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“Sorry, one second.” I noticed it was Hannah calling from the school, so I picked up quickly.
“Hey, what’s going on?” I heard the chatter of children talking loudly and what sounded like throwing things.
“I hate to ask, but I cannot keep both of our classes well behaved; it’s too much at once. When are you coming back?”
I looked at Grant as he measured my back kitchen wall. “Yeah, I can head there now.”
He looked at me immediately.
I hung up and explained I had to go back to school because my students were going nuts.
He responded with a cold, “All right.” I headed out the door.
I wasn’t exactly sure why I felt disappointed that I had to go to work sooner than I had hoped. It could be because I worked so much that I needed a solid break. Or it could be you wanted to spend more time with a grumpy contractor. Nope. Not that.
∞∞∞
Come Saturday, Ashley and I were overdue for our coffee talks. We had hardly got to discuss anything this week due to us both being so busy at work. Trying to wrap everything up for the end of the school year was stressful, and the kids seemed more hopped up than ever this week.
I ordered my usual drink and grabbed our table in the back. Leaning back in the chair, I took a deep breath in and out. The stress of this week didn’t hit me till I had a moment to relax. My schedule had been so busy and packed full of different events and projects needing to be wrapped up. But busy was good. Busy meant more time getting things done and less time thinking about a certain temperamental someone leaning against a doorframe in my future bedroom.
Ashley walked in to order and headed straight back to our table. She immediately went off the rails.
“Okay, tell me everything. How did the conversation go with your mom? Did you find someone to help you with the bake drive? How’s the house coming along? Have they done anything? Has sexy grumpy pants made any moves on you? Does he have any hot friends?” Her questions overwhelmed me and made me feel comforted at the same time. Ashley’s personality could be something like a squirrel on speed, and while most people would be irritated, I had always found it endearing.
“That was a lot at once; let me see what I can answer. Okay, so Mom tried to corner me into selling the house again. I can’t find anyone to do the bake drive, and the oven is still broken. House is good; they’re tearing down cabinets. And no, he has not made any moves. Why would he? And I don’t think he has any friends.”
Ashley took it all in and twirled her blonde hair between her long fingers. “Well, you know what you should do? Wear a low-cut top and some tight jeans and get one of his workers to hit on you, so he gets jealous and gives you attention.” The thought of me in a low-cut top and tight jeans made me giggle. I was a first-grade teacher, and I dressed like one for sure. I mostly owned dresses and cardigans covered in fun prints and a variety of bright colors, and when I did wear jeans, they certainly weren’t tight and didn’t call for any public engagement.
“I don’t want his attention. I want him to finish my house so I can leave my apartment and own a house in a livable condition.” She silently nodded, giving up on the fight, and began to tell me how her family was doing.
Ashley was always closer to her family than I was to mine. She would tell me stories about her parents taking her and her siblings to the beach and how much fun they’d have. Her mom would randomly stop by our dorm in college and bring brownies, flowers, or just random things that made her think of Ashley. It was frankly adorable, and although I held some jealousy, I was glad Ashley had a solid background.
Being close to family wasn’t in my history. My parents weren’t exactly rude by any means, but we were never close. My brothers were probably the closest to me, and even they didn’t reach out much. Their lives were too busy, and I could understand that. Growing up with parents who were both doctors, it was clear your work diminished your family/social life.
“Oh, and I was going to invite you to this thing tomorrow night the bar is hosting. It’s like some cool out-of-town company coming in to check out the land for local development. It’s an open bar, and you’ll have to dress fancy. Oh, wear that bridesmaid dress from your cousin’s wedding! You never wear that!”
I snort lightly. “Maybe that’s because I never have an occasion to wear it. I’m also pretty sure people don’t wear bridesmaid dresses more than once. I’ll probably be able to go, but no bar for me, school is still in, and I don’t want any parents seeing me drinking.”
She rolled her eyes and placed her elbows on the table. “June. You’re twenty-five, above the legal drinking age, and you’re allowed to do so on your own time. I highly doubt you’ll know anyone there anyway. They’re all fancy and stuffy clients from bigger cities trying to butter big farmers into selling their acreage for new development.”
Ashley’s worked at Jaded Pub since we went to college together, and now she practically lived there. She was working on a business degree to open up a local boutique, which Lakeshore severely lacks, but after we graduated, she ended up staying at Jaded. Her tips were good over there, and she figured if she could save up long enough, she would be able to open a business quicker. Eventually, her boss left, and she was promoted. Since she loved the place so much, she was there pretty much all day, every day.
I acknowledge her statement. “Yeah, but it’s weird if anyone from school sees me doing it. It makes me feel like I’m going to get in trouble. I’ll go, but I’m not drinking anything.” She groaned and called me a goody two shoes but was content that I agreed to go.
We finished our work and family conversations and sipped on the last of our drinks as an idea crossed my mind. “Do you want to stop by the house? You haven’t gotten to see it in a few months, and I have a couple of new ideas I’d like your opinion on.”
Her eyes lit up, and she clapped her hands together excitedly. “Yes, absolutely!” Her reaction made me excited to see the house as well. She could make me perceive it with fresh eyes.
We drove separately to the house, and when I went to pull in, I noticed Grant’s beat-up, muted red truck parked in the driveway. My heart began pounding louder in my chest, and my stomach felt tight. I reminded myself to make a doctor’s appointment. I hadn’t felt my heartbeat this fast since I saw a box of cute puppies for sale at the grocery store. I was lucky Ashley was there to set me straight, or I would’ve had six German Shepherds running around my apartment.
Ashley and I walked around the outside and discussed landscaping ideas, but that was really on the bottom of my list. For now, I just needed something to move into. Landscaping would be a fun end-of-the-summer project later on.
Knocking twice, I opened the back door and stepped into the kitchen. “Hey, Grant, are you still here?” I heard his boisterous footsteps coming down the hall. When he made an appearance in the entry, I could hear Ashley quietly gasp. I could only hope I was the only one who heard it.
“Yeah, I was just finishing taking down that wallpaper in the guestroom. Y’all come in.” I wanted to make a sassy comment about him saying I’m allowed to come into my own house, but I held back.
I hadn’t been by the house since last Thursday when Grant and I last met up here. When we reached the kitchen, it was entirely empty. There were no cabinets, appliances, or chicken wallpaper, just a blank slate. Seeing the kitchen stripped bare made me more excited to see the open space and visualize the possibilities.
