Chris Ch. 06

Authors note. Thank you everyone for the encouragement and kind words. It's taken far longer than it should have but chapter six is done. I tried to do a little different formatting to make up for the lack of italicizes, hopefully it reads ok.

-She's good, happy to be out and about.

I'm helping a friend do some stuff and she's been very helpful.

Chris attached a photo of Freckles napping on the floor he'd taken earlier. She was flat on her back with her stomach facing the ceiling.

Almost immediately the three dots appeared after the photo was sent.

-She's obviously integral to your work process.

Upper management probably.

Chris smiled and started typing again.

-Senior supervisor and snack quality control is her official title.

The three dots appeared and disappeared several times and finally Chris' phone buzzed in his hands.

-Haha.

I'm calling it a night but maybe I could text you tomorrow?

Chris' heart soared and he had to retype his message several times to get the words down without any typos.

-I'd like that, very much. Talk to you tomorrow!

Before he could second guess himself he sent it and his phone buzzed right when it was delivered.

Her message read.

-Only if you want to I mean. No pressure.

The three dots immediately appeared below the message.

-Oh good! Talk to you tomorrow Chris. Goodnight.

He smiled widely, feeling like a highschooler with a crush again and he let the feeling wash over him. It'd been a long time since he'd felt this way, years even, so he allowed himself to feel it fully and revelled in the happiness it brought him.

-Looking forward to it. Goodnight Alex.

He sent the message and put his phone down. Sleep was slow to take him.

His alarm woke him rudely the next morning. Incessantly beeping and buzzing on the table next to his head.

He mashed the screen several times with clumsy hands before it finally shut off.

He flopped back into his bed and rubbed his face. He felt like he'd only just fallen asleep when his alarm had woken him up but he knew that wasn't true.

"Just real early is all." He mumbled through his hands.

With a sigh he forced himself to sit up, he knew if he stayed laying like that he would just fall asleep and then Johnsons would never let him live it down.

With a tired yawn he slipped into running clothes and got Freckles ready as well. She was only slightly more enthusiastic than he was.

"I know girl, we'll take tomorrow off." He said, scrubbing her ears.

The sun had yet to come up but there were lights on in the house.

The front door opened before he got to it and Johnsons stood there looking tired and grumpy in running clothes of his own.

"You good?" Chris asked him, stifling a yawn.

"Yeah, let's do it." Johnsons grumbled and they set off.

Half an hour later they were walking back up the driveway. Chris had barely broken sweat but his friend was soaked and still breathing hard.

"Fuckin fuck." He said in between breaths. "I used to be good at running!" He lamented as they opened the door and went inside.

The place was still a wreck and still smelled terribly but it was obvious they were working on it.

Johnsons flopped onto his couch.

"You'll get it back. Let's make some breakfast." He said surreptitiously checking his phone as he had done the whole run.

He didn't expect Alex to be up this early, the sun still wasn't up yet, but he couldn't stop himself.

"Sounds good, I'm gonna shower real quick." Johnsons said as he got up from the couch.

"Oh my fuck I'm gonna be sore." He said with a laugh before he hobbled to the bathroom.

Chris just laughed along with him, in truth he'd done well. Better than he thought he would anyway. He pulled breakfast supplies from the fridge and started some coffee.

The shower kicked on and Chris made a large breakfast of eggs and bacon.

They ate and drank coffee while reminiscing about their time together in the military.

Telling stories they'd told a hundred times before and laughing just the same. The sun slowly came up and eventually they cleaned up breakfast and got back to work. Picking up garbage and cleaning with plans to make a trip to the dump as soon as it opened.

"You expecting a work email or something?" Johnsons asked as they tarped the load of garbage sitting in the trailer.

"What?"

"You keep checking your phone. I'm not like keeping you from your job am I?" Johnsons asked with a frown.

"No no, it's not a work thing. Although I do need to get some work in this afternoon." Chris said, pulling the rope through the eyelet of the tarp and hooking it to the trailer.

"It's...I'm just expecting to hear from someone is all." He said, trying to sound casual.

"Oh shit. It's a girl isn't it!" His friend said with a wide smile. Chris just shrugged and didn't look at him.

"It is! Never thought I'd see the day. My boy's finally all grown up." He said, clearly enjoying Chris' discomfort.

"Yeah yeah, shut it Johnsons. Just tie your end of the tarp down already." Chris said, throwing the balled up rope at him.

He caught it and pulled it tight. "But seriously, who is she and how'd you, Mr. non-socializer, meet her?" He asked, sounding genuinely interested.

"Her name's Alex, I met her down south when I was there for work." Chris said with a smile.

"We met at a brewery, she actually just text me last night. Sort of."

"Hey man, I'm glad." Johnsons said with a nod. "What do you mean 'sort of' though?"

So Chris told him the whole story while they drove to the dump.

The doors thumped closed on Chris' van and he pulled them away from the smelly dump.

"Sounds to me like she didn't expect to like you." Johnsons said, dropping his gloves to the floorboard.

"It also sounds like she's had some sort of bad experience before. Like an abusive boyfriend or something."

"Yeah, maybe." Chris said as he pulled them out of the unloading area. "Sucks." He said after a moment.

"Yeah it does. But hey, you're not an asshole that'll be like that so maybe you're just what she needs." Johnsons said and then added. "Well not an asshole to girls anyway, my fucking legs are done."

Chris laughed. "You like it."

Johnsons just groaned as they drove back to his house.

"But yeah, maybe you're right. I think there really is something there, I mean I like her alot but whatever is holding her back feels like a big deal. Like real life stuff, not just drama bullshit." Chris said, turning onto Johnsons' street.

"Yeah, it does. Dunno man." He said with a shrug.

Chris backed the trailer back into the driveway and turned off the car. They both sat in silence for a moment until Johnsons sighed. "Well back to it?" He said, sounding tired but happy.

"Let's do it. You want the inside or outside?" Chris said, stifling a yawn. The warm and quiet car was making him sleepy.

"I'll keep cleaning inside I think. If you're ok with outside."

Chris just nodded and then felt his phone buzz in his pocket, a jolt of excitement ran through him and he resisted the urge to pull it out immediately and check what it was.

Johnsons climbed out and closed the door, Chris followed suit and pulled his phone from his jeans pocket as Freckles climbed out of his open door.

-Just saw a dog that looked a lot like Freckles on my run this morning.

It's name was Bingo. Like the song.

10/10 for cuteness, 2/10 for the owner's naming creativity.

Chris smiled and even laughed a little bit.

-Ha! That's funny and not a very original name.

I didn't know you ran, that's pretty cool.

He sent the text without a thought and pocketed his phone once more.

The front yard was just as overgrown as the back but there was less rubbish. He pulled his gloves on and got to work but his phone buzzed before he could get started.

-I only started recently, in the last year or so but I really enjoy it.

What are you and Freckles doing today?

Chris pulled off his glove to reply.

-That's cool, I like to run too. Maybe sometime we could go together?

We're busy helping my friend again. Well I am, she's just napping and sniffing around.

He regloved his hand and started picking up all the trash first and putting it into bags, then he started pulling weeds and piling them by the trailer.

He took a water break in the shade of his van and checked his phone.

-That could be fun, maybe we could sometime.

I'm sure she's very busy delegating and supervising. Its excruciating work, naps are required.

He wiped sweat from his brow and drank from his bottle before snapping a picture of his dog sitting upright in the shade with her eyes closed, looking somehow serene and judgemental at the same time.

-You're right, it's obviously hard work.

He sent the text and the photo in quick succession before immediately typing and sending another.

-What've you got going on today?

He took another drink from his bottle and got back to work, pulling weeds and finding more trash that the weeds had hidden.

Thankfully the front yard was fairly small and soon Chris was stretching his back and looking at the freshly cleaned yard. Freckles had moved to being fully asleep in the shade but she perked up when he came over and sat next to her. He leaned back on the rear tire of his van and pet her head affectionately while checking his phone.

-haha! How does she even make that face?

I'm just working today, writing up a piece on some local stuff

and working on some side projects. Pretty typical day for me.

Below the text was a picture of her.

She was sitting at a desk that looked out a window, on the sill were several plants and those little solar figures that dance in the sun.

On the desk was an open laptop, a water bottle and a smattering of other things that made it obvious she worked there often.

She was smiling at the camera held in her outstretched arm and had on glasses that flattered her face. Her black hair was back in a ponytail with a few strands that hung to frame her face and she was wearing a large hoodie and yoga pants.

Her smile sent a jolt through him and his eyes lingered on her lips for far longer than would be polite in a face to face situation.

Sounds like a busy day. I feel like I owe you a selfie but I'm all sweaty and gross at the moment. Plus I'm not nearly as photogenic as some people in this conversation.

He sent it and typed more.

I mean you look incredible! Meanwhile I'm over here grubbin it up like a grubby-grub.

He took another pull from his bottle and wiped his chin.

I'm sure you're fine! Besides the rules that be demand you return the selfie.

Chris sighed and looked down at his sweat soaked shirt. Dirt stained it in various places and there was even some green from where he'd inadvertently wiped his grass stained gloves on it.

Haha! Well if the rules demand it, who am I to deny them?

Just be prepared for me not to look nearly as fantastic as you.

He typed and raised his phone to take a photo of himself and Freckles sitting in the shade. He pushed his sunglasses up and smiled before depressing the button.

Without scrutinizing the photo too closely he sent it. Don't wanna look at my dumb face anyway.

"Come on Frecks, let's check inside. It's almost lunchtime." He said as he stood, stuffed his phone into his pocket and grabbed his laptop bag from the van.

Inside the house the change was obvious, bags of trash were piled by the door and the air was significantly cleaner smelling. Debris no longer littered the floor and the stale smell of spilled beer wasn't as prominent.

Johnsons was currently scrubbing the stove with a soapy brush and his brow was down as he worked the brush into the corners.

"You getting hungry?" Chris asked.

"Fuck yeah. Need a break anyway, this stove is filthy. Gonna let it soak and think about what it's done." He replied, spraying more cleaning solution onto the stubborn stains with more force than was probably necessary.

They made a quick lunch of simple sandwiches and ate in companionable silence.

When lunch was done and put away Johnsons went back to scrubbing the stove and Chris spent a little time taking the trash bags out to the empty trailer.

That task complete Chris hunted his friend down. "Hey Johnsons, I gotta do some work this afternoon. Mind if I set up in the kitchen?"

Johnsons stood and dropped the sanitizing wipe he was using to wipe down the counter into the garbage. "Yeah for sure, I'm probably gonna lay down for a bit. I'm fuckin beat."

"Yeah no worries, I shouldn't be too loud. Don't have any phone calls that I know of."

"Cool, no big deal if you do." Johnsons said with a yawn as he shuffled to his room. His phone buzzed in his pocket but he ignored it in favor of pulling his computer out and plugging it in.

The hotspot took several tries to connect and while he waited he checked his phone. He was oddly nervous about seeing what she had to say and he related the feeling to having sent her a selfie. Something he never did.

Uh, please. Wow, I didn't expect you to look so...rugged.

Sweat soaked is a good look for you.

Chris smiled and even felt a faint blush creep across his cheeks. A little further down was another message.

And Freckles is adorable as usual I see.

The hotspot finally connected and his computer dinged several times as emails rolled in.

I don't know about all that but thanks.

He typed and sent it before sorting through the emails with a smile. His phone buzzed several minutes later and he smiled wider. Work had never been so fun.

He spent the afternoon alternating between working and texting Alex. The more they talked the more obvious it was to Chris that they had some real chemistry. She would say things that would make Chris laugh out loud and whenever his phone buzzed his stomach would flutter with excitement. Johnsons emerged at some point and after a smoke break got back to work cleaning the inside of the house.

By the time Chris closed his computer that evening most of the house's interior was cleaned and all that was left was the backyard. He slipped his phone into his pocket and put his computer away as well. He'd sent more text messages in the last several hours than he had in the last six months.

"Well the trailers full again. Guess we'll just take it tomorrow?" Johnsons said as they ate Chinese food from takeout containers.

"Sounds good to me, all we've got left is the backyard right?" Chris asked around a mouthful of food.

"Yeah, I think that's it."

"That's good because work has got me traveling again in a couple days." Chris said. He'd received word that he was needed elsewhere for a bit earlier in the afternoon.

"Oh yeah, no worries. I think, if you don't mind, I'd like to make a couple stops tomorrow." Johnsons said, forking noodles onto a paper plate. "I think I've got a lead on a job, my uncle, he's a contractor. I'm sure he'd have a low level job for me."

Chris nodded along. "That's great, I'm glad you've got something lined up already because I already asked my boss and he said he couldn't hire anyone right now."

"No shit? You asked your boss?"

"Yeah man, why wouldn't I? I asked him the first day I got here." Chris said with a shrug. It was true and Chris believed Derril when he told him there was nothing available.

"Damn...I...Thanks Chris." Johnsons said, his voice thick with emotions.

"Hey, no problem. I know you'd do the exact same thing for me." Chris said.

"Fuck yeah I would!" He yelled. "I wouldn't make you go a run though, my fuckin legs are still dead."

Chris just laughed and they ate and joked about lighter things after that.

That evening as Chris closed the door to his van and went about getting ready for bed he was surprised to hear his phone buzzing on the table. He picked it up and with a large smile answered it.

"Hello?"

"Hi-hey, this is Alex. I mean you probably already knew that because you have my number." She said, finishing somewhat awkwardly.

"Hi Alex! I did in fact know it was you calling but I'm glad you did. What's up?" Chris said, enjoying her being the awkward one for a change.

"Well I was just cooking dinner and thought I'd call, since it's easier than texting." She explained and some pots and pans rattled in the background.

"What are you making?" He asked.

"Oh, just a pasta dish. I like to make a lot and then I don't have to cook dinners for a while. It's lazy I know."

"Sounds smart to me! How was your day? Did you finish that piece on the highschool swim team?"

"Ugh yes, it was so dry but I got it done. My day was good actually, best one I've had in a while actually." She said, obviously smiling into the phone.

Chris' cheeks heated slightly and he grinned. "Huh, what a coincidence. Mine was the best day I've had in a longtime too."

"Huh, what are the odds."

Silence filled the conversation but there was a tension there, it was a charged silence where if they were in person Chris would be debating whether or not now was the time to ask for a kiss.

She cleared her throat and the sounds of her preparing dinner resumed. "So your friend you've been helping out, how's that going?" She asked and Chris told the entire story, starting with how he met Johnsons and ending where he was now. Alex finished making her dinner and with only a brief apology ate while he continued to talk.

"You're a good friend for helping him like you are." She said when he finished.

"He'd do the same for me, I know it."

"Even so." She added.

"Well I think I'd better go, I don't want to but it's late." She said with a sigh.

"Yeah, you're right Alex. Thanks for calling though, I'll talk to you tomorrow?" Chris said.

"Yes please, goodnight Chris."

"Goodnight Alex."

He pushed the end call button and set his phone down, he'd talked for the better part of an hour and it was late. He should be going to sleep but he found he wasn't tired in the least.

He flopped onto his bed and rubbed Freckles with his foot that hung off the bed. He let out a happy sigh and closed his eyes, trying to sleep. Twenty minutes later he was still awake and his phone buzzed. Confused, he picked it up.

I can't sleep and I blame you wholeheartedly.

He chuckled and typed out a message.

And here I was thinking you were to blame for my lack of sleep.

Her response came almost immediately.

Nope. I called it first. Your fault, not mine.

He smiled widely and lay his phone on his chest. He hadn't felt this way in years. A lot of years.

Several weeks of daily texting and phone calls followed and Chris couldn't have been happier. Johnsons got the job and was doing well last he had heard, which was recently since the man had a phone again. Chris had to leave the state for Deritech several times but that didn't hinder his communications with Alex at all and Chris fully acknowledged that he was likely falling in love with her. She was funny, kind and passionate about the things she cared about. Their morals aligned well and their beliefs were also equally similar. The only thing that bothered him some was his lack of knowledge about her past, she was always reluctant to talk about her life before moving to Colorado and while Chris respected her privacy it worried him some. Katy's words from that night at the brewery would often echo through his head.

"She's got some things going on." Isn't that what she said?

The vibe Chris got was that part of her life had been deeply traumatic and trauma from the past was something Chris was familiar with. He'd even shared some of it with her on a few late night phone calls but he understood her hesitation to talk about it. She was more than happy to talk about nearly every detail after moving to Colorado and away from her parents but anything before that was met with deflection and hesitancy and Chris never pushed. It'd come about eventually and they could deal with it then.