“Certainly, some of the younger male teachers and staff will be quick to jump in to physically restrain and protect. But, sometimes, the situation requires quick action.”
He leaned closer, his weight now on his forearms resting on top of the counter, his hands close to hers. “And that’s what happened to you?”
“Boys are usually easier to deal with in a fight.”
His chin jerked back slightly, his head tilted to the side. “I don’t understand.”
“Boys are often trained to stand up for themselves but not to hit a female. I’m not saying that happens for all of them, but while our society might cheer on two men fighting, there’s generally societal condemnation for hitting a female. Boys also will generally fight when angry, then turn it off. I’ve seen two boys whaling on each other, and by the end of the day, they’re friends again.”
“And I take it this doesn’t happen with girls?”
Her lips curved, and it hit him how in those few minutes where he’d lost her smile, he craved to have it back. Determined to not fuck up again, he remained silent but smiled his encouragement.
“Girls in a fight don’t mind getting dirty. Slapping, scratching, biting, pulling hair, and they don’t care who gets in the way. If I hear a ruckus in the hallway, I always feel better if it’s two boys instead of two girls.”
“So, you intervened thinking it was safe?”
Nodding, she chuckled. “I got between them and had my hand on the chest of one and was looking toward the other. The first guy was trying to take one last shot to the other guy right when I turned into the path of his fist.”
“Jesus, Caitlyn. I haven’t been in a lot of fights, but unlike on TV and the movies where you get hit, shake it off, and keep going, a punch to the face is going to hurt like hell.”
“Oh yeah, it did! Dropped me straight to my ass! Of course, the kids went wild, the guy who hit me felt horrible, and by then, we had a hall full of kids, teachers, staff, and I was still on my ass.”
His jaw tightened just thinking of her landing on the hard floor after taking a full fist to the face by an angry, testosterone-overloaded, adolescent male, even if his intended target was the other guy.
“The principal was irritated that I didn’t just stand to the side, and the security officer is pissed because I didn’t press charges, and the kids think I’m badass, which I’m not sure is a good thing or not.”
His irritation fled with the warmth of her smile and the realization that she didn’t take herself too seriously. The first time he saw her on the balcony demanding they stop working so she could sleep, he categorized her as a princess and dreaded renting the apartment because of having to live across from her. His sisters certainly hadn’t been raised as princesses. He’d never dated one and had no time to coddle one where he lived and worked.
Now, he thanked his lucky stars that they were going to share the upstairs. The gorgeous woman sent a jolt of lust through him, but Caitlyn was turning out to be so much more than he’d thought. An intriguing enigma, one he hoped to spend more time getting to know.
Glancing at the clock on her microwave, he pushed upward and away from the counter. “I hate to leave, but I need to go. I’ve got a couple of men who are working overtime hours, and we’re going to get started on the renovations on the back porch first.”
She mimicked his actions and pushed away from her side of the counter, then walked toward the door. “Thanks for the goodies. I’ll make some again and promise to not burn them next time.”
He walked to the door, hesitating just as he was next to her, so close their bodies were only a few inches apart. Looking down, he held her gaze. “I’ll look forward to that.” Stepping into the hall, he heard the door click behind him as he rounded the top of the stairs. As he jogged down to the first floor, he had a smile on his face.
He met Bob coming in the front door. Bob smiled, dipping his chin. “Hey, boss, everyone is here. Where do you want us to start?”
“Let’s work on the back today. Tell Andrew to get up the cones and signs to keep everyone off the back porch while we redo the flooring.”
For the next hour, his crew worked seamlessly together to dismantle the flooring on one side of the wraparound porch that abutted the side of the house where Terri and Bjorn lived. While they replaced worn and rotted floorboards, he removed a few porch rail balusters and spindles, carefully measuring them. Making drawings of their decorative shapes, he determined they were a combination of Revival and Victorian.
As his hands smoothed over the wood, his mind drifted to the original craftsman who wouldn’t have had the fast, electric lathe to turn the wood stick into spindles. The thoughts of children playing on the porch over the years filled his mind along with the idea of adults gathering on the wide space to visit, keep an eye on each other, or just to enjoy.
“Hello!”
Startled out of his musing, he looked over to see a downstairs window open and a woman with her head stuck out watching the proceedings. Her long, brown hair was braided, falling over her shoulder.
“I’ve got some tea if you’d like a drink. It can be served hot or cold, but we figured you’d prefer cold since you’re working outside.”
Before he had a chance to reply, a man in a khadi shirt that hung to his knees and harem pants came from around the corner, carrying a tray in his hands. “Here! Don’t be shy, gentlemen. It’s the most refreshing drink you can enjoy on a day like this.”
His men immediately stopped what they were doing and reached for the cups. Grinning, he stepped forward, offering his thanks. “You must be Bjorn.”
The man looked at him through round, wire-framed glasses and grinned. “Margaretha told us someone who was working on the house would be living here. Is that you?”
Sticking his hand out, he nodded. “Griffin Capella. Griff to my friends.”
“Griff. I like that! Hey, Terri, this is Griff, our new neighbor!”
She leaned out the window again and waved enthusiastically as though she’d been stuck on a desert island and he was the first to arrive with the boat. “Griff! Hi! Nice to meet you! I’m Terri!”
Chuckling, he threw up his hand and returned her wave. Turning back to Bjorn, he accepted the tea, but before taking a sip said, “We’ll be working here for a while and will get started around eight in the morning. I hope that’s not going to be a problem.”
“No, no!” Bjorn waved his hand dismissively. “Terri and I are always up early. At that time, we are usually doing our yoga and meditation in the backyard.” His eyes widened as well as his smile. “Since you live here now, you should join us!”
Catching the grins coming from his crew, he shook his head. “Thanks, but not really my thing.”
“That’s cool, man. We celebrate all things here. You just be you.”
The others handed their cups back to Bjorn, stifling their laughter but offering sincere thanks. “Yeah, man, we’ll make sure the boss here is keeping it real.”
Throwing a glare toward Bob, he finished the iced tea and gave his cup back as well. “Get to work,” he groused to his crew, turning back to what he needed to do. Walking around, he snapped more pictures with his phone of the various decorative architecture of the house. He’d taken many when he first accepted the job from Margaretha but now wanted to focus on the details.