I swallowed hard. This was my fault. Martin was being fair. “Yes. Thankyou.”
He snapped his measuring tape shut. “I’d recommend you cleaning your furniture and covering everything you don’t want dust to get on again. Once I get in here and start working, it’s going to stir up a lot ofstuff.
I nodded. “Okay. I’ll take care of it. When can youstart?”
His lips pulled back in a grim smile. “Since I’m barely breaking even right now, thanks to you, I’ll be here tomorrow. If you aren’t ready, it will beJuly.”
I blinked. So what he was saying was that I’d better be ready tomorrow. “Fine.”
He gave me a nod, picked up his bag, and left thehouse.
“Crap,” I said with a groan. This was going to cost me dearly. Stupid Jeff. Tears filled my eyes. I hoped this was the only thing that went wrong. I couldn’t believe Jeff had sold me to the wolves over the inspection just to get akickback.
Ahuffof annoyed breath woke me up the nextmorning.
“Are you serious right now?” came the pained words from a masculine voice. A very annoyed masculinevoice.
I closed my mouth and grimaced at the dryness of it. I cracked open one eye to see a massive man standing over me wearing paint speckled overalls and a thunderousexpression.
“Ms. Harper, is this how we’re starting out our businessrelationship?”
Martin bent down and picked up an almost empty bottle of vodka. I cringed and whimpered as pain crashed through my head. He shoved it in my face. “What in the world is going on with you?” His voice softened and he let out a little sigh. “Do I need to call Mrs.Harper?”
I shot up from the couch. “No!” I winced as pain shot everywhere. “No,” I said, a little quieter. “Sorry.” I licked my lips. “Let me get a glass ofwater.”
Martin shook his head. “Maybe a toothbrush,too?”
I glared at him and stumbled my way into my bathroom. One look in the mirror and I groaned in embarrassment. My black hair was so messed up and my makeup so hopelessly smeared I looked like Elvira the night after a Halloween rager. My eyes were puffy and swollen and streaked with red. Some of it from the vodka, most of it from self pitying tears lastnight.
It had started out so innocently. I started watching Netflix and realized they’d loaded all kinds of new rom coms. I was smart enough to know watching a rom com after a bad breakup was like sticking a nuke in a car with an 85-year-old driver. But...I was a weak woman and could not resist the allure of the promise of happily everafter.
And so I started with one drink. Which quickly turned into so many drinks I’d fallen into a drunken stupor on my couch. Heat crept through my body at the thought of Martin standing in my living room judging me. I brushed my teeth, slapped some cold water on my face, and changed into a pair of comfortable lounge pants and a pink t-shirt.
I felt like death warmed over, but I owed Martin at least the act of trying to pretend I had my shit together. I stepped out of my bedroom to see him kicked back in my reading chair, flipping through one of my restaurant supplycatalogs.
He heard me and his gaze flicked up to me. “Youcook?”
“Sometimes,” I whispered, which was a lie because I loved to cook. But I didn’t want to talk too much because doing so felt like tiny miners were inside my head digging for diamonds. “I didn’t get the chance to check my emailyesterday.”
His mouth quirked to one side. “From the state of things this morning, I’m not surprised by that. The contract is there. I’ll give you a few minutes to look itover.”
I shut my eyes for a second. “I’m really sorry. I am never this much of amess.”
His gaze softened. “We can’t be strong all the time, Ms. Harper.” He set the magazine down and stood. “But I do need to get towork.”
“Right. Sorry.” I hustled over to get my laptop and opened it. I printed out the contract he sent me, and Martin tossed me a pen once I sat down. I snagged another magazine to use as padding and quickly read over the terms. I blanched at the cost of it, but swallowed my pride and signed my name to it. I was going to besobroke once this wasdone.
To give Martin credit, he’d worked out a plan to allow me to pay him half by making payments over the span of five months. The rest of the balance would be due upon completion of the work so it was in my best interests to get back to work. Soon. I grabbed my purse, pulled out my checkbook, and wrote him a very large check. I let out a shuddering breath and handed it over tohim.
That check would drain my savings so low, I would have to work overtime to make up for it. If I wanted to have groceries, that was. Right now my diet consisted of ice cream, potato chips, and pity. So to say I needed grocery money was kind of up fordebate.
Martin took the check and the key I handed him. Pity flashed in his eyes which kind of pissed meoff.
“Do you want me to start today or tomorrow?” heasked.
I felt like I’d been dragged behind a car and left for dead on the side of the road. “Tomorrow would begreat.”
Martin gave me a short nod. “8 am. Please don’t be hungover. Or if you are, please don’t be on the couch again. I’m just going to come right in and start to work.” He gave me a sharp look. “Also, please lock your doors. You’re lucky it was me thismorning.”
