sound spontaneous, but alas, Hollywood would not be calling soon.
“Nice try. You’re trying to get rid of me, aren’t you?”
“No! Not at all. I was just trying to be helpf—”
“Save it. I’m coming with you. Someone has to make sure you watch the budget,” he said snarkily.
“Mr. Martinez, I am always mindful of the budget. I take great care to present high to lower-end options within my client’s means. I apologize profusely if I misjudged your budgetary constraints. You didn’t indicate that you wanted to keep cost at a certain mark, but if you’d like to look only at lower-end materials, I can arr—”
“I don’t want a bunch of crap in my place! Don’t be ridiculous. I can afford the high-end shit. No need to be patronizing, Mr. Preston.” The sneer on his face was close to the final straw, but I managed to remain civil.
“Mr. Martinez, I don’t mean to patronize at all. Again I apologize for— ”
“Stop calling me that!” he snapped. He whipped his dark sunglasses off and rubbed the bridge of his nose.
“Then stop calling me ‘Mr. Preston,’ ass—!” I stopped myself midinsult, but the damage was done.
I ground my back teeth and wrapped my fingers tightly around the steering wheel. We were still parked in front of the store. I was glad there were no windows for Brenda and her staff to witness the meltdown in progress. I could feel the beginnings of a horrible headache at the base of my skull and knew the stress of the past few months was about to catch up with me in the form of an ugly migraine or a panic attack if I didn’t pull it together fast.
“I’m sorry.” My voice was low. I couldn’t look at him. I was angry and upset now, but I didn’t want to concede total defeat.
Michael sighed deeply. “Hey.”
I knew he wanted my attention but I didn’t trust myself to speak, so I kept my eyes fixed ahead.
“Hey, I’m… Luke?”
“Hmm?”
“Look at me.”
I grudgingly turned to face him and was taken aback by the blatant misery in his eyes. I couldn’t hold on to my last thread of anger when I saw his distress. I barely knew this man, but he was obviously unhappy.
“I’m the one who’s sorry. I’m bad company and I know it. I got a call that… whatever. It isn’t important. I’ve had an impressive string of bad luck lately, and I’m tired of constantly being frustrated and disappointed. I wish I could….” Michael turned his head to look out the window, rubbing his chin absently with his thumb.
“What?” I prodded.
“Fuck, do anything but sit around and wish time away.”
We were silent for a moment. We’d known each other less than a week and had already experienced a couple of awkward exchanges, revealing more than most strangers would in such a short time. His sadness comingled with mine and created a tangible pallor in the small car’s interior. It left me feeling uncertain and off-balance. Everything in me wanted to retreat and maybe try again on Monday. But I sensed Michael needed to make the decision. Not because it was entirely important but because any semblance of control was vital to him in a time when nothing was going his way. I could definitely appreciate the feeling. I swallowed hard and turned the engine on.
“Where to?” I asked as I pulled out of the parking space.
Michael looked over at me with a crooked smile as he placed his sunglasses back over his nose. My breath hitched slightly at his transformation from handsome but distant to downright beautiful.
“I think you said something about peeling linoleum being unsafe. I guess we better look at flooring. But do me a favor….”
“What’s that?”
“Can you try not to make best friends with the salesperson? If I have to hear one more story about someone’s grandkids or where they bought their fabulous bracelets or how smart their haircut is, I’m gonna go fucking crazy. You don’t have to be so… nice.”
“Are you kidding me? Of course I do! Customer service
“Nice try. You’re trying to get rid of me, aren’t you?”
“No! Not at all. I was just trying to be helpf—”
“Save it. I’m coming with you. Someone has to make sure you watch the budget,” he said snarkily.
“Mr. Martinez, I am always mindful of the budget. I take great care to present high to lower-end options within my client’s means. I apologize profusely if I misjudged your budgetary constraints. You didn’t indicate that you wanted to keep cost at a certain mark, but if you’d like to look only at lower-end materials, I can arr—”
“I don’t want a bunch of crap in my place! Don’t be ridiculous. I can afford the high-end shit. No need to be patronizing, Mr. Preston.” The sneer on his face was close to the final straw, but I managed to remain civil.
“Mr. Martinez, I don’t mean to patronize at all. Again I apologize for— ”
“Stop calling me that!” he snapped. He whipped his dark sunglasses off and rubbed the bridge of his nose.
“Then stop calling me ‘Mr. Preston,’ ass—!” I stopped myself midinsult, but the damage was done.
I ground my back teeth and wrapped my fingers tightly around the steering wheel. We were still parked in front of the store. I was glad there were no windows for Brenda and her staff to witness the meltdown in progress. I could feel the beginnings of a horrible headache at the base of my skull and knew the stress of the past few months was about to catch up with me in the form of an ugly migraine or a panic attack if I didn’t pull it together fast.
“I’m sorry.” My voice was low. I couldn’t look at him. I was angry and upset now, but I didn’t want to concede total defeat.
Michael sighed deeply. “Hey.”
I knew he wanted my attention but I didn’t trust myself to speak, so I kept my eyes fixed ahead.
“Hey, I’m… Luke?”
“Hmm?”
“Look at me.”
I grudgingly turned to face him and was taken aback by the blatant misery in his eyes. I couldn’t hold on to my last thread of anger when I saw his distress. I barely knew this man, but he was obviously unhappy.
“I’m the one who’s sorry. I’m bad company and I know it. I got a call that… whatever. It isn’t important. I’ve had an impressive string of bad luck lately, and I’m tired of constantly being frustrated and disappointed. I wish I could….” Michael turned his head to look out the window, rubbing his chin absently with his thumb.
“What?” I prodded.
“Fuck, do anything but sit around and wish time away.”
We were silent for a moment. We’d known each other less than a week and had already experienced a couple of awkward exchanges, revealing more than most strangers would in such a short time. His sadness comingled with mine and created a tangible pallor in the small car’s interior. It left me feeling uncertain and off-balance. Everything in me wanted to retreat and maybe try again on Monday. But I sensed Michael needed to make the decision. Not because it was entirely important but because any semblance of control was vital to him in a time when nothing was going his way. I could definitely appreciate the feeling. I swallowed hard and turned the engine on.
“Where to?” I asked as I pulled out of the parking space.
Michael looked over at me with a crooked smile as he placed his sunglasses back over his nose. My breath hitched slightly at his transformation from handsome but distant to downright beautiful.
“I think you said something about peeling linoleum being unsafe. I guess we better look at flooring. But do me a favor….”
“What’s that?”
“Can you try not to make best friends with the salesperson? If I have to hear one more story about someone’s grandkids or where they bought their fabulous bracelets or how smart their haircut is, I’m gonna go fucking crazy. You don’t have to be so… nice.”
“Are you kidding me? Of course I do! Customer service
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