“I’m glad you find it amusing putting my business at risk. People depend on this garage staying in the black. Do you want us to have to let someone go because you couldn’t swallow your pride and do what we hired you for?”
I sat up straighter. “Hey, now, I have been working my butt off since I started. This was the first time I screwed up. And besides, what happened to you raking in buckets of cash from your car racing? And don’t look at me like that. Willa told me.”
Everyone in Humptulips knew what the Drakes were up to. The races were popular, at least that’s what I was told. I had never been to one.
Mason narrowed his eyes and his jaw went tight. He took a deep breath before he said, “You are something else. First you screw up with a customer and now you tell me not to worry about it because I supposedly have enough money already.”
I opened my mouth to tell him that I didn’t mean it like that—even though we both knew I did—but he didn’t wait for me to say anything and continued.
“Has it ever occurred to you that I put a lot of work into making my business successful and that I pride myself on quality work and professional service?”
“I didn’t mean—” I said but he continued talking, ignoring my weak attempt to defend myself. Deep down I knew I was in the wrong and didn’t try very hard.
“Not that it’s any of your business, but we stopped doing the races months ago. Jameson wanted out, so we got out. It cost us a lot of money, because surprise, you don’t just walk away from something like that. But we happily took that hit because it meant we were free of that shit. Should have never started it in the first place. And so yes, we do need every single customer because we are expanding the garage. Now do I need to explain anything else that’s none of your business to you or will you call and apologize?”
I felt lower than dirt and nodded. “I’ll call.”
“Good. And be ready to go home at six,” Mason barked at me one last time before he left.
I swallowed the lump in my throat. I knew I had to pick up the phone and make the dreaded call. I also knew I only had myself to blame. But what I wouldn’t do is stay with him another night. Or wait for him to finish work. I was done by five. What did he expect me to do for an hour?
I went to the bathroom and splashed water on my face, the cold helping to clear my head. When I was back in the office, I sat in the chair and picked up the phone. No sense in delaying the inevitable. Calling the customer was the right thing to do.
The call went about as well as I expected. I had to listen to yelling, then cursing, and for the grand finale I was told how incompetent I was. But he was going to still bring his car in, since he loved Mason’s work.
I felt sick when I put the phone down. It was almost five. Good enough for me. I had reached my limit and closed the computer down. Hardly anyone called this late anyway. I made sure to turn the answering machine on before I switched off the lights and left the office.
Thankfully my car was still parked outside, and I decided I’d had enough of Mason for today. So I did what I wasn’t supposed to do and drove myself home—my home.
Once I was standing in front of the apartment building, I called Nora who thankfully answered on the first ring. “Hey, stranger. How are you feeling?”
“Not too bad. Just tired. I’m outside, can you buzz me up?”
“You’re here? Aren’t you staying with Mason?”
“I was but I’m back now. Just forgot my keys.”
I heard the buzzer and pushed the door open.
“Thanks, I’ll see you in a sec.”
I made my way up the stairs and was greeted by a grinning Nora. Luca was jumping up and down by her side and Lena was clapping and babbling in her arms.
“Esteballa,” Luca called out to me as soon as he saw me. I smiled and waved at him.
“My favorite little human,” I said and hugged him one-armed.
He wheezed out a breath and pushed back. “You are stwong. Did you eat your Wheaties this morning? Because Mama says I’ll be stwong if I eat them.”
“That’s great advice,” I said and smiled at Nora. Her eyebrows were raised, and I knew she was waiting for an explanation as to why I was standing at her front door, talking to her son about his breakfast.
“So where’s your key?” Nora asked. Mason still had my apartment key and Nora’s was in its place on the counter at Willa’s apartment.
“I forgot it at Mason’s. Can I stay with you tonight?”
She waved me inside. “Sure. I was hoping for someone to come by and help me put together this Ikea cabinet I got yesterday. My prayers were answered.”
I groaned but followed her inside, closing the door once Luca had skipped in behind us.
After a mac and cheese dinner, a bath that ended in a bubble blowing competition, and about five hundred bedtime stories, we sat in front of the pieces that would make up a TV cabinet…if put together correctly.
“How in the world is this piece supposed to fit?” I asked and held up a square screw that according to the graphics was meant to go into one of the predrilled holes.
“I don’t know. But the drawers are all yours. I can’t figure out how to get
