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Tim grinned. Regular teenage revulsion, he could stomach. He knew what to do with that and how it sorted itself out.
Normal felt nice.
He wondered if it’d hold out. He couldn’t deal with any more disappointments just yet.
___
As Kevin hurried off with his giant Thermos of coffee to join the crew at Shora, Tim idled his truck near the office. Heidi said he wasn’t allowed to speed away like a coward, but given that Valerie was embroiled in what seemed to be a very intense conversation with a blustering stranger, he didn’t want to interrupt.
“She’s so stinkin’ calm,” Heidi said quietly. “The guy is screaming and she’s acting like she’s not even there.”
“I guess subs use certain compartmentalization skills outside the bedroom, too.”
Heidi motored down her window and brazenly decreased the radio volume. “Oh. He’s not yelling ather, he’s just yelling in general. Still. What a dirtbag.”
“Well, I’m not going to sit here and watch. She doesn’t deserve coming to work and dealing with shit like this.” He pulled up the parking brake and left Heidi to continue her eavesdropping.
As he approached the pair, he could tell that Heidi had been right and that the guywasn’tyelling at his girl, just venting to the universe. Tim was close enough to see that nervous tic in Valerie’s cheek that clued him in that she was uncomfortable, though. He’d made the right choice in deciding to intervene.
Still, he kept a little distance. The last thing she needed was for him to swoop in and play protector when she already had a struggle getting men in her business to respect her. She didn’t need a man fighting her battles.
When the guy paused to draw in a breath, Tim said, “Sorry to interrupt, Val, but I wanted to see if you had time for lunch.”
“How could she possibly have time for lunch?” the guy said, waving his arms wildly. “She’s got a huge backlog of shit to do before she clears out of here. I’m trying to throw money at her to stay, but she’s intent on going!”
Valerie took a deep breath and let it out. “I gave the company a chance to make things right.”
She may have been talking to the screaming guy, but her gaze was on Tim.
I see you, pretty girl.
“And Itriedto make a meeting with you,” the guy said. “I agreed with you that we had some wiggle room to do make the houses in this community more suitable. I read every single report you sent in and approved all the plans.”
“That wasn’t what I was told,” she said, turning to him. “Actually, I wasn’t told much of anything.”
“Ted was supposed to make a meeting with you. He told me you wouldn’t cooperate. That’s why I’m down here in this stifling swamp heat now.”
Valerie smoothed a hand down her tired-looking face and let her lips sputter. “Well, I guess you’re in a bit of a pickle.”
“Give me the number of your new boss. Let me talk to her.”
“For what?”
“Let me try to make this right. This community wasn’t supposed to be a moneymaker project for Lipton. My mother owns Lot Number One.” He pointed, probably in the general direction of said lot. “The bulk of this washerland. She sold it to the company for cheap in exchange for us putting up a development around her that she could retire in. She wanted kids and stuff around her, not like where she is now. This was supposed to be her riverfront wonderland. She liked your plans. She… Wait. Hold on.” He bent and rooted through the leather briefcase at his feet.
Valerie looked at Tim and shrugged.
He rubbed his chin.Well, well, what do we have here?
Shark that he was, he could smell the blood in the water. There was opportunity beckoning. Lipton’s fuckup could somehow work in Tim’s favor.
The guy thrust some papers at her and pointed to the one on top. “See. That’s what she wanted. She said if we were going to do custom stuff, she wanted one just like that.”
Valerie took a cursory glance at it. “It’ll have to be someone else’s task.”
“No. She wanted you to do it. She had her mind set on it. Oh my God, she’s gonna rip me a new one.” He gave his hair a tug and paced several times past Valerie. “Shit, shit, shit. Come on, give me your boss’s name. Let me see if I can work something out. Delay your start date, or whatever. Come on, throw me a bone here!”
“I’ve been begging for a chance to fetch my own bone for eight years and I’ve been more or less ignored, so why would I want to do the company any favors now?”
