CHAPTER ELEVEN
Monday morning seemed like business as usual. Jason made no reference to the weekend, and two minutes after he walked into our mutual office, he asked if we could go over the monthly invoice we’d be sending over to the county. I resisted the urge to fidget in my chair when he came around and looked over my shoulder at the spreadsheet on my screen, but after surveying the numbers he just said, “Let’s add another five percent to the construction labor.”
I chewed my lip. It was important to get the details right since we had to rationalize percentage of completion on the billing.
“I stopped by the jobsite this morning,” I told Jason.
“So did I,” he said. “Right after you. I got there just as you were driving away. Lukas was left behind in the dust, mooning over your tire tracks.”
“That’s ridiculous,” I scoffed, although I’d been a little unsettled to find Lukas there this morning. He appeared to be waiting for me to show up and then asked me a simple question that could have been easily dealt with via email or text. I knew that sooner or later I needed to address the issue with a follow-up conversation. The doubts that were born the night he lost his temper wouldn’t disappear. Nor should they.
Jason snapped his fingers loudly and I broke out of my trance.
“What did you do to your hand?” he asked, and I looked down to find I’d been subconsciously rubbing my palms together as I recalled the way Lukas had snatched my phone away because I wasn’t paying enough attention to him.
I shook my wrist out. “Nothing. I was just thinking about an unpleasant event.”
It was a mistake to divulge that kind of information and I knew it right away. Jason was shrewd. He would guess that something was wrong.
“Does he scare you?” Jason asked suddenly.
“Who?” I said, claiming ignorance.
Jason rolled his eyes. “Your flaxen-haired boyfriend.”
“He’s not my boyfriend,” I spat. “I told you we only dated for a few months and that ended abruptly when he—” I cut myself off mid-sentence. I hadn’t confessed to anyone why I’d broken up with Lukas. Luckily we hadn’t been together long enough for anyone to ask too many questions. But Jason wasn’t just anyone.
“What did he do, Audrey?” Jason asked, and his voice was gentle, full of concern.
I slumped in my chair and started peeling off pink Post-it notes. “Lukas has a temper sometimes. We had an argument one night and he grabbed my phone and threw it against a wall.”
Jason said nothing. I put my Post-it notes down and glanced over at him. A moment ago his voice had been calm, but now his face looked thunderous.
“Did he hurt you?” Jason asked in a tight voice. I saw his fist closing.
“He went a little nuts,” I admitted. “The screen cracked, and for a second I thought he might go for me next.” I paused, remembering. “The thing about Lukas is we had fun together. And he never openly threatened me. But it’s weird when I see him now, so reserved and upstanding, I can almost convince myself it didn’t really happen. But I know it did. And I know I’d be a fool to trust him.”
“Your instincts are correct,” Jason said. “Audrey, I want you to tell me if he does anything to make you uncomfortable, okay?”
“I’m really not worried about being attacked at the jobsite by Lukas Lund,” I said. A thought occurred to me. “Jason, please don’t say anything to him. Don’t say anything about this to anyone.”
He snorted with brief laughter. “Haven’t I proven to you yet that I know how to keep a secret? I’m on your side, Audrey. We’re partners. Don’t forget that.”
It was probably the nicest thing I’d ever heard Jason say, but I was too surprised to respond. He got up to leave, saying he had to get to the far west side of the valley to see about one of the pre-courthouse projects that was still wrapping up.
“Remember we’ve got the meeting with Mark Bracero down at the courthouse at two o’clock,” I said.
He glanced at his watch. “I’ll make it.”
“You’d better,” I warned. “He’s Davis Brown’s BFF, so that’s one subcontractor we especially need to keep happy.”
Jason grinned. “I’m good at keeping people happy. See you on-site later.”
I found myself staring at the door after Jason exited, feeling conflicted. On the one hand, I was glad to see him go. He was still Jason Roma, still the same guy I’d been avoiding like rabies for the past six years, the guy who stole condoms and made maddening observations about hard nipples. On the other hand, despite my best efforts, I couldn’t stop thinking about Friday night’s erotic details. And then today he had to go and say something like “I’m on your side, Audrey.” Even if he didn’t mean it or if he only meant it in the most professional sense, I couldn’t get the words out of my mind.
Helen knocked on the door a short time later carrying a stack of materials invoices she needed me to sign off on.
“How is he?” she asked.
“Jason’s just fine,” I said, looking over the quantities and pricing and then signing off with a flourish.
Helen’s dry chuckle was loud. “I know Jason’s fine, doll. And if I were a few years younger, I’d be trying to check him out up close. I was talking about the kid who got hurt on Friday.”
“Oh.” I blushed over the error. “Jonas Ramirez is his name. He was released from the hospital yesterday morning. He may need another surgery and is definitely facing months of rehabilitative care, but the doctors expect he’ll recover.”
“That’s a relief,” Helen said. She looked pointedly at the empty side of the office. “And where is Mr. Roma right now?”
I inspected another invoice. “He had to take a drive to the west side. I’ll see him this afternoon.”
Helen fell silent and I looked up. Her smile nearly reached her ears.
“What?” I said.
“What?” she mimicked me. “You’re blushing.”
“It’s hot in here.”
“If you say so,” Helen replied, but she was still smiling.
“I do.”
“And I suppose it has nothing to do with the fact that you and a certain sexy project manager have been circling each other and panting like animals in heat.” She laughed at my shocked face. “Don’t look so alarmed. Some people have a sixth sense. I have a sexth sense.”
I chose not to acknowledge her bawdy declaration. “Here are your signed invoices,” I said sweetly.
Helen winked at me on her way out the door. “I plan to trap you at some point and force some details out of you. In the meantime, say hi to Jason for me.”
When Helen was gone I tried to concentrate on work once more, but I felt a bit unsettled. Helen was my friend and I felt pretty sure she wouldn’t run around gossiping, but I didn’t feel comfortable confirming any of her suspicions where Jason was concerned. It was true that I didn’t want our indiscretions to become water-cooler conversation, but beyond that I didn’t want to examine why I spent so much time thinking about Jason Roma.
My phone buzzed with Barnes and a small emergency that took the rest of the morning to resolve. I ate lunch at my desk and kept my mind on the job until it was time to leave for the meeting.
When I reached the jobsite, Jason was already there, just beyond the dust and the activity. He was shaking hands with a man sporting a shock of white hair who must be Mark Bracero, the owner of the company that was going to be handling the bulk of the electrical work. Given his friendship with Davis Brown, we’d have to stay on our toes around him lest he start making complaints to the bosses.
“Hello, I’m Audrey Gordon,” I greeted him, holding out a hand.
He shook my hand with a frown. “I assumed standard protocol was in place for visiting a jobsite,” he said.
I was a little nonplussed by the statement until I saw Jason glance down at my feet.
Shit.
Not only was I still wearing my open-toed sandals, but I had forgotten the hard hat that was required when visiting a construction zone.
“Forgive me,” I said. “I’ll just run back to my car and then we can proceed with the meeting. Unless you would like to speak off-site. There’s a fabulous diner across the street.”
His frown deepened. “The meeting is supposed to take place at the jobsite and I expect it will take place at the jobsite. If you can’t handle a construction zone, young lady, then perhaps you’d be better off in a different line of work.”
Jason broke in. “I think Audrey’s right. It makes more sense to hold the meeting off-site. We’ve got a lot of ground to cover and it’s loud and hot here.”
Mark Bracero’s scowl disappeared as he regarded Jason. “Perhaps you’re right, Jason,” he said warmly. “Let’s go have a seat inside that restaurant over there.”
Jason flashed me an apologetic look and I tried to stop seething over being insulted and called “young lady.” I’d run into worse than Mark Bracero in this industry, and I was sure I could win him over if we all sat down and discussed more practical matters.
It turned out I was wrong. With a glare, Mark Bracero dismissed everything that came out of my mouth and instead would ask Jason what he thought. My anger surged, nearly getting the better of me, so I sat in my chair and sipped my soda in order to avoid doing something stupid, like calling the man a chauvinist pig.
To his credit, Jason realized what was going on and refused to use it to his advantage. “Audrey, what do you think?” he kept asking every time Bracero would talk right over me.
It didn’t seem to matter. At the end of the meeting Mark Bracero shook Jason’s hand as if he were his son and told him he was glad to know the project had such a conscientious manager in charge. I received nothing but a cool nod before he walked out.
When the waitress brought the check for the drinks and appetizers we’d ordered, I grabbed it first. “I’ve got it,” I said grumpily, pulling out my corporate card and slapping it down on the table.
“I’m really sorry, Audrey,” Jason said. He sounded angry. “You didn’t fucking deserve to be treated like that.”
“I did forget my hard hat,” I grumbled, because I didn’t really want Jason’s pity.
He put his hand over mine. “The guy’s an asshole. We’re stuck working with him, but I want you to know that I’ve got your back.”
I shrugged and slid my hand out from beneath his. “Thanks for trying,” I said.
The waitress returned with the credit card slip. I left her an enormous tip and signed my name with an angry flourish.
“I’m heading back to the office.” I stood. “You?”
He nodded. “In a little while.”
I turned and began walking away.
“Hey,” Jason called.
I turned around and looked at him. He’d left the table and was following me. Jason stopped about two feet away and gazed at me with earnest sincerity.
“I meant what I said.”
“Thanks, Jason,” I mumbled, and then walked out before he could add anything else. The heat outside was punishing even though it was barely the beginning of spring. I hurriedly crossed the street and returned to my car. Barnes talked nearby to some of the workers. He gave me a friendly wave. Maybe he was willing to forget about the unprofessional way Jason and I had been bickering at the jobsite on Friday following the crane accident. I waved back.
In the refuge of my car I blasted the air conditioner and tried to dissolve my irritation over Mark Bracero’s bullshit attitude. Everyone had their own shit to deal with, and occasionally running into scowling sexist dinosaurs who didn’t believe women belonged on construction sites was mine. It wasn’t the first time I’d been treated unfairly and it wouldn’t be the last.
“I’m on your side.”
“I’ve got your back.”
Remembering Jason’s words had a calming effect on me. I hadn’t expected such loyalty from him. But knowing that it was there when I hadn’t even asked for it helped. It helped a lot.
Before I backed up and drove away, I noticed that Jason himself was standing about ten yards away beside his car. He must have left the restaurant immediately after I did, but maybe he understood that I needed some space so he didn’t try to catch up with me. He was staring at the hive of activity in the middle of the jobsite. I watched him for a moment, and as I headed back to the office, something occurred to me for the first time.
I liked working with Jason. Strangely enough, I was starting to feel grateful we’d been partnered together.