office.
As he reached the office door, Alyssa rushed to him. Standing directly in front of him, she gently placed a hand on his shoulder.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
“Yeah; you know how Enrique is.” He attempted to shrug off the fact that Enrique’s little talk had bothered him.
“I’m not talking about that,” replied Alyssa as she noticed his wounds. “You look like you got run over!”
Test bit his bottom lip and closed his eyes as Alyssa gently brushed his hair from his brow.
“What happened?” she asked.
Test opened his eyes and looked around the room. Everyone was gone except for James, who was standing by the door with his hands shoved in his front jean pockets. Quickly shifting his gaze away from him, he looked back to Alyssa.
“Can I talk to you about this later?” asked Test sincerely. “I’ve got to go to work or your uncle is going to fire me.”
There seriousness in his voice was impossible to miss. Alyssa simply nodded her head yes and turned to walk out the door. Before letting the door close, she looked back.
“Will you have lunch with me?”
Test looked at James who reluctantly had a smile on his face. He felt the corner of his own mouth raise, and looked back to the beautiful figure standing in the backlit doorway.
“Yeah, that sounds good,” he replied.
Alyssa glanced at James with a bright toothed smile and let the door close. James pulled his hands from his pockets and began to clap.
“I knew you had it in you.” The cadence of his clapping was short and sharp. His voice was stern. “Now, if you can keep from screwing up your job, maybe you can have it all?”
Test walked towards James and spoke as he crossed his arms tightly to his chest. “It’s complicated.”
“Life is complicated enough without being stupid and making it more so,” replied James. “You going to tell me what happened yesterday?”
Looking James straight in the eye, he replied in a respectful manner. “If you need to know, then yes, I will tell you.”
“I don’t need to know… but I would like to,” replied James.
“Can I tell you on the way? Enrique’s pissed off enough. I’m sure he’s not going to wait on me much today.”
James looked at him with a raised eyebrow as he pushed open the door for Test. “You’re probably right…can’t say as I blame him either.”
Chapter 8
Test had spoken with James most all of the way to the job site. He had explained about falling off of a bike after having a few drinks and rolling down an embankment and into a swath of small trees. James didn’t know that for one, Test didn’t drink, and second, he didn’t own a bicycle. It didn’t take much convincing for James to accept the explanation, and then the conversation turned to Alyssa. It was all Test could do to keep the smile from his face as James mentioned her name.
“So what’s goin’ on between you two anyway?” asked James with a smirk as he rubbed the stubble on his chin.
“What do you mean? There’s nothing,” replied Test coyly.
James leaned his head back over the side of the truck and shouted into the air.
“Oh come on man!” He quickly sat up and turned into Test. “I saw the way you two looked at each other in that office. You can’t tell me there isn’t something there.”
Test choked, but still couldn’t restrain the smile.
“Okay, I admit…there is an attraction there.”
“Go on,” replied James.
Test smacked his knees with open palms. “What do you want me to say? I barely know the girl.”
“Alright, alright,” replied James patting Test on the back. “I think that shell of yours is starting to crack though!”
He winked at Test innocently, but the sight of it brought back the dream of the farm in a frightening flash. He suddenly felt cold as a pins and needles sensation covered his skin. His heart began to skip. He could hear James talking, but couldn’t focus.
The next thing he knew, someone was standing over him, clutching his
As he reached the office door, Alyssa rushed to him. Standing directly in front of him, she gently placed a hand on his shoulder.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
“Yeah; you know how Enrique is.” He attempted to shrug off the fact that Enrique’s little talk had bothered him.
“I’m not talking about that,” replied Alyssa as she noticed his wounds. “You look like you got run over!”
Test bit his bottom lip and closed his eyes as Alyssa gently brushed his hair from his brow.
“What happened?” she asked.
Test opened his eyes and looked around the room. Everyone was gone except for James, who was standing by the door with his hands shoved in his front jean pockets. Quickly shifting his gaze away from him, he looked back to Alyssa.
“Can I talk to you about this later?” asked Test sincerely. “I’ve got to go to work or your uncle is going to fire me.”
There seriousness in his voice was impossible to miss. Alyssa simply nodded her head yes and turned to walk out the door. Before letting the door close, she looked back.
“Will you have lunch with me?”
Test looked at James who reluctantly had a smile on his face. He felt the corner of his own mouth raise, and looked back to the beautiful figure standing in the backlit doorway.
“Yeah, that sounds good,” he replied.
Alyssa glanced at James with a bright toothed smile and let the door close. James pulled his hands from his pockets and began to clap.
“I knew you had it in you.” The cadence of his clapping was short and sharp. His voice was stern. “Now, if you can keep from screwing up your job, maybe you can have it all?”
Test walked towards James and spoke as he crossed his arms tightly to his chest. “It’s complicated.”
“Life is complicated enough without being stupid and making it more so,” replied James. “You going to tell me what happened yesterday?”
Looking James straight in the eye, he replied in a respectful manner. “If you need to know, then yes, I will tell you.”
“I don’t need to know… but I would like to,” replied James.
“Can I tell you on the way? Enrique’s pissed off enough. I’m sure he’s not going to wait on me much today.”
James looked at him with a raised eyebrow as he pushed open the door for Test. “You’re probably right…can’t say as I blame him either.”
Chapter 8
Test had spoken with James most all of the way to the job site. He had explained about falling off of a bike after having a few drinks and rolling down an embankment and into a swath of small trees. James didn’t know that for one, Test didn’t drink, and second, he didn’t own a bicycle. It didn’t take much convincing for James to accept the explanation, and then the conversation turned to Alyssa. It was all Test could do to keep the smile from his face as James mentioned her name.
“So what’s goin’ on between you two anyway?” asked James with a smirk as he rubbed the stubble on his chin.
“What do you mean? There’s nothing,” replied Test coyly.
James leaned his head back over the side of the truck and shouted into the air.
“Oh come on man!” He quickly sat up and turned into Test. “I saw the way you two looked at each other in that office. You can’t tell me there isn’t something there.”
Test choked, but still couldn’t restrain the smile.
“Okay, I admit…there is an attraction there.”
“Go on,” replied James.
Test smacked his knees with open palms. “What do you want me to say? I barely know the girl.”
“Alright, alright,” replied James patting Test on the back. “I think that shell of yours is starting to crack though!”
He winked at Test innocently, but the sight of it brought back the dream of the farm in a frightening flash. He suddenly felt cold as a pins and needles sensation covered his skin. His heart began to skip. He could hear James talking, but couldn’t focus.
The next thing he knew, someone was standing over him, clutching his
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