“Son, you’re going to go upstairs and rip off the roof, because that’s the farthest we can get you away from them.” Bob, Joe’s father informed me. “And then, you’re going to tell us a little more of what you have going on here, you little devil.” He was grinning broadly, and guiding me upstairs with an arm around my shoulders. The laughs and slaps on the back let me know that I had at least half the crowd here backing me to the hilt.
Give the guys credit. They could work hard, and listen to my tangled tale at the same time. Of course a gentleman is discreet, but hell, are there any real gentlemen around anymore?
I explained the premise, Karen and I working, while Debbie was the stay-at-home mom. I couldn’t afford the place on my own, with the heavy expense of getting in, and the rent from Karen was going to help. I explained the girls being in a bit of a pickle, and needing a place to stay. Of course that didn’t cover the adults sharing the bedroom, and before long I was recounting the entire original deal, including some sketchy details about that first weekend.
There was a lot of laughing, taunting, and cheering going on up there, and every time I looked down, I could swear the expressions on Karen’s face was getting more and more smug, and Cathy was just getting redder and redder. The strangest part had to be watching Debbie and Beth gravitate towards each other, both in way over their heads, and looking to stay out of the limelight.
We’d finished ripping off the old roofing, and were gutting the upstairs when Joe’s mom came upstairs to let us know lunch was served. She approached me with some advice.
“Jack, you’ve really stirred up a hornet’s nest. My advice to you is to avoid any conversation downstairs, and to take no sides. The girls will eventually work this mess out on their own, and then we’ll figure out just where you stand. In the mean time, if I were you, I’d keep a looooow profile. You little devil.” Although her voice was stern, her grin was wicked, and might I have been mistaken, or was there a glint of laughter in those eyes?
Lunch was an awkward affair. The house was discussed in detail, but no mention was made of the anticipated living situation. Cathy never sat down, and anytime I got within ten feet of her, she’d turn her back to me and walk away. Karen played hostess and chattered aimlessly, while Beth and Debbie worked together to get the kids fed, again staying well to the side and out of the center of attention. Joe’s mom and his sister-in-law MaryAnn helped with the serving and discussed where the best places were to get all the things the house would need like furniture, drapes, appliances. They were planning on hardwood floors in the living room. Taking mom’s advice, I let them outfit my house and kept under the radar.
After lunch, the group broke up somewhat, and we worked in different areas of the house. I breathed a sigh of relief that I’d made it through the first potential land-mine field with my skin intact.
“Jack?” A dulcet voice stopped me in my tracks, and my breath caught. Perhaps I was celebrating my escape a little too early. I turned to find Beth beside me, very close, with Debbie one step behind her.
“What can I do for you lovely ladies?” I asked, trying to appear harmless – still in my low profile mode.
Debbie answered for the two of them. “Beth and I thought we’d clear out that back building, so we can use it to store our stuff overnight. Can you let us in back there? And help us determine what stays and goes?”
Whew. “Of course, it would be my pleasure.” I excused myself from my fellow workers, and headed to the back with the girls.
There were combination locks on the garage doors, and I had a key for the door into the office. I gave Debbie the key to the office, while I showed Beth the combination. When Debbie had unlocked the door, and gone inside, Beth turned to me and threw herself against me, kissing me passionately. She caught me totally unprepared. She pressed herself tightly against me, and a few moments later broke free, and turned to the lock as if nothing had happened.
I’m not rightly sure I knew what was happening, but damn that was a nice kiss!
Give me some credit. I had the good sense to shut my mouth. I unlocked the door, and showed Beth that the garage area was pretty clean. Just some mystery boxes to one side, and stacks of paint cans and wood remnants on the other.
“I don’t know what’s in the boxes, but the cans and wood can all be tossed.” I told her. I turned to face her, and found her inches away from me. Her eyes were seething. She grabbed my sweaty shirt collar and pulled me face down where she kissed me deeply, then bit me on the lip. Hard. Hard enough to bring tears to my eyes.
“You better think about what you want, Jack.” With those ominous words she turned away from me, and started gathering up half-empty cans and carrying them outside.
Shaking my head, I turned to the door that went from the office into the garage. It was still locked. I rattled the handle.
Debbie’s muffled voice from the other side was barely intelligible. “It’s stuck.”
I walked back outside, and entered the office from the front. This room was in a lot worse shape. It contained a broken down table, some crummy stacked chairs, and a variety of boxes and moldy books and papers on the shelves.
Debbie had cleared a path to the inside door, and was tugging at it ineffectively.
“Let me help you.” I reached past her and grabbed the door handle. It was really stuck. I pulled harder, then gave it a really hard pull, and found myself on the floor, with a broken door handle in my hand.
“Are you ok?” Debbie bent over me, with a genuine look of concern in her eyes. Then she was leaning over me, hugging me desperately. When I took her in my arms, she broke down, sobbing, face buried in my chest. I felt like the perfect cad. I also was completely confused yet again. It seemed like that was a constant problem for me; maybe I had gotten in over my head.
“Baby, don’t cry. Everything’s going great, don’t worry.” I tried to comfort her, stroking her hair, and rocking her in my arms. It was a little awkward, doing this from the ground, with my head still ringing from where I’d hit the concrete.
“I’m sorry,” she sniffed. “But she’s so pretty, and you’re not going to want someone with the baggage I have.” I had difficulty making out some of the words between the sniffing and sobs, but the message was clear.
“Debbie. Listen. Whatever else happens, I’m not going to throw you out on the street. You and Karen have a place for as long as you need. If I decide to pursue any other relationships, they’ll have to understand that.” I was trying for reassuring, but one of my ‘reassuring’ hands had wandered down to her sweet ass, and was pursuing a different message.
Her sobs were coming less frequently now.
“And believe me, baggage or not, I want you very much.” I tried to convince her.
“How could you possible want me?” She asked, in all seriousness.
Placing her hand on the lump in my pants, I responded, “How could you doubt me?”