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Chapter 4
Cameron
It was hard work but I enjoyed using my hands with the hours flying by until I could see the sun dipping behind the trees. I thought there would be problems, including rotted boards underneath the old shingles, but I didn’t find any sign of that. That made the work easier to complete.
We didn’t have the chance to go and speak to the owner of the property down the street.
The property stretched for miles in either direction, and I could see a good portion of it from where I was standing on top of the roof. It was hidden behind the trees, but the fall foliage had fallen considerably, giving me an unrestricted view.
I came down the ladder carefully with a bundle of leftover shingles over my shoulder. It was taxing on my muscles but I was getting a workout without going to the gym. It wasn’t every day that I could find a place to go mental on a piece of equipment.
Hard work and determination came with the benefit of working those muscle groups in a different way. Halfway down, I felt something was wrong and stopped short of putting my foot down on the next rung. Testing it with a bit of weight confirmed my suspicion that it wasn’t going to be able to hold me. It was better to bypass that one until I could inspect it.
“It looks like we both let the day get by us. I was tied up with some business. There are times I get into a zone and barely remember to eat anything. It shows that we are dedicated and love what we do. There are not a lot of people out there that can say the same thing with a straight face. I feel blessed every day,” she called up while carrying a pitcher of lemonade from the fridge.
“I didn’t even get the chance to have lunch. We’re just going to have to make up for that with a feast for supper. I took the liberty of buying a few salmon fillets for the grill. I make a mean dill sauce to go with it. It’s my version of a tartar sauce to accompany the fish,” I said when I got back down to solid ground with my hand reaching up to find that rung snapping with just the slightest tug.
The piece was jagged and could’ve been damaged through wear and tear. I had a welding kit in my truck. It was good to be prepared for any eventuality.
I was always packing a couple of extra condoms in case of emergencies. They were latex-free and ribbed for her pleasure. There was a couple in my wallet that were easily accessible with a flick of my wrist. The old-fashioned chain attached to my belt loop was a wallet that my mentor gave me on my 18th birthday.
His passing affected me deeply, and I was unable to function for quite some time until I finally came out of the fog of confusion. That fog was created by the grief of losing somebody I cared about deeply.
“I will take care of that in the morning. I usually have a sixth sense when it comes to my equipment. It won’t take much to repair it. The roof is practically done. A job that I thought was going to take three days should be done early tomorrow morning. That should give us plenty of time to have a brief conversation with the owner down the street,” I mentioned with my hand reaching out for the glass of lemonade that felt cold against my fingertips.
It was tempting to dump the entire contents over my head in a childish act to make her yearn for me. I wanted to remind her of what she had passed up. It was the reason I was working without a shirt. The sun wasn’t going to burn me. The tan in the next couple of days would encourage her to get a little closer to my physical dominance.
My pants had come down a little to reveal that noticeable swimmer’s build. My underwear was exposed with the waistband easily seen outside of my pants. Some girls went crazy for a sharp-dressed man, but others enjoyed that hardworking mystique with dirt underneath the nails.
“That was brand-new. We should take it back to the store and get our money back in the morning. Replace it for something that isn’t going to cause you to fall to the ground. Don’t you think it would be a good idea for you to wear a safety harness?” she countered with a look of concern that made me take a step back at the risk of saying something I was going to regret.
“That’s a good idea but I rarely wear one. It always gets in the way. There’s no reason to be concerned. I know one wrong step and things could look different. I feel more comfortable and confident when I’m not wearing it. I know it doesn’t make any sense but there it is,” I said tersely with my body language screaming at her to put her hands where her mouth was the other night.
“You know better than I do. You have done some great work. It’s been a long day, and I think that you can use a stronger refreshment than lemonade. I have a few beers in the fridge. Drink whatever you want when you are not working. I don’t want to see you with a beer in your hand in the morning and afternoon,” she commanded while walking back to the house until she was disappearing through the double doors.
I had installed one of those screen doors that had magnets to keep it closed. It was an easy few minutes and made a world of difference when it came to bug control. Stringing flypaper around the house was getting old quickly.
“I have to remind you that my work is guaranteed for five years. If you have any problems in that time, I want you to contact me, and I will immediately come back to rectify the situation. That kind of workmanship and confidence doesn’t come cheap. I’ve come up with an estimate. It’s a little more than an average handyman without a license,” I said while reaching into my pocket to extract the little piece of paper that I had written the number on.
They always had this surprised look on their face, but I didn’t have to worry about that with Constance. She showed no emotion and never mentioned it again. It appeared she was ready for the amount and didn’t argue with me over a few dollars here and there. It was far less than a construction crew would want for the same jobs.
“I was expecting something a little different. Your work ethic has never been in question. I admit to watching you out my window this afternoon. It showed that you believe in the value of a dollar. I didn’t see you talking on your phone and wasting my time. That’s appreciated more than you know,” she spoke with her words almost forgotten with the way that she was moving those packed buns until she was bent over in front of the fridge.
I heard the glass bottles clattering against one another. There was soon a cold bottle of beer with the condensation running down the neck in my hands. It was easy to place it against my chest with my eyes closed feeling a shiver of apprehension running down my spine.
“I like what I do, and it shows in my work. It was an interesting transition when my dream of playing football on a national level came to a screeching halt. My whole world came crashing down around me when that doctor informed my coach I was never going to be able to play ball again. I had to find another way to move on, and my uncle gave me a chance to work with him during the summer. I thought it was punishment but it gave me a purpose, which was something I was missing,” I detailed my account with her standing by the counter drinking the beer right from the bottle.
Some of it drizzled down the corner of her mouth and then dripped into the plunging neckline of her sweater. I would’ve given anything to lift that sweater and consume that little bit of beer from her salty flesh.
“Is that the reason why you joined the military? I don’t mean to pry, but I’m curious to know what you were thinking when you enlisted. I guess I want to know what makes you want to pick up a gun instead of a hammer,” she goaded with her words feeling like cold and unforgiving knives in my chest.
“It was a combination of things. I’m not sure anybody wants to hear the sordid details. The one thing I will say is that I’m grateful for the chance to see the world. I came back thinking that it was going to be hard to adjust, but I managed to slip into a familiar pair of boots.”
“Why are you here in Maine?” she asked.
“The one thing missing was the nomadic spirit of adventure. I decided in a moment of weakness to take my show on the road, which led me here. You haven’t really mentioned the reason why you dropped everything and moved away from the Big Apple. It is the city that never sleeps, and there’s always something to do at 2 in the morning. I remember getting a slice of pizza at 3 a.m. and there were still people on the street in Times Square,” I recalled with vivid clarity.
“Somebody has been whispering in your ear. I know her heart is in the right place. She only knows half of the story. Let’s just say that I needed a change of scenery. I thought this was going to be an investment, but I think I want it to be my forever home. I can easily talk to my boss about making this change a permanent one,” she mentioned while slugging back the rest of the beer before going after another one.
