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Score.
Robby’s car was the only one there when he arrived.
Climbing out of his Ford, he strapped on his hardhat and approached the home site. The build was coming along nicely. The windows were delivered late yesterday, and they’d install them today. This was one of two houses they were working on this month in the development.
Cooper Construction was sub-contracting for Berringer Homes these days, and while it meant less creativity among the designs, it also meant guaranteed work as long as this subdivision kept growing. Steady construction work during the winter season was nothing to sneeze at, though now, as they moved into spring, it would mean a much more robust market.
Robby stood in the open, unfinished garage, scribbling something onto the paper on his clipboard. Though he had worked with the guy for more than a year, he could probably count on one hand the number of times he’d seen him without the clipboard in his hands or without his ever-present long-sleeved Oxford shirt.
Stepping forward, his foot crushed a soda can someone had left in the dirt in front of the house. Robby looked up, then froze in place.
Matt smiled despite himself. He found it hard to be nervous around someone even more anxious than he was. “Hey, Robby.”
The man’s eyes widened at the greeting, and it only made Matt’s smile surge.
He didn’t talk much at work, he knew, but it was kind of funny that a simple hello would prompt such surprise, especially after they’d just hung out last night. It just took him a while to warm up to people, and he needed this job so much, he usually found it safer to keep his head down to avoid any trouble. He had more than enough trouble at home.
“I had a really good time at the party.” He tipped his hardhat as he walked past. “Thanks again for the bartending suggestion. I think I’m going to give it a try. Maybe flash a smile or two.”
Chuckling, he caught Robby’s blush out of the corner of his eye.
Not even a minute later—he wasn’t sure, but he thought he heard Robby laugh softly, then start humming under his breath. Shaking his head, Matt pulled the gloves out his back pocket and slipped them on to start his day.
***
Robby
Robby didn’t even realize the song in his head was passing his lips until Kane belted out the chorus.
Oh no. He might have been dancing too.
He closed his eyes, clamped his jaw shut, and prayed the ground would swallow him whole.
Not only did the ground refuse to comply, but Kane added insult to injury with a full belly laugh so loud the crews working down the street probably heard him. “Aw, don’t stop on my account, kid. I was ready to sing the harmony.”
Brick laughed.
Great. Not only one, but two people had witnessed his performance.
The big man tousled his hair. “Keep practicing, and you can give Ed Sheeran a run for his money.”
Kane put his hand over his heart and waltzed around the room by himself, humming the melody to one of the singer’s older ballads. Then, he fell flat on his backside when Brick subtly stuck his big booted foot in his path.
Watching the former biker wipe out so spectacularly cured Robby of any lingering embarrassment. He held his hand out to Kane. “No offense, but maybe you should stick to dancing with a partner.”
Kane laughed as he accepted the help up, and if Robby hadn’t planted his feet so firmly, he would have tumbled onto the floor beside him. “I haven’t had much practice, but maybe my wife will take pity on me when I tell her about this.” He smirked at Brick. “Especially since they weren’t my own feet I tripped over.”
Brick dismissed the pointed words with a wave of his hand. “No one cares about your big-ass feet. What I want to know is what has Robby here on Cloud Nine?”
“Big night last night, brother?” Kane waggled his eyebrows.
And just like that, the blood came rushing back to Robby’s face. With the things he’d seen and done in his lifetime, most people would’ve lost the ability to blush, but Robby had no such luck. If there had been anything in the garage, he would have been tempted to hide behind it. Unfortunately, the wide-open space mocked him.
“Don’t be an asshole.” Brick’s words may have been harsh, but his tone remained mild. He took a swig from a gas station coffee cup Robby hadn’t noticed before. “Seriously, though, did you have a date or something after you left last night, Robby? You know you could tell us if you’re seeing someone, right?”
He did. Brick would probably celebrate the idea. The guy had known for months how he felt about Matt but had never once made him feel like a fool for chasing a lost cause. Not that there was any chasing involved. It was more likestaring longingly at a lost cause when no one was looking.
Or maybe everyone was looking.
