Too Hard(6)

I probably shouldn’t call them boys because they looked to be about a year or two younger than me. Not that anyone would be able to tell that from looking at me. I’ve always looked young for my age and more so when I don't dress up or put on any makeup on. If this place wasn't such a mess I’d ask my cousin to come over early and do my makeup before Butch gets here. I want to look sexy and maybe catch his eye or something.

I make my way over to the mess at the sink and try to clean it up as best I can. I slip and fall twice while I’m doing it and there’s already a bruise forming on my thigh.

I use every one of the nice fluffy towels Nellie talked me into getting. I didn't see why I needed more than two towels when she made me get them, but once again she was right. I’m thankful for all of them as I jam them into my washing machine.

When I come back to the kitchen I take in what’s left of the mess I’ve made. All the water is cleaned up, but I know a lot of this stuff is going to need to be ripped out. I feel guilty for all the work I ruined and I should be super mad at myself. But when my mind drifts back to Butch and knowing he’ll be here again, I can’t be sorry. If I hadn’t broken the pipe I wouldn't have met him.

Maybe that will get Nellie to not be so mad at me for destroying my kitchen. She’s always trying to get me to show interest in some guy. I’m showing interest right now, but he’s a man and he might be too much for me to handle.

I look down at my clothes that are once again soaked through and I remember that Butch thought I lived with my parents. I groan, hating that he didn’t see me as a woman. When I went into my bedroom to change I tried to find something I thought might be sexy and would maybe make me look a little older. He just looked mostly annoyed after that. I think the boys noticed, though, since their eyes kept drifting to my breasts.

I pull my dirty shirt off and hang it in the bathroom. I hadn't put a bra on earlier because I hate them even though I know I need one. I’m so top heavy and I’ve been this way my whole life. When I’m home I never wear one. Nellie says it’s bullshit I never show them off, but I tried and Butch didn't take notice.

When I walk into my bedroom I pull off my shorts and grab a pair of sleep pants and a thin T-shirt. I decide to go back to the living room and try to get lost in my work for a while and stop thinking about calling the number on the card. I want to hear his deep voice again because it made my whole body tingle with awareness.

My phone rings on the kitchen counter and I run over to grab it when I hear Nellie's ringtone. I don’t know why I thought it could be Butch because he doesn’t have my number.

I have to answer or she’s going to show up over here. I have enough to think about right now without her standing in front of me with five million questions. I need to focus on things like what I should wear tomorrow and I don’t need her here yelling at me. Okay, maybe not yelling, but giving me the look I always get from her, my aunt, and my mom. The look that always wonders how I end up knee deep in something. Today it’s water.

“Hey,” I chirp a little too loudly, knowing I gave myself up.

“Oh god. What did you do?” I hear a trace of horror in her voice. “You’re so lucky you have money to burn,” she adds, and I think she’s trying to reassure herself and not me.

“Maybe my bathroom needs to be redone, too,” I throw out as a distraction.

“Oh, I saw these cool new toilets that have seat warmers.”

I breathe a sigh of relief that it worked and I’ll be honest that does sound kind of cool. But my small victory is short lived.

“Wait a second. I know what you’re doing.”

“I broke the pipe,” I admit as I rip the Band-Aid off and get it over with.

If redoing my bathroom isn’t going to work, nothing will. Maybe it will soften the blow when she sees the place. This way she’ll kind of know what she's walking into tomorrow. It won’t all be dropped on her head at once.

“Of course you did, Harlow. Let me make a call I’ll see—”

“The property manager sent someone to come stop the flooding.”

“Flooding!” she yells through the phone.

“Soft flow of water coming from the pipe?” I try rewording it to see if that helps.

“I can’t with you.” At least she laughs when she says it.

“The guy who came over was hot,” I say, and that stops her from laughing.

“Oh my. He must really be hot if he got your attention.” I walk over to the sofa and sit down, picking up his card again. “Did he ask you out?”

“No,” I admit, and it sucks because I’ve never gone on a date. They look boring if you ask me. Two people who don't know each other having to be awkward face to face. “He gave me his number?”

“Why does that sound like a question?” She laughs. “I want to see this guy.”

“Well, he’ll be back tomorrow.”

“God, is your place so bad that he has to come back?” She starts laughing again. “It’s so bad you need two contractors to fix it.”

I snort because that sounds about right for me.

“Now tell me why you think he gave you his number,” Nellie says.

“He gave me his business card.” I turn the card over and take all of it in. I’ve already memorized the thing.