I glanced over at him, I shrugged. “I did warn you.” I said and he chuckled.

  “You did,” Bennett replied. “but they still caught me off guard.” He turned to my parents and said, “Since I’ve let the cat out of bag, you should know your son has been the perfect gentleman. We’ve gone on several dates and we are learning we like each other, but we’re letting nature take its course so I would consider it a personal favor if you’d allow that process to continue naturally as well. You know as well as I that we have a whole lot at stake here. It’s important that Les and I don’t get in over our heads, then end up hating each other when we both have so much to lose.”

  My mom nodded and said, “You’re being smart about it and we promise,” she eyed my pops until he nodded his consent, “to keep our meddling to a minimum. I promise nothing for your siblings though.” she said turning at me. “They’ll smell blood in the water the moment they meet Bennett, so you know they’ll be more than a little pushy when they get here.”

  “No doubt.” I said under my breath.

  We talked about the plan for when my siblings would be coming out and both Pops and Mom looked at each other strangely.

  “What’s going on?” I asked.

  Pops fidgeted which was unusual for him. “We accepted an offer on the business. It’s closing next week. Your siblings are under contract to stay and help get their different departments settled before leaving.”

  I turned to look at my parents. “You’re selling the business in Boston?” I asked, genuinely concerned. “Why didn’t you say something?”

 
“Because we knew you’d be upset and would try to talk us out of it.”

  “Well, duh,” I said. “no offense to Bennett, but we have no idea if this is going to work or not. How are you two going to make it if it doesn’t? Hell, what about Dinah, Allen, and Danny? They have families to support!”

  Mom reached up and patted my shoulder. “It’s all taken care of honey. We’re being bought out by our competitor. We’re both old enough that we want to start thinking about retirement. The offer is good, almost double what it’s probably worth. It was an opportunity we couldn’t pass up.”

  “That’s why you were so eager to accept my invitation to come here,” I said, bewildered at how this had turned.

  My dad said, “It all feels like providence. It’s a fresh start in an intensely good market. Even if Bennett doesn’t want to continue working with us, once we’re done with the reno of the big house, your siblings will have a good reputation in the market. We’ll be able to retire, and they’ll all be able to get a job or start their own companies, whatever they want to do.”

  “Do they want to live in Seattle?” I asked, unable to imagine my family no longer living in Boston.

  “I think they are like us and are ready for a change. You’ve been gone the past couple years, son. The competition in Boston has become fierce. Even with our generations-old company, we’ve been losing sales. It’s bitten into our bottom line and made things stressful. I think, like us, your siblings are just ready for what’s next.”

  I sighed, then glanced over at Bennett and noticed how uncomfortable he looked. “Sorry Bennett, we’re airing our family laundry on you.”

  Bennett shrugged and said, “It’s all good. I just hope I don’t disappoint you all with my lack of experience.”

  My dad burst out laughing, “Son, you’re the property owner. It’s our job to impress you, not the other way around.”

  My mom added, “And you may be inexperienced, but as you just demonstrated with the duplex, you have a natural eye for things. It won’t be long before you’re a professional yourself, especially under my tutelage.” she said proudly.

  “Ever the humble servant,” I said.

  Mom fixed me with a stare. “I taught you hoodlums, didn’t I?” She wasn’t joking.

  “I guess that’s true,” I admitted. “We were a tough bunch to teach.”

  “That’s for damned sure, and don’t you forget it.”

  The atmosphere had shifted as we ribbed each other, and I could tell even Bennett had begun to lighten up. That was my family’s way: put the tough stuff out there and then bring it back so we were all on the same page. Mom was an expert at it, but Dad was as well. Despite that, coming to terms with my parents selling the business after all these years of thinking I’d one day go back and join them was tough to swallow.

  Bennett

  True, I felt awkward most of the day. It started off with the bizarre sale with the broker, then it got stranger when the Coopers arrived. I guess anyone besides me would’ve felt overwhelmed with the business being taken over by Les’ strong-willed family. Mostly though, I was so happy to have stability in my life and I’d done a hell of a lot of research on the Coopers before I formally agreed to work with them. I know I came across as a pushover, but I always did my research and tried never to go into something without at least some knowledge of the people I would be working with. Not that my relationship with Frank would indicate that.

  I was shocked that Les’s parents had figured out we were seeing each other and even more so when they agreed to let it progress naturally. I really hoped they’d stick to their word there. Les and I were still very early in this trial of a relationship, and I wasn’t ready for nosy family members to stick their noses in it..

  When the Coopers told Les they were selling their century old business, I felt beyond awkward. I didn’t know what to do or how to act. Les had admitted to me when we’d first met that he was planning to return to the family business before he was forced onto this show. I couldn’t imagine what he was feeling right now.

  I’d read articles about the Coopers, the family who started Cooper Contracting Company in 1910. They had only gotten stronger over the years. The thought of them leaving Boston made me feel nostalgic, so Les must be overwhelmed with the news.

  As Les and his parents drove toward the worksite so I could pick up my car, I slipped my hand into Les’. I just needed to be close to him and show him that I was there for him. He wrapped his fingers over mine but didn’t look over. It was good though, like I was able to give him comfort as his parents filled Les in on the latest gossip about his nieces and nephews.

  I got a call from Mom as we were driving and ignored it, deciding I’d take it when I didn’t have an audience. When they dropped me at my car, I waved them off, regretting I wasn’t able to get a hug from Les before he left. Once I was in my car, I called my mom back.

  She was hysterical. “What have you done?” she yelled at me.

  “Mom, what the hell are you talking about?” I asked. My mom was prone to dramatic outbursts but she was seldom hysterical. My heartbeat kicked up a notch because of her behavior.

  She told me she’d just gotten off the phone with my dad. He was livid because he’d been caught sending me his threatening letter. Relief settled over me, this was just because I got dad in trouble, that I could deal with.

  “That’s right Mom, he can’t keep threatening me! He isn’t supposed to have any contact with me.”

  “You’re a fucking idiot!” she snarled, immediately causing me to hang up on her.

  She called me back several times before I finally answered again.

  “If you wanna to talk to me? You’re going to have to stop calling me names.” I said. I’d had enough of that, especially from her. Working with Les, even in a few short weeks, had shown me I deserved basic respect just like everyone else and it was about time my mom started learning that too.

  She cleared her throat. “Benny, he wasn’t threatening you, honey. He was trying to warn you.”

  “Bullshit, Mom! He wrote that he was going to kill me and described how he was going to do it, and unless your memory is so short you can’t remember, he has already tried to do that before.”

  She was quiet for a moment. “He told you that was an accident.”

  “Mom, I’m done. I’ll talk to you later.”

  “No, no, wait!” That sudden desperation in her voice made me pause. “You really are in danger, Bennett. There are people searching for you and they are going to kill you if or when they find you.”

  I was struck dumb by this. I’d worried about this already, but she’d never admitted that to me before.

  “Mom my will is made, and all the properties are going into a trust with a national non-profit. If I’m killed, neither you nor dad will get much. You understand that, don’t you? I just couldn’t risk it. I knew he’d try and have me killed.”

  She groaned a bit but didn’t argue with me. “This isn’t about me or your father, it’s bigger than us. It’s bigger than your properties! I told you not to get the cops involved but you didn’t listen! Now we’re in a major fucking mess.” she shrieked.

  “Mom, are you in trouble?” I asked. My heart was beginning to pound again, as much as I had issues with my mom, I didn’t want to see her get hurt.

  “Sort of, yeah, but it’s you they’re after. Listen, I have to go, but you need to get out of that apartment. You need to disappear for a while. Things are going to get ugly here soon and you need to be away from it. Do you hear me?”

  “Yeah, I hear you, Mom.” I said. “Hey, before you go, are they in my apartment now, or can I go get my stuff packed?”

  “Don’t go back to the apartment, Bennett. Not for any reason, do you hear me?”

  “Yeah, I hear you.”

  I hung up and slammed my hands on my car’s wheel.

  I went back toward Lake Washington, and for the second time in a couple months I stopped at Target to pick up an air mattres
s along with some clothes I could use for work. Jeans and a white shirt. If this kept up, I was going to need to buy stock in Target’s clothing brand.

  It wasn’t like I had much in the apartment. All our valuables were stored in a lock box at the local bank. Since moving there, we’d been broken into multiple times so we knew anything of value would eventually be taken unless we secured it elsewhere.

  I had nothing nostalgic left from my childhood; all that had been disposed of when we lost our home and my grandpa refused to help. My stuff in the apartment was basically crap like thrift store clothes, which I liked, but were easily replaced. I guess when I lived on the streets, I learned that possessions were something that came and went.

  After an hour and a half going through the aisles of Target and getting an air mattress and a bed in a bag that included sheets and a comforter, I bought a couple of pillows and some other things I considered necessities to achieve the comfort I was now used to. It wasn’t long ago that I’d have been happy with a ratty mattress and a coat to bundle up with. I’d definitely gone soft since then.

  I was happy the money from the sale of my properties had come through that morning. I’d been running on empty after having paid out another set of payments to the IRS on the inheritance.

  Just last week, my grandpa’s attorney found another set of properties in an LLC which a different attorney had set up. Not to kick a gift horse in the mouth, but I’d spent the last of the cash I’d inherited to pay off the taxes on them.

  The money from these houses was designated for the reno of my grandpa’s home. Despite some more now being put aside for the duplex as well, I still had a few thousand I could use to live on. Of course, the $350 from this Target trip was putting a significant dent in that.

  I threw my new purchases into the back of my sedan and drove over to my grandpa’s. I was secretly happy I hadn’t hired anyone to clear out the brush around the property. As it was, it still appeared vacant and right now, I wanted whomever my mom said was after me to think it wasn’t fit to live in.