Room...but Not Bored!

“So, you seem to do a lot of water things,” she said to make conversation while she set the table.

“Why else live at the beach? Being in water feels good.”

Pool water, maybe, which was clear and clean, not mucky like the ocean and full of creepy weeds and mysterious creatures you couldn’t see. Plus, saltwater burned her eyes.

Finished setting the table, she watched Jake efficiently chop a hunk of red onion into tiny squares that he sprinkled into the bubbling butter. Great hands.

Ariel forced herself to look away. Her gaze snagged on the kitchen linoleum. Bleached, scarred and cracked, it should be replaced. She hoped that was part of Jake’s job. If not, she’d have to pay for it herself.

Now was a good time to find out what Trudy had asked him to do. She’d be gentle, not her usual blunt self. The man was cooking for her, after all. “I guess the construction company you work for gives you a lot of free time for your sports?”

Jake gave a short laugh. “Construction company?” He glanced at her as he picked up an avocado. Cupping it, he deftly coaxed it out of its hull with such easy grace she found it hard to swallow. “I work for myself.”

“So, how, um, did you get into construction?”

“I’m not really into it,” he said, fanning the slices in a gourmet-worthy display onto the cutting board. “I have buddies in the business.” He began cubing the Muenster.

He’d learned construction from buddies? Drinking buddies, no doubt, who swapped construction feats of derring-do over pitchers of margs. The guy was a beach bum, pure and simple. A charming bum, but still a bum. Maybe Trudy’s good sense had run amok long before she headed for London.

“So Trudy says you worked on her neighbor’s place?” she asked, wanting some credentials.

“Yeah. It was fun. And then Trudy offered me this gig.”

Gig? This was a gig? “So, you’re not a builder, per se?”

“Nah. I teach scuba, sailing, surfing, repair bikes, this and that.”

At least he had other income—he’d be able to afford rent when he moved out. “So, tell me what Trudy’s asked you to do.”

“This and that,” he said, snapping eggs one-handed and lightning-quick into a bowl.

“Specify, please.”

“Okay. Let’s see…patch the roof…repair the wall between the bedrooms…deal with the electrical, replace the wallpaper in the living room and kitchen…paint inside and out…replace the kitchen linoleum with tile…” He looked up, considering. “That’s it, I think.”

“That’s a lot,” she said, grateful that Trudy had arranged to have so much done, but worried about living through the chaos of a messy worker. On the other hand, if she cancelled some of the work, when would she be able to afford it? “And how long do you expect it to take?”

“Two-three months. Depends.”

“Depends on what?” What time he got up in the morning? Whether he needed to consult a manual? “That seems too long.”

“You can’t rush quality,” he said, dumping the egg mixture into the omelet pan, pausing to deliver a wicked smile.

“Oh, yes, you can. I would think a month would be plenty. Let’s aim for that. Speed is crucial since this will be my office, too, until I can afford to lease space.”

“You won’t get in my way,” Jake said, sprinkling cheese on the omelet.

“But you’ll get in mine,” she said as gently as she could. “I’ll try to meet clients in their offices—more convenient for them—but I’m sure I’ll need to see a few people here, and I’ll need peace and order for that. The second bedroom will be my office, but until you move out, the living room will have to do. That means the painting stuff must be organized.”

“The sunporch would make a great office,” Jake said, pointing a spatula in the direction of the door out back.

Through the window in the door, she could see tattered window screens, plastic patio furniture, another surfboard and lots of sand. “Hardly. I’ll have business equipment—a computer, a printer, a fax machine. Wind and sand would ruin them. Not to mention how easy it would be to break in.”

Jake jerked the pan so that the food-packed omelet neatly folded in half, and brought it to the table. “I can put up some Plexiglas and a solid door. The awning gives nice shade. Most people would kill for an office overlooking the ocean.” He cut the steaming egg dish in two and slid one side deftly onto her plate, the other onto his, then sat across from her.

“But I can’t incur additional expenses.”

“Don’t worry about the money. It’ll work out.”

“Money never works out without careful attention….” She was momentarily distracted by the omelet, which smelled so heavenly her stomach convulsed with joyful anticipation. “Anyway, I’d like you to finish the living room first. The electrical seems critical, as well. I’d prefer you do the noisy things when I’m not working—early mornings and early evenings—or at least coordinate with my schedule. When you’re ready to start on the kitchen, I can plan for takeout meals.”

“I’ll handle the food,” Jake said. “If you like my cooking, of course.” He plopped a dollop of fragrant salsa—finely chopped tomatoes, onions and fresh cilantro—onto her portion of the omelet. “Give it a try,” he said, pushing the plate closer.

She wanted to finish her plan first, but to satisfy him, she took a bite.

Oh. Wow. The buttery, cheesy eggs melted on her tongue. The mushrooms were a sweet musk, the onions tangy pearls of flavor, the salsa a spicy tomato garden. “This is sooo good,” she said, barely pausing to swallow before taking another bite.

“I’m glad you like it.” Their eyes locked and Ariel felt an alarming sizzle that made her stop chewing. Jake took in her face, then strayed to her chest in an involuntary carnal appraisal. He lifted his eyes to hers, looking pleased with what he’d seen. “Any dietary restrictions? Particular foods you like or dislike?” he asked, making it sound like he was asking after her sexual preferences.

“I like, um, everything.” That sounded bad.

“I could resurface the wood floors, too, you know,” he murmured, equally suggestively. “If I had enough time…”

He seemed to be trying to seduce her…with smooth omelets and gleaming wood floors. And it was working. Freshly surfaced floors would really make the place attractive to buyers….

Stop it. Jake was flirting with her, bribing her. “I can’t afford the floors,” she said, deliberately breaking the gaze.

Jake shrugged. We’ll see, he seemed to be saying.

Ariel went after the omelet again.

Jake chuckled and she looked up, still chewing. “I like it that you’re not afraid to enjoy food. I hate when women nibble and pretend not to be hungry.”

“I’m not much on pretense,” she said, swallowing her last bite. Jake still had half of his omelet.

“No, you get right to the point, all right,” he said. “Like I know you want me to move out of here right away.”

“I think that would be best,” she said, putting down her fork with reluctance, glancing again at all the eggs Jake wasn’t eating. She should have savored hers more…. “I’ve got a lot to handle and this place is too small for two people and a construction zone.” She felt guilty ogling his omelet while she was talking about booting him onto the beach.

“Here,” he said, cutting her a bite of his eggs and holding it out—an intimate gesture that he made seem perfectly natural.

“No, no. I’m fine.” She shook her head. “I had plenty.”

He moved the fork closer, tempting her.

She took the bite quickly, avoiding eye contact, feeling shaky inside. Then the fabulous taste overcame her. “Mmm,” she said. “This is amazing.”

“People love my mixed grill, too. I stuff the meat with chorizo—do you eat meat?”