An Unlocked Mind (Secrets #2)(71)
As Vic listened to the call, he glanced over at Rob, then smiled. “Yes, I’ll tell him. Thank you for calling.”
For one crazy moment, Rob had the distinct feeling Vic was referring to him, except that made no sense. Who would be calling about me?
Vic disconnected the call and grinned at him. “That was work. They have a job for you, if you’re interested.”
All thoughts of the club were washed away by the sheer relief that flooded through him. “Yes!” It was only in that moment that Rob realized how much he’d been worried about his job situation.
Vic held up a hand. “Hold your horses. Listen to what the job entails before you jump in with both feet. You’d be working with a crew that handles mostly landscaping. You’d help with flowerbeds, laying sod, planting trees, things like that. It’s a lot of physical work, and you’d have to be able to lift fifty-pound bags of soil or fertilizer. That said, this is the same type of job I had when I started working with the company. But things changed when they saw my dedication, and I eventually got put in charge of the crew. From there, I helped to design things, like I said. You could have that chance too, but only if you’re motivated. It’s not easy work, and you’ll come home sore and tired a lot of days. When it’s done, though, there’s nothing quite like the satisfaction you get when you look at it and realize you helped to make something beautiful.”
Rob wasn’t afraid of hard work. He enjoyed it, in fact.
“Would I be working for you?” He mentally crossed his fingers.
Vic shook his head. “We’d work in separate areas. I doubt we’d even see each other unless I get asked to check on a job where you’re working.”
It meant a lot to Rob that Vic didn’t intend to watch his every move, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t needle him a little. “And you’d trust me to be out there, with a lot of other men? Who knows what could happen?” He waggled his eyebrows.
Vic’s grin was downright scary. “Oh, I know exactly what’s going to happen. You’re going to bust your balls on a daily basis, then limp home and hope that I ordered a pizza instead of insisting that you cook. You’ll want nothing more than to lie down as soon as you’re through the door. When you find out that’s not going to happen, you’ll call me all kinds of names, but you’re still going to march into the kitchen so we can cook. After we’re done eating, you’ll get into the shower and let the spray relax your muscles. Then you’ll go to bed and sleep the whole night through, because you’re too damned exhausted to get up to pee.”
Rob gaped at Vic. “And you did this job for how long?”
“For many years” came the frank reply. “And you know what? I loved every minute of it. There are days I wish I was still out there, working the ground. It’s the connection to nature that I miss most. It’s why Kew means so much to me. True, I didn’t work on it, but there’s a part of me that enjoys being one with the world around me.”
Rob snorted. “I was right. Hippie.”
Vic winked. “You say that like it’s a bad thing.”
But it wasn’t. Vic made the job sound amazing. Backbreaking, maybe, but something Rob could do and be proud of. Just like Alex was good at something, Rob hoped this would prove to be where his strengths lay. Although he’d probably never have the opportunity to see his brother and say, “I helped make that,” it still gave him hope that Alex might see it one day and comment on how beautiful it was.
It made the decision an easy one. “I’ll do it.”
Vic beamed. “I really think you’re going to like it. I spoke with Adrian from our human resources department. You’ll have to fill out some paperwork, but the job is yours and you’ll start after we’re done with our holiday. Which means we have a lot of running around to do after lunch.”
“We do?”
“Yes. We’re going to get you keys to the house, because there may be days you get here before me.”
“And how will I do that? I’m not even sure where I’ll be working. Can I get there by train? Will I need to walk? Can I bike there?”
Vic laughed. “Oh. I see. Well, excuse me. I’ve never had anyone live with me before. It’s not like I thought through every little detail.” He stuck his tongue out, which made Rob chuckle. “And it’s not as if you’d be working in one place. You might end up at sites all over London and the surrounding area. That means a bike is out, and trains too.” He folded his arms across his chest. “I think we need to get you a car.”
“What!” Rob shook his head vehemently. “Oh, hell no. I don’t want or need a car.” More expenses? He had no idea how much his new job paid, but he doubted that it would be enough to buy him a car just like that.
Vic speared him with a look. “You’re not being practical. You’re the one who asked how you were going to get to work. I’m just coming up with a solution. And as for not wanting a car, you know you do, so stop arguing. Besides, you’re going to need a place to store your gear, so a car makes much more sense.”
“Vic, I don’t have the money for a car, remember? If you hadn’t given me the pass to get to London, you never would have seen me again.”
“And that would have been a shame,” Vic replied, gripping Rob’s shoulder. “But this is an investment in your future, so it’s important. We can buy a nice secondhand vehicle. It doesn’t have to be anything extravagant.”