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There’s a brief hesitation from the caller before I hear Harlow’s voice. “Hi. I’m calling to see about a quote for some electrical work.”
Keeping that annoyingly obnoxious customer service voice going, I say, “Absolutely, ma’am. You’ve called the right place!” It’s hard to contain my laughter.
There’s another long pause before Harlow speaks again. “Linc?”
My grin stretches wider, but I manage not to laugh. “Yes? Who is this?”
“Damn it, Linc,” Harlow says. “I thought you were giving me the number of an electrician.”
Now, I do laugh. “I did. Me.”
I hear her sigh. “But you let me think it was someone you know.”
I turn the truck toward my street. “I mean, who knows me better than me?”
There’s a sound that might just be a growl of frustration and I almost laugh again. Teasing Harlow is more fun than I imagined it could be. But she’s definitely getting irritated now.
“Look,” I say, adopting a conciliatory tone. “I wasn’t lying. I’m a licensed electrician and I specialize in older buildings. Plus, I won’t give you a bad deal or lie to you. I do solid work and I already have knowledge of the problem. Which saves time, right?”
I can practically hear the wheels turning in her head. For whatever reason, Harlow doesn’t seem eager to work with me. I’m not sure why. I’ve never done or said anything rude to her. Unless she’s taken my near silence during our many group outings to mean that I’m an asshole rather than just awkwardly shy. I frown at that. Maybe she does think I’m a jerk.
“I promise, I’m a decent guy,” I say, feeling the need to defend myself. “I won’t screw you over.”
She mutters something I can’t quite make out.
“What?”
“Nothing,” she says on a sigh. “When do you want to come take a look at the wiring?”
I smile. Victory. “Already did. Yesterday. I know what needs to be replaced and what needs to be repaired. I have a rough idea of what it will cost. I just need to check on a couple things before I can give you an official estimate.”
There’s another brief pause. “Wow,” she says. “Okay. Um, I’m afraid to ask, but can you give me a rough idea of what it’s going to cost? I won’t hold you to a price until you give your official estimate, obviously. But just so I have an idea of what I’m going to be paying.”
I want to refuse her request. It’s on the tip of my tongue to do so. I’d never give anyone else an unofficial price quote. It’s too easy to miscalculate and then the customer always gets angry when the cost ends up higher than the unofficial price I’d given. I learned that the hard way. But this is Harlow. I know how hard she’s worked to build her business and to keep it going. Besides, after Ella went to bed last night, I spent two hours working on a quote for her. I didn’t know if she’d decide to make the electrical repairs or not, but if she did, I wanted her to be armed with the knowledge of exactly what needed to be fixed and what it might cost. I don’t want someone to take advantage of her again.
With a sigh, I break my own rule and give her the number I’d calculated the night before. She doesn’t need to know that I subtracted my own normal hourly rate from the estimate. The sum is still a significant one. Besides, I know she’ll just argue about it if she knows. She’s silent for a few moments before speaking. Her voice is different than before. She sounds resigned and maybe a little sad.
“How long will it take?”
I want to say something that will reassure her. I know how much an unexpected expense like this can affect a small business. But I also know that Harlow is a woman who appreciates honesty above all else. I won’t sugarcoat things just to make her feel better. It would only piss her off.
“My work schedule is booked through the end of the month,” I say. “But if I come by in the evenings for a couple hours, I think I can have it finished in two weeks or so. The good thing is that the apartment was wired for electricity well after the original salon, so I don’t need to do any repairs up there.”
She sighs. “It’s just my business that needs all the help.”
“Unfortunately, yes. But try not to worry. You have one sink that’s up and running right now. I’ll try to do the electrical work in stages, so you won’t be down for long, and you’ll still be able to run your business in the meantime. It’s going to be okay. Trust me.”
I don’t know why I added that last part. Why should she trust me? She barely knows me. But I don’t want to be lumped in with the likes of Todd Ralston or her cheating ex. I get the feeling Harlow hasn’t had a lot of people in her life she could trust. For some reason, I want to be one of them.
“Okay,” she says. “You’re hired.”
I smile as I pull into my driveway. “Thank you for your business.”
“Does this make me your boss now?” Harlow asks.
I blink at the teasing tone. Before I can think through my response, the words are out. “Do you like to be in charge, then?”
There’s a moment of hesitation before she speaks again. “Not always.”
