They walked on again in comfortable silence. Lenny steered them in the direction of the electrical equipment.
“So how has your week been?” asked Adrian absently.
“Pretty good. Everything seemed to run fine without me there. Mainly spent my time either proofreading contracts or meeting new clients. Isabelle had a couple of problems while I was away, but used her common sense to sort them out. Maybe not what I would have done, but everything got resolved. Sometimes I wonder if they need me there at all.”
“Nah, that there’s the sign of a good manager. They know you’re at the end of a phone in case they need you, but they also know you’re not breathing down their necks expecting them to do everything your way.”
Partway down the aisle, they stopped at the lighting section while Adrian pulled out a selection of bulbs of varying wattage, including spares.
“Kettle,” said Lenny. “We mustn’t forget to buy a kettle.”
“I’ve already packed mugs, tea bags, a jar of coffee, milk and sugar,” said Adrian. “So, yes. An electric kettle is a necessity. I’m not sure I trust that gas stove.”
After picking out a mid-priced kettle and a couple of long power extensions, they made their way to the towelling section. Adrian was determined to make sure the boiler and the shower above the bath worked, so insisted they needed to have at least a new towel each. He had even shopped for a new showerhead, a large container of shower gel, shampoo and a couple of packs of soap. Other bathroom accessories could wait until they’d finished renovating the bathroom. While Adrian picked towels out, Lenny began to fill him in on other developments.
“So I managed to get the number of the gardening company suggested by Mrs Llewellyn. That woman seems to know everyone in the area. One of their people went along to spec the place out, and they gave me a rough quote on clearing the front and back gardens and making the whole thing look more respectable. Very reasonable, actually, so one of their representatives is going to pop along and see us while we’re there this weekend.”
Adrian grinned then and noticed Lenny looking at him quizzically.
“What?”
“I thought I was the one fired up about this, sketching ideas of improvements, but seems like you’ve been doing a heap of things behind the scenes.”
“Let me just clarify, Mr Lamperton. This is my house.”
Adrian laughed at the mock-serious tone.
“I know, I know. But you have a hundred and one things on your plate at the moment, what with your businesses. While I’m sitting at home twiddling my thumbs, wishing for the weekend to come early.”
“Yes, well. Turns out I’m truly getting into this personal project. There’s something motivating and empowering about being able to do things the way I want them, instead of having to please a client. Especially when they come up with ludicrous ideas.”
“I hear you there, brother.”
“Right, come on,” said Lenny. “Let’s head for the checkout and then load the mattresses into your truck. I’m afraid I have to have dinner with my mother tonight, so I’ll see you first thing in the morning. Don’t be late.”
“Six o’clock sharp.”
* * * *
Agreeing to set off early in the morning on Friday had been an excellent plan. Beating much of the rush-hour traffic, Leonard drove his vehicle and led the way. With clear weather and lighter traffic than the weekend before, they arrived at the house just before midday, even after a brief stop for a late breakfast. This time Leonard found the home quickly. Adrian had cut away the flora covering the signage for Bryn Bach on their previous visit and had left the gate open. More conspicuously, a large metal rubbish skip sat in the lane outside the property.
As Adrian steered the truck into the driveway, he noticed Leonard had driven his SUV past the façade of the house and pulled up beneath a low-hanging tree. Apart from his red brake lights beaming, the car was almost totally hidden from view, leaving Adrian plenty of room to park right outside the front door. Turning the engine off, he smiled to himself with approval. At work he liked his site managers to be smart, proactive and practical. Lenny certainly displayed those qualities, arranging mattresses, landscaping contractors and now a rubbish skip. Adrian clambered out and strode beneath the cover of the portico just as Lenny joined him. Before Lenny fished out his door keys, they both stretched their stiff limbs.
“Now what are you smiling at?” asked Lenny, eyeing Adrian sidelong while sorting through the keyring.
“Nothing.” Adrian nodded towards the front gate. “See you ordered a skip. Very organised.”
“If I weren’t, I wouldn’t be in business.” Lenny unlocked and pushed open the front door. “Come on, let’s get the back of the truck unloaded.”
They set to work straight away, unloading mattresses, boxes, toolkits and other items into the front corridor, ready for use.
After thoroughly cleaning the fridge and making sure the appliance still worked—which, thankfully, it did—they agreed to clean the upstairs first of all to make the bedrooms habitable. However, they decided to concentrate on renovating downstairs that weekend, ripping out kitchen units and stripping flooring and walls. Only if they made good progress would they consider tackling any of the upstairs rooms.
Adrian found himself enjoying working alongside Lenny, chatting occasionally but never slacking. Lenny seemed to be on the same wavelength. He even felt a pang of pleasure at Leonard’s impressed surprise when he produced the industrial vacuum cleaner he had brought and started cleaning the floors in the front bedroom. As he worked, Leonard wiped down the bed frame and began removing the plastic packing from the first of the mattresses.
“What?” Adrian asked as he switched off the machine.
“And you call me organised.”
