Mitch chuckled. "I mean is there something you're particularly good at?"
Rico shrugged. "Not really. I guess I just have to pick something boring. Like business administration or restaurant management."
"You have some experience with that second one," Mitch pointed out.
"At the café? That's purely grunt work to pay back grandma for putting up with me. But maybe I could get serious about it," Rico said. He couldn't really picture his future. All he could think about was Mitch, and when he put together thoughts of him with plans for the future, he felt this agony in his chest.
Chapter 24
All morning Mitch had been telling himself that he hadn't changed. He was still the same man. Losing his head last night and again this morning when Enrico started talking about leaving before he got kicked out, he didn't act like it. Mitch felt like he would do anything to keep him around.
Done with breakfast, they were all getting ready to go and work outside. Enrico and Sammy had gone off while Mitch was still busy in the kitchen. Suddenly he heard a crash and then Sammy's voice. She sounded upset so he rushed right over.
He found her and Enrico in the hall. Enrico was sitting on the floor holding his foot. A heavy, wood carving they brought up from the basement and leaned against the wall was now turned over right next to him. While Enrico plastered on a reassuring smile, Sammy hovered over him and whimpered anxiously.
"What happened here?" Mitch asked and got down on the floor next to Enrico to see if he was seriously hurt.
"Oh no, Daddy, I was bad. I tripped on this big thing and it fell on Rico's foot," she said and looked ready to cry at the thought that he got hurt because of her.
Enrico was barefoot and smiling through the pain. "I'm OK. It was just an accident. Don't worry," he said to Sammy.
"Sorry, Rico," Sammy said and blinked at him sadly.
"Sammy, why don't you get some of those nice, cartoon bandages for Enrico," Mitch told her and she went off running.
As soon as she was gone Enrico doubled over and started cursing as he held onto his foot. "Fuck, fuck, fuck," he said under his breath.
"What were you thinking walking around here barefoot? This is still technically a construction site," Mitch said while he pushed Enrico's hand away so he could check out his foot.
"I totally understand those steel toed boots now," Enrico gasped. "But I'm fine, really."
"Let me make sure nothing is broken," Mitch told him and had him move his toes and flex his foot.
"Do my feet turn you on?" Enrico asked in a low sexy voice.
Mitch ignored the question and instead told him, "Thanks for hiding your pain from Sammy."
The way he was holding in that his foot hurt for her sake was really sweet. And his feet were kind of sexy, like all of him.
"And when my toenail starts turning black, I'll hide that from her too," Enrico told him.
"You mean you'll wear shoes, like you're supposed to?" Mitch said and helped him stand up.
Enrico could walk on his foot just fine, and that was a relief. Mitch hated the thought of him being hurt, even in a small way. When Sammy came back, Enrico ended up with several cartoon bandages stuck randomly on his foot.
"Now I'll be better in no time," Enrico told her.
Ready to get to work, they all went outside. Hit by a burst of morning sunlight, Mitch wanted to shield his eyes and bury his face in Enrico's shoulder. Was this a hangover from too much Enrico? After just one night under the same roof with him, Mitch found the world was new, unfamiliar, and too bright.
But he couldn't let himself get carried away with that feeling. He had to keep his feet firmly planted on the ground. He couldn't forget that his life was about working, providing for Sammy and keeping a roof over their heads.
Today they were putting in a new fence where the old one used to be. Remains of the old fence were either leaning over or flat on the ground.
"Let's clear this out first. We'll break up those big sections and leave them for Mr. Miller to pick up," Mitch told Enrico. He seemed ready to get to work, but Mitch noticed that he didn't have work gloves on. "You're not wearing gloves?" Mitch couldn't believe he had to keep reminding him about that and after he just got hurt.
"I remember you threatening to put them on me. I'm in the mood to let you," Enrico said and gave him a wicked smile.
"Oh, man," Mitch said and hung his head.
