11

 

She had to admit the sectional Jarek had picked was actually very nice. Several of the charcoal cushions along the back could be reversed to show a pattern. The platinum and pale blue fabric broke up the dark furniture and added a pop of color.

“The base of the couch is distressed leather and so is the ottoman,” she muttered, bumping his arm with her shoulder.

Jarek nudged her back and grinned. “Is that going to keep me from getting laid?”

“It depends on what I come up with for the rest of your decor.”

“Then I guess that means I better be nice to you.”

“Keep that in mind,” Cali whispered with a smug smile.

“What else can I help you find today?” the salesman asked interrupting their banter. “Perhaps a leather recliner to compliment the new couch or our entire selection of area rugs and throw pillows is half off.”

Jarek inclined his head at her. “Talk to the lady. I’m just the money and muscle.”

“We will need a rug. Maybe something to pick up the pale blue in the patterned cushions,” she said and watched in relief when the salesman took off through the showroom. Trailing after him she turned to Jarek with a frown. “Now that I’ve seen the couch, this is what I’m thinking. You said that you don’t have a lot of friends. If you’re not planning on doing a lot of entertaining than the sectional is probably enough seating. You could put one chair on the side opposite the chaise if you wanted to balance the room. If you did have a bunch of people over the ottoman will seat at least another two. Otherwise, we get a large wooden tray to put in the center and it does double duty as a coffee table. It saves you buying one and the less furniture, the bigger the room looks.”

“Sounds good. Whatever we can mark off the list is money I can put into finishing the master bath.”

Cali smiled. They’d started a list between innings of the baseball game the night before. While he had definite ideas on building materials, furnishings didn’t interest Jarek much. He’d told her about the couch and how much he had to spend, then pretty much deferred to her on what he needed. His comment to the salesman a moment ago said he’d been serious. She might never get to decorate her own place. At least she could enjoy helping him.

“For a throw rug?” he asked, a wince audible in his tone as he looked at the price tag.

Okay, maybe he wasn’t giving up complete control.

“It’s half off,” she reminded him, running her fingers through the plush pile. “That’s actually not a bad price at all for a rug this big. Half that is a steal.”

“I’ll take your word for it,” he mumbled. “How is it you know all this again?”

“When I was daydreaming about getting my own place I used to surf the internet to outfit it. If you’re going to dream—”

“Dream big,” he finished for her.   

“Hey, did you make the mudroom built-ins?” she asked, changing the subject.

“Yeah. Why?”

“That hall tree would look awesome in the front entry but it’s almost four hundred dollars. It’s nothing more than a free-standing version of what you did in the mudroom with the hooks and benches. It might be cheaper to build one.”

“That wouldn’t take long at all,” Jarek said, stepping over to examine the piece. “My craftsmanship would be better and materials wouldn’t come close to four hundred.”

“Brag much?”

“You work your magic with the furniture and leave the carpentry to me.”

Grinning at his swagger, she gave him a light shove toward the dining sets.

 

 

Cali twirled a fry through the ketchup watching Jarek from behind the veil of her hair. One of the waitresses brushed against him and he apologized, steadying the blonde with a sheepish smile before continuing toward the table. Cali rolled her eyes. Either he had a better poker face than she thought, or he was clueless he’d just been flirted with. Like last night, it felt weird not to be one of the girls skirting between the tables with a tray balanced on their upraised palm.

Hanging out with Jarek at the pub had been a new experience. He’d been courteous from the start, holding the door for her and then folding his arm behind his back to take her hand and pull her close, shielding her as he worked through the crowd. They’d managed to claim a small table, sitting down as the previous occupants departed. The older bottle blonde that had cleared and wiped the table had known Jarek by sight if not name. Cali had teased him about being called Sweetie. He’d just shook his head and tossed a menu at her.

Other than a free dinner or a shared order of chili-cheese fries here or there at work, restaurant food was a rarity for her. The loaded burgers and seasoned fries they’d ordered had been amazing. Jarek had surprised her. He’d stuck to Mountain Dew as his poison of choice. She knew he drank. At least there was a six pack of Budweiser longnecks in his refrigerator. She hadn’t questioned him, not wanting to jinx it. The lack of alcoholic beverages hadn’t seemed to dim his enthusiasm in cheering on their south side baseball team. Good food, good company, and a Sox win had guaranteed a great night for everyone, and one Cali would remember.

“Are you still eating?” Jarek asked dropping into the other side of the booth.

His grin was teasing and incredulous.

Leaning back with a small groan Cali grinned like a Cheshire cat. “I can’t help it. Fries that good shouldn’t go to waste.”

“Better than the pub’s?”

“No,” she said without hesitation. “Good, but not that good.”

“Did you save room for a piece of pie?” their waitress asked, looking between them.

Cali groaned again and Jarek laughed.

“I’m afraid not.” Turning over the check she put down, Jarek pulled out his wallet and handed her a couple of bills with a friendly smile. “Keep the change.”

“You know that was better than a thirty percent tip, right?” Cali asked as she followed him from the restaurant. “Where were you when I was waitressing?”

Jarek shrugged. “I always feel guilty when they bring the change back. They give you that look like, you are going to tip, right? So, if it’s less than five bucks that I would pocket, I just say keep the change.”

“That could get expensive.”

“Why do you think I don’t eat out much?”

“Sap.”

“Whatever. You wouldn’t have complained if you were on the serving side.”

“True,” she agreed with a smirk. “Can we make one more stop? It’s not far. Four or five blocks out of your way.” 

“Sure. Where are we going?”

“I need to stop at an old neighbors. The street threw a joint Memorial Day and graduation cookout and the ladies put together gift hampers for the three of us graduates. I left mine with Mrs. Romano and told her I’d pick it up when I moved into my place. That didn’t turn out quite the way I planned.”

“Come on now. I’m better than the orangutan,” he protested.

The thought of her almost landlord made her shudder, but Jarek’s words and grin chased away the self-pity. He was right. For once she’d fallen in shit and come out better for it. Both the accommodations and living arrangements with Jarek were better than what she’d had lined up, and they didn’t end with the stork’s delivery.  

“You’re definitely a step up the evolutionary ladder and you smell better too,” she said, jumping into the cab of the truck and locking the door before he could retaliate.

He shook a finger at her through the window before heading around to the driver’s side. She watched him in the mirror, his hand following the rim of the truck bed. She snorted when he patted it just before he opened his door. The man loved his truck.

When they reached the Romano’s, she was surprised when he got out.

“I can get it. It can’t be that heavy,” she tossed over her shoulder.

“It’ll be easier for me to lift into the back of the truck.”

“You’re just worried I’ll break your precious TV.”

“As many times as you’ve mentioned it, and the attention you paid to picture quality, I’m beginning to worry the TV is going to become yours just like my shower,” Jarek shot back.

Cali laughed just as the front door opened. A second later she was engulfed in a crushing hug.

“There you are! We heard that drunken jackass hollering and threatening you last Saturday night, chasing you out in the storm for God’s sake. Then he went tearing out of here like he was going to run you down. I’ve been so worried about you, but Sal said you were tough, that you’d show up.”

Struggling to pull her face out of the older woman’s smothering bosom Cali smiled.

“Sal’s right. I’m fine. Sorry, I worried you.”

Mrs. Romano’s dark eyes darted to Jarek, crawling up and down him in an assessing stare.

“This is my friend, Jarek. I’m staying with him, renting a room,” Cali said, feeling awkward.

He stepped forward, easily offering his hand. “Nice to meet you, ma’am.”

The older woman accepted his handshake and Cali thought something about the interaction eased some of Mrs. Romano’s worries. She waved them in the door.

“Come in. Have you had lunch? I have some leftover meatballs. I can whip you up some sandwiches.”

“Jarek treated me to lunch out for helping him with some shopping this morning,” Cali said, making sure to emphasize her regret. Mrs. Romano’s meatballs were legendary. “We have a man coming with some furniture in a half-hour so we can’t stay long.”

Mrs. Romano’s eyes narrowed again and she turned back to Jarek. “I hope everything’s okay with your wife and the baby.”

He gave her a blank look, eyes shifting to Cali for help. It took her a moment to connect the dots.

“The couple that I was going to rent a room from are actually having marital problems and I decided that wasn’t a situation I wanted to get involved in. Jarek is completely renovating a house over on Albany and he offered to let me stay there and help him with painting, decorating and stuff.”

“Oh!” Mrs. Romano said, waving her hands between them as if she could erase the misunderstanding. She patted Jarek’s arm. “Sorry about giving you the evil eye. Cali has her head on straight. I just want to make sure circumstances don’t change that.”

“I understand. I lucked out. She’s an ideal roommate, responsible, respectful, hardworking, not to mention having an eye for décor and a nose for deals,” Jarek said smiling down at the older woman.

Mrs. Romano beamed. “Let me get Cali’s hamper.”

Her hand trailed down his arm as she turned and hustled down the hall.

“Aww, do you charm all the women, Sweetie?” Cali whispered, giggling and sounding so much like their waitress.

He rolled his eyes. They had to remind Mrs. Romano three times about the waiting delivery man and promise to stop back soon before they could finally go. The furniture truck pulled up to the house minutes after they did and an insurance adjuster ten minutes after that. The next couple of hours were crazy, but Jarek did manage to get the bracket up in the chaos and bribe one of the furniture guys to help him lift the television onto the mount over the fireplace. When everyone was gone, they both collapsed onto the couch.

“What a day,” she sighed.

“Uh huh.”

“Who knew shopping could be so exhausting?”

“I thought shopping was an Olympic sport for your gender.”

“Smart ass.”

The protective plastic rustled as Jarek slouched lower on the couch and let his head loll over the back.

“Everything go okay with the insurance adjuster?” she asked, eyes closed.

“Yeah. I gave him an estimate a buddy wrote up for me. He said it was reasonable and that I should have a check in a week or two. If I hire the concrete work done and bribe my co-workers with food and beer, I should be able to afford to put up the two-car garage I want without draining the rest of my savings.”

“It’s good to know people. Did you remember to show him the damaged bricks out front?”

“Yeah, and I know a guy for that too.”

“It’s all about who you know and who you blow,” she said with a snort of amusement.

“Nice,” Jarek grunted. “That might be how you women get things done, but men tend to deal in beer, food and sweat equity.”

“Blah, blah, blah. You wish.”

“You’re the one that said it.”

She turned her head to look at him. “That’s the best you’ve got, you started it?”   

Jarek opened his eyes at her childish whine and grinned. Cali rolled her eyes and smacked him with a throw pillow.

“The stuff from Home Depot is still in the truck.”

He groaned.

“We need to get the furniture arranged and you said you wanted to set up the wireless surround sound.”

His eyes closed again.

“And don’t forget you’re grilling steaks tonight because you owe me.”

“I bought you breakfast and lunch. How do you figure I owe you?”

She giggled. “It was worth a shot.”

He snatched the pillow from her hand and smacked her with it. “You’re evil.”

“You didn’t think I survived at this size this long by luck, did you?”

Dropping the pillow, he rocked to his feet and tugged a lock of her red hair as he walked behind the couch. “I should’ve known.”

Cali grinned at the teasing disgust in his voice.

“Too late now,” she called after him with her best maniacal laugh.