Chapter 10 #3
“No, it doesn’t need to be redone. It was just redone just before you moved in.
Something about needing extra plugs in the bathroom, and they went ahead and rewired the entire suite.
The other bedrooms are done as well, just in the event that he tells you differently.
What was his name?” He told her. “I’ve been having trouble with him since he got hired on.
Always wanting to redo something. Last house he wanted the homeowner to redo the kitchen after it had just been finished.
I’ll have a talk with him in the morning.
How’s the rest of the house going? The kitchen finished yet? ”
“Just the drywall. I have the wiring done in there as of tonight.” She told him that was good and that she’d get them on the walls first thing in the morning.
“I did put extra plugs along the countertop like you suggested. I didn’t see any reason not to do it since the walls were opened up.
Like you said, I’d rather have too many than not enough. ”
They talked about his kitchen being done in the next week; the drywall would go up in one day, and he’d be able to have the full use of the kitchen.
Something that he really wanted. Tomorrow his mattress was going to be delivered, and he’d be sleeping in the house.
Now that the bedroom was settled about wiring, he felt safe to move in.
Picking up a sub for his dinner, he decided that he was going to go by Stamos’ house and see what he was up to. Just as he was pulling in, his brother came out of his condo and looked like he was going on a date. Getting out of the car but not going to the house, he asked him what he was up to.
“I have a date. This is our second one.” He asked if he was serious about her. “Not really. I was sort of tricked into going out with her. Anyway, why don’t you come along and I’ll be able to get out of it.”
“Not on your life.” They both laughed. “How did you get tricked into going on a second date? I didn’t think you did second dates anymore. I know that women think that you’re cute and all, but a second date by trickery is something that I’ve never heard of.”
“She made me a home-cooked meal.” That would make him have a second date for sure. He told his brother that. “I know. If I hadn’t missed Mom’s cooking this week, I wouldn’t have gone, but I’m sick of fast food and subs. How about you?”
“To death.” They talked for a few minutes more, and then Stamos left.
Going to his own place, he was excited about all the boxes being packed.
As it stood right now, he’d be able to move into his new home tomorrow and have everything situated by evening.
At least that was his plan. He was sick of living in a condo too.
Too much noise going on all the time for him to enjoy his home time.
Plus there was the added bonus that he’d get to mow his own lawn.
Only if he wanted. Like the rest of his family, he’d get a service to go in and mow it and keep it neat.
He had work to do, and he didn’t have time to mow his lawn every week.
He thought about Audon and his work that needed to be done.
Going over to the new site, he was amazed at how much they’d gotten done on the new building.
He was going to do the wiring for it to make sure that his kilns would have enough power to fire.
The last thing that any of them needed was a fire taking out his art.
Or one of them. He found his brother sitting in an outdoor recliner watching the building.
“They’re working overtime?” He told him it was a second crew to get it done faster. “Good for you. I bet that you’ll be having me come over in a couple of days to do the hard work.”
“You can actually start now. They told me the sooner you get the box in, the sooner they can put up the walls inside. I’m all for that.
Then you can do the wiring whenever.” He told him he’d put the electrical box in tomorrow after he got moved.
“I’ll help you move to get you into your new home. You can’t have that much.”
“I don’t. Just my bed, which is already broken down, and the couch is all the big furniture that I have.
I never had a table and chairs.” He asked if he wanted part of his sub, and instead of taking it, he invited him to dinner.
“What are you having. Whatever it is, I’m going to eat it. I’m starved for a home-cooked meal.”
“I think we’re having pork chops and scalloped potatoes. There might be a salad too, but I’m not sure about that.” He said he’d not had pork chops in a month. “The cook gets them just right. They’re crispy on the outside and juicy in the center. I can eat two of them all by myself.”
They talked about meals, and he told him that he could come over nightly for a meal if he wanted until he got his own cook.
Gilman took him up on the offer and told him that he’d bring the drinks.
He did have a tea maker all set up and had been using it since he’d been working at the house.
Gilman thought that he made a mean glass of iced tea.
Watching the workers as they put together the studio, he kept glancing at the one that seemed to be smaller than the others.
He wondered if it was a woman and asked his brother about it.
He said that her name was Lily and that she was married to one of the other men on the crew.
He watched her work and was amazed that she could get up and down the ladder so well while carrying her tool belt. It had to weigh at least twenty pounds.
That was when he noticed that there were two other women on the crew. They were carrying their weight well, and he was impressed at how well they worked with the men. Not that he didn’t think a woman could do the job, but he was just amazed at how well they kept up.
“You’re going to get yourself into trouble if you keep staring at them.” He looked at Audon and smiled. “I wouldn’t mind you having your head taken off by a couple of women, but they’re working on my building and I’d rather it didn’t have blood all over it before it’s finished.”
“You think they’ll be upset because I’m looking?” He just rolled his eyes. “I’ve been working at my house, and I don’t think any women are working there. I mean, perhaps that’s the point. You don’t notice them because they’re doing such a good job of keeping up.”
“You’re going to have a wife that is going to kick your ass if you keep talking like that.” He asked what he’d said. “You know just what you’re saying. That women need to not be working construction.”
“My wife won’t have to work if I can help it. I’d love for her to stay at home and wait on me to come home from work.” Audon snorted, and he laughed. “I’m telling you right now that I’m going to have the only wife that isn’t going to come to love me gently. She’s going to hate me from the start.”
“Small wonder if you’re going to be treating her like that.
” The two of them talked about what it would be like for Gilman to have a wife that wouldn’t be like the others.
They laughed a great deal, and when Trinity came out to tell them that supper was ready, they followed her in.
The first thing that Gilman did was pick up Lizzy and kiss her.
“I want a lot of children. Is that something I should keep to myself too? I mean, I don’t care if she wants to have them or not, but I’d like to adopt them if she’s willing.” Trinity told him that would be a good way to spread their love. “I might have one redeeming quality about me then.”
The three of them laughed, and he ate his dinner.
It was just like he had hoped, delicious and hot.
The chops were so tender that he could cut them with a butter knife.
Life was suddenly good, Gilman thought. He had a house, a good job, and perhaps someday a beautiful wife to hang on his every word.
At least he hoped so. It was that, or he was going to get the crap knocked out of him by the other four women in his family for messing up with his wife.