Page 37 of Rough

He glanced at my car, and then let out a laugh. “Or get your car fixed?”

“My car’s a long way down the list.”

“You’re not going to fix that door?”

“It still gets me where I’m going. And, it never rains this time of year. So, as long as it gets me from home to work, there’s no need to spend money on it.”

“Interesting concept,” he said. It looked like an original thought entered his head. He raised his extended index finger. “I’ve got a question.”

“Okay.”

“How come you never cuss?”

“I was raised differently. I don’t need to cuss. I get results with wit and charm.”

“Wit and charm, huh?”

I nodded. “It works well.”

“So, you never cuss?”

“Today, I have no need to. I wouldn’t say never. At some point in time I may need to, and when that time comes, I’ll do it. At least whoever I’m talking to will understand the urgency.”

“Say fuck, and I’ll buy you a coffee.”

“No.”

“C’mon.”

I was tempted to. Instead, I chuckled. “No.”

He let out a sigh. “I’ll buy you a coffee, anyway.”

I shook my head.

He nodded and then stood. “What do you want?”

“I want you to sign that sheet of paper. Then, I want to pay you. And then, I want to go.”

He reached for his wallet. “Let me buy you a drink.”

I pressed my finger against the piece of paper, pinning it to the table. “Do you promise to sign that after we’re done?”

“Yep.”

I conceded, and it felt good. “Okay. Get me something.”

“What?”

“Surprise me.”

He grinned and walked away. A sigh escaped me.

Being in his presence wasn’t as easy as I’d hoped. He was attractive, and so far, he wasn’t being a dick. It seemed he might be different than I expected. I wondered if his asshole-ish behavior was the product of me wrecking his bike, and of him being in the presence of his equally asshole-ish father.

He was still a man, but if he wasn’t a dick, it was possible that we could get along while I was employed to care for his father.

In a few moments, he returned.