Page 26 of Zimyra

“I wasn’t.” She continues, “Mrs. Phillips in 204-B needs a new doorknob on her balcony door. There are plenty of knobs and things in the shed. As for the light near the pool, I’ve marked the light pole in question with red tape so you know which one I’m referring to. The buildings are all numbered 1, 2, 3, and 4. The first number in the unit number corresponds to the building the unit is located in. Unit 101 is in Building 1. Unit 224 is in Building 2—so on and so forth. This list needs to be completed by the end of the day. Any questions?”

“No.”

Mauricio walks in.

She says, “Look at that. He’s right on time.”

“Buenos dias,” Mauricio says.

“Buenos dias, Mauricio.”

She returns her attention to me and says, “I need y’all to stand side by side so I can take your picture.”

“For what purpose?”

“I like to send a newsletter to my tenants. This one will feature your picture so they can know who our maintenance team is. Other complexes around here have had trouble with criminals posing as maintenance workers. That’s not going to happen over here—not on my watch.”

I tell Mauricio to stand next to me while she holds up her cell and snaps our picture. She continues to impress me with how she cares for the tenants here. She knows them – almost personally, it seems – and the picture she takes of us adds to that care.

“Thanks,” she says. “That’s all for now.”

I head outside where I explain everything we have to finish today to Mauricio. He looks like he’s ready and capable. I may mess around and learn a thing or two from hanging with him. Just looking over the list again, the only item I could check off on my own is the lightbulb change, and I don’t even want to do that. Why should I have to when I’m paying Mauricio to do all of my dirty work? On top of the fifteen dollars an hour Atlantic will pay him, I told him I’d give him an extra five hundred per week. He gladly accepted.

CHAPTER 8

After they leave my office, I get back to my duties. First things first, I draft up an email notifying the residents of the new maintenance crew:

Dear Atlantic Tenants:

Thank you to everyone who has RSVP’d to our paint and sip this month. It’s going to be a good time. There are still some slots left if you would like to join us. Also, I wanted to notify you that we have new maintenance staff. I am attaching a picture of them for your reference. Please note that if someone comes to your door claiming to be maintenance, do not open it if it is not one of these two men. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to call the office.

Zimyra St. Claire

Properties Manager

Atlantic Properties

Crap…

That reminds me. I need the background checks back. It’s not like me to do things out of order like this, but between this lengthy maintenance list and Axel’s persistence, I went ahead and hired them. I check my email for Axel’s report since I submitted his first. It just came in. I immediately download the report, print it out and get up to grab up off the printer. I read over it.

I’m amazed.

He’s squeaky clean. I was kinda hoping he wasn’t so I’d have a reason to fire his butt.

Bummer.

Mauricio’s report should be back at some point tomorrow.

I have a little downtime when I return from lunch, so I look over notes for an upcoming test I have for my interior design program. I know the basics, but I need to make sure I keep the terminology fresh in my mind – words like clerestory, enfilade, etagere, monochromatic and trompe l’oeil. I know them, but when I get nervous, I confuse them. Hopefully, that won’t be the case when test time rolls around.

The door chimes. I glance that way and see Mauricio and Axel walking in looking dirty and sweaty like those five little jobs I gave them whooped their behinds.

“Hola,” Mauricio says.

“Hola. Are y’all done?” I ask, but I look at the person who knows English.

He says, “Of course—knocked it out with no issues.”

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