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“Nope, it really doesn’t.”
“It’s one of the things I love most about you,” he tells me. “Though, that list is pretty damn long.”
I smile up at him and he winks. “Breaking out the cheesy lines this morning, Mr. Ryan.”
“Laying the ground work for later tonight,” he murmurs, teasing but not joking.
“Hopefully that effort isn’t wasted and tonight we can finally have some time to ourselves.”
“It’s been too long,” he grumbles and I agree by nodding.
“I know. I know. It’s not all on me, though.”
“I didn’t say it was. It’s work. It’s kids. It’s us being focused on too many other things besides each other.”
He’s not wrong. Though, I try hard to leave work at work, it sometimes feels impossible. I love being an interior designer, and the flexibility of owning my own business is perfect. I can work solely out of a studio by appointment only without having to adhere to standard work hours. While I know I could make my business more successful if I ran things differently, it’s important it stays this way for now. With four kids and my husband being part-owner of his business, it’s an advantage in juggling our various activities.
My clients actually seem to love my non-schedule, making it easier to find a convenient time to meet.
“After school Grady has football practice, Maggie has volleyball practice and Harper has horse-riding lessons. I think I will put something in the Crockpot for supper tonight. I don’t think I’ll be back home until seven.”
“That sounds good. A normal day around here, huh?”
I chuckle lightly. “This time of year, for sure. What about you? What’s your day like?”
“I have a couple meetings with contractors this morning, and I need to figure out what to do with Andy. As a project manager, he should know better than this.” He sighs, much less contented this time around. Barrett and Josh started up their own general contracting business about fifteen years ago. Our businesses being closely related has been a huge help for both. We can each recommend the other, knowing well that if the recommendation doesn’t pan out, we’ll hear about it. It’s made us better business managers. But now, Andy hasn’t been showing up to job sites, leaving his guys to wonder what they are supposed to be doing most days. Andy was one of the first employees Josh and Barrett hired, so to say they’re beyond disappointed in his behavior is a major understatement.
I nod my head in understanding. “He should. He does. Just keep on him, talk to him. Figure out what’s going on with him and let him know it’s not acceptable.”
“I know,” he grumbles.
He hates it when I tell him how to do his job. I suppose he has a point, but seriously. Men don’t know how to manage things very well. At least this one doesn’t. He’ll want to have a beer with Andy, ask if there’s anything he needs, and move on. He’s fine with confrontation, but if he feels deeper stuff is lurking, he gets all squeamish, tucking tail and running the other direction. Since we have a feeling that what’s going on with Andy has nothing to do with his desire to work or his ability to do so, but rather his personal life getting in the way, Barrett — and Josh in turn — have no desire to have that conversation with him. But they’d better sort it out soon because if they don’t, they know that Lauren, Josh’s wife, and I will be hauling his ass in by the ear and talking to him. They don’t want that, and they know it.
“Good. You realize that if you don’t talk to him today…”
“I said I know. I got it handled,” he reminds me, his voice betraying his irritation with me, or the situation. Probably both.
Why I don’t let it go is beyond me, considering I know this is a hot subject, but I can’t seem to stop myself. “He’s not doing his job, Barrett. You’re paying him really good money to work for you and he’s not doing it. If it were anyone else, he would have been fired a long time ago, and you know it.”
“I do know that. I also know that it’s our business. Ours, as in Josh and me, not you. Not Lauren. You two always stick your nose in our business when you have no clue what it takes, day in and day out.”
He did not just say that. “Excuse me? The business isn’t mine or Lauren’s? I’m sorry. I thought when we, as in the four of us, decided that you two would start up this business that it would be done knowing that we are all involved. We are all at risk.”
“Don’t you think I know that? And yeah, I get it. Andy’s screwing up. He’s in a jacked-up place in his head right now, and that’s affecting his business decisions. I know this. I see it. Josh sees it. We also see that his stupid bitch-of-a-wife cheated on him with some guy she works with.”
I can’t control the gasp that comes out of my mouth. I didn’t know that.
“Yeah. Didn’t know that, did you? So before you start spewing your normal junk about who I should hire and fire, maybe get your facts straight. Andy’s slacking, yes. He’s also in a bad way right now after walking into his bedroom and seeing his wife reverse cowgirl her way to messing up their entire marriage. He walked in on them, Tess. In their bed. That screws with a guy’s head, and I can’t blame him for that. So yeah, we’re gonna talk to him. See if maybe he needs to take some paid time off, because I’m not about to fire him and be a part of what makes him feel like even less than a man than he already feels after finding his wife having sex with another man.”
“I’m sorry… I mean. First of all, why didn’t you tell me? And second of all… dammit. What the hell is she thinking?”
“We just found out a couple days ago, and it’s been crazy around here. I wasn’t hiding it from you. I don’t know what she could be thinking, but hell if I’m going to give him a hard time about his lack of presence at work when in the past he’s been nothing but a stellar guy to work with.”
I’m a little irked that he hasn’t told me until now when he knew a couple days ago, but I decide to let it go. He’s right about it being crazy around here. Though, it always is. “I didn’t know…”
“I know you didn’t. And that’s the only reason I’m dropping this.” He blows out a frustrated breath and shakes his head slightly. “Just… you and Lauren have got to put your trust in Josh and me, that we have the company’s best interest at heart. Just like I put my trust into you with yours. As much as you would like to think differently, you two don’t know everything.”
“We don’t act like we know everything,” I say, my tone a combination of being both lighthearted and a little annoyed.
