I opened my mouth to speak, but Acosta spoke up before I could say anything, which, given that Richard was seemingly taking over my thought processes, him cutting me off was a good thing.
“Nope, save your big money, college education reply. I know the kind of man you’re talking about. The kind who attended a trade school instead of an Ivy league university. The kind who works with his hands all day doing the dirty labor that feed, house, and makes the lives of billionaires easier. The kind of man that has callouses and secondhand work boots, who slaves away trying to make ends meet while big energy executives and their spoiled sons exploit the earth and all its creatures to turn a buck.”
“Now hold on one second,” I sputtered in protest. He cocked an eyebrow in challenge.
He wasn’t entirely wrong. Did that make me a bad person?
Yes. Yes, it did.
Shut up, Dick!
“Prove me wrong,” he countered.
“For starters, I amnotspoiled. I work damn hard every day.”
“For your father.”
“Yes, so? Lots of people work for their parents. The point is that I earn every penny that I make. So while I might not have callouses or secondhand work boots, I am well familiar with what hard labor is.” He made a noise like a horse blowing bubbles in a trough. That made me angry right then and right now. “Don’t snort at me like I don’t know what hard work is. I put in ten-hour days sometimes!”
“Yeah, in an office. With air-conditioning and an assistant to run to Starbucks for lattes every time a dot of perspiration appears on your smooth brow.”
Oh hey, wait! He noted our brow is smooth. I told you buying the Florence Jones Advanced Night Repair Serum would pay off.
Dick was such a cream pie slut. I just could not deal with him right now. And yes, what Acosta had said was true, but it still rankled.
“I’m sure you couldn’t do my job for one day,” I countered, holding up a well-manicured finger for emphasis.
“Please. Sitting in an office while peons scurry around waiting on the boss’s son hand and foot? Trust me, I think I can handle that. What I’m sure of is that you could never do whatIdo in the course of a day. Do you even know one end of a dung fork from the other?”
“It’s not that hard to chuck grass at a cow, surely.” He laughed long and hard. So long and so hard, his eyes began watering. The condescending taunting reminded me of my brother so much I longed to slap the shit out of Acosta. I didn’t, but I wanted to. “Fine. How about a little friendly competition?”
He eyed me as if I were the asp in the Garden of Eden. “What kind of competition? If you think I’m going to sign on any dotted line just because you fork some shit, you are sorely mistaken, Mr. Fitzgerald.”
“Nothing that severe, Mr. Melios. I propose I become your farmhand, free of charge.” His sleek eyebrows flew up his forehead. “I’ll work for you for one week.”
Wait. What?! A week?! Here? In a cinderblock room with no potpourri pots? Are you mad, man?!
“A week. You think you can last doing farm work for a week?”
“I do, yes. I’m very quick to learn and resilient.”
“Okay, let’s say we agree to this. What will I win?”
Ugh, he was so cocky. I liked that in a man. Self-assuredness was hot, damn it.
“If I give up before January first—”
“That’s more than a week. That’s about ten days.”
“Fine. Ten days. I’ll work for you for ten days.” He nodded happily. Well, not happily but satisfactorily. “If I don’t last until January first, I will take myself from your farm and never return. I will inform my father that this parcel is not now nor will it ever be available.” I nodded to give my words more zest. He wasn’t expecting me to offer my back to engage in some brawny work, I was sure. Also, that tempting offer of never seeing another rep from Fitzgerald & Sons Well Services had to be alluring. As I knew it would be. I’m a clever man.
“And if you win?”
Did he have to say it with such skepticism?
“If I do well, then you agree to sit down and listen to my well thought out and comprehensive presentation.” He rolled his eyes but didn’t dismiss me out of hand. “Just one hour of conversation about the good things that can come to you if you allow Fitzgerald & Sons Well Services access to your property. I have all kinds of information to pass along.”
“Yeah, I just bet you do. Fine. You do all the chores under my supervision for ten days. If you last to the new year, I’ll listen to your bullshit speech.” He unfolded his arms and offered me his hand. I slapped my palm over his and shook with all my might. His grip was like iron, his fingertips and palm rough as a pineapple. Our gazes met and held as he pumped my arm vigorously. “You ever use a shovel before?”
