Page 10 of Rules to Love By

The eggs were good. Better than Eli’s, although Marcus hadn’t done anything extraordinary to them.

Maybe it was the company.

And wasn’t that a dangerous thought.

“We should talk about schedules,” Eli blurted, to distract himself from it.

“I’m pretty wide open, so we can work around your class schedule.”

“Actually, my class schedule will be less trouble than my work schedule.”

“Which is?”

“Bartending.”

“So evenings and weekends?”

“Mostly.”

Marcus grinned. “I can work around that, I think. This whole handyman thing is kind of a day gig and all.”

“You going to turn on power tools back there while Dad’s trying to run a business?”

“Huh. Good point.”

“So why don’t we start with a few lists.”

“Lists?”

“Tasks. Supplies. Schedules. Get it all on paper, then see how things slot together from there.”

Marcus narrowed his eyes. “Business studies, huh?”

Eli couldn’t help an indulgent grin. “I picked up a few things.”

“Teach me, Obi-Wan.”

After stacking the plates on the counter, Eli fetched a pad of paper and a pen from beside the telephone and held them out for Marcus.

“Thank you.” Marcus took the offered items. He gulped the coffee as he set them down, made a face, and put the mug on the far edge of the table.

“That cold? I can heat it up.” Eli reached for the mug, but an almost violent shake of Marcus’s head stopped him.

“I… um. Think I’m all coffee’d out.”

Eli raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah, it’s…”

“Bad,” Eli supplied with a laugh. “Dad drinks it by the gallon. I don’t know how it hasn’t rotted through his gut.”

Marcus smoothed a hand over the blank page. “Where do we start?”

Most of what they were going to talk about was common sense, but if Marcus wanted to play the role of padawan, Eli could easily play—and enjoy—the part of the master. It was a dynamic he was well used to and, if he was honest, pretty good at.

The venue here was completely benign, so where was the harm?

Two things became quickly evident as they discussed the job.

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