Page 11 of Overachiever
“A dick enthusiast, yes,” Colin replies. “Got to admit. I had my hopes up about you for a moment.”
“Understandable. What with how stunningly attractive I am, but guys don’t do it for me. Maybe give Trevor a whirl. You know what they say about homophobes.”
“Also true. But they freak out after.” Colin drops his voice in mockery. “I’m not gay! The guy who was sucking my dick is!”
Laughing, we get to work. The morning isn’t bad. I don’t hate roofing. It’s better than being trapped in some fast food or customer service job. Colin is fun to work with, and Meyer isn’t a bad supervisor. The big bosses, the J’s, only check in on us once and then move on without any criticism.
I wonder how Remee’s day is going and I’m glad to see a smile on her face at lunchtime. She walks beside a guy I know I’ve met, but his name escapes me.
“Hey, we’re going to grab lunch. Want to join?” Remee asks.
Considering the way he’s looking at her, I want to elbow between them, scream “Mine” and maybe bite him. Which tells me I need to get my head straight after spending the last couple of days with her.
It’s a struggle to decline and join the other guys gathered around one of the work trucks, but I manage. Building Hope supplies sandwiches for lunch, and I grab one, then plant my ass in the shade against the wall of the house where the other guys are eating.
Most of the conversation gets tuned out until I hear one of them say, “Evan didn’t waste any time. Thought you had dibs, Adrian.” They’re all looking over toward a truck where Remee and Evan sit, talking and eating.
“You can’t call dibs,” Adrian laughs. “And I’m not worried about his old ass.”
Clearly, none of them realize—or care—that Remee came with me. The talk I hear is no different than I’d expect out of a crew of guys, and they aren’t exactly saying horrible things, but by the end of lunch, it’s clear there’s a race between a few of them to see who can fuck the only woman on the crew.
While it’s infuriating, it also makes me want to laugh. There’s no way Remee will fall for any of their games. She’s smart. A few days of working here and she’ll see what she’s dealing with.
The afternoon goes by quickly. It’s been a while since I was up on a roof and even though it’s hot as a devil’s asshole, I enjoy the feeling of working with my muscles again. My job in the financial aid office during the school year is so sedentary, not to mention all the hours I spend sitting in class. I’d be totally out of shape if it weren’t for going to the gym religiously. No need for that over the summer. I’ll sweat off every bite I eat in this job.
That fact is clear as my stomach growls on our way back to the motel. Remee’s been quiet, but she chuckles at the sound. “I’m starving too. Want to order a pizza when we get back?”
“Are you going to put pineapple on it?”
“Pineapple is good.”
“Pineapple is okay, but on pizza, it’s a goddamn travesty, Rem. Seriously, for such a smart woman, I wonder about your taste.”
“I’m friends with you so you probably should.” She flashes a sideways smile at me, and I shake my head. “How did the first day go?”
Shrugging, she looks out the window. “Everyone was nice.”
I’ll bet they were.
“But I suck at everything.”
The defeat in her voice isn’t something I’m used to hearing. Remee is nothing if not determined and confident. “It’s a learning experience, remember? What did they have you working on?”
Our conversation continues after I park in front of our room, and we get out of the car. “Well, let’s see.” She unlocks the door, and I follow her inside. “First, I hammered in a row of nails, and Evan had Adrian remove them to do it over. They weren’tthatcrooked. Anyway, Evan taught me how to use a nail gun since I can’t hammer, and I installed the baseboards in two bedrooms.”
“See, you can do this.”
“Upside down,” she finishes with a groan. “They were only a bit more narrow on one end, and I didn’t know. While they undid all that, I was assigned to help the painters. At least I didn’t screw up putting blue tape on all the trim.”
Her shoes get kicked off before she falls onto the bed with a sigh. Pulling a pillow over her face, her words are a barely audible mumble. “At least I don’t have to go back for three days.”
Her body bounces when I dive onto the bed beside her. “Hey, that blue tape can be tricky. Who can get that shit straight? I’m sure you nailed it. You’re probably the best taper they’ve ever had. They’ll want to hire you as a full time adhesive specialist.”
“Ha ha.” She glances over at me when I pull the pillow off her face, and I’m glad to see a small smile. Her nose crinkles. “Oh my god. Go take a shower. You stink. You’re going to stink up my bed.”
“That’s the smell of a day of manly work in the sun. It’s sexy.” Sitting up, I move closer to her. “Get a whiff.”
“Ew!” she squeals, shoving me to the edge of the bed.