Page 143 of Seasons of Love
I pick up a small rock and throw it in his direction. I miss, of course, which was the expected outcome and my intention.
Tyler laughs until I no longer see him.
I walk home thinking about how I can ask Milo out without sounding like I’ve been thinking about him every day for the past few months.
Harrison’s words come back to me too.
Maybe it’s time to give Milo some credit and respect him for the man he is.
And also prepare myself for rejection.
19
MILO
Thwat.
“Ugh. Stupid nail.” I pull the bent nail from the wooden slabs and try again.
Thwat.
Okay, this one’s going in.
Thwat. Thwat.
“Fucking ugh.” It bends just as it looks like it’s going through.
I stand and stretch my back. The small pile of bent nails is making me angry.
Well, angrier.
I’ve been in Ellis’s backyard since just after sunrise, measuring the slabs to outline the deck’s base and ensure I’m using the right ones. Ellis bought them cut to size, so I don’t need to do any cutting, but I want to ensure they all fit together correctly. Hence using smaller nails before I use the nail gun I rented.
None of this would be a problem if I wasn’t so worked up about talking to Ellis about what he did.
When I get worked up, I get nervous. I shouldn’t even be handling a hammer, let alone trying to nail anything in place.
I look toward the house. There’s still no movement from inside.
Okay, so that was my intention. To do some work, and by the time Ellis noticed I was here, I’d have gathered my courage to confront him.
“Okay. Deep breaths and focus, Milo.”
I kneel again. This time the nail goes in, and it’s a small victory. If I can repeat this a few more times to get the basic frame in place, I’ll have the confidence to use the nail gun, and it’ll all be much easier and quicker.
Hopefully, by the time I leave—if I don’t get fired first—I’ll have the deck’s base finished. My anxiety level spikes at the thought that Ellis may actually fire me. I had to decline Gerald’s offer of the extra night shifts, so I need the landscaping job more than ever.
He knew I’d never be able to take the shifts, but now he’ll hold my decision against me forever, which means I should really start looking for a new job.
I put those thoughts aside and let my mind focus on the job at hand. And as I see progress with the deck, I have a renewed energy to keep going.
Within an hour or so, the base is in place, and I can start nailing the actual floorboards.
I stop to take a sip of the coffee I brought with me in a to-go mug when I hear the kitchen door open.
Ellis comes out holding a cup of coffee in his hand. He’s barefoot and wearing pajama pants and an old T-shirt.
I don’t want to look but, fuck me, I look, and even his hair is a little out of place like he’s just gotten up. No one should look so…like that in the morning.
