Page 21 of Silver Linings
“Just a minute,” she shouts just before a loud thudding and, “SON OF A B–”
The door flies off its hinges, and then she’s standing before me, looking wild and beautiful andveryout of breath.
“Are you okay?” She is thankfully dressed, though today’s outfit of painted on workout leggings that hug her hips in a way that should be illegal and a cropped band tee isalmostas bad as the towel.
“Yes, perfect. Just tripped over my dignity on the way to the door.”
I stare at her, unsure of what to say. Her wild hair is piled on top of her head in a haphazard bun with what looks like a…paintbrush sticking out of it?
“You have something in your hair.” I point to her platinum nest.
“What?” She pats around her head until she feels the brush. “Oh, that’s just my eyeshadow brush. I was doing my makeup when you knocked.”
We’re staring at each other, me on one side of the door and her on the other.
“Can I come in?”
She snaps back to herself and shoots me a smile. “Sorry, I got lost in thought for a minute. Come in.” She motions me forwardwhile stepping out of the way. I take an exaggerated step over the threshold, and she cocks her head to the side, giving me a questioning look.
“I didn’t want to step on your dignity.” I smirk and walk further into her apartment. Much like it was the first time I was here, the space feels warm and inviting, with its intricate crown molding, colorful rug, pink couch, and bookshelves lining the walls.
“I need to spend some time in the affected area. Is that okay? I don’t want to be in your way while you go about your day.” There, that sounded professional.
“I’m working from home today, so I can just stay in the living room while you work.”
That would be preferable. Out of sight out of mind.
“I’m going to get started. Is it okay if I head into your bedroom?”
“Yeah, of course. I’m just going to finish getting ready in the bathroom, and then I’ll get out of your hair.”
I trail after her into her bedroom and survey the landscape like I’m looking for bombs in the form of red lace. I’m equal parts relieved and disappointed. I’m not sure what’s going on in my head, why it feels so jumbled when she’s around, but all I need to do is finish this job, and then I won’t have to see her so often. I tell myself it’s just because it’s beenawhile, my body reacting to being attracted to someone for the first time in years, and it’s sending very mixed signals to my brain.
I head over to the far part of her bedroom and set my tools down on the oak floors. Looking around, I see Silver leaning over her bathroom sink, her paintbrush in hand, and a look of extreme concentration on her face.
She looks up, and our eyes lock through the mirror’s reflection. She shoots me a smile, one full of implications.I caught you looking. Do you like what you see?
I clear my throat and look back towards the ceiling. “I’m gonna move your bed so I can strip the ceiling to dry it out. Is there anything you need to get from over here,” I motion to the section of her bedroom that looks like it occasionally doubles as an office, “before I block your path?”
“Just my iPad.” She sticks the brush back in her bun and sways over to her corner desk to grab the device. “I’ll be out in the living room if you need anything.”
I nod.
She leaves me in her bedroom, and I shift her furniture before getting to work, stripping back layers of paint and sheetrock so beyond salvaging, it’s better to gut it all and replace it with fresh material.
If I look deeply enough, I know there’s a parallel between the damaged ceiling and the last two years of my life.I’mthe one who needs to be gutted and have my insides replaced to become a different version of myself, a shiny new edition that doesn’t taint everything and everyone around him. A version that doesn’t feel like it’s been through multiple rounds of a meat grinder.
I cut into the wall and tear a piece out, dropping it in a ruined heap on the floor.
It’s around lunch time, and I’ve almost fully gutted the section of the ceiling containing the damage. It was a hell of a lot worse than I thought, and I’m drenched in sweat and debris as I climb down the ladder to grab the bottle of water Silver brought me a half hour into starting. I guzzle it down as I raise my shirt to wipe off the sweat coating my entire face.
“Hey, do you want something to ea—wow.” Silver halts her steps as she walks through the doorway to her bedroom, mouth gaping like a cute fish. I smirk because, while I didn’t mean for her to see me lift my shirt, her reaction certainly gives me a bit of an ego boost.
“Mouth closed, Sunshine. You’re starting to drool.” She snaps her mouth shut and looks up at me with a challenge in her verdant eyes, arms crossed over her chest.
“Well, I don’t know what else you expect from me. I’m a warm blooded woman with twenty-twenty vision, Harvey. It’s like putting a slab of steak in front of a lion.” I swear to God, I hear her whimper, and a tingly sensation shoots straight south.
“I apologize. I didn’t realize my bare stomach would cause such an uproar.”
