Chapter 7
Jason
Vanessa: Hey, Jason. This is Vanessa. How are you?
Me: Hey, Vanessa. I’m good. You?
Vanessa: I’m doing great. Just had a quick question about the work you’re planning to do at the store. Do we need permits? Because I’d like to be sure the work won’t affect my parents’ insurance coverage or the sale. Everything needs to be on the up-and-up.
Me: No permits necessary. The code considers the projects I’m doing minor alterations. You only need someone licensed to do the work, which I am.
Vanessa: Excellent. Thanks!
Vanessa: One more thing: behold the refurbished dresser. I think it was worth the back strain. If you disagree, don’t tell me.
I tap on the photograph Vanessa sent and zoom in on the dresser, which is now painted cobalt blue and has glass knobs, just as she envisioned.
Me: It’s perfect. Definitely worth the back strain.
Vanessa: I bet you say that to all the girls…
Me: *searches for a scandalized GIF*
“What the hell is on your face?”
My business partner Eric’s wide-eyed stare causes me to swipe at my cheeks. “What? What is it?”
“A smile, man. Haven’t seen one of those in a while.”
“Shit. I thought there was a damn bug on me.”
“No, but that smile is just as scary. Can’t remember the last time I saw your mouth do anything other than frown at work.”
“I’m not that bad.”
“Tell that to your crew. They jump to attention whenever you show up on-site.”
“I’m their boss. It’s the nature of the beast.”
“You’re the beast in this scenario, right?”
“Yeah, yeah, whatever.”
He leans over and tries to steal a glance at my phone screen. “Seriously, what—or should I say who’s—got you looking whipped?”
“I’m not whipped, but I am smiling at something that was sent to me.”
“A dick pic?”
“No, you asshole.”
“A tit pic?”
“Now you’re an even bigger asshole.”
“Damn, the clues are right in front of me: an even bigger asshole pic than the one you got last week?”
“Fuck off,” I say, putting my phone in my back pocket, then rising to gather my trash.
When Eric and I started TAG Building Group seven years ago, we instituted a standing Tuesday lunch appointment in our office’s only conference room.
This is our time to catch up, to focus on our lives beyond the business.
In the last few months, it’s become Eric’s way to keep track of my love life.
I don’t have one, so he just uses this time to mess with me. I use it to ignore him. Mostly.
Unbothered by my response, Eric shakes his head and shoots a napkin into the garbage bin. “Listen, I know I kid around a lot, but I’m worried about you.”
“Why would you be? I’m fine.”
“That’s exactly it, J. You’re fine. Nothing more, nothing less. Save the mediocrity for middle-aged white dudes.”
I drop back into my chair. “What else am I supposed to be doing?”
“You’re supposed to be living, man. Filling your days with something other than your work. Finding things that make you happy. Connecting to something—or someone.”
“Eric, chill. I’m good. I have my job; I have my family; I have you. That’s enough for me.”
“But when did we start using enough as our standard? It wasn’t that long ago when we both decided finishing college and getting a regular nine-to-five wasn’t for us.
That we wanted to be our own bosses. That we wanted more.
” He makes a sweeping motion and gestures around the room.
“We’re sitting in a place that only came about because ‘enough’ was never our standard. ”
“All right, I’ll bite. What do you want me to do?”
“Do whatever it is that will put a smile on your face. Not once a week but every day.”
I immediately picture Vanessa flashing her underwear and struggle to keep from grinning.
“There it is!” Eric exclaims. “That’s what I’m talking about. More of that, please.”
“Well, I did meet someone.”
Eric sits up and rubs his hands together. “Okay, okay. Now we’re getting somewhere.”
“It’s probably nothing, but like you said, she makes me smile.”
“That’s a good start, man.”
“Problem is, she’s the older sister of Camila’s best friend, Lisa.”
“The one you described as the cutie with curly hair?”
“Yeah. And I think the cutie with curly hair has a crush on me.”
“You’re not interested?”
I shake my head. “Never have been. And I keep thinking about her older sister, Vanessa. Which is new for me.”
“Is this the first time you’ve been interested in someone since you broke up with she-who-shall-not-be-named?”
I bark out a laugh. “You can say it. Not naming her gives her power over me.”
“Elyse,” he says, making a big show of shuddering.
Elyse doesn’t take up too much real estate in my brain anymore, but I have her to thank for reinforcing one of my most important life lessons: Putting people high on pedestals just means they’ll land harder than everyone else when they inevitably fall.
“See? You didn’t conjure her or anything.
And yeah, Vanessa’s the first person to spark my interest in years. ”
“Why?”
“I don’t know, man. It’s wild. She’s prickly. Sarcastic. Funny. Definitely doesn’t want to be perceived as sweet. That intrigues me. It’s a shock to my system, I guess.”
“Interesting. Sounds like your system needs shocking. Maybe it needs…more.”
“You really thought you were doing something when you took those two psych classes our junior year, didn’t you?”
He brushes off his shoulders. “Don’t be jealous of my emotional intelligence. I’m using it to help you.”
“I don’t want to make too much of this thing with Vanessa, though. Kind of nice to just be around her. That’s all I’m ready for.”
“And she texted you?”
“Yeah. Their parents own a bodega uptown. I’m helping them with some renovations.”
“Is that all she texted about?”
“She showed me the dresser we picked up at the flea market this weekend.”
“So she’s interested too.”
“Hard to tell.” I shrug. “Maybe.”
“It’s your move, then.”
“I already invited her to Cami and Bryan’s couples shower.”
“But that’s almost two weeks from now. You’re going to lose momentum. Plus, she’s going to be too nervous around your family to really enjoy herself. Why don’t you take her out this weekend?”
“Can’t. I’m working on that single-family in Queens.”
“The one for Built to Excel?”
“Yeah.”
“Invite her to volunteer with you.”
I tilt my head and stare at him like he’s gone bonkers. “You want me to invite her to a reno project?”
“Yeah, why not? It’s for a good cause. If she’s as great as you say she is, she’ll enjoy the opportunity to help out.”
“That’s not a bad idea, actually. I’ll think about it.”
“Don’t think too hard or too long. It’s a chance to get to know her better. Without your family staring you down. Trust me, spend some more time with…what’s her name again?”
“Vanessa.”
“Right. Spend some more time with Vanessa before you throw her into the Torres family chaos. That way, she’ll be less likely to run away.”
“She doesn’t strike me as a runner.”
“Then she sounds like a keeper.”
“Not looking for one, though.”
“J, you’re too old to be just vibing. Put in some effort for a change. I’m not saying you should marry this woman, but I am saying you need to put Elyse in your past and move on. Not everyone is like her.”
Eric’s right, of course: I know not everyone is like Elyse.
Or my father. But sometimes I feel like I’m a magnet for individuals with ulterior motives, and it’s made me wary of opening myself up to anyone.
Still, Vanessa doesn’t deserve to be lumped in with the people who’ve let me down.
She hasn’t done anything but be herself.
“Fine. You’ve convinced me. I’ll invite her to the reno. ”
“See there? Was that hard?”
“Actually, it was.”
“Then I’m proud of you. And remember: When you two get married, I want to be the best man.”
“I’m not sure marriage is in the cards for me, but if that ever happens, you better believe I’d want you there.”
“Same, man. Same. And don’t try to distract me. Whip out your phone and invite Vanessa to the reno.”
“Okay, okay,” I say, chuckling as I fish my phone out of my back pocket. “I’m on it.”
Me: Hey, Vanessa. Can I give you a ring? Want to run something by you.
Vanessa: Sure.
Eric watches me make the call. I take a deep breath as the phone rings and let it out once Vanessa picks up.
“Hey, you,” she says. “Everything okay?”
“Everything’s fine. I just had an idea.”
“Congratulations.”
“Ha, yeah. Anyway, I, uh…”
Eric motions for me to keep going.
“You’re doing great, sweetie,” Vanessa says.
These two would get along so well. Confidence destroyers, the both of them.
“So, um, I volunteer with a community group called Built to Excel. It’s meant to help people who’ve ditched high school find success in the construction industry.
We renovate homes in the five boroughs. For low-income families.
And BTE, that’s the acronym, does seminars for the kids.
On interviewing, résumés, time management, that kind of stuff. ”
“Sounds like an amazing group.”
“Yeah, it is. The kids are great. I’ve even hired a couple of participants after they completed the program.”
“And you’re telling me this because…?”
“Damn, you’re brutal.”
Eric tilts his head, his eyebrows squished together in confusion. I turn around so he won’t distract me.
“I’m just trying to help you out here,” Vanessa says with a laugh.
“If this is help, I can’t imagine what sabotaging looks like to you.”
She clears her throat but remains silent.
“Kidding,” I say.
“I gathered.”
Is she teasing me? I think she is. “So, uh”—damn, I’m bombing this—“I was wondering if you’d be interested in joining me on a renovation project we’re doing in Queens. This Saturday. I know it’s not a glamorous date or anything, but I thought you might enjoy it. Giving back, I mean.”
“I’m really flattered that you thought of me. And it sounds like the perfect date. Seriously. When and how do I get there, and what should I wear?”
“We start at ten o’clock and end at three in the afternoon. I can pick you up around nine fifteen and drive you back home. And whatever you’d wear to paint your apartment should be fine.”
“Sounds great. I’ll see you on Saturday, then.”
“See you then. Bye, Vanessa.”
“Bye, Jason.”
I turn around and catch Eric looking at me with pride in his eyes. He bats his eyelashes, his lips curved into a sickeningly sweet smile. “My little boy is growing up.”
I scrunch a napkin into a ball and ping him in the chin with it. “Shut up.”
“It’s progress, man. It counts for something.”
He’s right. It does. And Vanessa didn’t object when I called it a date. Maybe this is the start of something. Maybe even the start of something good.