“You do good work! I’d definitely hire you on my contracting team,” he said.
“If this is how fast you normally work I think I’ll stick with my B&B,” she gasped.
He grinned then nodded.
Once they’d finished the tape and mud stage they made their way downstairs. They left the windows open and propped all the doors open to assist with the drying process. A steady breeze blew through the second floor.
“Tonight I want to get started on the ceramic tiles in the bathrooms. The ones we have are pretty simple to install. Nothing fussy and not too many complicated cuts required so we should be able to motor through them. Tomorrow we finish the tiling, we grout the ones we’ll do tonight so you’ll know how to do the remaining ones and apply the finishing trim work in all the rooms. I’ll show you how to prep the walls for painting.
They were standing at the bottom of the stairs when they heard the crunch of gravel as someone entered the parking lot. They walked outside and Ben saw it was the fish tank. He still thought it was butt ugly but it did get his loved ones from place to place safely.
They piled out of the van with excited voices and Daniel was talking a mile a minute about the amazing time they had in Turin! Gabriella and Catherine started to laugh and Ben and Alexis just looked at them.
“What?” Ben asked.
“Can’t you see yourselves? You’re coated in dust or chalk or something. You look like ghosts!” Gabriella giggled.
Ben and Alexis looked down at themselves and each other and smiled. This was dirt well deserved.
“You go take a look at the second floor and tell me it wasn’t worth it!” Alexis grinned.
Béatrice came running out of the house. “Oh my god! I just saw what you’ve already done! I can’t believe it!” Alexis beamed at her partner.
Daniel was trying to show Ben some photos he’d taken but Gabriella told him he’d have to wait until dinner. She told the boy and Miriam to head inside and get cleaned up.
Catherine walked up to Ben and saw he had dust all through his hair so she ran her hand through it to shake it loose. She knocked his stitches and Ben yanked his head back with a hiss.
“What happened to your head?” Catherine yelped and Gabriella was right there instantly pulling at Ben to bend down. Sophia, Rachel, and Megan clustered around to see as well.
He showed them his new stitches and the large gash they closed.
“OHMIGOD, BEN! WHAT HAPPENED?” Gabriella yelled and the others cried out in dismay as well.
Ben looked at Alexis. “Show them the video,” she said.
He pulled his phone out and played the video for them. More cries of dismay and afterwards he had several women clinging to him.
“I’m OK! And now you’re all dusty!” he exclaimed.
“We don’t care! You could have been killed!” Gabriella yelped.
“He had a walking stick not a gun! Calm down, please!” Ben protested. “I have to get cleaned up for dinner!”
Finally they released him and Alexis looked terribly guilty for his injury once more. He pulled her into a tight hug. “It wasn’t your fault! He is a creep and a drunk and a very bad man. Now he’s behind bars.”
Alexis looked a little distraught. “What is it?” Ben asked.
“Arsene drove away before the police got to him. They couldn’t find him. They’ll keep a patrol car at his house and one here tonight but they think he’s left the area,” she explained. “He had a beat up old land rover so he may have driven off to his place in the woods. They are looking into it.”
“Damn. I should have gone after him!” Ben growled.
Gabriella grabbed his arms. “NO! You just had your head struck with a club! It’s a good thing you didn’t go after him! We saw you fall in the video!” she argued. Ben sighed and nodded. “Go inside and get cleaned up,” she said to him as she looked down at her clothes which were covered in dust.
“I think we all need to get cleaned up,” Catherine said looking at the mess on her as well.
They all headed inside but stopped on their way to their room to admire the work done on the second floor.
“We’re tiling at least three of the bathrooms tonight after dinner,” Ben insisted. Alexis looked at him with trepidation. “We can do it!” he grinned.
Alex went downstairs to take a shower and everyone else went upstairs to get cleaned up.
Ben had a few painful moments in the shower washing his hair but felt refreshed afterwards. He dressed a little nicer for dinner but would put his dirty clothes back on to do the tile work.
Dinner was boeuf bourguignon and everyone was blown away by how the tender meat melted in their mouths. There was much clapping and cheering for the chef and once more fresh baguette was served with the meal.
Stephanie didn’t join them but once Ben indicated she’d begun work on the sculpture Alexis raised her hand.
“We won’t see her again until she’s done. She’ll work on it until she’s exhausted. She’ll sleep then when she awakes she’ll start again. I’ll make sure she has food and water in her room but she can’t be interrupted. It’s how she works. Your being immortalized, Ben.” She smiled at him.
Ben smiled then felt a hand land on his right leg and saw Gabriella was touching him. She looked over at him with an oddly anxious expression.
A hand landed on his left leg and he saw the same anxious expression on Catherine’s face.
He put down his cutlery and took their hands in his and gave them a squeeze. He raised Gabriella’s to his lips and gave it a tender kiss and did the same to Catherine’s. Both were looking at him hungrily. Alexis and Béatrice were looking at them oddly. He released their hands and went back to eating his delicious meal. After a moment the two women did as well.
“Can I show you my pictures now?” Daniel asked.
“Let him eat, pest!” Miriam chastised her brother.
“Mom said I could show him the pictures at dinner!” Daniel retorted.
“It’s fine Miriam, I’ll see them now,” Ben said and Daniel stuck his tongue out at his sister who just rolled her eyes. “And if I might say, that is an absolutely lovely outfit you are wearing this evening! Very chic! Be careful you don’t make your friends at home too jealous!” Ben continued with a smile.
Miriam bloomed under his praise and shook her head. “Karlene is the same size as me so we can share my new outfits. I always keep an eye out for what would look nice on her as well when I shop,” she replied.
Ben’s smile widened as did her mother’s. “Beauty AND a good heart! Your mother has reason to be proud!” That got a blush from the girl and the mother.
It was Daniel’s turn to roll his eyes as he showed up at Ben’s elbow with his camera. Ben watched with rapt attention as Daniel took him through the shots he’d taken. Once more Ben was amazed by the attention to detail and the quality of the composition. Daniel had the eye. There were a few close misses but even Daniel spotted those and was quick to delete them. He praised the young man’s work and suggested he set up a website to display them. He beamed at that idea as he went back to his seat.
They finished up dinner and at Ben’s goading Alexis joined in in attacking the tile work in the bathrooms. As promised Ben showed her exactly how to do it and soon they were operating like a well-oiled machine. They got through three of the five bathrooms before their cut off time of eleven pm. Alexis and Béatrice, who came to tell them it was time to stop, gave Ben a big hug and looks of glee.
“Tomorrow I’ll show you how to grout the tiles and you’ll be able to finish that job on the last two yourself after we leave. You can take pride in the work you’ve done. You really have an aptitude for it and it’s looking really professional!” Ben complimented Alexis who beamed.
“I never could have done this without your help! Tomorrow you have to promise me you will take a little time to relax and have some fun!” Alexis insisted.
“This IS fun!” he protested but she and Béatrice scowled at him. “Ok! I’ll… go for a bike ride. If you have a bike that fits me!” he finally agreed with a smirk.