Building things is cool and hot contractors are, well… hot
Aria
November 2020
“So, what made you want to become a contractor?” I ask Jace as he measures the countertops in the master bathroom.
Small talk isn’t my forte, but I said I’d try to be their friend so this is me trying. Our brunch consisted of great food and some heavy conversation, the girls making sure the guys didn’t have some sort of male hero complex and are solely just trying to help us create a life out here that we love. Then it turned into more playful banter and I let the guys play building blocks with Hadley and I while Tate and Demi drank more mimosas and relaxed. I didn’t want their whole trip out here to be manual labor, so it was nice.
That was two weeks ago. The guys promised to give me some time to really think things over, not wanting me to feel like they were forcing my hand. It went a long way with me to see that they really are respectful of my boundaries. I was the one who finally reached out to them strangely enough, and Jace stopped by to get some measurements and get a feel for what my priorities are. Now we’re here getting to know each other while he dissects my bathroom.
“I actually inherited the company from my grandfather when he passed away during my second tour with the marines. My dad’s a deadbeat, but my mom is amazing. She’s strong and independent—has a good heart. In that way, you remind me of her a bit actually. She ran the company for me while I was away and when I came home for the last time, I built it up from a small business to something fairly successful. I’ve never been one to shy away from manual labor. I like staying busy and I’m good with my hands,” he says, turning back to his task at hand, completely oblivious to the mini meltdown he just set forth inside of me.
I’m good with my hands. I’m good with my hands. I’m good with my hands.
What the fuck? He just took things from easygoing banter to lustful intrusive thoughts and he doesn’t even know it. It probably doesn’t help that my dreams are becoming more and more aggressive and my consciousness is in an all-out war with my subconscious.
“Are you okay?” he asks, looking back at me now that I’ve been struck stupid and haven’t responded in who knows how long.
“Yeah, uh, I’m good.” I’m just thinking about you stripping me naked and showing me exactly how good with your hands you are because I’m a giant slut who hasn’t had good sex since it was inappropriate for me to even be doing such things. “I was just thinking how nice it must be to have a mom who loves you so much. I hope Hadley thinks that fondly of me one day.”
“She will, Ari girl. She will. You’re a great mom.”
“I try,” I retort, not wanting the praise. Deflection, here I come. “I really hope she’s having fun at the park with Tate and Demi. We didn’t get to go much back where we lived before.” I say, and Jace’s whole body tenses up. I realize too late that I’ve made a mistake. The indication that abuse is the underlying reason clearly didn’t go unnoticed so I quickly try to cover up my misstep. “There was a lot of rain so the parks were always muddy and slippery. Too many opportunities to get hurt, ya know?”
“Yeah, I’ll bet,” he stares hard at the counters and returns back to his measuring. “Have you thought about the color scheme you’d like in here?” His subject change is welcome so I jump on it.
“Yeah, actually. I was thinking white and grey. I pinned a few things to a Pinterest board so I wouldn’t forget the ideas I had. I have one for each room in the house. There’s this blue/grey color I love for Hadley’s bathroom and then I thought neutrals of some sort for the guest bathroom downstairs. Hadley chose yellow for her room and so I’m not sure what to do with that just yet—”
“Sunflowers.” He cuts off my ramblings.
“What?”
“She needs sunflowers in her room.”
“Oh my gosh,sunflowers. I can’t believe I hadn’t thought of that. It’s perfect, really.”
“It’s surprising she doesn’t have your blonde hair, because that girl is nothing but sunshine,” he says fondly, and this time I can’t help it when a stray tear falls.
This man has shown more care for my daughter than her own dad ever has. The nickname, the way he always checks with me before interacting with her, the thoughtfulness he and the other guys are constantly showing when it comes to her. Especially the way they always put her first when it comes to anything they’ve done for us. It means everything and for the first time since meeting these guys, their care doesn’t send me into an anxiety ridden tailspin. I truly believe he means all of it from the goodness in his heart.
He moves closer and my body locks up, but I don’t stop his descent on me as he encroaches on my space. The air between us feels like it’s charged with electricity and my entire being tingles in excitement and fear when he moves his hand up to brush the tears from my face more gently than I’d have anticipated.
“I’ve known you damn near two months now and no matter how hard I try, I can’t figure out what it is about you that makes me want to hold you close and never let you go,” he breathes, his thumb still rubbing the spot on my cheek rhythmically.
A gasp escapes my lips and draws his attention straight to them. This is the first time in my life that I’ve wanted to push someone away as badly as I want to pull them in and kiss the life out of them. Before I can act though, he steps away from me with regret in his eyes and I feel so stupid for thinking that he genuinely meant what he said.
“I’m so sorry, Ari. I shouldn’t have said that.” Another step back.
“I get it. I’m not the kind of girl guys feel like that about. I’m the bang ‘em and leave ‘em type, or I was until I had Hadley. Now I guess I’m just the avoid at all costs type.” I cast my eyes downward in embarrassment. The one time I don’t cower away, I’m turned down and it reaffirms everything I think about myself.
“Oh my god, no. Ari,no. That’s not at all what I meant. I just know that you’re usually more withdrawn and protective of yourself. Tonight you finally allowed me in a little bit and I don’t want you to think I’d ever take advantage of that. It’s not the kind of man I am. I want you to feel like you can count on me, trust me, and develop a real friendship with me. Everything that can be built upon needs a solid foundation. The guys and I want to be that for you. In order to do that, you need to be able to rely on the fact that we will never, ever take advantage of any moment you choose to be vulnerable with us.”
“Who are you?”
“What do you mean? I’m Jace…” he trails off with a wrinkle in his brow and a slight frown on his face.
“Yeah, but in my twenty-one years of life, I’ve never met a man like you. Or Coop and Ethan for that matter. How can I go all these years with not one single man respecting and appreciating women the way y’all do, and now I’m overwhelmed with three of you at once?”
