Catch My Breath
Page 4
The rest of the afternoon, we walk the entire property, sweating our asses off and finding out what needs to be done and who will be doing the work. We’re each assigned specific duties and a crew to work with. Luckily, and as expected, I work side-by-side with Evan.
He hangs onto a clip board as we go from cabin to cabin and stays in a totally serious tone while talking with us. This is a side he rarely shows, but when his grandfather puts him in charge of something he definitely takes it to heart, abandoning his usual sarcastic-everything’s-a-joke demeanor for an all-work-and-no-play attitude.
So far the local store called The Snack Shack is about the only building that is not in bad need of a makeover. It’s hard to believe that we can get it all done in a little over a month.
When the sun begins to set, we all disperse back to our cabins and call it a day. Grabbing my bag, I roam down to the shower house to get cleaned up. Running late this morning left me with no time for a shower, and considering I was laying in hay for half of the previous evening, I have no doubt that the other’s probably think I smell like a barn.
Inside the shower house I look around and laugh. This one is going to be fun. The dark dreary atmosphere meshed with crud and grime caked in every crevice reminds me of a rest stop that you would see in a horror flick.
Dropping my bag onto a bench in one of the shower stalls, I pull the curtain shut and quickly slide out of my clothes. The water comes out cold at first but with the hangover I have had all day, I welcome the shock to my system. After turning the knob to slightly tweak the temperature of the water, it washes over me while I stare down at the mini cyclone of water swirling around the corroded metal drain. With a deep breath, I imagine all my worries, all my pains of the past being swept away with it. This is going to be a good summer. I’m going to get along with my brother. I’m going to have fun. No distractions; no girls sneaking in my window and we are five hours away from every horrible memory I have had in my life.
Thankfully, the next few weeks fly by with busy days and relaxing evenings. For the most part we start working on one cabin at a time until it is completed before moving on. There are a total of eighteen cabins on his grandfather’s property and numerous out buildings so it has required some pretty long hours. Each day we work from sun up to sun down and then lug our equipment back to the tool shed. Our down time consists of hitting the beach afterwards, even though half the time none of us have the energy or motivation to do anything but lay around.
“Ok, that’s it. I can’t do it anymore,” Tristan announces as he scoops up a towel and heads towards the door. “Screw swimming at the beach with a bunch of guys I’ve had to look at for nearly four weeks straight. I’m going nuts.”
He holds his hands out as if this will emphasize the level of frustration he is getting at. We all hear him loud and clear. Evan chuckles while we all grab our stuff. Tonight Evan, Jake and I decided to skip out of the swim and take the boat out for some night fishing.
“I’m sure you’ll find a large supply of skimpy swimwear across the lake, man … just don’t get too carried away and end up missing work. We are making good progress and I’d like to get all of it done before schedule.”
“Don’t worry … depending on what we find over there, we’ll be back,” Tristan laughs.
“Wait. Are you all headed over there?”
“Why not? Seriously, a four week dry spell is about all we can stand. We have to go find some action. You guys wanna join?”
Evan looks at me and Jake with a warning in his eyes. Jake smirks at me and shakes his head slowly, almost as if he is gauging what I want to do before answering.
“No, we’re not going catting around with you,” Evan says before either me or Jake can answer. “… and you better not be late in the morning, Tristan … I’m serious.”
I laugh at Evan’s serious tone as Tristan lets the screen door slam shut. He knows as well as I do that work will take a backseat for my brother if women are involved.
With a wide grin, Tristan sticks his head back inside between the screen and door frame. “You sure you don’t want to join us.”
Evan frowns and Tristan laughs harder, allowing the door to fall closed as he jets off towards his car.
“He’s not going to be back by morning, is he?”
I shake my head and look at Jake who also has an all-knowing smile. “Definitely not,” I inform him without a doubt in my mind.
“No way,” Jake adds, grabbing his pole and tackle box. “We’ll deal with it tomorrow. Let’s go catch some fish.”
The next morning, and as expected, Evan, Jake and I get started at the crack of dawn and the rest of the gang strolls into the parking lot about an hour later, amplifying the bad mood that Evan already seemed to be in. Stationed on the roof of the first cabin, which is Evan and Mitch’s grandfather’s personal cabin, we stay busy replacing the decking, throwing down new tar paper and then laying new shingles one-by-one.
The sun is high overhead reflecting off the surface of the lake and calling out to us like a tall glass of water that we want desperately, yet can’t quite reach. I shed my shirt hours ago hoping for a bit of relief from the heat, but the kicked up temps seem to be sautéing my skin as sweat rolls down my forehead, arms, neck and back.
“Did you see that one chick? She could not get enough of this.” Tristan stands tall, flipping his hand down the length of his body as if he’s a luxury menu item.
Matt cracks up, “Which one? I saw a couple disappear with you.”
“Don’t give him that much credit, boys … they just knew I was waiting over by the dock,” Mitch adds in a cocky tone just as annoying as Tristan’s.
“Shhhhhitttt … you wish!” Tristan arches his brows. “Anyways, the only one I was wanting to join me is the owner’s daughter dressed in that skimpy little number that’s staying in the huge front cabin with all her uppity friends. She is a serious freak,” he shrugs. “Figured that’d be fun.”
“Oh we could hear the freak coming out of her all the way over at the beach.” Tyler chuckles with his eyes widened.
Tristan nods with a grin.
Wiping at his forehead, Tyler swings his head over to Evan. “I think we should call it a day, don’t you Evan?” Tyler pipes up.
“Sounds like a plan to reconvene across the lake.” Tristan snickers igniting a dirty look from Evan. I shake my head at his ridiculously obnoxious comments.
“No way, man! We need to at least get half of this roof laid before the end of the day! Get your lazy ass back to work! It’s only mid morning!” Evan snaps.
Hours at it and his pissy mood only seems to deepen. Maybe the heat is getting to him.
“Hey are you going to bite my head off if I jump down to get a drink?” I ask fairly certain he is going to tell me to get back to work.
Evan nods his head and then yells out. “If you need a drink, have to take a piss or need to cool off that’s fine as usual, but we’re on a time-crunch today. Do what you need to do, and get your butt back to work so we can get this done.”
He flashes a bit of smirk and I laugh. It’s in his nature to goof off just like the rest of us, but he is determined to make this summer job go off without a hitch, so he can take over his grandfather’s company when he steps down.
Hopping off the roof, I make my way over to my truck for a drink. Right now, throwing the jug of water over my head sounds more appealing than drinking it. My feet ache and my back is shouting out in pain as I walk across the lot. My hand falls on the door handle of my truck and I make sure to grab my hat first. My hair keeps sticking to my forehead and the sting in my scalp tells me it is bright red by now. After weeks in the sun, my back resembles a sheet of leather more than flesh, but for some reason my head keeps burning and peeling.
I slide my hat on backwards so that the bill doesn’t get in my line of view the remainder of the day while I work. Gravel crunches behind me as I grab my jug and put it to my mouth, closing my eyes in relief as the still cool
liquid glides down my throat and quenches my thirst.
From the corner of my eye, I make out a gray van pulling up and parking a couple yards away. It strikes me as odd, since these cabins were supposed to be vacant up until the Fourth of July.
Several girls hop out of the van and quickly notice my friends up on the roof. The guys also take in the sight of our company prompting whistles, cat-calls and a level of foolishness that only woman can invoke in a man.
Of course Tristan stands up demanding attention. “Hell yeah … it’s about damn time we get company.”
I glance to Evan, who has halted in his hammering with a deep frown etched across his face. Snapping my head back in the direction of the van, I search for what has his crappy mood going further south. Looking from one face to the next in the lineup of girls, I nearly dismiss it as unexpected guests that he’ll have to get rid of until one face looks familiar. I swear I’ve seen a picture of her in Evan’s camper. She and another girl take turns returning his angry glare.
Just when I’m about to write it off as drama I do not need, I come to a mind-blowing, heart-pounding stop when my eyes land on a blonde in a tight pink tank top. Holy shit! I stand up straighter, squinting to get a better look. Wow! My breath catches in my throat and the water jug nearly falls from my hand. She stands solo at the side of the van, taking in the tension between Evan and the dark haired girl much like I’ve been.
Gripping my water tighter, I slam the truck door hoping she might look my way so I can see her face better. Evan’s all work and no play rule is going right out the window, because I have to know who she is.
THE SOUND OF MY door slamming alerts her to my attention, but instead of making eye contact with her, I hastily covered my face with my water bottle. I’m definitely not smooth. I have no idea how to do these things. After watching Tristan in action for the last few years, it should be easy to catch a girl’s attention.
Watching her through the corner of my eye, I swipe my forearm over my forehead to wipe away beads of sweat while taking a couple more guzzles. She watches my every move, sending a wave of confidence through me.
“I think Alyssa sees something she likes,” a female voice says farther away.
The blonde’s expression shifts from curiosity to panic in two seconds flat and if I wasn’t so awe-struck, I’d laugh.
Lowering my jug slowly, I keep a steady eye on her as she stares back my way. Our eyes collide and a small smile sneaks onto my face.
Fumbling around, I carefully place my water in the back of my truck, but I cannot look away. Her long blonde hair flows over her shoulder and down to the center of her chest framing her small oval shaped face. She has a porcelain skin tone that is definitely not intended for a day out at the lake, but I can’t help but wish I was the one that could smooth tanning lotion all over it. Trying not to be obvious, I continue to watch her. Her eyes sparkle under the sun and nearly look as pale blue as the sky with pouty lips that have my heart drumming. That’s not what has me so transfixed on her though. It’s also not the way her tight top and short blue jean shorts hug every inch of her small frame, although that does have my pulse quickening. The look in her eyes is what has me ready to surrender.
At first glance, I catch a hint of sadness to them. It’s almost as if she is emotionally beat down and I totally get that. It’s a look I can sympathize with, but then again, maybe it was a long, tiring ride and I’m reading her all wrong. Regardless, every fiber in my body wants to race to her side and sweep her away. Her eyes stay on me, so I give her a small smile.
“Are you joining us up here anytime soon?” Evan yells out, breaking our eye contact and the trance she has me under.
Hesitantly, I turn and walk back to the ladder but cannot shake the grin that is tugging at my lips. I climb to the roof quickly, almost desperate to look back at her, but as soon as I gather my tools and crouch back down, each girl trails into the adjoining cabin with luggage gripped in their hands. I guess they are staying for a while. Sighing, with a tad bit of excitement, I get back to work.
“You know anything about that?” Mitch asks, looking towards Evan.
Evan glares at him, making us all aware that our neighbor’s arrival has only deepened his foul mood. I’m not sure what has pushed his mood further south but I’ve got a sneaky suspicion that it’s the dark-haired girl.
Tyler speaks up in Evan’s place, “He talked to someone about them coming yesterday. I had to move several cots from the storage shed over there earlier this morning. I wasn’t sure what all it was for, but it’s looking good from what I can see now,” he chuckles.
Mitch laughs, but all amusement has left Evan’s face as he casts a dirty look in Tyler’s direction ...
“So are they staying for a while?” I ask quietly and nonchalantly, not wanting to be too obvious.
“Got a little crush, do ya?” Evan teases.
My eyes snap over his shoulder to the other guys. Giving Tristan something to pester me about this summer is the last thing I want. I chuckle at his choice of words. Crush? I don’t even know her, but I sure as hell would like to.
“Don’t answer me, but I saw the whole googly-eyed shit going on down there. The blonde, huh?”
Just hearing the word blonde brings a smile to my face. I nod my head, but leave it at that for now.
A couple hours of pounding nail after nail into the roof go by and we are over halfway done with our day. Just when I’m prepared to give up on seeing the bright-eyed blonde again, giggles and squeals rise into the air, grabbing our attention like dogs to a fire hydrant.
“Alright,” Tristan says as the girls one-by-one strip down to their swimsuits.
The first girl, a petite brunette along with a slender blonde and Evan’s dark-haired obsession all jump in, igniting whistles and hollers around me.
“Great! We’re never going to get this done with this kind of distraction,” Evan mutters while joining the others as they watch the girls swim out towards the floating dock. Yeah, that is definitely the girl that did a number on him years ago. I don’t know the whole story, but I know something happened between them and he says she hates him now.
Lodging a nail into the gritty gray shingle, I swing the hammer clasped in my other hand just as I sneak a quick glance at the gorgeous blonde.
“Damn it!” I yell as it slams into my thumb.
Without thought, the hammer is abandoned on the roof and the tip of my thumb is in my mouth like I’m a toddler trying to comfort myself. As the warmth of my tongue soothes the throbbing sensation in my finger, my eyes divert back to her. She flings off her shirt and steps onto the towel she has draped across the sand. My mouth drops open when I take in her perfect silhouette covered with only two tiny triangles being held together by a string. Whoa!
“Are you going to work today?” Evan says from behind me, making my heart drop into my stomach.
I swing my attention to him and nod, hoping to fend off any further comments. “I’m working!” I snap back, grabbing a few more nails and my hammer.
A couple more swings and a few glances later, renders my thumb damn near crippled. This girl has me hypnotized. Fortunately, I get the next nail in, but the guys have all seemed to notice my interest.
“Oh shit, Judd … she’s topless now,” Tyler cries out beside me.
My chin catapults up so fast it nearly gives me whiplash and my heart is racing a hundred miles an hour, but all I’m met with is laughter all around. She’s still lounging on her stomach across a bright yellow towel with a book in her hand.
“Oh man, I thought your head was going to pop off,” Matt cracks up, pointing at me as I turn back and give him a withering look.
“Ha … Ha, Matt.”
“Oh dude, she’s on the move,” Nick loudly whispers, throwing a nail to get my attention.
I breathe out an insincere chuckle and go on with my work. “Whatever, guys. It’s not going to work this time.” I continue to slam my hammer down until my nail is flush.
“They’re actually being serious,” Jake’s words have me snapping my head around to look. Him, I believe.
Her book now lies on the towel with her feet planted a few inches away. Her shorts slide down her legs, suddenly making my throat dry and in desperate need of something wet. I gulp and study the curves of her hips. She darts off towards the water, bouncing over the shimmery sand and the whole thing plays out in my mind in slow motion to some sexy ass music.
I snap my mouth shut, once her head falls below the water. The guys are definitely going to give me shit for this. Without looking, I reach in my belt for another nail and one finds me. A sharp, piercing pain jabs the tender flesh right beneath my fingernail.
“Shit!!” I holler, rising onto my feet. What the hell is wrong with me?
The guys laugh in unison, clearly enjoying my frustration as entertainment for the day.
I settle back down on the roof fully intent on staying busy and not looking out at the water, but it takes all of five minutes for my will power to falter.
At last, the sun goes down, signaling the end of our work day. After helping Evan lock up the tool shed, I high tail it to the shower house to wash off. I’m determined to run into that girl if I can pull it off.