Cupid’s Quest

by Ann, Natalie

  One by one he changed every lock in the house, then walked around and tightened up a few locks on the windows. There was a security system already installed so he’d call and get that activated while he was here too.

  Driving by his old home made him realize all the things he would make sure of in a place of his own one day.

  It had to be safe and secure. He had to protect it as best as he could. He couldn’t be everywhere at once, but anyone that was in his house was going to be covered. It was a vow he’d made to himself when he was a kid and he wasn’t going to forget it.

  19

  In Good Shape

  Ruby turned into the driveway and got out before Michael and Mandy Frank showed up. House number forty maybe? She was getting sick and tired of this and felt it was just a continued waste of her time. As much as she didn’t want to, she might tell them that sometimes it’s best to just step back. That not a lot of new listings were going to come on the market this time of year anyway.

  Maybe they’d find someone else if she said that.

  She heard the front door open and got up from the stool she was sitting on in the kitchen. They were late this time and that wasn’t like them. She was just thinking they weren’t going to show and would have tried calling them or left, as she had other showings today and wanted to keep on schedule.

  “Sorry I’m late.”

  “Where’s Mandy?” she asked Michael.

  “She wasn’t feeling well this morning. She told me to just come look by myself since I was the one being a pain about the house to begin with.”

  She frowned. “She didn’t want to see this house?”

  “Not really. I found it and wanted to check it out.”

  Things were making a bit more sense now. No wonder she wasn’t getting anywhere with them. They couldn’t even agree to come see a house, so how would they agree on which one to buy?

  “Let’s walk around and you can see what you think of it.” She hoped he didn’t like it because then she’d have to schedule another viewing for Mandy.

  Now that it was just the two of them in the house, he was doing what he always did when Mandy wasn’t looking. Holding doors for her and touching her elbow. Brushing against her, even smiling more than normal. The friendly smile with a smirk lurking behind his eyes like he was picturing something she didn’t want to know.

  As friendly as she always was, she was dialing it back with him today knowing they were alone.

  Her inner self wasn’t saying there was a danger. She’d been in enough dangerous situations in her life to be on alert as a kid. But she was uncomfortable and that was just as bad.

  Then Josh’s words came back in her head about knowing how to protect herself. He’d brought up a gun one day and she’d said no way. It wasn’t professional to carry a gun in her purse and she wasn’t going to. The pepper spray she kind of thought of but then changed her mind.

  She’d never really thought she had much to worry about.

  “What do you think?” she asked.

  “It’s okay. Nothing outstanding. If the kitchen and baths were more modern it’d have more potential.”

  “You need to increase your budget for that, Michael. At the price range you are in, you are seeing what you’ll get. In all the houses we’ve seen most need the kitchen and baths updated.”

  “Not all,” he argued. “One of the first houses we saw had a nice kitchen.”

  “And it was half the size that you wanted. It only had two bedrooms and one bath. Do you want to see that one again?”

  “No,” he said frowning. “Mandy didn’t like it so there is no winning with her.”

  Now might be the time to bring it up. “Maybe you should talk it over and see what is really important in your house hunt. With the holidays there won’t be a lot of new listings so it shouldn’t be too crazy and a good time to reevaluate things.”

  He snorted. “You just want us to increase our budget. We can’t.”

  “I didn’t say that at all,” she said. “I haven’t shown you one house outside of your budget. But you can see what you get for it too.”

  “You think your shit doesn’t stink just because you made something of yourself. Or you think you did. You’re nothing more than a poser now just like you were before.”

  “Excuse me?” she asked.

  “You’re so stuck up you don’t even remember me from school.”

  “I moved around in school a lot. I’m sorry if I don’t remember you. Where did you go?”

  She’d never paid much attention to anyone, if she was being honest, but didn’t want to insult him and say that about her life back then. He was agitated when he never was before.

  “We went to Sand Creek middle school together.”

  Middle school. She’d moved four times in middle school. She’d been at the same school for two of those moves but was more concerned about a roof over her head and food in her belly than some kid she might have shared a class or two with.

  “How do you remember me?” she said. “I wasn’t there long.”

  “It’s the name. I don’t know too many people named Ruby. That and how skinny you were. Though you aren’t now.”

  She laughed, trying to make light of it. “I like my food,” she said, forcing herself not to be the one insulted now.

  “That’s because you’re doing everything you can to change who you are. Some of us don’t have that luxury.”

  Luxury? This guy was smoking crack. She wasn’t sure what the heck he remembered about her or her life.

  “I’m sorry I don’t remember you. As I said, I moved around a lot back then.”

  “I remember. There was talk about you and your whore of a mother. Trying to better yourself, but you can’t outrun your past.”

  She was going to lose her patience. That pepper spray would have come in handy. Or maybe she should just kick him in the balls like she wanted. “Why are you just saying you know me now? Why do it when Mandy isn’t around?”

  “I didn’t want to embarrass you,” he said. He was moving in on her a bit. “I bet you’re more like your mother than you want to admit. How else would you get to be so successful?”

  She sidestepped him, but wasn’t about to turn her back either. She wasn’t stupid and was thinking of any move she could right now. “I think we are done here. It’s best if you find another realtor too.”

  “What am I going to tell Mandy?” he asked.

  “I don’t care. Think of something, but don’t call me again.”

  “Bitch,” he said and walked out the door. She took a deep breath in and out and then went about locking the house up.

  Okay, maybe Josh was right, not that she’d tell him that. Or about what happened today. Something told her he would overreact and she wasn’t in the mood to be lectured.

  She’d told Josh she’d stop over and see how the guys were doing today and she wondered if she should distance herself there too.

  Was Michael right and she was trying to be someone she wasn’t? She’d never thought that before, just that she wanted to be more than she was and there wasn’t anything wrong with that regardless of what Michael had said.

  Did she really belong in Josh’s life though?

  Did he think those things about her that Michael did?

  She got in her SUV and pulled away. She wasn’t one block when her phone went off. She looked at it quickly and saw it was Josh.

  When she got to her next showing she opened her phone and saw the picture of the wood floors under the carpet and a text that read, “In really good shape.”

  Just like them. They were in good shape too. She had to remind herself that. That she wasn’t the person that Michael said she was. And she did deserve Josh. If only she could convince herself of that.

  * * *

  “You’ll be living in paradise soon enough,” Mick said, causing a few of the guys to burst out laughing.

  He was never going to hear the end of this purchase, but he didn’t give two shit
s. “Don’t be jealous because your apartment with your girl is anything but.”

  More laughter rang out. Nathan was shaking his head but working right along. They’d gotten the carpet up in the formal living and dining room and he was thrilled to see the hardwood floors.

  “Are you going to try to match the floors here in the foyer or keep this tile?” Nathan asked.

  Josh looked down at the dark gray tile that didn’t seem to be that old. Not as old as the carpet at least. “I kind of like it with the wood on both sides.”

  “Looks good to me,” Scott, another investigator, said. He had four guys here and then himself, knowing they’d punch this out fast.

  Tomorrow Nathan was coming over with his sander and Josh ended up renting one too. Since Nathan offered to help with the floors, Josh figured between the two of them they might be able to get the upstairs done too. Then he could stain and seal this week after work and start in on other projects when he took the following week off.

  He had a little over three weeks to get it ready to move in, and with the holidays, that didn’t leave as much time as he wanted. He was thrilled to get help today but wouldn’t take advantage of anyone. Once the place was done, he’d have everyone over for food and drink.

  “I think I’ll keep it,” Josh said. “The break is nice and the hall goes right into the kitchen. Worst case, maybe I’ll change the tile to match that. Or is that too much?”

  “That’s what I’d do,” Nathan said. “You’re going to change the kitchen floor anyway. This keeps it to just two floors down here if you bring it into the mudroom and bathroom too.”

  “Then it looks like this floor will change, but I’ll keep it tile. Easier and faster than the wood.”

  “Plus it gives you a path to get out of here when you do the floors,” Mick said. “Hope you are keeping the same color stain.” Mick started to pull up the carpet on the stairs. “These look like they’ve never been walked on.”

  “They do look brand new,” Josh said. “I’ll put a new runner on them so I won’t have to do much with them.”

  The guys continued to work. The rolled-up carpet from the first floor was in the dumpster and now they were all pulling up the nails. What a bitch this was.

  The front door opened and in walked the light of his life. He had to actually shake his head over that thought.

  But there was Ruby carrying three pizza boxes. “Lunch is here.”

  “Holy shit, what a hot delivery person you are,” Mick said.

  Josh rolled his eyes and stood up. “This was nice of you,” he said, taking them out of her hands and giving her a kiss on the lips. “What do I owe you?”

  “Nothing,” she said. “I figured you men were all working hard and must be starving.”

  He turned her toward the men who were all looking at him like he’d grown three heads. Well, Nathan knew about Ruby but no one else did. He was good at keeping his life private.

  “Guys, this is Ruby. Ruby, Mick, Scott, you remember Nathan. And here comes Rob.”

  “Nice to meet you all. Floors look great. I can’t wait to see when they are done. Are you sure you want to refinish them? I’ve seen much worse than this just showing a house. The carpets have protected them well. Have you checked the upstairs yet?”

  “I figured I’d start out fresh. As you can see the stairs haven’t been touched. If the upstairs is like this I might not need to do them. Though I want to clean them and refinishing them will make it nice and fresh.”

  “It’s going to look so good when it’s done,” she said.

  He walked to the kitchen and laid the pizza down. “I don’t suppose you thought of paper plates.”

  “Oops. No, I didn’t. I can run out and get some.”

  “No big deal. We’ve got paper towels and that is just as good. Are you sure I can’t give you money? I was going to get subs or pizza soon anyway.”

  “I got paid with a nice big fat commission check from you,” she said, laughing.

  “That is for doing your job,” he reminded her.

  “And I’m allowed to buy pizza for my boyfriend and his friends while they work on his house. A house I can’t wait to get my hands on too.”

  She was smiling but for some reason it wasn’t quite reaching her eyes. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing. Why would you ask?”

  “Because you seem off for some reason. Have a bad showing?”

  “I’ve had better. Thankfully just one more couple today. Someone new. I’ve got four homes lined up to show them in Niskayuna, so not too much driving around.”

  “What are your plans tonight?” he asked.

  “Going home and relaxing. I’m sure you need to relax after a day of manual labor too. Sitting behind a desk all day is probably making you soft.”

  There was a roaring of laughter from the other room. “Guess the voices carry in this house,” he said. “Thanks for that. I’m already getting busted on for living in paradise.”

  “They are just jealous,” she said loudly. “But if any of them want to live in paradise they can give me a call. I’ll find them a place.”

  More laughter. “We’ll let Josh tell us all about paradise. It’s out of my reach,” Mick said back.

  “That’s because you’re cheap,” Scott said back to Mick.

  “Sounds like you guys are having a lot of fun here,” she said.

  “They’re good guys. I appreciate their help. But the natives get restless when they are hungry.”

  She got up on her tiptoes and gave him a snuggle. “Then I’ll get out of your way. But I’ll just steal a piece of pizza before I go.”

  The guys started to walk in when she pulled a piece out, Nathan saying, “If you’re going to eat it, you might as well stay. Otherwise you could get a ticket if you rear-end someone while trying to eat and drive.”

  “A ticket?” she said, fluttering her eyelashes. “With five strapping State Troopers in here that I’m feeding? Wow, that’s a bit mean.”

  “I’ve got your back,” Mick said. “Just give me a call. Josh is a bit uptight about special treatment.”

  Josh snorted. “Special treatment gets reserved for those that are special.” He leaned down and gave her a kiss in front of the guys and a slap on the ass.

  She yelped and laughed with him. “Well then. I guess I can eat and drive and know I’m covered.”

  He watched her walk out the door, wanting to pull her back but knowing there were too many eyes on him.

  “Dude. How the hell did you get to be that lucky? A treat to look at, food for us, and you can slap her ass and she laughs,” Mick said. “My lady would never do that.”

  “Maybe it’s because you call your girl a nag so much she has decided to be one,” Nathan said.

  Josh listened to the guys bantering back and forth while they helped themselves to lunch, but all he could think about was that his future just walked out that door and he was wondering what was going on with her. She wasn’t her normal self regardless of the front she was putting on for the guys.

  20

  Kind Of Her Too

  Ruby knocked on the door to Josh’s house the following Sunday. He’d taken Friday off and spent the last two days refinishing his floors and laying down new tile in the kitchen, front entrance, and mudroom. She’d kept her distance since she knew he was busy.

  Today they were going to paint all the rooms in the house they could and he’d start to move things over little by little and next Saturday had guys lined up with a moving truck to get his furniture here.

  “You’re early,” Josh said, opening the door. Yummy, yummy was her first thought when she saw him there in old jeans, a faded T-shirt that fit his body better than it should for working around the house, and a big grin on his face. He hadn’t shaved in days and that was even better.

  “I couldn’t wait to see everything. Wow, the tile is great.” She looked down the hall to where it met the kitchen and saw more of the slate gray twelve-by-twelve tiles with a ma
tching grout. “Your wood floors look brand new. You did go with a darker stain I see.”

  “The stairs were a bitch to do.”

  “They’d looked brand new though under that carpet,” she said.

  “They did, but after talking with Nathan we decided to just suck it up and do it so I got the color I wanted. Actually he did the stairs, as he’s better and faster than me. I would have never gotten this place done as fast as I did if it wasn’t for him.”

  “Guess maybe we should have him over for dinner one night with lots of his favorites.”

  “I planned on having a party soon once I was settled in, just to thank everyone. I’ll get the guys food for next Saturday too when they come to help me move the furniture in.”

  “You’re going to need a lot of furniture here,” she said.

  “I am. But I’ll have my living room set in the back and I’ll have to get some more since that room is so big. My TV and my bedroom. My little table can go in the breakfast area, but the rest I’ll buy. I have to figure out what I want.”

  “You’ve got time,” she said, patting him on the arm.

  “Let me take your jacket.”

  She removed it and handed it over, then walked to the kitchen and saw the cabinets were all painted a light gray but were missing pulls. “You’ve been busy.”

  “I tried to do a lot of things while the floors were setting. It worked out good that I could access the kitchen without worrying about walking on the hardwoods. I’m glad I decided to keep it separated like this too.”

  “Smart move. Did you get knobs or whatnot for the cabinets and drawers yet?”

  “I’ve got it narrowed down to two,” he said, pulling out the brushed nickel designs. “Which one?”

  She picked up the knob in one hand and the handle in the other and put them against the light gray, then handed him the bar. “This one for sure.”

  “That is what I was leaning toward too.”

  She liked that he asked her opinion. It was his home, but she felt like it was kind of hers too. “Did you get all your paint or are we shopping for that today?”