As he got in the car and put his seat belt on, Ford considered giving the guy another chance, but then he reminded himself that Sawyer had put his trust in him, and he couldn’t let him down.
He’d looked over the budget the past couple of days and gone through all the available options. There was no way around it.
The decision was yet another reason why he’d barely gotten any sleep the night before, not just because Sawyer wasn’t there. He spent the night looking over the contract, and he could safely say that there would be no issues, and Sawyer had agreed with him when they’d talked last night.
Larry had violated their contract by authorizing extra overtime. On top of that, he was overbilling, and he was still nowhere close to being on schedule. Ford ran the risk of putting them even further behind, but there was nothing he could do about that. He just hoped he could find a replacement from the list he had and get back on schedule. Either way, the contractor‘s time was up.
His mom was right. Maybe a night out was what the doctor ordered, and as soon as he turned out of their long driveway onto the main road, he used Siri to call his friend Owen’s number.
“Ford?” he heard come through the car speakers.
“Hey, man.”
“How’s it going? Haven’t spoken to you since the New Year’s party.”
“I know, I know.” Ford grimaced. Owen was right. “I’m sorry. We were back to work right after the holidays, and now Sawyer’s gone back to New York.”
Owen was his closest friend in town, so of course he knew about Sawyer, and Ford needed someone to talk to and maybe have a couple of daiquiris with. And if Owen was available, he would be perfect.
“Let me guess. You miss your man and finally remembered about your best friend?” Owen’s voice was teasing.
Ford knew he wasn’t actually upset, mostly because they were always chatting, but even when they weren’t, Owen was one of those friends that even if they didn’t speak for a month, it didn’t make a difference, because when they did, it was like no time had passed. He had another friend like that, Ryan, but he didn’t live in Amber Falls anymore.
“Got it in one. I need to snap out of this funk. I swear he hasn’t been gone long, but it feels like forever.”
“I want to be in love too.” Owen laughed at himself before adding. “Trust me, I wouldn’t worry about it. You’re in love. It’s only natural that you’d feel this way, so don’t be so hard on yourself.”
“Mehhh, I know. I wish he would be back already.”
“I’ve soooo gotta find what you have.” Owen chuckled.
Ford laughed at his friend’s words, already feeling better.
“Okay, enough whining about myself. How are you doing? How are Dean and the kids?” Ford asked. “Hey, hold on. I think my mom mentioned your brother Drake is back.”
“Everyone is great.” Owen replied. “Oh yeah, he is. He got back after New Year’s, actually. Give me a minute, the washer just went off.” The sound of water running came over the phone before his friend spoke again. “I was chopping veggies for the slow cooker, but I need to get the clothes in the dryer and get a new load going.”
Owen was a nanny to two little—well, not so little anymore—kids. He lived in the home with the children and their dad, Dean. So Ford was used to his friend’s many chores, even though Owen stopped thinking of them as chores a long time ago, but he wasn’t about to poke the hornet’s nest that was Owen’s current situation. They just didn’t talk about that.
“Take your time.” Ford tapped the steering wheel as he drove while waiting for Owen to return.
“He needs to find a job.” Owen’s voice came back over the phone.
“Wait, what?” Ford’s brow creased for a moment till his brain caught on again to what Owen was talking about. “Oh, you mean Drake?”
“Yup. He wants to get a place of his own, but he also doesn’t want to dig too deep into his savings yet.”
“Ahh, but I bet your parents are happy he’s home.” Owen’s parents, especially his mother, would be overjoyed. She was friends with Ford’s mom, and like her, she wanted all her kids close by.
“Oh my God, yes. Mom is thrilled. Even though he was only a couple of states away, you would think it was a whole continent the way she talked. It’s good to have him here, though.”
“Mmm.” Ford had never had siblings, so he wasn’t sure what to say to that.
“Although, if he finds work in Vail, Aspen, or Breckenridge, he might move there.”
“I can understand that.” Ford had considered all those towns before he’d found a job with Sawyer.
He turned into the parking lot of the structure they were using as an office building and parked in his usual spot.
“Anyway, I just parked and gotta go. Got a crapstorm waiting for me today.” Ford rubbed his face and let out a breath. “Contractor issues, and since Sawyer isn’t here, I need to deal with him. I’ll catch up with you later, yeah? Let me know if you can grab drinks sometime soon.”
“Sounds good.” Owen’s voice was soothing as he added. “And hang in there. Sawyer wouldn’t have left you in charge if he didn’t trust you, right?”
“Right.”
“Great. I’ll ask Dean if he can watch the kids and let you know,” Owen added. Even though Owen worked as Dean’s nanny, the man never had an issue giving Owen time off if he was able.
“No problem. Looking forward to it. Bye.”
Ford sat in his car for a minute. This was going to be his first time firing someone, and he was five minutes away from puking. Thank God he hadn’t eaten breakfast.
After opening the car door, Ford sat there for the moment, one foot on the ground outside, the other still next to the brake pedal. For a split second, he had the urge to shut the door and pull out of the parking lot and keep driving… anywhere. But Sawyer had faith in him, and he wouldn’t let his boyfriend down. So, he forced himself out of his car, closed the door and straightened his shoulders, then walked as slowly as possible over to the Trailer that had been converted into a temporary office for the duration of the build.
Ford’s phone pinged in his hand, and when he looked at it, there was a text from Sawyer.
Sawyer: You got this.
He so didn’t ‘got this,’ though, but he wasn’t going to say that to Sawyer.
He sent back a thumbs up emoji even though he wasn’t sure if he was giving himself a thumbs up or agreeing that he could do it.
Boy, did he hate confrontation. Yet again, Ford wished that Sawyer was there, and this time, it wasn’t because he missed his boyfriend’s arms around him.
When Ford opened the door, Larry was already standing in the room waiting for him.
“Good morning, Larry.” He made sure to keep the sigh inside and project a professional attitude.
“Nothing good about it.” Larry’s face was pinched as he bit each word out.
Maybe the universe was going to make this easy. One step was down since he didn’t have to call for him and wait for the man to arrive, although the next step was the part that sucked since Ford still had to break the news to him.
Rip the Band-Aid off and get it over with. Rip the Band-Aid off and get it over with.
He repeated it to himself over and over as he walked into Sawyer’s office and took his seat. He figured it was a better position to have the conversation so Larry was aware Ford was in charge. Or, at least, speaking on behalf of the person in charge. The man hadn’t treated Ford like he had any authority since Sawyer had left.
Larry stopped at the entrance to Sawyer’s office, his arms crossed.
“We need to talk,” Larry said.
“I couldn’t agree more.” Ford lowered himself into Sawyer’s seat and set his messenger bag down on the table in the corner. “Please, take a seat.” He pointed to the chair in front of his desk.
“I’ll stand.” Larry’s voice was curt, and the frown on his face matched his tone. “I need to amend the timeframe for the job and
add another four months. It’s taking longer than I thought. Otherwise, I will need to hire more men, and that will add more costs to the budget.”
Ford groaned. Larry was again taking advantage of them. Every time he’d asked for something, it was to increase the set budget or add more time to the build.
He opened his messenger bag and withdrew the contract and budget printouts, pushing them over to the edge of the desk.
“What’s this?” Larry’s voice was impatient.
“Why don’t you have a look at it.”
Larry’s eyes met his, and if looks could kill, Ford would be six feet under. The man took a couple of steps forward and picked up the documents, his eyes darting over them before dropping the papers on the desk again and shooting Ford an arched look. “And what’s the point of this?”
“It’s your contract and the budget,” Ford pointed out.
“Yeah?” The unspoken ‘so’ was clear. “I’m not blind. I can see that.”
“Good, well, you have been over budget so far, and unfortunately, I can’t allow things to go on the way they have.” Ford was proud of the firmness in his voice, even though his stomach was acting like he’d eaten half of a McDonald’s menu and gotten on a rollercoaster.
“I think you’re mistaken on how all this works. You don’t allow things.” There was a smirk on his lips. “I will talk slow since I know this is your first job.” Every word out of the man’s mouth was more condescending than the last. “In contracting jobs, the contractor, which is me, gives you a budget, and you work with it.”
If he hadn’t been about to fire the contractor, this meeting would certainly have made that the case.
Ford got up from his chair. He didn’t want to be sitting and looking up at Larry. Clearly, the man was trying to intimidate him, and that wasn’t going to happen. Not when he was the one that was in charge.
“You have been authorizing overtime like nobody’s business. Last time I checked, you work for me.” Okay, not for him precisely, but still, right now, he was the superior.
“I am supervising this construction, which means I’m in charge. But not only that, I have spoken to Saw… I mean, Mr. Lancaster, and he fully agrees. Unfortunately for you, we are going to terminate the contract and let you go.” Ford was surprisingly calm. He didn’t break eye contact because he refused to let Larry intimidate him.
Larry’s laughter filled the office. “You’re firing me?” His tone was less than amused. “You must be joking.”
Ford shook his head and stood his ground. “Unfortunately, I am not. We—” Before he could continue, Larry started yelling.
“It’s not fucking cheap clearing the building and laying down all the water pipes. I didn’t do all that for nothing.”
“No, according to my calculations, you did not. In fact, you did it for almost double the amount quoted.” Ford rolled his shoulder and reminded himself to breathe. He refused to raise his voice, and in a measured tone, he added, “Thank you for what you have done so far. If there are any outstanding debts, you will be paid immediately. However, you will not be finishing the job.”
Larry snorted. “Where do you think you’ll find a contractor on short notice.”
Ford didn’t answer him.
Larry apparently didn’t like being ignored. He moved a couple of steps so he was against the desk. “You can’t fire me.”
Ford’s hands tightened around his phone in case he had to call for help, but he didn’t flinch, even as his heart rate picked up. Larry was by no means a small man, his time working construction showing on his frame.
“You signed a contract, which you have breached, so yes, I can, and I have.”
Larry leaned in closer, and Ford could feel his warm, garlicky breath on his skin. “You will regret crossing me. You motherfuckers are not going to get away with this.”
Ford didn’t respond. He didn’t want to pour gasoline on an already volatile situation.
Larry took a step back, and Ford was about to let out the breath he’d been holding when it looked like Larry was leaving, but then the man used his large hands to sweep everything off Sawyer’s desk.
“You’ll regret this,” he spat at Ford. “Didn’t want to work for no queers anyway.”
If throwing that word at Ford was supposed to get a reaction, Larry was sadly mistaken. Ford refused to give the contractor what he wanted, and the man finally stormed out of the office like a teenager throwing a tantrum after being grounded.
A minute passed before his muscles relaxed and tension drained out of him like water through a sieve. Ford sank down into his chair and pinched the bridge of his nose. He refused to let Larry’s tantrum worry him. He had bigger things to be concerned about, like hiring another contractor to complete the job.
When his heart finally stopped racing, Ford dialed Sawyer’s number. Sawyer supported his decision, but Ford still needed advice on where to go from there.
“Hey… I was just thinking about you,” Sawyer said when he answered the phone. The sound of his voice was like a soothing balm.
Ford smiled and leaned back in the chair. “You have no idea how good it is to hear your voice. Would be better if you were here so I could see you.”
Sawyer’s deep chuckle washed over him like the feeling of fresh air after a long bus ride. “Anytime you need to hear my voice, all you have to do is call,” Sawyer reminded him. “And I think maybe I can take care of that.”
Ford heard noise from the other side of the line and pulled the phone from his ear. His screen had gone black, but then in the next instant, Sawyer’s face appeared, smiling at him.
“Is that better, babe?”
He couldn’t help the smile that blossomed on his face seeing Sawyer on the screen, sitting down in what could only have been his office.
“So, how’s your morning going?”
Sawyer’s question had a groan escaping, and the moment of happiness was lost when the reason why he’d originally called came rushing back.
“I fired Larry today,” he said. “I know you said you’d leave the final decision up to me, but I was out of options. He’s way over budget for this point in the build, and he demanded another four-month extension. I didn’t think we could continue on that way.”
“I agree,” Sawyer said, shifting in his chair. “I knew you’d make the right decision. The list of contractors with bids should be there, but I can call around and find someone.”
“I have the list here, actually. I was going to start calling, but I wanted to let you know that it’s done.” Ford’s brow furrowed, and he narrowed his eyes at the screen as Sawyer’s words played back in his head. “Hold on. Was it a test?”
Sawyer chuckled. “No, my love, it wasn’t. At least not in the way you were thinking. I went over the same numbers you did after you brought it up and trusted your judgment.”
“Hmmm.”
“I trust you, Ford...” Sawyer’s voice softened as he leaned closer to the phone. “More than you know.”
Actually, Ford did know, because Sawyer was not a man who let his guard down. That was clear to anyone paying attention.
“I know.” Ford couldn’t keep the smile out of his voice. “And yeah, we need a contractor, so if you have anyone in mind…” His voice trailed off as an idea floated into his mind.
Owen!
He sat up straighter. Owen’s brother Drake needed a job, and he was a licensed contractor looking for work. He was available unless he’d found a job since Ford had hung up with Owen. He’d known Drake most of his life, and he was hardworking like Owen.
Since Owen was out, Drake was definitely not a homophobe.
He could help Drake out and get himself a new contractor.
“I just thought of someone.” Ford couldn’t keep the excitement from his voice. “I might have the perfect guy in mind.”
He wasn’t sure if Drake had ever been in charge of his own site, but there was no harm in bringing him in.
“I’ll keep you post
ed as to what I figure out,” Ford said.
Sawyer laughed. “I knew you could handle everything. Get the person in and then forward their information to me and… hold on, babe.”
Sawyer stopped speaking, looked up over the phone, and all Ford could make out were muffled voices.
When Sawyer focused back on him, Ford could see the regret in his eyes. “I’ve got a meeting I need to get to. Call you tonight? Maybe another video chat where I can show you how much I miss you.”
Ford injected enthusiasm into his voice. He wasn’t going to be that pouty, needy boyfriend. No one liked that kind of guy.
“No problem, talk later.”
“I miss you.” Sawyer’s voice was low and gruff as he spoke that time.
“Miss you too. I almost pulled up a picture of you last night and slept with it. That’s how I’m feeling.”
Sawyer’s laughter had Ford grinning. “Only almost? You wound me.”
“I’d rather have the real thing,” Ford said.
“Me too, love. Me too.” Sawyer sighed, and there was a brief pause as he looked up again. “There are a couple of projects here that are in need of attention, but I am doing my best to be back as soon as I can.”
“I know.” Still didn’t make him miss Sawyer any less, but he refused to let it show on his face. “I better let you go. I’ll keep you posted on the contractor and if I need you to make some calls.”
“My assistant looks like she wants to grab the phone out of my hand and march me to my next meeting.” Sawyer’s chuckle had less humor in it. He paused and then spoke again. “Ford?”
“I’m here.”
“Talk tonight?”
“It’s a date,” Ford whispered. “Love you.”
“I love you too.”
He quickly hung up so that Sawyer couldn’t hear the break in his voice or the glistening he knew was in his eyes from the unshed tears collecting there. Ford took a second to pull himself together before texting Owen for Drake’s information. He might as well crush his job since he had no one to go home to at the moment.
Forever With His Boss Page 3
