Page 80 of The Other Side

table.

Callie’s body is a blur of movement in my left periphery, straightening up the living room. Surely, after Jesse’s fucking mess.

“You’re more than welcome to look, Callie,” I call to her.

It’s a bold move, but there’s not a chance I’m standing for this pathetic charade any longer.

Jesse looks over to Callie, his brows arched as he sinks into a chair. “You wouldn’t be interested, babe, would you?” he says.

Come on, baby.

Challenge him.

Come on.

Callie’s strutting closer as she motions a hand out. “I might be. Do you mind?”

Yes.

My attention turns to Jesse, knowing a cocksucker like him doesn’t value a woman’s opinion. No matter how much she asks to see the drawings, I know he’ll fucking shoo her away.

“I insist on both parties reviewing the plans,” I add.

“Alright.” His head bobs once before he’s rolling out the paper on the polished wood.

I swallow thickly, catching Callie’s timid expression. Then my attention pans to Jesse.

“I want to make sure this is everything I need. I won’t need to reach out to you anymore, right? Everything is going to be answered in the drawings you give me on paper and your flash drive?” he asks.

“There will always be questions because things are always up for interpretation. Perception of documentation,” I reply.

Jesse stands up, pocketing his palms in his slacks. “Instead of reciting a speech you probably say to all your clients, can you be specific? I’m not going to be happy if I have to contact you repeatedly when I’ve already paid you to do your job.”

I inhale through my nostrils, masking the swelling of my chest. “Working with existing conditions means there’s a lot of unknowns. Plumbing and electrical work can be tricky if certain setups are put in place that may cause interference with the drawings we planned.”

“The contractors should be able to resolve any issues that arise, yes?” Jesse inquires.

“Possibly. But they may need to cross reference with me. I know you’d like a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer, but unfortunately, I can’t say one or the other with one hundred percent certainty,” I admit. “I promise to make the troubleshooting as time efficient as possible. The contractors I recommended are very flexible to work with too.”

“Wouldn’t you say that about any reference you give?” Jesse challenges.

“I wouldn’t give the reference at all if I didn’t believe the positive things I said about the work. I have pride in my job.”

Jesse nods, his lip tilted up at the corner like he’s impressed. “That’s good. Very good,” he answers. “I’m going to get the check for the final payment.”

“Great,” I clip.

He shuffles around Callie, and my eyes lock with hers. The sun rays slice through the sliding doors in the living room, casting a spotlight on the words left unspoken.

“Thank you for all you’ve done,” she says, her chin sinking to the drawing sprawled on the table. “This is nothing short of fantastic. I adore everything about it.”

“Yeah?” I ask, connecting my gaze to where she’s looking. “To tell you the truth, I was hoping you despised it.”

“Why do you say that?”

My fingers rub over my stubbled chin when I lower my voice. “Because I want you to leave.”

“All set.” Jesse’s voice pops our heads to him, and then he’s extending a written check to me. “Let’s just hope I won’t have to speak to you about this addition again.”