Page 17 of Under Construction

When they get back to the Lexus, neither of them moves to get in. The shadows stretch long across the pavement, the golden light softening as the warmth of the day slowly fades.

"So." Chris rocks on his heels, hands shoved in his pockets.

"So."

"Thanks," Chris says, tilting his head toward the shelter—just in case Dennis has forgotten where they’ve just been. "For, uh, knowing about this place."

Dennis doesn’t answer. He’s quite happy letting the awkward silence follow so Chris has to fill in the space.

“That was, ah, yeah… kind of cool and chill of you,” Chris says, right on cue, complete with mini shrug in awhateverkind of way.

“Mmm,” Dennis grunts, not in a hurry to make any polite small talk. He better get home to all the nothing that awaits him. Sigh. Maybe a catwouldbe a great idea, he thinks wistfully. They could be lonely together.

Then Chris smiles. It’s big. It’s bright. It’s so disgustingly genuine that it makes Dennis balk, taking a step back to keep Chris and whatever power play he’s cooking up at a good, safe distance.

"Thanks for saving her," Dennis offers, his voice neutral. He can’t stand the guy but politeness to the enemy is the mark of a gentleman, and Dennis is nothing if not a gentleman.

"Need a ride?" Chris holds up his keys. Dangles them, eyebrows waggling like he’s offering a once-in-a-lifetime deal.

Dennis rolls his eyes in disgust—though, despite himself, he fights the tug of a traitorous smile creeping up at the corners of his mouth. He shakes it off mentally and replaces it with a scowl. "I’ll grab an Uber," he clips, back to full professionalism. He pulls out his phone and starts tapping.

"Well." Chris shrugs again. He presses a button on the key, and the car unlocks with a soft beep and a flash of light. "See you tomorrow, princess."

"Yeah." Dennis turns and starts walking away to get to his pick-up spot.

Welp. All in all, not a terrible end to another long day. The little black kitten didn’t get fried by Chris’s engine, and Mr. Whiskers and Co. were a riot, as always. The girls at the shelter were flirty, which is always fun. Chris didn’t seem to mind either—not the catsorthe girls.

He was really sweet to everyone. He wasn’t even his usual insufferable, crappy, shitty, turdy self to Dennis.

Dennis smiles to himself, now that he’s alone on the street, with Chris behind him and an empty road ahead. Good with all sorts of pussy, huh? Snort. The guy is a boorish, classless, uncouth idiot of the highest order.

But, you know... he might be the biggest fucking jerk in the world, but maybeoneredeeming quality is better than none.

Dennis spins around. "Hey Chris?" he calls out.

Chris looks up, startled, like he’s been yanked out of his thoughts. He’s just standing there, keys in hand, not even getting into his car.

"Yeah?"

"Nice car."

He walks away before Chris can respond. But he swears he hears laughter following him down the street.

Warm laughter.

The kind that makes him think about gentle hands saving kittens. About the way Chris's voice went soft when he talked to the tiny creature. About the sides of people you never expect to see.

Heh. Chris is a weird one.

08Progress

Three days before the investor visit, Dennis walks into organized chaos. Workers swarm over exposed beams, cleaning and polishing until bamboo gleams like gold in the morning light.

His shoulders ache from tension. There’s so much going on and so little time to get it all done. Dennis feels pulled into a million directions.

The drywall incident put them behind schedule, his mother is arriving tonight for their monthly family dinner whichguaranteesthat he’ll be the default referee to his parents’ fights, and Chris...

Well, Chris has been different since the kitten rescue.

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