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Rae walks right into my back. “Jesus, Zi… oh… oh wow.” She stands beside me, her head swiveling to me. “Those arms. Those muscles. I hate you. Fuck me, those scars. Has he told you how he got them?”
“You love me.” I stare at the side of the house, my smile falling a tiny bit at her question, my high losing a little of the wind in its sales despite the unexpected progress on the restaurant. He won’t tell me what his tattoos mean, never mind how he got his scars. Unease niggles up the back of my neck. I’ve been here before, been put in the fun-time-only box by men in the past. Nothing serious. Nothing important. But Mylo is different. Thisfeelsdifferent. I shake off my doubts and turn back to Rae. “I repeat, let the man have some secrets.”
He turns before we get to him, tool belt hanging low on his hips, hammer in one hand, pencil tucked behind his ear, abs for days and days and days and a massive grin just for me. “Surprise.”
The unabashed happy in his voice settles low in my belly. It soothes the lingering niggles and reinflates my high with memories of what we did last night. Of how right it felt. He isn’t anything like the men from my past.
The second I’m close enough, I throw my arms around his neck and plant a kiss on his still-smiling mouth.
He lifts me off my feet until my flip-flops dangle off my toes and kisses me back.
“I can’t believe you did this,” I kiss him again. “I had no idea.”
Face still millimeters from mine, his gaze moves over me. “I didn’t want you to go without your roof terrace when you didn’t have to.”
“I don’t know what to say.” I grin, blink into his clear gray eyes. “Thank you.”
“You guys need a minute? A room?”
He lowers me down his big body, and I turn to where Rae’s perched on a stack of wood that wasn’t there yesterday, her legs swinging, eyebrows wiggling like a dirty old man.
“Rae.” He offers her a little salute that has every muscle south of my belly button sighing. “Just waiting on the cavalry to arrive.”
“That would be me.” Jackson appears from outside the high wooden fence I’ve left up for security, toolbox in hand in old shorts and an undone, short-sleeved button-down over a wife-beater.
Rae’s legs instantly stop swinging, her eyes narrowing. “Oh, goody, Sargent Know-it-all.”
“If it isn’t Miss Sunshine herself.” Jackson visibly bristles at the sight of her, then turns his attention back to me. “Hey, Zi.”
It would be awkward if it hadn’t been this way between them since we were teenagers. Hate at first sight. Instant and entirely mutual.
Ignoring the death stare radiating from Rae, I give Jackson a quick hug. “You were in on this too?”
“Happy to help. This place is already looking great.” He messes my hair like he’s done since we were kids and reaches past me to fist bump Mylo. “Where do you need me?”
“I’m ready to get the supports up this morning.” Kissing my cheek as he passes, Mylo pulls a paper from his back pocket and hands it to Jackson. It’s a technical sketch and it’s definitely based on the drawing I showed him back at my apartment. “Everything’s cut and good to go.”
I’m still grinning like a fool. I can’t help it. I fold my arms across the black sleeveless shirt I’ve got tucked into my denim cut-offs and shake my head as I watch him explain to Jackson what he’s doing.
“You’ve got it bad, girl.” Rae hops off her perch and wanders over to me.
I try to roll my eyes at her, but it doesn’t quite work. She’s right. I’ve got it bad. So, instead, I force myself to stop ogling him and turn to her. “You ready? This door isn’t gonna sand itself.”
She’s already twisting her mass of hair up into a knot the size of a melon on top of her head. “Born ready, baby.”
Hours later, I’ve had to convince Rae to leave the rest to me when her tummy set up a loud and constant complaint over the fact we’d worked through lunch without a break. Sliding the used battery packs into the case to take home to charge for tomorrow, I examine the double doors we’ve spent the day sanding and varnishing back to their original awesomeness. The flowers I’ve no doubt Lola must have carved herself have been restored to their breathtakingly detailed selves, their stalks winding and swirling into each other, so fluid and lifelike it’s hard to believe it’s solid wood.
I put my paint brush into the jar of white spirit on the workbench we set up from an old plank of wood and a few breezeblocks, pop the lid back onto the can of matte wood varnish then turn to the spectacular view from the porch. The sun’s sitting low in the sky, but people are still hanging out on the beach, enjoying the end of the day. It’s been hot out today, but here in the shade of my little forest, it’s still cool enough to work comfortably. Pete’s coming around tomorrow to look at the electricity. I glance at the ancient fuse box to the side of the door and gnaw on the inside of my lip. I’ve been too scared to turn anything on until he checks it out properly. Which means I’ve been limited to daytime work hours only.
“You ready to check your new stairs out?” Wiping his hands down the front of his sawdust covered shorts, Mylo walks around from the side of the house, chest still bare, his T-shirt tucked into his tool belt, his beard dusty, hair barely contained in the knot on his head.
My tummy somersaults. The last I checked the framework was up, but the stairs were only half done. They’ve been working flat out since this morning. But even still, I can’t believe they have them done already.
Jackson’s closing his toolbox as I round the corner. He straightens and plants his hands on his hips when he sees me. “What do you think?”
I cover my mouth with my hands when I turn from him to my stairs. My stairs! They’re almost exactly how I pictured them. Wider at the bottom making it look like they curve up to the roof. “This is…” I shake my head. “You guys…” I grab Jackson and give him a hug, still staring at the staircase. “I have to pay you, pay something.”
“Not necessary, Zi.” He bends to pick up his toolbox, then messes my hair. “Shout me a beer on opening night and we’re good.” He winks, then reaches over to shake Mylo’s hand. “I’m out, man. Gotta pick up Maika.”
