But 9:15 came and went. He was late.
I wasn’t even mad. That just meant that the job we needed to go on would be more money in my pocket and less in his. When he walked in at 9:30 with a pinched look on his face, I couldn’t help being aggravated. “This is how you start your new job?” I asked. “Now we don’t have time to go over the tools necessary for today’s job. Here.” I thrust my spare tool belt at him as he gaped at me. “I packed your tool belt and mine, and the toolbox we’re taking with us to the house.”
At least he didn’t try to give me a bunch of excuses, though if I had to guess, I would’ve had to say he’d been up too late drinking. Damn rich boys thinking they can get away with everything. Well, I wouldn’t go easy on him around here, and he would learn that quick enough.
He nodded and grabbed the toolbox before I could. I let that one slide. He was here to assist me, after all.
“I’m sorry,” he said. His eyes seemed sincere, though guarded. “I won’t be late again.”
With a sniff, I accepted his apology. “If you want to keep this job a year, you have to take this seriously.”
A small flash of annoyance rushed across his face, but it disappeared. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”
Two apologies. Wow. I was impressed. It seemed like some growth for him.
But when he opened the door for me, I gave him a glare.
Rico just shrugged. “Just being nice,” he muttered.
After stowing the box in the truck bed, he walked around to the driver’s side. “Want me to drive?”
I stared at him, baffled. I couldn’t imagine why I would’ve needed him to drive my truck. “Why?”
He chuckled. “The truck is awfully big.”
My jaw dropped. He literally just had to make an excuse for opening the door for me. What on earth made him think that offering to drive my “awfully big truck” was going to sound any better?
“Are you joking with me right now?”
The smirk dropped off his face as his eyes widened. “No, I just thought you might like a break from driving this behemoth.”
With a sniff, I shook my head and climbed into the truck without any trouble. “I’ve driven this truck since I was fifteen years old. I don’t need your dick behind the wheel to get to my next job.”
Slamming the door, I turned over the roaring motor while Rico gaped at me and ran around the truck. “I’m sorry,” he said rapidly. “I swear I didn’t mean to assume anything. Just wanted to offer my assistance. I mean, that’s kind of what I’m here for, right?”
“When I want your help, I’ll ask for it,” I snarled. Aggravated, I threw the truck into gear and may have burned a tiny bit of rubber peeling out. “Can we just get through this job without you pissing me off?”
He mimicked turning a key on his lips as he nodded, then was quiet all the way to the rental house we had to work on this morning. The drive was just long enough for me to cool down a bit and focus on the work that needed to be done. The tenants were at work already, so I used my master key to let myself in.
“You can just come in?” Rico asked as he looked around.
I nodded. “Yeah, and you lucked out for a first job. This place is pretty easy.” Now we’d find out if he watched those videos.
“Why’s that?” Rico carried the bag and followed me through the small living room and into the kitchen.
“The Pratts rent this place and they’re meticulously clean.” I laughed as I remembered some of the messes I’d walked into in other places. At least there weren’t used condoms lying on the counter. I cringed. “You don’t always get that.”
“Ah.” He set the bag on the kitchen table. “What are we fixing?”
“Replacing a pipe,” I said. “Simple enough. Now, hand me the tape measure and pliers.” I watched as he opened the tool bag and rifled through it. To my surprise, he pulled out both tools within seconds. “You watched the videos?”
Rico paused in the act of handing me the tools. “Of course. You asked me to.”
I didn’t respond as I began the job. “You’re going to have to get in here close and watch what I’m doing. I’ll explain as I go. I expect you to retain this knowledge because it could happen that tomorrow, I need you to go change one on your own.”
“Go for it,” he said. “I’ll keep up.”
Under the sink was a tight fit, but he squeezed in as close as was appropriate, his cedar aftershave—or whatever the heck it was—washing over me. It was mildly distracting, but I managed. When I got into replacing the pipe, I found he was able to keep up far better than I’d expected. About halfway through that job, we got a call from my biggest client, my best friend Beth. One of her least favorite tenants had called with their air conditioner not working.
At least I didn’t have to go alone. The guy was a real dick. Beth was working on evicting him, but he hadn’t done anything to break their lease, so she had to give him the sixty-day notice she had outlined in her contract. She said she couldn’t legally evict him faster just for being a general douchebag.
Too bad.
Unfortunately, when we packed up and went down the street to fix his air, he was home. “Hello, Mr. Parker,” I said formally when
