Page 11 of Not Looking
“You should have just come to work for me,” Aaron laughed.
I scrunched my nose. “And sit behind a desk all day? No thanks.”
Everybody laughed.
“I hear ya,” Nate said, getting his laughter under control. “They’ll never get me behind a desk.”
“It’s not that bad,” Aaron argued. “Besides, who do your bosses call when there’s a problem?”
I snorted. “Usually, one of us—to see if we can fix it before they have to call in insurance.”
Everybody except Aaron roared with laughter.
“Ya’ll are a bunch of assholes,” Aaron grumbled.
“Sorry, Aaron,” Joey chuckled. “He’s right. We love ya, but nobody wants to have to call you about official business.”
“Well, just remember who saves your asses when things go sideways,” Aaron grumbled.
We all laughed again.
The waitress set my lager in front of me.
“Thank you,” I said, acknowledging her before she flitted to the next table. Then I turned my attention back to my friends.
“So,” Robbie asked. “You gonna clean up before going to your new job?”
I blinked and looked at my hands, which already seemed devoid of the dirt that usually ringed my fingernails. “I showered!”
He snickered. “Not that. I meant things like a haircut. It’s ok, but might be a bit messy if you’ll be doing sales.”
I chuckled and ran a hand through my brown hair. It felt a bit long, but not too bad. “Do you really think people coming in to buy wood are expecting suits and a full face of makeup? That shit would be torn up the moment I tried to load a few planks into a pickup.”
He grinned. “It would be something to see you in a suit, let alone makeup. But you could probably do with a shave and a trim.”
“He’s right,” Aaron agreed. “You might be selling wood, but it’s a customer-facing role. Appearances matter in ways you don’t expect.”
“Alright, alright,” I chuckled. “I’ll go to the barber on Monday.”
“Good,” Aaron said with a nod. “Now, we’re all still on for Sunday night, right?”
I grinned. “I put in a steak order with the butcher.”
“I’ve got the herb garlic butter already chilling in the fridge, and I’m making my cheesecake tomorrow,” Joey added.
“I’ve got the salad fixins!” Spencer laughed
“I’m prepping the twice-baked spuds tomorrow,” Robbie replied.
“And I’m on drinks,” Nate stated. “Let me know if you want anything other than the normal.”
Aaron nodded. “I’ve got fresh charcoal and some hickory chips to throw in there.”
“And you’ve got the comfy seats and huge screen,” Spencer laughed. “Don’t forget that.”
“Are we watching a game or movies this weekend?” Joey asked.
“Figured we’d see what’s on,” Aaron replied with a shrug. “Now, any of you bringing dates I don’t know about?”
