remembered her mentioning she might ask his opinion, but she hadn’t said anything else about that.
Susan handed each of them a sandwich and a bottle of water. Her phone beeped just after she sat down. She jumped up to grab it and read the text. “David just finished up. He’s driving over now.”
“I thought he usually did the chat thing on Thursday and Friday nights,” Jeremiah said.
“The Saturday person cancelled, I think, or maybe couldn’t work the whole shift? I can’t remember,” Susan replied.
Erik held back an exasperated sigh. Of course, David had explained this to Susan, not Jeremiah. Likewise, he had sent a text to her instead of Jeremiah. He still remained silent. He didn’t want Susan thinking he was going to act differently now that he’d told her he was in love with her.
Jeremiah turned to Erik. “Is it true there’s something in paint that makes you crave alcohol? Somebody told me that once.”
“I’ve heard that. The toxins in paint can bring on a craving. Some people say your body thinks it needs to flush after breathing all that in. Others say you’re trying to maintain the buzz. The chemicals definitely affect your body, so it’s not that far off.”
“Then I say we go out for a few beers after we’re done here.”
“That sounds great!” Susan said. She looked at her watch. “David can’t come if he doesn’t hurry up and do at least some painting.”
Jeremiah looked like he wanted to say something. Was he holding back because Erik was there? “How many people work for the website? Odd they couldn’t get anyone else. You’d think David would want to be here.”
“Well, he did help me with the bathroom, so he has done his share of painting. Once the trim dries we’ll just have those two small walls left. It looks great so far.” She looked at her watch again. “He’ll be here by the time we get done eating.”
David actually arrived about fifteen minutes later. Jeremiah and Susan had headed back upstairs, and Erik had stayed downstairs to wash his hands in the bathroom. He emerged as David entered.
“Hello, David,” he said.
David gave him a rather weak smile. “Hey, man.” He turned and locked the door.
That greeting was the exact opposite of the friendly and jovial one he had given him in front of Susan. “Glad you could make it. We’re about to start on the last stretch. Then we’re gonna go out for a few beers after we all clean up.”
David nodded. “Sounds good.” He set a bag down by the wall. “I brought Susan’s bag. She left it on her bed. I figured we might go out and she’d want to change.”
Erik had several questions. Had Susan packed clothes to change into or had she packed a bag for staying at his place that night? How had David known it was on her bed? The one time he had popped up to the second floor to use the bathroom, all the bedroom doors had been closed as if that was the usual way of things. Jeremiah had brought a backpack, so wouldn’t Susan have remembered that she’d packed a bag as well?
“Great,” he said, glancing at his own clothes. “I think we’ve all managed to avoid any splatters, but I’m sure Susan will appreciate the thought.”
David stared at the floor at Erik’s feet. His gaze moved to the stairs, and then he moved closer. “I have one thing to say, okay?”
“Sure. What’s up?” He steeled himself for anything.
David looked at him seriously. “I don’t know how much of the shit that got whispered around in college was true, but if you screw around with Susan, I will do something about it.”
Erik almost smiled. Finally, we have the truth and an honest confrontation. “Then let me be equally blunt, David.” He stepped even closer. “I’m in love with her. If her feelings are all you care about, if you truly want nothing more than her happiness, I can guarantee you that you have nothing to fear.”
Instead of backing down, David shook his head. “Her husband just died. You can’t
Susan handed each of them a sandwich and a bottle of water. Her phone beeped just after she sat down. She jumped up to grab it and read the text. “David just finished up. He’s driving over now.”
“I thought he usually did the chat thing on Thursday and Friday nights,” Jeremiah said.
“The Saturday person cancelled, I think, or maybe couldn’t work the whole shift? I can’t remember,” Susan replied.
Erik held back an exasperated sigh. Of course, David had explained this to Susan, not Jeremiah. Likewise, he had sent a text to her instead of Jeremiah. He still remained silent. He didn’t want Susan thinking he was going to act differently now that he’d told her he was in love with her.
Jeremiah turned to Erik. “Is it true there’s something in paint that makes you crave alcohol? Somebody told me that once.”
“I’ve heard that. The toxins in paint can bring on a craving. Some people say your body thinks it needs to flush after breathing all that in. Others say you’re trying to maintain the buzz. The chemicals definitely affect your body, so it’s not that far off.”
“Then I say we go out for a few beers after we’re done here.”
“That sounds great!” Susan said. She looked at her watch. “David can’t come if he doesn’t hurry up and do at least some painting.”
Jeremiah looked like he wanted to say something. Was he holding back because Erik was there? “How many people work for the website? Odd they couldn’t get anyone else. You’d think David would want to be here.”
“Well, he did help me with the bathroom, so he has done his share of painting. Once the trim dries we’ll just have those two small walls left. It looks great so far.” She looked at her watch again. “He’ll be here by the time we get done eating.”
David actually arrived about fifteen minutes later. Jeremiah and Susan had headed back upstairs, and Erik had stayed downstairs to wash his hands in the bathroom. He emerged as David entered.
“Hello, David,” he said.
David gave him a rather weak smile. “Hey, man.” He turned and locked the door.
That greeting was the exact opposite of the friendly and jovial one he had given him in front of Susan. “Glad you could make it. We’re about to start on the last stretch. Then we’re gonna go out for a few beers after we all clean up.”
David nodded. “Sounds good.” He set a bag down by the wall. “I brought Susan’s bag. She left it on her bed. I figured we might go out and she’d want to change.”
Erik had several questions. Had Susan packed clothes to change into or had she packed a bag for staying at his place that night? How had David known it was on her bed? The one time he had popped up to the second floor to use the bathroom, all the bedroom doors had been closed as if that was the usual way of things. Jeremiah had brought a backpack, so wouldn’t Susan have remembered that she’d packed a bag as well?
“Great,” he said, glancing at his own clothes. “I think we’ve all managed to avoid any splatters, but I’m sure Susan will appreciate the thought.”
David stared at the floor at Erik’s feet. His gaze moved to the stairs, and then he moved closer. “I have one thing to say, okay?”
“Sure. What’s up?” He steeled himself for anything.
David looked at him seriously. “I don’t know how much of the shit that got whispered around in college was true, but if you screw around with Susan, I will do something about it.”
Erik almost smiled. Finally, we have the truth and an honest confrontation. “Then let me be equally blunt, David.” He stepped even closer. “I’m in love with her. If her feelings are all you care about, if you truly want nothing more than her happiness, I can guarantee you that you have nothing to fear.”
Instead of backing down, David shook his head. “Her husband just died. You can’t
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