A Trade For Good

by Bria Daly

  The good news was that Charlie didn’t know or care that he wasn't a good ball player. As long as he got to run around with other kids and toss or catch the occasional ball, that was all he needed to have fun. However, it wasn't fair to Charlie or other kids that there were jerks who made the rules, and benching a four or five year-old was totally messed up.

  She wished she could explain things to Charlie without hurting him, or talk to someone else. She had never really had someone who listened; Peter was not that kind of husband, if such a husband even existed. It was obvious that Jeff, Mitch, and Trish knew exactly how she was feeling, because all had jumped in to help out. Sunday had been a day of moping and feeling sorry for herself. Today she’d have to snap out of it and face the world.

  Sera looked around confused. Today was Monday, wasn’t it? Sera walked into an office that was buzzing. Not only was there activity everywhere she looked, but all of the guys were in the office at once, and that was something she hadn’t seen since that first day when she met them all.

  The guys walked by and waved hellos and Sera continued walking, past her desk, and over to Jeff’s office to say hello.

  When she walked in, Jeff was looking at some files that were spread out on the once clean desk, and had the phone to his ear, “Okay, sounds great. We’ll be seeing you this afternoon. Yes, 837 Maple, got it. Take care ... yeah, alright, aha ... bye.”

  “Whoo. Hey there sleepy head.” Jeff said in the form of a greeting.

  “Sleepy head?” Sera laughed, “It's 8 o'clock and I'm not late according to the schedule my boss gave me.”

  Jeff smiled warmly, “We’ll have to have a talk with your boss. Anyway,” he added, still all smiles, “no worries, you're fine. It's just that I've been here since six, so it feels like it’s late afternoon by now.”

  Sera smiled back, “Not my problem,” and then went over to stand behind him and look over his shoulder to see what he was working on.

  Umm, he smelled delicious. Soapy and musky delicious ... Y-u-m-m-y.

  “What?” Jeff asked Sera.

  “What, what?” Sera asked turning pink.

  “Did you say yummy?” Jeff laughed.

  “Oh, I was thinking of something ... ah, never mind. What are you working on?” Good thing she was standing behind him, or he might have noticed her face had turned a deep shade of red. She had said yummy out loud?

  “I’ll go over it after we get some coffee, okay?”

  Sera laughed and asked Jeff, “Is that your subtle way of asking me to bring it?”

  “It wasn’t, but did it work?”

  “Coming right up, boss!”

  Sera walked over to the kitchen and saw Alan and Mitch looking down at some papers on Mitch’s desk. Everyone seemed busy but her.

  Coffees in hands, Sera returned to Jeff’s office, and Jeff looked up at her as he heard her come in and stretched his arms, completely unaware of the fact that he was showing off his beautifully muscled torso.

  What the hell is wrong with me? Sera wondered, while trying to shift her eyes away.

  “How is everyone at home?”

  “What?”

  Jeff laughed, “You’re a little distracted this morning, aren’t you? I asked how your family is doing.”

  “Oh, good. Emma had a great day on Saturday, and she skipped one of her fit times yesterday. I am hoping her colic will start getting better. Melle had a friend over. Charlie couldn’t stop talking about the game…” Sera paused, poor Charlie. “Oh, and I think Peter and your niece have been texting non-stop since Saturday.”

  “Yikes! Really? I am not ready for her to start dating. She’s only thirteen!”

  “You're not ready? What about me? I don’t think I can add THAT to my worries.”

  “True dat.” Jeff replied.

  “True dat? OMG! Who have you been talking to lately?” she laughed.

  “OMG? We need to get out more, don’t we?”

  There was a slightly awkward silence after that and then he added, “I actually spent most of the weekend with nephews and nieces, so you’ll have to bear with me.”

  “I’ll try to cut you some slack. Anyway, what's happening, and what's everybody doing? I haven't seen all of you under one roof and at one time since the first day I came here.”

  “Ah, well to tell you the truth, it's all your fault lady.”

  “Don’t blame me. I wasn't even here. Remember? I came in at 8 A.M., which was your noon or something. So do not go pointing fingers at me. I had a shitty weekend, so you’ll need to cut me some slack too.”

  “Because of the game?” Jeff asked her with concern.

  “Yes, well ... Let’s not talk about that right now. Sorry…”

  “No need, but to answer your question, it is your fault that we are jumping through hoops right now. This has to do with those letters you sent out to the clients, and I found several messages on the machine when I got in this morning.”

  “Wow, I didn’t know you knew how to work the machine,” Sera pretended to be in awe.

  “Cute. Really cute.”

  “I thought so. Anyway, are these messages for jobs you already did, or new jobs for you to do?”

  “New jobs. It looks like the inserts with the ‘before and after’ pictures did the trick. There are some very motivated clients who were hesitant before, but now they are onboard. Sera, this is great. It really is. Business has been down, and you’re helping to bring it back up.” Jeff was all smiles and Sera felt like mush inside.

  Jeff saw she was uncomfortable with the praise, but kept going. “You have been a lifesaver, Sera. I mean, things weren’t bad, but let’s just say I didn’t really know where we stood. Now I have spreadsheets and files, stuff I’m still trying to figure out how to read,” he laughed, “and well ... I just want to say thank you.”

  “We both know you’re the real lifesaver, Jeff. I have no idea where I would be without you. Working here helped me not only to pay a debt with a tyrant landscaper guy…”

  “Thank you,” Jeff smiled.

  Sera continued, “…but I’ve been able to stay afloat. Even the hours, you’ve allowed me the flexibility I need with the kids, and that’s H-U-G-E!”

  “When you started, I thought it was the only way to get paid, so I helped you. But now ... I mean, you immediately took the knight-in-shining-armor role away from me!” he laughed.

  “I guess we’re good together,” Sera said and then blushed.

  Jeff smiled and looked straight at her, “We are good together. I have no doubt about that.”

  After another awkward silence, Jeff became all business.

  “Okay, now I’m going to need your help to start mapping out our schedule for the next few weeks. Mitch and I have some appointments this afternoon, and then we will know what the jobs will be and how we should distribute the work. We will be busy for the next few months, but this is a perfect time of the year to get it done. I will also have to add a few more hands here for laborers, and there are some contractors we have worked with that might pick up some of the extra work. This is really great and it seems to have exploded. I guess we got into a rut or something. It was too easy to sit back and wait for stuff to come in, but I do plan to retire someday.” Jeff smiled and saw Sera’s head was somewhere else.

  Sera hesitated. She was about to say something, but she stopped, “Okay, I’ll start setting things up. Send me what you have and I will set up your calendar so I can send out reminders. You will need to tell me the type of work you will be doing so I can start ordering the materials to get better prices in bulk. Put it on the requisition form like I showed you, and ..."

  Jeff grabbed her hand and squeezed it, “I love you Sera Henderson…”

  Sera turned bright red. Among other things, he had used her maiden name Henderson, instead of Sinclair. She wasn’t even sure if she had squeezed his hand back, it felt so good. Now, red and flustered, she should have laughed it off and come up with something witty. Inst
ead, she turned a dark shade of red and froze.

  Jeff was looking at her was suddenly embarrassed by her reaction and slightly taken aback, “I’m sorry Sera, I didn’t mean to…”

  “Oh, that,” she said flippantly, “I hear that all the time.” She laughed and headed out the door as fast as her feet could take her. She went straight to the bathroom, and hit her head against the mirror a few times, whispering “lame, lame, lame!” Then she turned around and made her way back to her desk.

  This hitting her head thing was getting old, not to mention it actually hurt.

  Chapter 18

  Sera spent half of her day creating calendars, making schedules, calling on appointments, and making lists of materials they’d be needing to get the jobs started. The other half of the day she spent frustrated, mad, embarrassed, and wondering what the hell was going on and why she was being so stupid. She was getting all goo goo ga ga over Jeff, and there was no time for that.

  Okay, let’s evaluate the situation, Sera thought to herself. He’s hot. Oh my God, he’s h-o-t! He’s really nice, he saved my butt, he’s good with kids, he’s single ... Sera stopped.

  I’m not single.

  He’s financially stable, and ... What the hell am I doing? Okay, RE-EVALUATE:

  I’m married, I have four children, I am a mess financially, I have traumatized kids, I ...

  Even Sera could see she wasn’t a really good catch.

  Ugh…

  The day progressed and she found herself alone for most of the afternoon. Jeff had left at two to go to an appointment, and had scheduled back-to-back meetings until 9 P.M. that evening. He had an open slot between three and four, and she told him she could call to see if she could get his last appointment moved to an earlier time, but he had told her this was fine. “In fact,” he had added, “please block out the hour from three to four for me every day this week.”

  “Do you need me to call anyone el…” Sera yelled out, but he was out the door.

  The rest of the week stayed abuzz with the guys coming in and out, contractors stopping by, and phones ringing constantly. Sera loved every minute of it.

  The office was finally performing the way it should. Jeff, Mitch, and the others were very good at what they did, so promoting their work with the before and after shots had simply allowed other people to recognize the business for what it was. The difference was that now they would start treating it like a business with Sera’s help. Sera could do the business side, which she was proving to be very good at, and the rest of the team, -the artistic minds and laborers - could focus on what they did best.

  Sera saw very little of Jeff that week. He was out meeting with clients and contractors and spent almost no time in the office. Sera forwarded all messages his way, so he didn’t even need to call her back to check in.

  Sera had to admit she missed seeing him, but the way her body and mind had started responding to him, it was better that he stayed away.

  Sera went home every day feeling tired, but fulfilled. She knew she had succeeded in promoting the business, and the guys were all thrilled; more work for them meant more money.

  It was Thursday already, and Sera was ready for the weekend. One more day ...

  Sera left work and went straight to Deb and Chad’s as she did every day to pick up the kids. Deb and Chad had been looking at properties nearby and searching for their next home.

  Sera was so happy for them. They were great people and she loved the idea of a new home, a new baby, and a wonderful family, all for such an incredible couple. She also felt she owed so much to them for all they did. After all, Peter was Chad’s brother, but they had immediately jumped in to help her when he left. Marion, her mother-in-law, helped, but it wasn’t the same. There was still the fact that Peter was Marion’s son and she had a hard time accepting what he had done.

  Jeff told Sera that when Deb and Chad found a new home, he would gladly do the work for them, and only charge them for materials, as a gift for all they’d done for Sera. He knew what they meant to Sera, and he wanted to help her thank them for all they did. That was a wonderful gesture, and she didn’t even know where to go with that.

  Sera appreciated the thought immensely, but was a little confused as well. She was still paying off her debt, although she had received a raise and the debt was almost paid in full, but she didn’t even know if she’d have a job for much longer. The six months were up in six days, and she was afraid to bring it up to her bosses. Neither Jeff nor Mitch had brought it up, but they were so busy, they probably didn’t even know what day it was, or forgot about the whole contract thing. Sera on the other hand very much remembered the contract and worried that she would find herself jobless soon.

  Sera told Deb about her concern, but Deb told her not to worry.

  “How can I not worry? I mean, this debt will be paid in full, but I need to keep feeding the kids. I’ve managed to scrounge enough to stay afloat, but this job is what allows us to eat.”

  “First off, you’re the one who brought in more business, so they know they need you,” Deb reasoned. “Not only did you bring in new clients, but you made the deadbeats who didn’t pay, pay.”

  “Deadbeats like me?” Sera smirked.

  “Exactly,” Deb rolled her eyes. “Not only that, but the guy depends on you and, he is c-r-a-z-y about you.”

  Sera’s head snapped up, “What do you mean he’s crazy about me?”

  Deb smiled, “Oh that got your attention. Let me spell this out to you, I think he l-i-k-e-s you!” she said in a sing-song voice.

  “Oh please! Why? Because I’m such a great catch? Besides, you were at my wedding thirteen years ago. There’s that little detail about the fact that I’m still married, remember?”

  “Speaking of deadbeats ... Yes, I do recall my husband’s younger brother marrying way above his decency and kindness station.”

  “Cute. Joking aside, there’s no room for that in my life now and you know it.”

  ”If it worked out, there would be plenty of room. If it didn’t ... Well, I don’t want you to get hurt again, but I want you to have something really good.” Just then, the door opened and in came Chad, “Speaking of which…” Deb became all smiles.

  “Who’s a witch?” Chad smiled at Sera and bent down to kiss his wife’s lips and then her stomach, “How are my girls doing?”

  Sera looked at them with pure envy and a lot of love, “You guys are gross. Isn’t it a little early to say the baby’s a girl?”

  “He only says that because he chose a girl’s name. If he likes a boy’s name instead, that may change. You know my Chad, he’s very scientific,” Deb explained.

  “I see,” Sera replied, “and what would that name be?”

  Deb laughed, “There’s more to his science, of course. You see, if he tells someone the name he’s thinking, he’ll jinx it. So for nine months, I have to live in fear of what name he came up with.”

  “Oh, I get it. I see I married the dumb brother. This one must’ve got all the brains.” Sera smiled.

  Chad sat down. “That’s right little lady. Hey, where are all of the little beasts? Wait, don’t tell me. Are they outside hunting dinosaurs, or are they making mud pies again?”

  “Oh God, I hope it’s the dinosaurs. If not, either we bring out the hose when they’re done, or they sleep outside. I’m not in the mood to clean up a muddy bathroom tonight.”

  Chad turned away from his wife and asked Sera, “So how’s Jeff? Was he here to…”

  Deb elbowed her husband leaving no doubt he was about to say something she didn’t want him to say.

  “Ouch, woman!” And Chad left no doubt that Deb’s elbowing was painful and obvious. “What?!”

  “Oh, umm. Was Jeff at work today?” He recovered.

  Sera looked from one to the other and shook her head. ”You guys really have to work on being subtle. No, he was not at work. Work is good, but very busy. I’ve been alone most of the week, except for the guys c
oming in and out and contractors stopping by all the time.”

  Chad nodded, “Yes, I heard things got really busy,” and got another elbow from Deb.

  Chad looked at his wife and shrugged, “I think I’ll go hunt for dinosaurs. They’re a lot safer than my wife,” and off he went.

  It was Friday, and things did not seem any calmer. Instead, it looked like the following week would be busier. It was amazing how word got out and business had picked up. She’d have to talk to Mitch and Jeff about increasing some costs as well. It seemed business was great, but they were charging a lot less than the competition, and it was now obvious the competition, as far as amount of business and quality of work, was falling behind. But according to some information Sera found from calling around, Mason Landscaping was charging way below what it should.

  All of this business coming in should be charged at the going rate. She texted Mitch and Jeff and gave them the highlights of her findings, but said she would explain more if they ever decided to come back into work.

  Sera liked being busy. She loved it in fact. What she did not like was not seeing the guys; she missed the guys. In addition, as much as she tried to deny it, she knew there was one guy in particular she missed even more.

  She felt like a young teenager again. Unless she was letting her imagination go, Jeff had been throwing little comments her way and there had been some flirting. She had been away from the dating scene long enough so that she might not recognize some things, but in her gut, she knew the attraction was mutual. The problem was, Jeff had a lot more to lose from a relationship with Sera, than Sera had to gain from being with Jeff.

  So Sera was busy, but lonely, and had too much alone time to think of things she probably should not think of.

  Although she didn’t get to see her guys, she still had a lot of other male attention at work. Unfortunately, some of the attention she received she really didn’t like.