Page 54 of Salvage Him
"Yeah, well, if I had a trust fund like yours, I’d take an easy job, too,"Paulsaid.
I paused mid sanding, stretched my neck, and went back to work. The prick wasn't going to get a rise out of me. I wouldn't give him thesatisfaction.
"So you like my wife?" heasked.
Thatstoppedme.
I turned to face him and took a couple of stepstowardhim.
He gripped thecounter.
He’s lucky a counter stoodbetweenus.
“Do we have a problem?" I asked, leaning on the counter. I took a good look at him. His suit didn't fit him well. He was thinner than I remembered, and his eyes were puffy andbloodshot.
My dad had that look when business wasn't good. My stepmom would make him take a month-long vacation to some remote place with no cell phone service or Internet. When he got back, he was usually betterforit.
I wished Paul would take a permanentvacation.
"No. No problem." He adjusted his tie. "Just as long as all you're working on is the wood onthewall."
God, what a fuckingidiot.
"Don't get me wrong. My wife, she's fucking gorgeous. Her ass is perfection. Am I right?" He held his hands up like he was squeezingherass.
He must have thought I was anidiot,too.
"She’s a sexy woman. I'm aluckyman."
"You know what?" I slammed the level on the counter, leaned toward him, and pointed. "Youarealuckyman."
"Hey, boss," Juan's voice sang out as he entered the house. He stopped when hesawPaul.
"Ah, excuse me," Juan said and stepped back a fewsteps.
"Don't you people knock when you enter someone’s house." Paul headed toward the front door. "Damn. You just walk on in like you own theplace."
I wanted to tell him it was a fucking work site. Why would weknock?
Paul looked over the rest of the first floor. He had set his phone on the banister. It rang, and he scurried back down the hall, slipping on the plastic tarp covering the newly installedfloors.
Juan chuckled but coughed to coveritup.
Paul grabbed his phone, looked at the caller id, but didn't answer. He leaned on the stairrailing.
I had a strange urge to rip the whole thing up and start all overagain.
"Well, okay. Looking good around here. Look forward to seeing the finished product." He waved at me, nodded at Juan, and made his wayoutside.
Juan walked into the kitchen and rolledhiseyes.
"Have a safe trip," I said. “You fuckingprick."
Juanchuckled.
I turned my attention back to thecabinets.
Iwasin a funk after Paul left. I couldn't shake it. Even a punishing workout at the gym didn't clearmyhead.
