Chapter 7
NATALIE
Icarried three boxes of donuts into the office.
I appreciated Hudson arranging the gathering.
I hated to be jaded and maybe just a little prejudiced toward those that had to walk a different path in life than I did.
I didn’t want to be that way. Getting to meet the people Hudson wanted to bring on was a good idea.
I told myself I was going to have an open mind.
It was my idea to have refreshments. I wanted to make this a relaxed atmosphere for everyone to get to know each other a little.
And for me to know them. Hux and Hudson were supposed to be bringing soda.
A lot of the guys Hudson wanted to hire were recovering addicts.
Alcohol was not on the menu tonight. It did feel good to be doing good—assuming this worked out.
I put the donuts on the folding table we brought in and unwrapped the napkins and paper plates.
“Hold the door,” Hux called out.
I rushed to hold open the door for him. He carried in an ice chest and put it down almost right in front of the door. “Over there,” I directed.
Hudson came in behind him carrying a bag with sub sandwiches. “They’re already cut,” he said when he saw me looking at the sandwiches.
“Good,” I said. “Table, please.”
Satisfied the refreshments were ready, I went behind the desk to get the informational packets I had put together.
“You don’t think this is overkill?” Hux teased.
“I just want them to know what we’re about,” I said, shrugging.
“Stop teasing her,” Hudson said and grabbed one of the papers. He scanned the front page and smiled. “This is actually a good idea. I think it gives this a more professional approach. They’ll know the standards up front. That’s important.”
“Thank you,” I said before shooting Huxley a dirty look. “See?”
He rolled his eyes. “Kiss ass.”
“I want them to feel welcome, but they also need to understand this is a legitimate business,” I said. “Right, Hudson?”
He looked at me and nodded. I noticed he had shaved today.
He’d been skipping the shaving the last couple of days, which made him look even more dangerous.
My bad-boy-fantasy producer was in overdrive.
Every morning I woke up hot and bothered.
It was becoming increasingly harder to be around him without wanting to very literally push him against a wall and beg him to fuck me.
I just hoped the actual bad boys that were coming in were not attractive.
My hormones would never survive a full onslaught of sexy bad boys.
“I think it’s a good idea,” he said. “Just know, I haven’t actually hired any of them. You guys have the final say. If someone is giving you bad vibes, let me know. We’ll talk about it.”
“Relax, Nat,” Hux said. “You’re not their mom. Let your hair down—literally.”
I reached up and touched my hair that was pulled up in a high pony. As high as my short hair would go. Feeling prudish and self-conscious, I reached up and pulled it from the hair scrunchie. I used my fingers to fluff it.
“You look beautiful,” Hudson said. “Ignore my asshole brother.”
If I was a cat, I would have rubbed against him and purred. “Thank you,” I said without looking at him.
“I just meant she needed to loosen up,” Hux said. “I can tell when you’re freaking out. You’re freaking out. Just chill. No one is going to do anything. Hudson and I are right here.”
“I’m fine,” I said. “I’m good. Let’s do this.”
The first few guys trickled in. I hung back and observed. Hudson welcomed them with open arms. They all seemed relatively normal to me. Hudson introduced them all to me. They were all very nice. I felt bad for being so judgy. Everyone deserved a second chance.
“Why don’t we show you where you will all be working?” Hux said. “Our boats are built right here on site. We’ll be training you in the construction and sealing process.”
I looked at the back of Hux’s head and tried to get him to look at me.
Taking a bunch of strangers into the shop was not on the agenda.
My blueprints were back there. It was proprietary information, as far as I was concerned.
Just because these guys were interested in working for us didn’t mean any of them were actually going to show up.
They could get my designs and sell them.
Assuming they knew what they were looking at.
“Maybe we should do that on the first day when our crew is here,” I suggested gently.
“We want them to see what they are getting into,” Huxley said, shrugging.
I was going to tie him up out back. No, I was going to tie an anchor around his ankles and push him off the pier. I didn’t get the chance to protest. The group of six men, sandwiched between Huxley up front and Hudson in the back, strolled past me.
“Coming?” Hudson asked.
“I don’t know what the point is,” I muttered.
“Wouldn’t you want to know where you were working?” he asked.
I fell in line beside him. “Yes, but there are chemicals back here and blueprints on the walls. Every boat in production has a specific type of material and finishing material. I don’t want it getting mixed up.
We aren’t that big of a production. Things work because everyone knows to keep things where they are. ”
“They aren’t toddlers in a glass shop,” he joked. “Should I tell them to keep their hands to themselves? I would suggest they keep them in their pockets, but I have a feeling you wouldn’t like that either.”
“I’m not accusing them of anything,” I defended. “I’m just saying, it doesn’t make a lot of sense to go back here and risk messing things up.”
He nodded but said nothing. We entered the shop area where several boats in various stages of construction were underway.
The guys approached one of the smaller boats I had designed for a client.
It was old school and being constructed with wood.
One of the potential employees reached out to touch it. Hudson was right there.
“Guys, before we go any further, there’s something Natalie, Ms. Sprite would like to say,” Hudson said with his hand in the air.
I looked at him and tried to tell him not to do it.
But he did and now I was on the spot. I forced a smile and stood beside him with Huxley not far away.
“I just wanted to say thank you for coming, and I hope you can appreciate the sensitive nature of being back here. The designs you see and the work areas set up for each boat are specific to each customer. We cannot risk getting anything crossed. When you start work, you will be assigned to one project and that’s where you will stay.
No one, absolutely no one, is to touch the blueprints.
I am meticulous, which makes my work good.
Great. People come here because they know every detail is given our full attention. Please, don’t touch anything.”
“Or you’ll get slapped on the back of the hand with the ruler she keeps on her all the time,” Hudson teased.
“And we’ll let you figure out where she keeps that ruler,” Huxley chimed in.
I was going to tie them both to one of the anchors in the shop.
They thought I was being uptight. They implied I had a stick up my ass.
Maybe I did, but my name was on the design.
My name would be on the boats that went out of here.
I didn’t think it was too much to ask that my high expectations were met.
“Please, just remember these boats are someone’s dream,” I said. “Someone has saved up to have their dreams brought to life. These are all my babies. I’ve poured my blood, sweat, and tears into making these things come to life.”
The men all seemed very understanding. I stepped out of the way and marched up to Huxley. “Clearly, you think this is all a big joke. I’ve got other things to do. You enjoy your little tour. If any of my stuff is messed up or rearranged, it will be your fingers I break.”
I was about to make my grand exit when one of the older men in the group stopped me. “You design all of these yourself?” he asked.
I nodded while looking into his gray eyes that had seen too much. He had a white beard and the skin of a man that had spent a lot of time outdoors on the brutal sea. “I do,” I said.
“They’re good,” he said. “Really good. I understand why you’re protective of them.”
“Thank you. I’m sorry if I came off sounding a little harsh. I get a little squirrely when people are in my work area. You can ask any of the guys that work here now, I’m always like this. I have a method and it’s worked for me for a long time. I hate the idea of changing things up.”
“It’s okay,” he said. “If I’m allowed to come to work on Monday, I’ll make sure every one of these guys understands how important this stuff is.”
“Thank you,” I said. “Do you sail?”
He scoffed and shook his head. “Nah. I’m a lobsterman.
When I’m not out there trying to kill myself catching lobster for someone else, I go up to Alaska and try my hand at crabbing.
I’ve been around boats all my life. I always thought I would save money and buy one for myself one day, but you know how life is.
It just hates the idea of too many people getting what they want.
There’s got to be an even ratio of the haves and the have-nots.
I’m in the latter category. Best I can hope for is to keep a roof over my head until the sea swallows me or life gives me one last death blow. ”
I didn’t know how to respond to that. This was a man that had given up on happiness. Here I was being petty over nothing. I had never felt quite so small. “Well, I think even the have-nots can have a little something before that last day.”
“I guess we’ll see,” he said.
“You better catch up with the tour,” I said.
“I’ll keep my hands in my pockets,” he said, smiling.
I went back to my office and closed the door.
I couldn’t decide what was bothering me more, them or him.
I had been alone too long. I lived alone.
I didn’t date. I spoke to my mom pretty often and spent my days with Hux in the office, but other than that, I was alone.
I had gotten too used to it. I didn’t know how to be polite.
How to interact. Being around Hudson put me off my game.
I couldn’t think straight. It was like I was fourteen all over again.
I pulled up the CAD program on my computer and tried to focus. It was an exercise in futility. Hudson opened my door. “You ran off,” he said.
“I didn’t run anywhere,” I countered. “I’m sitting in my office.”
“Everything okay?” he asked.
“Yes,” I said, shrugging. “I’m fine. You guys have it under control.”
“No one touched anything,” he said.
I rolled my eyes. I knew he was giving me shit. “It’s a big deal to me.”
“I know,” he replied. “That’s why they all respected your wishes.”
“Thank you,” I said. “I didn’t mean to be rude. I hope no one thought I was being a jerk.”
“Nah,” he said, shrugging. “These guys are used to being treated a certain way.”
“No!” I jumped to my feet. “I’m not like that. I’m not one of them. I mean, I didn’t look at them in a certain way. I would look at anyone that way. Anyone going into my domain. I never let anyone play in my sandbox.”
His eyes swept over me. “That’s too bad. I think it might be fun to play in your sandbox.”