Page 43 of Error Handling
Why am I stalling?
She was rude on the phone when she answered earlier. Aren’t all women hard to pin down though? Happy one moment. Moody the next. Allison certainly was, always blaming it on her hormones. I’ve never experienced menstruation and based on my limited knowledge, I’m glad I haven’t. For Allison, complaints came the week leading up to it, and the week of. Cramps, headaches, grumpiness, bloating. She was very open about her distresses.
Not to say Sarah is menstruating. If she is, I don’t want to know. Why am I thinking about menstruation? Man, it’s been a while since I’ve dated.
And it will be a while until I date again.
My door creaks as I push it open with my foot. I head up the sidewalk, which was inundated with water only hours before. A small puddle still lingers among the unkempt weeds.
I knock on the front door even though her landlord gave me a key. I’m not going to barge in.
“Hey,” Sarah says after she swings open the door. “I hope you managed to squeeze in a nap today.”
The atmospheric pressure lowers a few millibars the moment my eyes rest on her face. I shake my head. “My work is never done.”
“I’m sorry,” she says.
“Don’t be. It’s by choice.”
She folds her arms and leans on the doorjamb.Are we just going to stand here? I have work to do.
“Are you going to rip up the carpet with your bare hands?” she asks.
“Um. Sure.”
“You don’t have any tools. Handymen usually have tools.”
I look down at my empty hands and then pat my waist where my toolbelt should be. A pry bar and a utility knife would probably be helpful. And knee pads and a mask. “Yeah. I guess I forgot.”
Her laugh rings through the mild evening air. A warm front moved in last night while we were working. I left under a slight drizzle, which had minimal effect on the fire Sarah’s presence kindled inside me.
The purity of her laugh isn’t helping either. She isn’t laughing at me. On second thought, she is but I don’t mind.
I chuckle at myself. “I tend to forget things.” Especially around beautiful women. I don’t know how I’ll complete this job. I’ll have to maintain a distance. Maintain professionalism. Focus on business.
“I’ll be right back,” I say.
“Okay. I’ll be on the back porch painting if you need anything.”
I need a cold shower.
“Thanks,” I say, keeping that tidbit of information to myself.
I head back to my truck and grab my toolbelt which already holds the tools I need for the job. I also dig for my kneepads, a mask, and work gloves.
The moment I enter Sarah’s apartment, a musty odor blasts me in the face. The carpet looks two decades old and smells the same. This will be a messy job.
Last night I was so busy under the sink that I didn’t pay attention to her apartment’s details. It’s small, with a short hallway opening to a living room, which is adjacent to the kitchen via a wide opening that was probably enlarged during a past remodel. Another short hallway leads from the living room to her bedroom and bathroom.
Sarah hid the poor condition of the living room carpet with a large woven area rug. The furniture, pillows, and accessories play off the rug’s flecks of orange, blue, and purple. Sophisticated wall art decorates the walls. I have no idea who the artists are.
The guitar sitting in the far corner piques my interest. I know enough chords to do damage and have even composed a few songs, most of them love songs to Allison, so they disgust me now.
Despite my limited experience with decorating, I’m impressed by the home Sarah created for herself. It’s worthy of a magazine cover, minus the wet carpet. Unfortunately, I’ll have to make a mess of it, but I’ll do my best to put it back together when I’m done.
I walk to the center of the living room as I consider how to tackle the project. The carpet squishes under my feet. I’m not looking forward to this.
I decide to move the furniture to one side for now, but first, I roll up the damp, musty rug and drag it into the front hallway. It might not be salvageable, but I decide to break it to Sarah later. After pushing the couch, the guitar, and two tables to the otherside of the room, I move to the back hallway to start with the dry carpet.