Page 96 of Dirty

“I’m sorry I questioned you,” he said. “Victoria is giddy about it.”

“Your wife?”

He nodded. “Yes.”

“I’m glad she’s happy with it.”

“She’s so happy that. Well. We’ll talk in a moment. So, you’re pleased?”

I gazed around the room. It looked fantastic, and would only require tile and a little paint to be completed.

“I am. I’m going to guess two more weeks and we’ll be complete. Might be ten days, but there’s a lot of custom tile work and grout to get done.”

“Either way,” he said. “It’ll be ahead of schedule.”

“Again, I’m sorry for the lack of communication, but I’m glad we made progress while I was gone.”

“No worries,” he said. “Your health is far more important than this kitchen.”

Downes stuck his head in the doorway. “You water is in the other room, Mr. Downey.”

“Thank you.”

As Downes walked away, Mr. Bale turned to face me. “Victoria would like to have you remodel all of the bathrooms in a similar fashion. Maybe two at a time? After you’re finished with the kitchen, of course. Is that possible?”

“Absolutely. In fact, we can start as soon as we’re done.”

“She would like that. Same color cabinets. Same crown molding. I suspect different tile, though. Can you make a drawing and bring samples like last time?” he asked.

I fought not to smile. I had no idea how many bathrooms he had, but it sounded like he had more than two. The profits would get me that much closer to buying a house.

“Absolutely. Maybe two days to complete the drawings and gather samples, and then we can sit down and discuss it. How’s that?”

“Sounds fabulous.”

“How many bathrooms are there?”

“Seven inside the house,” he said. “And the bathhouse outside.”

Jesus.

“It might take me awhile to get everything worked up as far as price goes.” I chuckled. “That’s a lot of work.”

“I’m not concerned with price, Mr. Downes. I trust you.”

“I’ll give a price anyway. I always do. Surprises, especially financial ones, aren’t pleasant.”

He nodded. “Very well.”

After a few more seconds of admiring the work, I followed him into the other room.

We sat for some time, talking about golf, music, and our favorite sandwiches. His wife, Victoria, joined us, and the talk migrated to love, children, and raising a family. Children, they said, were the best thing to happen to their relationship.

It was rare for me to feel like much more than just another Mexican construction worker when I was remodeling kitchens. I felt that most customers appreciated my work, my prices, and my attention to detail. But, in the end, I always felt that I was just another Mexican in their eyes.

Being in Mr. Bale’s home made me feel otherwise.

I felt appreciated.