by Cary Hart
Colin follows Daisy to the other end of the office and I’m left alone, outside my office, wondering with the hell just happened.
Chapter 5
Colin
Seeing her like that, so preoccupied, took me back to high school. I couldn’t help but stare and watch what was about to unfold. Nothing good could ever happen from Nat being preoccupied, which she always was. Either by whatever she was doing or whatever thought she was over-analyzing in that pretty little head of hers. Nat was anything but graceful.
I knew I should have moved out of the way. Any nice person would have, but then again, I wasn’t a nice guy. I was a person who got things done. So, I stood my ground. Planted myself to see what would happen. Yep, just as I thought and not a drop on me. Just her hands on my chest to steady herself. Then when the realization set in and she shouted “motherfucker,” I about died. Well, Morgan Freeman, motherfucker, same fucking difference. It means the same if using it in the same context. Except from coming from her it sounded as cute as hell.
“Colin, the car is delayed downtown. If you want to make it to the site for their lunch break and back for the conference call, then you will have to drive,” Daisy barks over the intercom.
“Thanks.” Standing and getting ready to leave, I ask her for one more favor. “Hey, Daisy?”
“Yes Colin?”
“Have you updated Ms. Russo’s calendar yet?”
“Nope, I haven’t had time this morning since I had to fetch coffee and play errand girl.”
“Well, do me a favor, don’t. I’m going to show her the ropes myself. Let her shadow me.”
“Colin, she doesn’t work for Tanner Construction, she works for Ferris and if he finds out I didn’t do my job, I’ll get fired and I need my job.”
“Daisy, I realize this, but Ferris has Tanner Construction running the show and if you don’t feel like you can’t follow simple orders then maybe I’ll just have to let him know you aren’t being accommodating.”
“Screw you Colin. I didn’t realize how frequently you spoke douchebag. Shit around here is getting crazy and honestly, I don’t want to be in the middle, so do what you want to do.”
“Whoa, slow down…is it that time of the month? Do you need some chocolate?”
“SERIOUSLY?”
“Daisy, calm down. I’m sorry. I was only kidding. I’m under a lot of stress right now with deadlines. Bringing Natalie on during the last stretch of this project is just making it worse. I’m on edge. I am sorry.”
“Fine.” The fight in her fades.
“What was that?”
“Fine, Colin, just fine. I get it more than you realize.”
“Thanks and like I said, I just want to help, so I’ll show her the ropes and share my calendar. Take an extra-long lunch if you want, since we all will be out or in meetings.”
“Sounds perfect, I could use a break. Oh, and Colin?”
“Yes, D.”
“I hate it when you call me that. Anywho, can you get me a Hershey with almonds while you are out?”
“I knew it.” Click.
**********
Natalie
“Ugh…FML.” She hates me, she really hates me. Everything is a size too small. Nothing fits right. Why wouldn’t she just ask me my sizes?
“Colin is out front waiting for you,” Daisy bursts in. “Whoa! So, I may have been off in my sizes.”
Glaring at her from the mirror, I turn and hold my hands out, looking defeated. “I can’t go out there like this.”
“OK, Natalie, calm down. We can totally fix this.” She runs out of the room and comes back with a men’s button-up shirt and a gold belt.
“Here, try this.”
“This is a men’s shirt and I’m not a man.”
“Just trust me.” She nods. “Keep the black lace cami on and put the white shirt over it, but don’t button it all the way.”
“I don’t know…”
“Then put this belt on around your midsection and you will be all set.”
Doing as she says, I turn to look in the mirror. “WOW! This looks good. Shows too much cleavage but wow!”
“Well, we can’t do anything about those babies, but I figure once you get on site and put on a safety vest, the workers won’t even notice what you have going on under there.”
“Thanks Daisy.” I smile, still not knowing if she is a friend or foe.
“Just hurry, Colin gets grouchy when he runs late.” She hands me my phone and basically pushes me out the door.
Catching myself on the railing, avoiding another disaster, I balance and gain my confidence as I strut towards Colin’s car like it’s a runway during Fashion Week. Then it all comes to a slow stop as his window rolls down. His smile fades to disgust.
“What the hell are you wearing?” He look me up and down. “Is that my shirt?”
“Uhhh, I don’t know, I guess. Well, Daisy got it for me since the shirt she brought didn’t fit.” Fiddling with the shirt I look at Colin and realize it wasn’t a look of disgust after all, but a look of desire.
“You better put those things away. The last thing I need is you filing a sexual harassment suit against one of my men on site.” He throws a safety vest my way and the look of desire gone.
I catch the vest and slide it on then start to buckle my seatbelt, when a strong hand grabs my wrist, squeezing it so I’ll let go of the buckle.
“NO!” he barks.
“No?”
Colin clears his throat. “No, you need to zip it up.” His hand slowly slides from my wrist to my hand, leaving a tingle that I can feel in more places than just my fingertips. His hands fiddle with the zipper and I swear as he zips it up, his thumb grazes my exposed flesh, waking every little nerve down below. Closing my eyes tight, I try to think of something else…SPIDERS! Hairy spiders, big spiders, spiders that will eat me. It’s working. Except I feel one on me now. Swatting at my shoulder to kill it I come into contact with a large hand, a hand that belongs to smug face.
“Damn, sweetheart, I was just brushing the hair from your mouth. I thought you went to sleep on me there with your eyes closed and mouth open, drooling. Just trying to save your hair from getting a spit bath.”
“Huh?” I try to pull my thoughts together but it’s not working.
“Mouth open, drool, hair…following me there, Nat?”
“Oh, um…yeah! Sorry, I thought I felt a spider.” I blush. “You know how I hate spiders.”
“I recall,” he replies, giving me a sideways glance. “We’d better get a move on. I’ll be breaking all kinds of laws to make it there on time.”
“I thought we just had to go four blocks down the road to the construction site. Honestly we could even walk it. If you are worried about me and my shoes, I can manage just fine. Remember, I lived in New York where we walked or cabbed it everywhere.”
“How can I forget?” he drifts off for a minute, but quickly recovers. “Sweetheart, I like to take the guys’ lunch every now and then. Keeps morale up. Figured nothing makes a man happier than sex and a full stomach and obviously we aren’t in the prostitution game…” He looks over at me and flicks the zipper on the vest. “At least not yet.”
“Don’t be an axehat.”
“AXEHAT?” His laugh barrels through the car.
“Shut it, Palmer.”
“Axehat…that is a classic. I forgot you said that.”
He is still laughing and shaking his head a few minutes later as he exits the car to pick up the takeout.
Time stands still. I check my emails and decide to text Gamms.
Me: Everything is going good.
Gamms: Getting into trouble yet? Has that sweet little Palmer boy used his twitchy palms on you yet?
Me: GAMMS!
Gamms: WHY ARE YOU USING BIG CAPS WITH ME? I CAN SEE JUST FINE.
Me: Wait? Are you watching Fifty Shades of Grey again?
Gamms: Laters baby.
Note to self. Change Netflix account password and lo
ck PPV.
Colin returns with three boxes of food and two bags cutting into his wrists. I jerk open the door, the bottom scraping the curb as I do so. He stops mid-stride and I cringe. I just knew flames were going to pierce through those aviators and right into my heart, killing me instantly, but he surprises me.
“Russo, some help?”
I hurry over to the other side of the car and open the back door, taking the bags from his wrists to ease the pain. “I’m sorry about the door. I can pay to have it fixed.”
“No worries. I’m sure it will buff out.” He says it like the door wasn’t a big deal, but I knew it was. Colin always took care of everything he had. His parents came from money, but refused to help Colin in any way unless he was their little puppet. Act the way they expected. Attend the events they wanted. Go to the university of their choice and become a lawyer like his old man and grandfather. “Traditions define who we are, son.” Colin didn’t want to be defined. He wanted to create, to build. To leave his mark on the world.
That was something they never could accept. So, to teach him that it was their way or no way, they made him work for everything. His clothes? Hand-me-downs from his cousins, which were still nicer than what I had. No one knew he wasn’t living the high life. For his first set of architect tools, he mowed lawns. His first car? He bought it with money that he earned working construction over the summers. He restored it from parts he took from the junk yard. That car was amazing.
“Well, if it ends up being more, just let me know.” Walking back to my side I close the door a little, only to hear the scrapes all over again. I don’t bother to look up this time. I can imagine the look on his face.
“Just get in. We have men to feed.”
Chapter 6
Natalie
Pulling up to the site makes me giddy. Seeing something being built that was a product of one’s imagination is amazing. It brings a whole new meaning to “Build it and they will come.”
“Hey, Mr. Palmer. Daisy called and said to keep an eye out for you.” A crew member, hollers on his way to greet Colin.
“Hi Ben.” he nods, “Can you fill me in while giving me a hand?”
“Sure thing, boss.” He opens the back door and takes the food out while updating Colin on the progress for the day.
After a little small talk with Ben, Colin gets out and comes around to open my door.
Holding out his hand, looking eager, he asks, “Ready to explore?”
“Heck yeah!” I take his hand and get out of the car. “Let’s see what you dreamed up this time.”
“Just a little something I had tucked away up here.” He taps the side of his head. “There are a couple things I would have done differently, but Hampton had something else up his sleeve. I do what I’m paid to do.”
“Well, lead the way.”
Walking up the newly laid stone path, I’m in awe of what I see. “Colin,” I breathe.
“What do you think?” he looks at me with embarrassment.
“It’s amazing! It’s truly a work of art.” I look at him and see the friend I once knew. The boy who always would draw with me, for me. “Looking at it come to life is surreal. You did this!”
“Actually, they did this.” He points to the guys feasting on the sandwiches we picked up.
“Hey, Colin,” a worker says as we draw closer.
“Thanks for lunch, man,” another one pipes up.
Before you know it, there is a series of shout-outs of thanks. Colin just talks to each guy and pats them on the back or grips their shoulder in a way that makes them feel appreciated, like he really cares.
Colin always had that way about him, but he wasn’t really friends with very many kids growing up. He had Jack and the rest of their crew, but it was mostly me that he confided in.
“So, are you ready to take a look inside?”
He touches my shoulder and gives it a little squeeze, which makes me squeeze other places involuntarily.
I ignore the feeling. “I’m ready if you are,” I reply, nodding in agreement.
**********
“You really have outdone yourself this time.” I twirl around inside the grand ballroom. “With all the windows and natural lighting the beach feels like it’s indoors.”
“Well, I can’t take all the credit. I remembered some of the conversations we had over the years and I took from that.”
I’m surprised he remembered. His comment takes me back to the conversation.
“Col, where do you see yourself in 10 years?” I ask, walking back up the hill.
He seems deep in thought, drawing. Probably drawing his latest issue in the comic book he has been selling around school.
“Hmmm? What’s that, Nat?”
Coming up next to him, I plop down and continue to look at the sunset from the hill we visit daily. Our spot is on a piece of land my family owns, the only piece of property they own, thanks to my dad. He’s either sold or gambled the rest of our acreage away to some real estate brokers or local vineyards that bordered the property to make a quick sale. I’m sure he got a less-than-market-value price to get the money for his next quick fix.
“Where do you see yourself in 10 years?”
Stopping, he flips over his drawing so I can’t see it. I lean into him and relish his presence. I sigh and just feel relaxed. Anxiety is something I face every minute of every day, but the moment I see this guy, I can breathe. “Why do you ask?” he breaks my thought.
“I don’t know. I was drawing the meadow at sunset that overlooked the vineyards and I felt it.”
“Felt what?”
“That this is my forever spot.”
He looks over at me and smiles. A smile that is so carefree and beautiful, and so rare.
“What? I thought you hated St. Helena and everyone that lives here.”
“I do!” I jump up and look around. “But, I love this.” I put my arms out to the side and twirl around, then stop to look at him watching me. “This I could do forever.”
Still on the ground, Colin lies back on the blanket and stares up at the sky. “This spot is amazing.” He looks lost in thought. I’m sure he is contemplating his future, thinking about my question and the ultimatums his dad throws out daily. I know I have to do something before it eats at him.
“Well, apparently you need to work on counting to 10.” I giggle and continue to ramble. “Let me just fill you in on my plans then. After I graduate I want to leave.”
I look down at him to gauge his reaction, but see nothing. At times I feel like Colin likes me as more than a friend and other times, when he is all over one of the Jesses or popular girls at school, I realize it’s all in my head.
“I want to go to school, get my degree in art therapy, and then start up an art shop here for kids to learn.”
“Do I get to be the partner in this so-called business? I mean, I am the one who introduced you to art and the finer things in life.”
“Umm…I’ll think about it.”
“You’ll think about it? Nat…I bought you your first set of pencils and sketch book. I convinced you to load down your schedule with all the art classes they offered, including drafting. I mean, obviously, your talent speaks for itself, but I like to think I played a part in your future.” He is being over-dramatic in a joking way.
Colin gets to his feet and is in my face faster than I can register. “You will have me as a partner and we will work side by side every day.”
“You are going to school for architecture engineering. Like, really?” I look up at him, since he is already more than six feet tall, and feel myself blush — staring at his athletic body isn’t doing anything for my newly found crush and rising hormones. “Therapy, engineering…” I hold my hands out to my sides in a weighing motion, showing him how off-balance his thoughts are. “Totally different, Palmer.”
“I’ll make you!” Colin replies with a gleam in his eye.
“You’ll wha…” He starts to tickle me. “Stoooop! Colin…s
top it!”
“Say it!”
“You are going to make me pee. STOP!”
“Nope!” He responds by tickling me to the ground. He straddles my waist and pins me. One last tickle, under the arms, causes me to throw my hands above my head. He captures them above. Something has changed and I’m liking it. I feel like he is too.
“Say it…say that we will be partners.” His voice is softer now, his eyes speaking more than his words.
“Fine. We can be…”
Then I feel it. He is getting hard. I’m not sure what to do, but apparently me being shocked that he is getting turned on by this moment has me stopping mid-sentence. He takes notice and rolls off me and suddenly we are back to being Col and Nat. Looking at the sky.
“So, what makes this your forever spot?” He asks awkwardly.
“It’s perfect. It’s not the biggest piece of land or the one with the best view, but it’s perfect for me.” Looking at him out of the corner of my eye, then back to the sky, I continue, “I would build it right here at an angle. So, the back of the house would face the field. We would have windows lining the—”
“We? Who’s this we you are talking about?” he interrupts.
“Me and my husband of course.”
“You’re not getting married.”
“Anywho…the windows would line the whole back of the house, framing the outdoors, making it feel like it was coming to life inside.”
“I love that idea!”
“It’s more than I can say for you.” His voice brings me back to the present.
“Sorry, I was just looking around, remembering our discussions. I can’t believe you listened to me babble on about my crazy ideas.”
“Yeah, well, it was either listen to you or my old man mapping out my future. I chose you.”
“Gee thanks, Col, I love you, too.” I reach out and punch his arm playfully, liking the familiar feel of the banter.
“That’s what they all say.” He holds out his arms, walking backwards to give me a better glimpse of what he has become.
