Page 37 of Error Handling

Christopher grabs my hand. His isn’t clammy. It’s not too rough or too soft. “Hey. Text me, okay?”

I nod, and he leaves, crossing paths with Chris on the way.

Chris

I nod at Christopher as we pass. “Have a good one.”

“Good luck,” Christopher says.

Good luck? Plumbing doesn’t require luck. It requires skill and depending on the job, not a very high level of skill, but I’ll never say that out loud.

“Is there anything I can do to help?” Sarah asks when I reenter the kitchen.

“Nope. I get paid to do it myself.”

I climb into the cabinet again, my mind replaying the moment Christopher’s lips planted on Sarah’s cheek. I didn’t really hurt my finger. I just needed a reason to break up the love fest. And a little intimidation never hurt anyone.

“Are you sure I can’t help?” Sarah says, her head practically poking into the cabinet.

I fiddle with the broken section of pipe until it comes loose from both junctions. “I guess you could try to pull up some of the water in the carpet with my shop vac. But it won’t lower my rate.”

“Do you get paid by the hour?”

I slide out of the cabinet and sit with my back propped on the lower section of the frame. It’s uncomfortable.

“You just sat in water,” Sarah says.

“I know. I’m already wet.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I’ve pumped backed up sewer lines. Believe me, I’ve seen much worse than this.”

Sarah wrinkles her nose, and I’m struck by how cute she looks. “Oh. Well. I was asking if you get paid by the hour because if I help, I don’t want to cut into your profit.”

“No. I get paid a flat rate per job.”

Sarah contemplates the comment as though it’s a math problem. “So, if I help, you get paid the same, and we both get to go to bed earlier.”

“You can go to bed now. I promise I won’t steal anything, and I’ll lock the door on the way out. The shop vac might keep you up though.”

“How do I know I can trust you?” she says.

The question seems loaded.

“At Your Service ran a background check on me before I hired on,” I say.

This seems to satisfy her.

“Thank goodness,” she says. “I was afraid you might be a murderer.”

“I’m not sure the background check looks for past murders.”

“I feel safer now.”

I smile. I could keep Sarah safe. Better than that Christopher. I might be less muscled, but my strength is concentrated.

I stand to retrieve my shop vac. “Be right back.”