AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Yes, he was exaggerating.
A little.
He looked back at Asa with his eyebrows lifted.
Asa blinked.
“No, dipshit. What are you doinghere?” He moved his hand in a circle to indicate the building.
André knew what he was asking of course but he hadn’t given Asa shit in way too long a time.
“What areyoudoing here?” André countered.
“Nikki asked me to stop by for a… I actually don’t know.” Asa frowned and shook his head.
André smiled at the wall and resumed working. “Ah, so she took my advice.”
Now he was just pushing buttons for the fun of it.
“What? Are you back now?” Asa asked, clearly unhappy about the idea.
“Maybe.” André went to grin over his shoulder, but Nikki was there and caught him.
She crossed her arms over her chest and huffed.
André sobered instantly.
Shit. He had not meant for her to hear that.
“No. He’s not back,” she said. “But he is working here this summer.”
André saluted with his putty knife.
A glob of wallpaper paste dripped onto the drop cloth below him.
And yeah, she was trying to be serious with her arms crossed and a frown on her face, but those lips could never lie to him.
“C’mon, Asa.” She tugged her friend out of the doorway, but before she was gone, she cast a glance at André. “Are you okay?”
“Hunky-dory,” he replied. He climbed back up the ladder, unhooked his little spray bottle from his tool belt, and soaked the next strip.
She didn’t leave right away, and he glanced over his shoulder at her.
“I keep forgetting to ask. Have you heard from Ryan today?” she asked.
“Not since I left his house last night. By the way, the guy makes a killer grilled cheese in case you ever have the opportunity to have him cook for you.” He re-hooked the spray bottle to his tool belt. “I think he used Havarti and muenster. I highly recommend.”
“So he was okay when you left him?”
“For sure.” He pried the paper away from the crease of the ceiling with the sharp edge of his putty knife.
“It reeks like vinegar in here. Make sure you get some fresh air,” she said. And then she left.
André smiled to himself as he slowly peeled the paper down.
That was just Nikki. She cared for people. Even the ones who had been complete asses to her.
And he’d really missed that.
