Eye of the Beholder Ch. 02

Renee noticed Barrett standing in the doorway. "Hey. I didn't hear you come in."

"Sorry for comin' back so late. I lost track of time. How was it?"

"Quiet. I've never had the pleasure of working in an office by myself."

"Oh, that'll change. Just wait until Wesley and the others come in," he grinned. "Ready to go?" Barrett locked up the office and they started the drive back to his farm.

"So," Barrett asked, gripped the steering wheel. "Tell me about yourself."

Renee gave him the side eye. "Isn't that what an interview is for?"

"Nah. That's for me to figure out if you know what you're doing. I can tell you're capable," he said. "I meant like what you like to do in your spare time."

Renee paused. "Read. I was originally an English major before I switched to management. Also painting but I haven't done it in a few years and I'm far from the next Picasso. The canvas looks like a colorful mess when I'm done but it's a good way to release creativity. I'm better at painting walls and furniture, interior design I guess you could say."

"How does a woman with so much creativity go into a strict field like management?" Barrett asked.

No one had ever asked her that before. "I don't know," she admitted. "I may have a flair for the whimsical but I like to keep things tidy."

He nodded. "Now that you've spent a day here, what do you think?"

"It's quaint. Quiet. I like it."

"The locals would be proud to hear that," he grinned. "Well, just know whenever you head off to Houston you always have an open invitation to come back. I'm a pretty simple guy who doesn't get much spare time. I catch up on sleep when I can. What's your family like?"

Renee shook her head. "I don't have any. My parents died a long time ago and I was an only child." She hated bringing it up since most people would apologize or fall silent. Barrett chose the latter.

"Yours?"

"Well you met my pride and joy at Lana's yesterday," he chuckled. "My fifteen year old niece Eden. She's somethin' like the little sister I never had and the daughter I haven't had yet. Then there's my sister and her mother, Brandi. My Ma..." Barrett sighed. "She passed on about three years ago but lived a pretty long life."

She raised a brow. So he didn't have any children.

"Other than close friends to the family and my girlfriend Sarah, that's about it."

And he wasn't married. Interesting. Guess she was wrong after all.

Questions, answers and laughter were exchanged between the two until Barrett stopped in the farm's driveway.

"I don't know if it means much, Renee -- I know you're leavin' for Houston after a while but I think you'll fit in great with the guys and help us out while you're here."

"I look forward to it," she said with a smile. "Good night, Barrett."

*

"2."

"Nope."

"45?"

"Uh-uh."

"145?"

"Not even close, Wesley." Renee laughed as she filled out another stack of paperwork.

One month and a half later, the business had undergone dramatic changes thanks to her, Barrett and to a lesser degree, Wesley. Word spread throughout Quentin about Tsosie Construction fast, which kept Renee busy and the guys steadily working. It also meant she'd made roughly half of what she needed to get to Houston, but the camaraderie and silly shenanigans that went on in and out of the office made her feel comfortable. It was like being the only girl in a family of five brothers, something that Renee had never experienced but loved every moment of it.

The other three men didn't stick around the office much but not a day went by that Barrett or Wesley -- especially Wesley -- didn't talk to her at length about one subject or another. Barrett's conversations were a little more sophisticated. Wesley's...

"Damn. 145 is my lucky number," Wesley puzzled. "Could have sworn that was it."

Renee put down her pen and grinned at him. "Remind me again what exactly you get if you guess the number I'm thinking."

He stood up and scratched the back of his head, gave a lop-sided grin. He'd picked up so many of Barrett's mannerisms; one could have easily mistaken them for twins, were it not for all the contrasting physical attributes. They might have acted similar but on the outside the men were apples and oranges. Barrett was maturely handsome; a bit rough around the edges but confident with his dark features and light tan skin.

Wesley, on the other hand, was a pale, freckled-face red-head with the lightest green eyes Renee had ever seen. His wavy hair was cut short and, unlike Barrett's smooth face, had light peach fuzz on his chin and beard. It was probably all he could grow.

Looks aside, he was fun. Kind of slow on the upkeep but that added to his goofy charm. His interaction with Renee teetered between playful gestures and light flirting, both of which tickled her pink. Wesley was the type to flirt with everyone, she could tell, even if she hadn't seen him in the act yet. It was a nice distraction from work most of the time so she had no complaints.

"I was thinkin' I'd get to take you to Barrett's birthday party tonight. If you wanna."

"I have a better idea," Renee said, leaned across her desk. "How about you just ask me? Not to be rude but you kind of suck at the number guessing game."

"Ouch," he laughed. "Alright. Renee, d'you wanna --"

"Sure, Wesley. But I thought it was just a barbeque, nothing special."

"Oh, it is. I'd just like the chance to show up with you on my arm and all." It was so painfully cheesy that it was cute. How could she say no?

Barrett walked into the office. "What'd I miss?"

"Wesley asked me if I'd like to go with him to your birthday party," she said.

"Aw. Sorry Wes." Barrett gave him a punch on the arm. "Maybe next time, champ."

"She said yes." Wesley returned Barrett's punch.

Barrett looked at her and Wesley. She expected him to laugh or say something sarcastic as usual. All he did was raise a brow and shrug. "Alright, you two. Party starts at 6 o'clock," he said before walking out.

Wesley looked just as confused as she felt. "Who pissed in his cheerios? It's his birthday, for God's sakes, you think he'd be happy."

"I think you should make yourself scarce, Wesley. Aren't you supposed to be working on a project today?"

"The crew isn't here yet. I have nothin' to do but bug you 'till then."

"Wes! Come here for a minute!" Barrett's voice boomed from the break room.

"...Or not. Be back in a minute."

Renee smiled and followed Wesley with her eyes as he walked out. It was hard for her to admit it but she had the tiniest crush on him. She couldn't help it -- he had a great sense of humor that was a little sophomoric at times, but that was part of the appeal. It would never turn into anything serious; she wasn't looking for that. But what was the harm in hanging out outside of work every now and then?

Wesley stood in the lobby of the Turquoise as Renee descended down the stairs. She felt slightly uncomfortable as he and Thelma, who were also going to the party, watched her every step.

"Don't you look beautiful?" Thelma admired her.

She was on the fence about her when she first came in town but it was hard not to love Thelma. She had even confided in her, to a point, about what brought her in Quentin in the first place. It gave her a slight heart attack when Barrett mentioned in passing that she was the town gossip, but so far she'd kept her lips sealed.

"Thanks, Thelma but it's just a dress."

Even with her attempts to downplay it, Renee knew her form-fitting, baby blue dress came out of complete left field from the bland, casual clothing she was known to wear. The longer she'd stayed in Quentin, the more detached she felt from her 'old' life but somehow, she'd found the old Renee in the process. The Renee who liked to wear nice dresses and heels, who took pride in her appearance. With a pair of blue wedge heels and her curly hair brushed into a wavy ponytail, her face was on full display for the first time in a long time. It had been weeks since her eye stopped swelling but she replaced it by covering most of her face with her unruly curls. She'd never step out without makeup; nothing would change that, but it looked nicer than usual tonight.

Apparently Wesley thought so too. His mouth was agape the entire time and didn't close until she was standing in front of him.

"Wow. Renee. You're..."

"Beautiful," Thelma finished. "I already said that, dear."

"Gorgeous," he breathed.

Renee's already blushed-covered cheeks grew hot. It had been a long time since she heard that. Not since...

No. Tonight was going to be a good night. She wouldn't think about him at all.

"Aw, Wesley. Thanks. Ready to go?"

"I'll be there later on. Pass that on to Barrett!" Thelma asked.

"Sure," Renee nodded. "Hey, mind going into Town & County real quick, Wesley? I forgot to buy Barrett a card. If they carry them."

"If not, you can just put your name on my card," he smiled. He pulled across the street and waited while Renee went inside. She preferred the big-box store fifteen minutes away but didn't have the time.

The store verged on being deserted. When she found the greeting card she wanted, she noticed that there was no clerk on duty. Maybe they were in the back?

"Hello?" Renee called out. "Anyone?"

She heard panting coming from the back of the store and followed the sound until she was face-to-face with a man and woman going at it like a couple of wild rabbits.

"Ahem."

They broke apart, startled and embarrassed. The man cleared his throat. "Can I help you?"

"Just trying to buy this," Renee lifted the card.

"Come on," he grumbled.

She looked over to the leggy blonde who looked absolutely petrified. Not one for tattoos (the end result just wouldn't justify the pain), she admired the girl's pink and yellow butterfly design on the back of her neck. Cute.

Scribbling a short message and her name on the inside, she shoved the card into an envelope and wrote Barrett's name on the front.

Dozens of people congregated in the back area of the farm house. Renee recognized most of the partygoers by face but could only identify Eden and Barrett's crew by name. Most of the men were huddled around the barbeque pit, while the women were crowded around in lawn chairs chatting amongst themselves. It was reminiscent of all the backyard birthday barbeque parties she'd gone to and thrown back home.

Wesley opened the car door for her. "After you."

Renee tucked her arm underneath his. "Thought we were going together."

Wesley led her into the designated area. They were together all right -- for thirty seconds. When he spotted the containers of ice-cold beer and tender meat sizzling on the grill, he broke away from her like a child in a toy store.

"I'll be right back. Bring you a beer!"

"I don't drink... beer. Never mind."

Renee felt very much the outsider as she looked between these two groups of people she didn't know. It made more sense to sit with the women but she loathed the idle chit chat and nosy questions about her arrival to Quentin that were sure to come up. Ugh.

She scanned the crowd for Barrett. He was in the huge circle of men crowding the pit. She didn't feel like wading through them to give him his card, so she'd wait until he emerged. In the meantime, she would stand against the fence in the middle of both groups, a neutral party. No unwanted interaction with anyone and no interrogations.

"Renee!" Eden waved frantically and rushed over.

Okay, one interrogation. But Eden, like Thelma, was just too adorable not to love. She'd taken a shine to Renee in the past month and likened her as a big sister of sorts.

"Hey Eden. How's the party?"

"Good!" She gasped and looked Renee over. "You look amazing! I love the dress. If only Mama would let me wear something like that."

"Oh, trust me. You'll have plenty of opportunities to dress like this when you're older." Eden's pink and white sundress was too adorable for words. Most teenage girls were a trip but Eden's innocence was clearly still intact. "Besides, what you have on is just fine. Cute."

"Well, cute doesn't get Adrian's attention," she grumbled. "He hasn't looked at me not one time since I've been here."

Aw.

"Who's Adrian?"

Eden pointed to a tall, lanky teenage boy no older than seventeen. He kind of looked like Wesley, without the freckles and red hair. "He's so cute, Renee," she sighed.

Was there anything more precious than puppy love?

Renee put her shoulder over the forlorn girl. "Oh, don't worry. It's still early. He'll see you eventually and --"

Loud dance music blared and drowned her out. Both crowds gathered together and merged as they started to dance together. Eden yelled something about finding Adrian and ran off. For five minutes Renee people-watched and bobbed her head to the beat. As open-minded as she was, she was relieved that they weren't playing country music.

Wesley boogied his way from the crowd and grabbed Renee by the hand. "Dance with me?"

Renee wasn't much of a dancer as much as she just swayed from side to side. But something told her Wesley wouldn't be much better.

The partially inebriated red-head tossed off his cowboy hat and made a complete spectacle of himself. His moves were ill-timed and the constipated facial expression throughout the whole ordeal made Renee laugh so hard she cried and wheezed. It was so bad it drew the attention of the other partygoers.

"What the hell was that?!" Renee screamed, laughed above the noise.

"Those were my moves!" he said proudly when he finished. "You liked 'em, didn't ya?"

Oh lord. She hadn't had that much fun in years.

When the food was ready, the music was turned down and swarms of bodies rushed for the picnic table. Even if Renee hadn't eaten before she came, she would have passed at being caught in a group of hungry people.

The cool breeze and night sky were too good to pass up. A short walk would do her good. They wouldn't miss her.

Her life had transformed so drastically and on impulse that Renee marveled over it often. Okay, she didn't have her own place yet but that would come in time. She'd made new friends, good friends, who liked her for herself. Even though her thing with Wesley wouldn't go anywhere, it was a nice addition to everything else she'd gained. What more could she ask for?

Renee heard footsteps thumping behind her and saw a male figure emerge from the darkness. The street was not very-well lit and it made her nervous.

"I can't believe you're gonna leave my party without sayin' 'happy birthday," he called out from the shadows.

Barrett.

Instantly, she relaxed and stopped, turned around to wait for him.

"You know me better than that," she smiled. "I just wanted to go for a short walk."

"I'm comin' with you," he announced. "Haven't had a minute to myself since I got outta bed."

"You do realize that you're still not alone, right?"

He grinned. "You're good company, I don't mind. Enjoyin' the party?"

"Actually, I've never been a partier," she said. "Or a dancer. I usually just sit down somewhere until or if someone asks me to dance. Then I leave."

"So you made an exception for me. Don't I feel special. Renee, uh..." he chuckled. "Sorta out of place but I want you to know me and the guys really appreciate you. Don't really know how or why you dropped into our laps but we're thankful for it."

It's true. Not that she would tell Wesley and the others at all but if Barrett wanted to know, she'd tell him. It was only fair.

"It's a long story," she sighed.

"Try me."

"I don't think you have the time tonight, birthday boy. Besides, I think you'd better get back."

"Nah, they can miss me for a while more." He walked with his hands in his pockets and nudged his large boot at the dirt road. "So what's going on with you and Wes?"

Renee's eyes went wide. "Me and Wesley? Uh... nothing really," she shrugged. "He makes me laugh. He's fun. Can't dance very well but neither can I. Why?"

"Just askin'. And I don't believe that," he grinned.

"What?"

"That you can't dance. Show me."

Renee looked at him like he was crazy. "Here? Now?"

"Sure." A slow-tempo song played in the distance. He held his hand out. "Shall we?"

She put her palm in his and looked into his blue-green eyes. What was happening?

He rested his hand on her lower back and pulled her close. They both swayed back and forth, never broke eye contact. Renee blushed when she listened closely to the song.

"Come on, get higher

Loosen my lips

Faith and desire

At the swing of your hips just

Pull me down hard and

Drown me in love..."

"I knew you were lyin'," he chuckled.

"Only if you call this dancing."

"Whatever it is, you look damn beautiful doin' it."

Renee's heart felt like it jumped out of her chest. What did he say?

"Huh?" she repeated out loud.

"You look beautiful tonight, Renee." He pulled her closer. She could feel his hard muscles pressing against her soft body. His shiny black hair tickled her skin as he leaned down and took her face in his hand, his nose just inches away from hers. He was one of the most gorgeous men she'd ever laid eyes on. Those soft lips...

"Uncle Barrett!" Eden yelled. "Time for cake!"

Both of them took a step back from each other. Barrett turned a shade of red she had never seen and cleared his throat. "Guess we should head back."

Renee walked in silence and looked at the ground the entire time, mind racing wildly. She... no. He had a girlfriend. She'd never seen Sarah before but he talked about her enough. It was clear he cared for her. So what had just transpired, then?

Back at the farm, they parted ways. Barrett went towards the crowd while Renee sat in one of the empty lawn chairs and closed her eyes, put her hand on her forehead. Her mind was reeling and hadn't stopped yet.

"Renee?"

She looked up. "What, Wesley?"

"Where you been?" he slurred. He was completely wasted.

"I went for a walk. You should sit down." She grabbed Wesley's hand and forced him into the seat next to her.

"Aren't you gonna get some cake?" he muttered.

"Maybe later. Are you okay?"

Renee was so attentive with Wesley that she didn't notice Barrett approaching with a woman.

"Renee, I want you to meet Sarah, my girlfriend." Barrett said.

When the two women made eye contact, their mouths dropped.

It was the same girl with the same pink and yellow butterfly tat on her neck from Town and County. The same girl who'd had her tongue shoved down the clerk's throat.

"Nice to meet you, Renee!" Sarah smiled forcibly. "I have never met you a day in my life, isn't that something?"

There was no faking it with Renee. The most she could do was utter a hello.

Had she been sucked into a soap opera somehow? This was way too much for her to handle.

"Barrett, I should get Wesley... home. Here's your birthday card." She fumbled through her purse and handed the card to him. "Goodnight." She tried to pull Wesley to his feet but the heavy man didn't budge.

"Just leave him," Barrett said. "He's as good as useless until the mornin'."

"Well... goodnight." Renee sped-walked back to the Turquoise, undressed and collapsed in bed. When they danced, Barrett's eyes said it all. He liked her. As much as Renee hated to admit, she had always liked him from the moment she saw him in Lana's. But he was in a committed relationship, or so he thought. And then there was the issue with Sarah.

Oh, god. Should she tell Barrett?

Tonight's incident aside, he was her friend. She'd want someone to do the same for her in the same situation. At the same time, she'd gotten herself into infidelity quandaries with friends before that never ended well.