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He exhaled and stared at her. Where the fuck is she going?
She watched his eyes travel down her body to the upside-down V at the top of her thighs. And then back. He didn't even know he was doing it. Just that male gaze thing. Poor Cos. Here goes.
"Let me show you." She walked out of her room and turned down the hall toward the back stairs, looking back to make sure he was following her. "This wall, here." She stopped at the head of the stairs, pointing to the blank wall. "I want a door here too."
He looked at it and shrugged. "That one's a lot easier. $500 for the two of them."
She rolled her lips against her teeth nodding. "So, about half in materials and half in labor?"
He nodded, staring at her. Waiting.
"So, the thing is. I don't want my parents to find out. At all. Even after the doors are in."
He cocked his head, confused. "What? I'm not sure I get it....oh..." He turned to look at the wall. "A hidden door?" He walked up to the wall and tapped, turning to look past the stairs, all the way around, down the hall toward the front stairs. He shook his head. He stopped, looked at her, his eyes narrowing slightly, and shook his head again. "I'm not sure I can do that..."
"Look. I can pay you, so money isn't the issue here. And I can keep a secret if you can. Can you?" She thrust her chest out just a little, just a tiny bit. His eyes darted down and back up, a little scared.
"Why...why do you want it to be hidden? It'll be really expensive. Maybe not even possible."
"I've always loved those movies where there were hidden doors and secret passages. I want one." She said it as if it were her birthright. She was being terrible. She was being really bad. Wicked. Naughty. Her parents would be furious if they knew what she was doing. It didn't stop her. She wanted this. The doors, sure, but she really wanted the room. And now she definitely wanted Cos.
"I found a few suggestions on Pinterest and I drew up a couple of sketches. I'm not that good at this stuff, but maybe you could tell me a better way to do it. Let me show you downstairs."
She led him back to the safety of the living room. At least she hoped he felt safe there, and swiped open the tablet to a few sketches.
"For the hallway door, I was thinking if the whole wall just hinged open, like an entire door, then there wouldn't be a seam....and..."
"Hold on," he interrupted her. "Let's just say for the moment that I could do this. I'd have to let Mac know. He'd want to get a change order and that would have to be signed by your dad..."
"Nooooo," she said softly, interrupting him. "No. Please. I really want this to be done as a surprise for them." She made her face as open and innocent as she knew how. She could see him wiggling a little. Struggling at where she wanted to go. You have no idea where I want to go, Cos. But, maybe he did. He was a guy, 10 years older than her and predatory. She'd seen it in him already. It's what she wanted. A real guy. Not like the boys at school. Settle down tiger. Let this pot boil a bit. "Anyway, assuming everybody says it's okay, will this work?"
He looked back at her tablet and the sketch. "That would probably work. There's plenty of wall space, of course. Don't know what's going on inside, I couldn't see all the way to that corner from your closet. The ceiling height is 9' so there's plenty of room to put in the hardware. It would have to be recessed...the front flush with the wall because of the stair..." He took a look at her Pinterest pins. "Do you want shelves? I mean, I could probably put together a bookshelf for less than that MurphyDoor thing...but it's a lot more than $300. No matter what it's a lot more than that."
"How much is a lot more?"
"So, that thing," he pointed to a pre-built hidden bookcase, "is $1300, unfinished. It would take me a few hours to finish it, so just that would be $1500 installed. But like I said, I could probably build you the same thing with better wood, assuming you didn't want fancy detailing, for $300 materials...maybe $800?"
She made her face light up, like he'd offered her a unicorn. "You fucking serious? That would be amazing?" Too much? Nope. Just right. He likes when a cute girl swears.
He sighed and clenched his jaw. "Look. I don't feel comfortable working behind Mac's back. It'll be my job if he finds out...."
"Shit, Cos. I didn't...no. You're right. That's not cool. Let me chat with Mac and see if he'll be okay with it. If he says yes would you be able to do the work on your off hours?"
He pressed his lips and swallowed. "Uhhh, sure. If Mac says it's okay, I'm cool with it. Let me sketch a few ideas out for this one. About the closet...you want a hidden door back there too?" He watched her nod. "Okay. Two hidden doors. But that one doesn't have to be a bookcase, right?" He paused when she agreed it could be simpler. "Anything else I should know about?" Two can play at this game, little girl. He kept his face open, knowing how to keep the internal argument he was having buried and hidden.
She could have played him right then, but didn't want to push it. She could feel the plan coming together. "I don't think so. Maybe once we get the room open? Hey. Let me call Mac right now."
He shrugged and waited while she dialed.
"Mac? Hi! It's Emily. Bronson. Yes! No, it's fine. Everything's fine. Hey. Sorry to bother you, but I have a really quick question. I was wondering if you had a problem if I stole a little of Cos's time to do a thing for me?" She looked up at Cos, nodding. "I don't want to distract him from my folks' job, but I figured if he could do it on his own time...you sure? Sure, hold on. He's right here." She covered the phone and shrugged. "He says it's probably fine with him..." and handed Cos the phone.
"Hey boss. I don't know exactly. No. Not anywhere near the project. Yep. I've got it. Definitely. Okay. I'll let you know." He handed her the phone back and nodded.
"Thanks Mac - yeah, it's a thing I've been wanting to do upstairs for a while but I didn't think about it when Mom and Dad were figuring out the downstairs. Anyway if it's cool with Cos and you, I'm happy to take care of it myself. Actually, I'm planning it as a surprise for them. That be okay with you? Cool! Thanks! Okay. See you later in the week." She hung up and looked at Cos, her eyes direct and open. "You okay with it? He's okay with it. I'm cool with it."
He shrugged again, his eyes narrowing as he stared back at her. "I just want to make sure you know what you're getting yourself into. I don't want to get between you and your parents if they don't want you doing something..."
She laughed. Gotcha. "Hah! It's nothing like that. They'll be fine once I tell them about it. I just want it done my way. My money. My way. I know what I want," she let her eyes drift down to his chest and then back up, "and I'm glad you're going to be the one giving it to me." She smiled at him, letting her tongue slide across her teeth.
He grunted and shook his head. "If you say so. I can start this afternoon if that works for you."
Perfect. Maybe now would be a good time to spring it on him? "Hmmm, I just thought of something else. Would it save me any money if I helped with any of the work?" Please.please.please say it's okay.
He shifted uncomfortably. "See...hmmm, that's the thing I was just talking about with Mac. He wanted to make sure my workman's comp was up to date to do something on my own...and having you help might screw that up."
She pouted, waiting.
"I'm not sure I'd want you to get hurt..."
"Hunh. That's the way you see it? Like I'm some fragile thing. Really? You know I'm competing in an Ironman triathlon in a couple months, right? I'm getting there," she waved her hands down her body making sure he followed her all the way down, "but I need to add some muscle - especially to my arms." She raised her right arm and showed him her guns. "Nice, right? But not good enough. I figure a little construction work wouldn't hurt." She raised her eyebrows again and stared at him innocently. She pushed her biceps at him until he gripped them. He was strong and she squealed a little when he pinched her tighter than she'd expected.
He let her go and exhaled a steady stream of air between his lips, looking at her. "I don't know what game you're playing, miss..."
"Emily or Em, Cos, if we're going to be working together..."
"...shit. Okay. I better not regret this. But listen, mis...Emily, I'm the boss here. Got it? You follow my directions and you probably won't get hurt." He stared at her, letting her see him as he dragged his eyes down to her feet and back again. "Never had a girl on my crew before." I don't trust her as far as I can throw her, and it looks like she's about to start a fire. She better know who the adult in the room is.
"Listen, mister. Let's get something straight: I'm no girl. K? I'll help and I won't get hurt."
He nodded and smiled. We're going to do this by the book. She'll agree to my terms and we'll ease her into whatever she's going on about. "Okay. I'll put a contract together. Something simple. We can start the demo at 3:30, after I sign out downstairs. Find some long pants and real shoes, and put on a long-sleeve shirt. I'll grab a mask and face shield for you. You got any gloves?"
"Why don't you tell me what I need and I'll go pick 'em up. Anything else you recommend for my personal protection?" Condoms. Don't say condoms. But she made a mental note to pick some up.
"Nope. Well...," He thought about it. Shit. Is she begging me to play? Not. Yet. "Nope. I'll see you back here later today."
Her head was humming and she felt the adrenaline surging from the line she'd just crossed. Holy fuck. Holy holy fuck. The memory of the smell in the closet hit her as she pulled the SUV out of the driveway.
For some reason, the memory of Ms. Fromier's reaction to her assignment, way back in February, bubbled up as she turned onto the street.
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"This is an excellent start, Emily! I'm impressed you were able to navigate the local resources to figure out the heritage of your home." She looked at the report and then back to Emily. "But you left me intrigued by a reference here that you didn't follow up on. The original owners. It sounds like there is more to learn...I'd be willing to give you extra credit if you looked into that part of the story."
It was true that Emily hadn't followed up on the links the historical society volunteer had put in the original message. She took Ms. Fromier's challenge. The architects were no longer in business, but apparently they had designed several other homes in the area, mostly for upper middle class clients. The first article about Jay Crewitt was a brief overview of his career as a journalist and then owner of the Barker and Trumpet, a local newspaper. The Crewitts were apparently much beloved members of the societies of the day. The second article was simply weird. Abby Crewitt lived with her brother and sister-in-law, and a news article from the late 1890s accused her of being a member of a secret occult society, the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. The journalist claimed that Abby was at the center of a witch's coven "destroying the morals of god-fearing young woman, right in our own homes!"
Following a few of the links, including information about the society, Em discovered that the article had been an attempt to discredit Jay Crewitt by accusing his sister. As Crewitt himself was to write (and as surfaced from an unsuccessful law suit), the accuser was the publisher of a competing newspaper. As Emily read further, she realized that Abby may have been the target of more than a literal witch-hunt. The Crewitts were mentioned in a footnote in a third reference, a scholarly paper on the late 19th century women's movement. It suggested Abby Crewitt had been a minor player in legitimatizing women's rights. The defamation of her character by Jay's competitor may have been directed at her for her political leanings.
Em lost herself in the additional links, none of which had anything to do with the house, the Crewitts, or the occult. None of that seemed enough to satisfy Ms. Fromier's offer of extra credit. She got onto the library site to see if any issues of The Barker and Trumpet were online, hoping to learn more about the Crewitt siblings. Hopes that were raised when she saw the library did have the issues but then dashed when she saw they were in Special Collections and required an appointment.
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It was hot. Really hot. And even with the doors and windows open, the breeze wasn't enough to cool her down. The mask and eyeshield didn't help either. It seemed to fog up every time she breathed. Cos had shown her how to use the sledge, and how to avoid the studs, which so far she'd done, mostly. The few times she swung a little wide, the hammer ricocheted off the wood members, sending vibrations up her arms and making her yell out. He just shook his head.
She'd dressed as he'd requested but now she was sweating so much her shirt was soaked. He'd taken his shirt off, which she was quick to point out was a double-standard.
"Nope," he shot back, watching her. "If I was busting that thing I'd have a shirt on, and if you want to work without a shirt, I won't stop you." You want to play? You gotta put some skin in the game. He was fighting an internal struggle, though, ready to call it quits if she kept up the flirting.
She just shook her head, mostly distracted. Distracted by his grin, by how much hair he had. Black, thick, down his chest, and thickening into a 'V' that drew her eye to his belt-line. Distracted by his skin, tanned bronze, three tattoos below his collarbone. And his pecs. And abs. She couldn't stop staring at his muscles. Every time she looked back at him she clenched a little. He just shook his head and pointed to the wall.
After a few more hits, she set the hammer down, panting. They could see through into the room, the plaster and wood dust a pale fog backlit from the octagons. She thought she smelled the fragrance but with the plaster dust and her own sweat, she thought again.
"Let me try the Sawzall for a little bit. Hang back." He melodramatically put on his t-shirt and safety goggles before raising up a monster of a machine. She backed down the hallway a few steps. The sound was terrible when the sawblade hit the studs, vibrating through the floor and into her boots. He shut it off. "Here," he said reaching down for a pair of earmuffs. "Put these on or go all the way back," pointing to the front stair.
More equipment. She was practically boiling. Her jeans were soaked through at her crotch making her even more self-conscious. She was getting cold feet, an entirely inappropriate expression she decided, even if it described her sudden hesitancy. The noise lessened with the earmuffs, but it was still incredible as the saw tore through the studs. In a few moments he stopped, setting the tool down and wiping the back of his arm across his forehead.
"Okay!" He shouted. "Bring back the sledge." He pulled up his shirt and wiped his face.
She walked up to the wall and inhaled his scent. Now she could smell burnt wood and maybe the perfume from the room. Winding up she slammed the hammer into the studs. The wall gave a satisfying crunch and she saw it swaying in. She hit it again, the vibration hitting her arms and shoulders. Nothing much that time. With a huge inhale, she swung it back with as much force as she could and laid into the same stud she'd hit before. The entire wall bowed inward and like a slo-mo effect it tore away from the edges until it came to a halt, angled into the room.
"WOOHOO!" She laughed, setting the hammer down and looking over her shoulder at Cos.
He smiled with a thumbs up and directed her to stand back again. A few minutes later, the edges had been busted clean and the room was open.
"Holy shit," she exhaled staring at the space. She picked her way carefully across the debris to stand inside. If it had been hot outside in the hall, it felt like an oven in the room. "Fuck it's hot in here!" She turned to see him watching her, staring at her, studying her. She looked down nervously and saw the sweat had plastered her t-shirt against her bra. She smiled thinly behind her mask. The fragrance was all around her. With every breath she felt transported, but she wasn't sure to where. The image of a rare flower hot house came to her head, orchids and exotics in full bloom.
"Let's get this cleared out and call it a day," he suggested. "I've got a can down the stairs there," pointing toward the garage. "It's too hot to do much more."
She nodded and picked her way back out.
He had gone down the stairs by the time she'd left the room.
"Hey," he called up from below. "I've changed my mind. It's going to be too much trouble carting it in the can. Let's just throw it over onto a tarp and we'll can it down here."
"Gotcha!" She shouted down and began collecting the larger pieces.
Later, it seemed like hours because of the heat, they were sitting on the back steps drinking beers.
"You're folks let you drink beer. How old are you?" Step 1. Do not go to jail.
She looked at him, shooting daggers. "18. And yes. They don't give a shit. It's okay in the home."
Check. He pursed his lips and looked at the driveway. Step 2. Start the negotiation. "So, I've been thinking about the design on that thing," he nodded his head up the stairs. "I'll need to find the hardware. Big hidden hinges, or pivot hinges. There's a couple options. You thinking of natural finish or paint for the shelves?" He took a swig. "If you want to save a lot on labor and materials I'd go paint."
"Paint is fine. White to match the walls."
"In that case I have some salvage at home I can sell you cheap." He sighed. "The closet door is going to be interesting. I was just surfing and found an interesting track system that...here, take a look."
She was sweating even more with the beer and couldn't stand having her shirt on. "Hey, you mind?" She didn't wait for him to answer and peeled it up and over her head, letting the breeze blow across her back and underarms. It felt fantastic. She wasn't too worried about the bra - it was a sports bra - less revealing than her bathing suit. She took his phone and watched a video demonstrating a super-cool hidden sliding door. "That's amazing! Hey - we could just leave the rods up, right? It would just slide behind the wall."
Okay, fuck Step 2. What the fuck is she doing? He could feel the red flags going up, but he kept his thoughts buried. Could she be this naïve? Is she playing him? Is she really a lot more experienced? He couldn't remember the last 18 year old he'd been with. It was years ago, in any event, and he didn't have any experience back then either. But if she were 28 and doing this, he'd know exactly where he stood. Too fucking risky, dude.
He just swigged the beer and looked at her, his eyes raking across her breasts, nodding. "I need to figure out the hours on this, but it may take a few days. I don't charge as much as Mac-no overhead, but I figure five days at $200/day. Materials..." He scratched his hairline. "Let's say another $500 and you'll be super happy."
He turned to stare at her. She wants to show herself off, I'll look. Great abs. Great muscles all around. His thoughts drifted to what could happen until he caught himself. Keep it in your pants, dude, you want to keep your license.
