6. Chapter 5 Katrina
J anuary 2024
I’m at the pool bright and early on Demo Day and get to work. I was too excited to get much sleep last night, despite the long and taxing day I knew I had ahead of me. I was worried I wouldn’t want to get up after falling asleep, but it ended up not being a problem. I was up way before my alarm, which allowed me to fit in a quick yoga workout before I had to get breakfast started and then get ready.
I dressed in clothes I can move easily in and don’t mind getting dirty, blonde hair tied back in a messy ponytail, and out the door fifteen minutes early.
When I pull into the parking lot, I find another car sitting there. Dumpsters line one curb, but no one else is here and we still have hours before the demo crew is supposed to arrive. It isn’t the same car Bryce had driven to our first meeting. This one is a dark green Jeep, a lot closer to the kind of vehicle I’d been expecting him to drive. Clearly, he has two. What a lovely disposable income he must have.
Grabbing my backpack and the emotional support water bottle I filled before I left, I exit my car and make my way into the building, using the key Bryce had given me last time. I drop my stuff by the reception desk, noting the two—barely touched—iced coffees sitting there. Carter Abrams must have finally decided to grace us with his presence.
No one is around, though, so I take a moment to pull my laptop out of my bag and check emails. There are also a few contracts I want to check the status of. Just like normal, I quickly become so engrossed in my work and I don’t notice someone else enter the lobby until they clear their throat.
When I look up, I see a redhead with messy, wavy hair standing there in leggings and a loose-fitting Team USA shirt. “Hi, you must be Katrina, the contractor?”
My brow arches at this stranger who knows my name. “Yes? I’m sorry, but should I know who you are?”
Her eyes roll in a frustrated sort of way. “Of course he didn’t tell you.” She steps closer until she’s smiling down at me over the edge of the desk and I’m more confused than I remember ever being in my life. “Joslyn Martin, but you can call me Josie. I’m Bryce’s girlfriend.”
“Oh!” I stand to shake her hand. “He didn’t tell me you’d be joining us today. It’s nice to meet you, Josie.”
Her smile is gentle, warm, and welcoming. “Nice to meet you too, Katrina.”
“Call me Kat, please.”
I don’t normally tell strangers to call me by a nickname I can’t even get my boyfriend or family to use, but something about her makes me feel comfortable. Maybe it’s the warm smile or the messy hair, but it’s evident she’s comfortable in her own skin. Which is something I’m trying to be better about. They say to surround yourself with the energy you want in your own life, after all.
Josie steps around the counter, collapsing into the only available seat beside me. She reaches for one of the coffees. “I have to tell you; I am so beyond excited to have another woman around. I love Bryce, but he’s been the only person I’ve spent time with since moving here.”
Instantly, I know what she means. While I may not have a lot of friends, I would go crazy if Nadine weren’t at Dalton Enterprises. She is one of the few people I see outside of work and consider a real friend. Maybe it’s out of necessity, being the only women in the office, but I don’t care. I’m grateful to have her as a friend. So, I get it.
“Happy to be here,” I say with a small smile. “When did y’all move here?”
“July.” Her answer surprises me. I hadn’t expected them to move for the pool, but why else would they have moved so close to the purchase date? “It was all a bit surprising and a little rushed, given the circumstances.”
I tilt my head with a slight frown. “The circumstances?”
“Yeah, Carter bought the place kind of out of nowhere,” she tells me. “He had a small panic about what he was going to do after he retires, saw this place for sale, and just went for it.”
Brent’s words from the meeting months ago ring in my mind. This place could end up failing a year after it opens, especially if it was bought out of the blue. If that happens, it would be a waste of my time and resources. Even worse, it would make Dalton Enterprises look bad, and Thomas will surely blame me for that.
Unaffected by my internal panic, Josie continues. “He called Bryce, who honestly needed something like this, and asked him to run it with him. We packed everything up and moved out here from Omaha in a matter of weeks.”
“Wait, hang on,” I reply. “Bryce wasn’t part of the initial buying process, but he’s the one here dealing with the remodel?” She nods, taking a sip of coffee. “They must be good friends or Bryce has a lot of trust in Carter. Did he know what the plan was before he moved out here?”
“He had a general idea. They talked it all through before Bryce agreed. I’m honestly glad this came up. It’s right in line with what I always saw the two of them doing after they retired. I knew Bryce wouldn’t be happy in a corporate setting forever.”
Now that was something I absolutely could not picture. “How long did they swim for?”
She looks over at me, an appraising glint in her eyes. I wonder if she can tell I’m not part of this world, that I’m clueless about this sport. That maybe I’m not the right person for this job. “Their whole lives, almost. They grew up in club and age group swimming. Then they both swam through college before turning pro. Bryce swam professionally until 2022 and Carter’s still going.”
“Until after the upcoming Olympics,” I finish, basing my answer on the little bit of information I know about the owners. “Then he’s retiring, right?”
She downs the rest of her coffee with a shrug before standing. “Maybe. It’s what he says.”
My eyes track her movements as she tosses the cup in the recycle bin. “What do you mean?”
“He could change his mind. He’s not even thirty yet, isn’t battling an injury. He might decide he’s not quite done yet. It’s happened with other athletes before.”
Brent’s words come floating back again. “What will happen to this place if he decides to keep going?”
“Bryce will run it,” she replies. “Speaking of him, I need to go find him. It was nice to meet you, Kat! I’ll see you when it’s time to break shit!”
I can’t help but laugh as she waves at me over her shoulder. “We’ll start in an hour!”
I’m left in silence once again, allowing the whirlwind of information to swirl in my mind. I’m not sure what to make of it. It’s already bad enough Carter isn’t here for the remodel and decisions are going to have to be made without his input sometimes, but now there’s a chance it could be years before he’s even part of this business. The chance of success seems to be slipping further and further away.
None of that can matter. I need to focus on the project and the information I have on hand. At the end of the day, my job is to finish this rebuild on time and on budget. Preferably early and under budget, but that can’t happen if I get caught up in whatever is going on with the owners.
H ours later, I am so exhausted I can’t even sit down because I am terrified I won’t be able to get up again. For the most part, all the random crap in the building has been cleaned out. Josie and I had tag-teamed the locker rooms and offices while Bryce and some of my crew worked on getting the bigger things out. All the dumpsters we had on-site were full, with piles of random lumber and other equipment that needed to be taken away or donated. The parking lot looked as chaotic as the building looked this morning, but it felt good to see proof of our hard work.
Josie calls my name as I enter the indoor pool, snapping pictures of the progress to include in the email I send Thomas. I look over to find her sprawled out on one of the bleachers, looking uncomfortable but unwilling to get up. Bryce and two of the other guys are in the pool, cleaning out the debris. We would definitely need to replace the pool, as the cracks were a lot worse than I initially thought.
“Girl, you need to sit down,” Josie decides when I come closer. “I don’t think I’ve seen you sit down once since we started.”
She isn’t wrong. I barely ate lunch, deciding to take my share of the pizza I’d ordered in an office with me as I made notes on things that will need extra focus and what will need to be tackled tomorrow. It was easier to work through the hard, long days, and then collapse into an exhausted mess when I got back to the rental. I snap some pictures of the area before taking a seat next to Josie. I don’t let myself relax to the same degree as her, though.
“Bryce is going to have to carry me home.” She’s still staring up at the ceiling when she makes her declaration. “And then I’m not moving for a week.”
“You’re not coming tomorrow? There’s more demo to be done.” I’m barely paying attention as I send some pictures to Liam, letting him see everything unfold.
Josie lets out a groan, followed by a tired whimper. “I can’t do it. I’m so tired.”
I laugh, turning to look at her. “But tomorrow is the fun day. Tomorrow we get to break shit. I have some concrete that needs broken up and a few of walls that need to come tumbling down.”
She lifts her head just enough to peer at me, her brow furrowed. “Are you lying to me?”
I shake my head. “I got a sledgehammer with your name on it.”
Glee fills her gaze. “I think I can rally enough to be here tomorrow.”
“That’s very brave and considerate of you,” I reply. “I can’t thank you enough for the help you’ll be giving me.”
“If I’m not allowed to use power tools, should you be allowed to use a sledgehammer?” I look up to see Bryce approaching the two of us, water bottle in hand. “If you ask me, that seems just as unsafe.”
“Who says you’re not allowed to use power tools?” I ask.
“Me.” Josie takes his outstretched hand, allowing him to pull her into a seated position. When he sits beside her, she sinks against him. “He’s an amazing swimmer, graceful in the water—fast and strong—but he will hurt himself if he uses a power tool. I just know it and I don’t need to find out how good his insurance is yet.”
I laugh, but don’t know what to say to that. It’s late enough that I’ve already sent some of the crew home for the night, and there’s no reason for them to stick around. So, I tell them they’re free to go.
“Are you sure?” Josie asks, but Bryce has already stood. “Is there anything you need our help wrapping up?”
“Nope,” I assure her. “I just need to wrap up and send two quick emails, then I’ll head out, too.”
“Great!” Bryce is already tugging Josie to her feet. “We’ll see you tomorrow, Kat.”
As Bryce leads Josie to the exit, she waves at me over her shoulder. The remaining members of the crew have also cleared out of the pool area, and I’m left in total silence. It’s a weird sort of echoing silence that makes me realize just how big a space like this is, big and empty.
I take a deep breath. Day one is done, and it’ll only be uphill from here thanks to my planning.
I look down at my phone to find a message from Liam, telling me how good the place looks so far and thanking me for the update. The message makes me realize there’s someone else who might want an update. I’d never even considered texting a client, but it’s what Carter asked for.
So, without thinking about it too much, I find his contact, and send him a quick message with some photos of the place. It’s more than I send Liam, but hopefully it’s not overkill.
To my surprise, he replies a second later:
It looks great, Katrina! Thanks for the update. You got a lot of work done today. Make sure to get some rest!
And I don’t know why—I’m not sure I can even begin to find the words to explain it—but his response has me smiling.
“T hat all needs to go!” I motion to the bleachers lining one side of the outdoor pool. “There are a bunch of safety concerns and they’re old as hell. We’re getting new ones.”
Carl, one of the guys on the crew, glares at them with an annoyed grunt. “Are you sure? They’re bolted in there pretty good; it might set us back a day or two.”
Stretching my shoulders back, I place my hands on my hips and shake my head. “Absolutely not. This demo needs to be done by the end of the week. The deck is getting redone too, so bring in whatever equipment you need to take them down. I want them out of here by tomorrow afternoon, Carl.”
He grumbles under his breath more but doesn’t argue as he ambles away to tell a few of the other guys leaning against the bleachers what we’d just talked about. I know the moment he tells them the bad news because they all start groaning, but I don’t care. I’m here to do a job and get it done on time. I’m not meant to be anyone’s best friend.
Looking around the deck, I slide my phone out of my pocket and snap some pictures of the progress. Most of them would go into the update I send Thomas on Friday, but I send a couple to Carter with a quick note about where we are in the demo process. Since that first day, I’d taken to sending Carter a couple of messages throughout each day, just updating him, and keeping him in the loop. Every time I send something, he seems grateful, so I keep going.
“Okay, how do you get them to listen to you like that?” I turn to see Josie walking toward me, looking impressed. “I worked in a corporate office for years and could never get any of the guys in sales to meet deadlines or take me seriously. You must have a superpower.”
“A lot of practice and patience,” I admit, sliding my phone back into my pocket. “Definitely not a superpower. I just make my expectations clear. I’ve worked with a couple of these guys before; they know I won’t put up with bullshit.”
“It’s still impressive, and a skill I never managed to learn.” She comes to a stop in front of me.
I shrug, not sure what the big deal is. It’s not confidence or even a skill. It’s me simply knowing I have a job to do and that I’ll only be able to do it well if people take me seriously. “Just doing my job.”
“Yes, that’s all you’re doing.” She rolls her eyes in what looks like annoyance, but her tone is teasing. “Anyway, I came over to see what you are up to tonight.”
The question catches me off guard, but the answer is an easy one. “Going back to my rental and binge watching some shitty reality show. Why, what are you up to?”
Her nose crinkles in displeasure. “Well, I was hoping we could hang out. That new rom-com that just came out is playing tonight at eight-thirty. Want to go with me?”
Instinct tells me she’d rather go with Bryce, but then I think back to our first conversation nearly two weeks ago. Despite how much she cares about him, she’s excited to have another woman around. To be honest, I was trying to come up with an excuse to go out tonight, so this feels perfect. Plus, I know exactly what movie she’s talking about, and I’ve been dying to see it.
“That sounds great.” Her smile is infectious. “Did you want to grab dinner first? I have nothing to cook at the house.”
She nods enthusiastically. “That sounds perfect! Does six o’clock work for you? I can pick you up.”
“Sounds great. I’ll text you the address.”
“Perfect! Now I get to go tell my boyfriend he’s on his own tonight.”
She looks a little too giddy at the prospect before turning to do just that. I bite back a laugh as she practically skips away from me, but I can’t help wondering what that’s like. They’re so secure in their relationship, they can admit to one another when they need space, and it doesn’t feel like a big deal. It’s not something I’ve ever had with Will. Usually, it feels like I have to beg him to spend time with me at all.
My phone vibrates in my back pocket. Pulling it out, I see a text from Carter. Before I focus on that, I send Josie the address, knowing if I don’t do it now, I will forget. Then I switch back to the thread with Carter, fighting yet another smile.
Looking good! Can't wait to see the finished product. Don't work too hard, Dalton.
Not a chance! I’m hanging out with Josie tonight, so I’ll need to leave early to ensure I don’t smell like whatever this place smells like.
God dammit! Bryce told me that smell is gone.
I’m glad you’re hanging with Josie. She’s good people.
Me too! I’m excited to spend time with her. The smell has mostly gone, but there’s still some lingering.
It’s going to plague us forever, isn’t it?
Maybe you’ll just be known as the pool with the weird smell forever
Do not even joke about that. Please.
lol
Sorry, you’re right. I shouldn’t joke about it. I’ll be sure to get some air freshener or something.
I don’t think that would help. I just got to the gym, so I’ll talk to you later. Thanks for the update.
His last message has a picture of a rack of weights with it. I can see his shadow, but nothing else. I wish he would have tilted the camera ever so slightly so I could see a sliver of his reflection in the mirror. It feels weird to be talking to someone when you don’t know what they look like. I’d considered googling him or looking up social media, but it feels like an invasion of privacy.
At the end of the day, he’s my client, and this weird friendship is already crossing lines I never thought I’d cross. Looking him up would be too much for me.
Yet, I can’t help but wonder what he actually—
“Katrina!” I snap out of my mind, stuffing my phone in my pocket like I’d been caught looking at something I shouldn’t be. Carl is standing several paces down the deck, pushing against one of the bleachers, barely paying attention to me despite being the one who called my name. “We need you down here.”
I take a deep breath, pushing all thoughts of Carter Abrams from my mind. “I’m coming,” I say and focus back on my job.