by Bria Marche
Dan stayed for an additional hour as Josh and Sasha got to know the newest man moving to town. They sat together over banana bread and a cozy fire, looking at different styles of decks on Sasha’s iPad as she described what she had in mind.
“Here it is! This is exactly what I want, Dan. Can you build this?”
He looked over the photo Sasha had pulled up on her tablet. The multilevel deck was intricate, but the Victorian style would fit in perfectly and look as if it had always been an extension of the house. Little alcoves and private sitting areas among three tiers, ending with a gazebo at ground level, would be just right not only for their personal use but also for wedding dinners and photo opportunities. “Sure, I can build that, but it will take about a month of three men working on it every day. I have friends in the business that can help work whenever I need them. Are you sure this is what you want, and when should I begin?”
“I want you to start it now, as soon as possible. We need this deck finished before the wedding. That gives you seven weeks to get it—and the pergola—done. Is that doable?”
“Yep… it’s doable as long as the weather cooperates. I can get an estimate to you by tomorrow.”
“I don’t care about an estimate. I just want the deck. I’d have you build it no matter if you showed me the estimate first or not.”
“Okay, then. Let’s decide where we’re going to punch out the kitchen wall.”
***
A flurry of corn fritters and flan filled Vic’s kitchen on Saturday afternoon. Usually Mario would have been in the mix, helping his sister as they danced and flitted about—they both knew how to cook—but today Max was doing his best to fill Mario’s shoes. Excitement floated around like sparkly fairies as Vic sipped Merlot and gave out orders. Mia and Aaron arrived first, a blessing in disguise. Mia took over Max’s kitchen duties, leaving the men in charge of filling the refrigerator with beer, setting the table, and making sure each bathroom had full rolls of toilet paper.
There would be stories galore and gossip to catch up on after dinner. Nearly a month had gone by since all the friends had gathered together for a meal.
Tina arrived at four o’clock with Josh and Sasha pulling in right behind her. Mario and Karen were the last to arrive with everyone anxious to reconnect with both of them. Careful hugs and kisses were bestowed on Mario and nonstop chatter filled the living room when they walked in.
“No stories until after dinner,” he kidded. “It will be much more fun when everyone is relaxed and paying attention. The story is to die for.”
“That’s not even funny… dork,” Karen said.
“It is if you can live to talk about it. Where’s the beer, for God’s sake?”
“In my house, Bro, you serve yourself, hurt or not.” Vic smirked as she planted a sloppy kiss on Mario’s cheek.
“Gross… can you make your kisses a little less wet? It’s like being licked by a dog.”
“Really?” Vic said. “You might want to ask Max’s opinion of that, smart-ass.”
“Nope, not doing it… TMI.” Mario chuckled.
Vic’s living room was the gathering place after everyone’s bellies were full. Women scrambled for the best seats in the house while all of the guys stood around, scratching their over-filled stomachs, except for Mario. He was given the king’s seat, the most comfortable chair in the living room.
“Josh, give me a hand grabbing a few extra chairs,” Max said.
With everyone seated and holding a beverage, the questions began. The girls already knew about Dora Dreadlocks and the way the Telluride chapter had ended, so that subject was avoided. Nobody wanted to make this an awkward evening. The guys skimmed over the details of selling Gravity, congratulating Mario on his success. Then came the juice. They had to hear about the bull named Sampson. Laughs and guffaws filled the room as the beer and wine flowed. A reenactment of Sampson pawing the ground and snorting at Mario was provided, live in the round, by none other than Karen Miles.
“You seriously have to stop right now, or I’m going to pee myself. Maybe I should wear Depends until after I give birth. Who wants another drink as long as I’m up?” Sasha wiped the laughter tears from her eyes and left the room. “Okay, it’s our turn,” she said when she returned with her arms full of beverages. Sasha sat next to Josh and told everyone about the deck they were having built. “It’s so cool, too, because this is the guy that’s buying Josh’s house. He’s in construction and a carpenter by trade. His name is Dan Mason, and he plans to open his own business once he’s moved in. He’ll build the deck while we work on the vineyard, so nobody is in each other’s way. Can you guys imagine how beautiful it will be having the deck completed by our weddings?” Sasha walked around the room, showing everyone the deck photo on her tablet. “Dan said he’d work nonstop to get the deck and the pergola done before the wedding date.”
“I bet his wife can’t be too happy about that.” Tina smirked.
“Oh, he isn’t married, which surprises me,” Sasha said.
“Because?”
“Well… because he is so handsome. Just saying…”
“Looks aren’t everything. A dark, curly-haired, gorgeous stranger ran right into me the other day and knocked two jumbo-sized sodas right down my shirt. I got a lame, half-assed apology as he continued on without looking back. Men are seriously demented.” Tina groaned.
“Hello… there’s four of us sitting right here, thanks.” Aaron huffed.
“You guys don’t count… most of the time.” Tina huffed.
“That’s weird,” Sasha said. “That description sounds like—”
Vic interrupted Sasha with an elbow to Tina’s side.
Tina yelped and rubbed her ribs. “Damn you, Vic. You always do that to me. I’m going to be like Mario in a second if you don’t knock that off.”
“Whatever… get over it. Anyway, didn’t you admit the soda spill could have been your fault since you were too busy gawking at him to realize you were blocking the doorway?” Vic raised her right eyebrow with the question.
“Well, I’ll have to give that a little more thought,” Tina mumbled under her breath.
“Anyway, next Wednesday the grape stock arrives, and my parents get in Saturday morning. I’m so happy! Here’s the deal: I want to host a guess-the-baby’s-gender party on Sunday. I’d rather do it sooner than later. We’ll be so busy with the wedding garden and deck, as time goes on, and I just don’t want to miss out on having the party. So you all need to be at my house Sunday the tenth at noon. Put it on your calendars.”
“Oh my God, you guys—I totally forgot you had the ultrasound the other day!”
“Um… yeah, Karen—great friend you are.” Sasha pouted.
“Honey, I was kind of busy with Mario almost dying and driving most of the way back from Colorado… sorry. Anyway, I can’t wait until the party so we can all find out if the baby is a boy or a girl. How exciting! We have a nursery to paint and decorate, too.”
***
“I can really use your help today if you don’t have anything going on.” Sasha had called Tina, knowing she would be up at seven thirty even though it was Tuesday and Hair Brained was closed.
“Why, and what is so urgent that you needed to call me this early?”
“You’re up, aren’t you?” Sasha rifled through the vanity drawer in her bathroom, looking for the peach-colored nail polish that would match the new socks she’d just bought. Her toenails were begging for a fresh color.
“Well… yeah.”
“Then who cares what time it is? Sometimes you confuse me, Tina.”
“I’m standing on principle—that’s all.”
“Yeah, and I’m standing on a sheepskin rug. Whatever… I have no idea what you’re talking about right now. So, can you come over and give me a hand moving some stuff around in the kitchen? The workers started laying out the groundwork for the deck yesterday, but they’re in the kitchen a lot, taking measurements and drawing marks on the walls. I just
want to make a clearer path, and actually, I don’t want them to break any of my stuff. You know how guys are—they’re all buffoons.”
“Are you and Karen back on track with the big-word classes?” Tina asked.
“Yep… just over the phone for now, but I actually used one in a sentence the other day. It was so exciting.”
“Good for you, girl. I’ll be over in an hour.”
Chapter Nine
The large-panel van parked in the middle of Sasha’s driveway blocked the path to the brick sidewalk. Two other vehicles filled up the space behind the work van. Tina parked on the street, walked through the wet, soggy lawn, and climbed over piles of lumber and around power-tool stations to find the sidewalk. She was pissed off before she’d even banged the doorknocker.
“Friggin’ seriously—what’s with their crap? Why can’t they do their stuff in the back where the logical place would be? That is where the deck is going, isn’t it?”
“Hello, Tina.” Sasha smiled gracefully and welcomed her in. “Take off those muddy shoes, or I’ll have to kill you. Anyway, there aren’t any power outlets in the backyard because nothing ever happened back there. Don’t worry—they’re going to make everything super modern, starting with outlets everywhere. They’re even going to do something with the plumbing to give me outdoor faucets so I can water the flower beds in the back. Dan has connections. He’ll hire the plumbers and electricians so I won’t have to. Smart, huh?”
“Whatever… anyway, you don’t have any flower beds in the back.”
“But I will someday. Should we have coffee and warm peach cobbler before we begin?”
“Hell yeah. I can’t believe how ambitious you are. I supposed you made it from scratch, too, right?”
“Of course,” Sasha said, sticking her chest out proudly. “I made extra for the guys to enjoy as a snack.”
“That isn’t your job, Sasha. I’m sure you’re paying them plenty just to build the deck and pergola.”
“True, but what’s wrong with being nice?”
“Sorry. You’re right. I’m just pissed because my shoes are full of mud. Okay, let’s eat, then we can get busy.”
By ten o’clock, everything that wasn’t a cabinet or an appliance had been removed from the kitchen. Luckily, when Sasha started buying heavy antique furniture for the Victorian, a late-night infomercial advertising Magic Sliders had caught her eye. She’d bought a set and then a second one at half price. Having them handy, especially since she was pregnant, had made the job she and Tina just completed a little easier. The dining room now held two tables, fourteen chairs, and an array of knickknacks and wall décor. Tina and Sasha sighed and plopped down with an exaggerated thud on the kitchen chairs that were mixed among the others.
Tina groaned. “You have way too much stuff, Ms. Destiny.”
“Just wait. We haven’t even furnished the library yet. We’ll have to get deck furniture, too,” Sasha said gleefully.
“Yeah, I can see you drooling already.”
“Hey, I should invite the guys in for coffee and some peach cobbler. It’s chilly outside. As long as they all take off their shoes, they can sit here in the dining room where the fire is toasty and have a little snack.”
“Maybe I should go, then, if you’re done with me.”
Sasha squeaked with surprise and grabbed Tina’s arm. “You can’t go and leave me here alone with three hot, muscular guys.”
“Really? Isn’t that every woman’s fantasy?” The left side of Tina’s lip curled upward in a sneer.
“Yeah, but they might take advantage of me if I’m alone with them.”
“There you go, fantasizing again. Fine, I’ll stay.”
“Good. I’m going upstairs to the balcony so I can yell down to them to come in.”
“Okay, Juliet. O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou, Romeo?” Tina called out as Sasha rushed upstairs. She chuckled at the image on the balcony calling down to those three men. Sasha bounded back down the staircase like a gazelle, and ran to the front door to welcome the men in. She also wanted to make sure they removed their shoes. Tina started a fresh pot of coffee and warmed up the peach cobbler in the microwave, waiting for them to pile into the house in anticipation of their delicious treat.
Five plates of cobbler were set on the dining room table as well as a carafe of coffee. Tina returned to the kitchen for the creamer and sugar bowl, stepping around the slew of obstacles she and Sasha had created. Carrying the cream, spoons, and sugar, she rounded the corner as the men entered the dining room.
There he stood, again, in all his magnificent glory, hotter than any man had a right to be. The same dark, curly-haired stranger who’d left Tina speechless and gawking at Amelia’s was coming toward her for the second time. Tina gawked once more, not paying attention to the kitchen step stool in front of her. She tripped and watched in disbelief, knowing what was coming next. The cream, sugar and spoons flew, landing squarely in the face and chest of Mr. Hottie.
“What the—” he yelled out, more from surprise than anything else. He sputtered and ran the arm of his denim jacket across his face, trying to wipe away the cream that was running down his cheeks and dripping off the end of his nose. Sugar crystals coated his eyebrows and the sexy two-day beard growth he sported.
“Tina! Oh my God, look what you’ve done,” Sasha squealed. “Dan, I’m so sorry. It’s just that we moved things out of the kitchen, and obviously Ms. Klutz forgot to step around the stool.”
“Well, shit, Sasha, thanks for the support, and I’m quite capable of speaking for myself. Sorry. I forgot about the damn stool sitting in the way.”
Sasha ran off to get a hand towel for Dan while the three men stood, staring at Tina, speechless.
A small chuckle popped unexpectedly from Tina’s mouth as she looked this gorgeous mess of a man up and down. “Oops. I didn’t mean to laugh.” The more she tried to suppress it, the less she could. She erupted with laughter, and one by one, the two men with Dan joined her.
“I’m glad the three of you are having a riot at my expense.” Dan groaned as Sasha handed him the white terrycloth towel. He wiped his face, not realizing the white towel fuzz clung to his beard stubble.
Tina burst out laughing even harder at that point and had to excuse herself and run down the hallway, slamming the bathroom door behind her.
“Who the hell is she, and what’s her problem?” she heard Dan saying.
Tina stood in the bathroom, after peeing, and looked at herself in the mirror. She needed to freshen up a bit and wipe the smudged, tear-stained mascara from under her eyes. She still giggled at the thought that a certain amount of payback had just happened without her even having to try. She needed to present a peace offering, though, if she wanted to remain living and learn more about this man named Dan. She ran a washcloth under the faucet until comforting hot water thoroughly soaked it. She gave it a squeeze and returned to the dining room, offering it to Dan with another apology, minus the smirk.
Sasha took Dan’s coat and wiped off as much of the cream and sugar as she could. She hung it over the porch railing to dry in the sun. Tina hoped it wouldn’t turn into a syrupy, sticky mess. Then Sasha went to the kitchen for a new bowl of sugar and cream, with Tina right on her heels. “Seriously, Tina, what the hell is wrong with you? Are you on crack or something? I don’t need you pissing off my workers, especially Dan. He’s the main carpenter, the ringleader if you will. He’s the guy that’s buying Josh’s house. I told all of you about him on Saturday.”
“Yeah, but I didn’t know it was him. You’ll understand when I explain later. I guess we should sit with them and act like the gracious hostesses we are,” Tina said, still giggling.
“Yeah, there’s only one gracious hostess here, and it sure as hell isn’t you. You’re really a wing nut today.”
***
“So, who exactly are you?” Dan asked while trying to keep as far away from Tina as possible. He sat nearest the fireplace at the oversized dining-room
table, five seats away from Sasha’s klutzy guest.
“I’m one of Sasha’s dearest friends, and who are you?” she asked smugly, cocking her head to the right.
“Obviously, I’m one of the construction guys. The name is Dan Mason, and to my left”—he pointed—“are Jeff Jackson and Bill Taylor.”
“Sasha said you’re the guy who’s buying Josh’s house. Where are you from?” Tina took a bite of the cobbler, licked her lips, and smiled.
Dan stared at her as if she were an alien, trying to figure her out but not really knowing if he cared enough to bother. “This is great cobbler and coffee, Sasha. Appreciate it. I’m from Croton-on-Hudson originally. Been gone for a while,” he said between mouthfuls of food.
“Where were you?” Tina persisted.
This chick is like a friggin’ mosquito that won’t leave me alone, he thought as he sized her up. “In Albany for eight years, running my business. Have we met? You seem…”
“What… familiar? I get that a lot. More coffee anyone?”
Dan shook his head, a little annoyed and somewhat frustrated by this odd woman. “Okay, guys, we’ve got work to do. Thanks—it was great, Sasha.”
***
Tina watched out the large leaded-glass bay window as the men retreated around the house. She laughed when she saw Dan trying to button his coat, which had taken on a stiff, hardened texture like rock candy.
Sasha walked up behind Tina, snuggling Kismet in her arms, and watched through the glass with her. “Damn hot, right? So what’s your deal with him? Do you know Dan?”
“Not exactly.” Tina turned and went back to the dining room for one more helping of cobbler.
“Well then, how exactly, Miss Piggy?”
“He’s the guy that ran into me a few days ago. Evidently, you and I were talking about the same person Saturday night, and we didn’t even know it.”
