Home Improvement (A Pajaro Bay Short Story) by Barbara Cool Lee

Author:Barbara Cool Lee [Lee, Barbara Cool]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Romance
Publisher: Pajaro Bay Publishing
Published: 2013-08-14T21:00:00+00:00

~*~

"You know," Gage said as he followed her into the house, "taking that wall out really opened up this place." He stood inside the front door and looked at the view from there all the way through the kitchen to the glimpse of back yard visible through a wavy glass window over the sink. "If we put a proper frame on your hole in the wall and add the pillar Ms. Z wants, I think it'll look really good."

"Maybe after the bathroom is done you could start on that," she said. "So how long will the bath floor take?"

"About two days. I've got to move the claw foot tub so I can work under there first, then move it back and finish the rest of the floor. It'll go faster if you help."

She had always helped Bryce when he worked on the house, and Gage knew that.

"And just think," he added, handing her a little paper bag, "two more days of maple bars." Gage had a thing for doughnuts. Kim did too, as a matter of fact, but she couldn't afford to indulge in her craving as often as he did. He still had the fit body he'd always had. Probably from working construction all day.

"Okay," she finally said. "I'll help. The work'll burn off the doughnut calories, anyway." And it would give her another excuse to avoid Jazz's pressure. She could say she had to work around the house instead of making a fool of herself on some embarrassing blind date.

"How about some coffee?" she asked. "I left the pot plugged in this morning--it might still be good." She poured the last of the morning's pot in his mug. The dregs swirled to the bottom. "Sorry," she said. "That doesn't look too appealing. I'll make a fresh pot."

"Don't bother." Gage grinned. "I'll just strain out the coffee grounds with my teeth."

She sat down at the table and smiled weakly, her thoughts still distracted.

"Come on, Kim. What's up?" Gage asked. "I'm being really charming here."

She had to laugh at that. He was being charming, as usual, but she couldn't get her mind off what Jazz had said.

"Tell me about it," Gage said.

"About what?"

"Come on, Kim. Something's bothering you. Let it out. What are friends for if you can't drag them down to your level of misery?" He laughed again, deep smile lines framing those not-so-innocent hazel eyes.

She took a deep breath. "Do you remember your first date?"

"Are we changing the subject here, darlin'?"

"No. Not really. Do you remember?"

"Sure." He sat back in the chair, reminiscing. "I was twelve. Her name was Lulu. What a bod."

"Oh, Gage!"

"—I'm kidding, I'm kidding. She was a nice girl. I was terrified, and I accidentally knocked her glasses off when I tried to kiss her goodnight. Very embarrassing. Almost as bad as the time my trunks fell off at the swim meet—but that's another story." He looked at her. "So, what about your first date? Was it a disaster or what?"

She hesitated. "You promise you won't tell?"

"Hey, Kim.

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