Mirror Mirror

I looked at her and noticed she had tears in her eyes. "Come on let's get out of here."

As we made our way down the walk she said, "It's so sad, such a waste."

"Going in there wasn't such a good idea was it."

"No I'm okay. It's just that I could feel them living there and it just isn't fair that they were robbed of the rest of their lives." I just squeezed her hand and we continued our walk back to the gang and the beer while shaking off the sadness as we went. We went in through the front and headed for the kitchen and rejoined the group. For the next couple of hours we all talked and drank. One by one the others finally left and Paige was getting ready to go. She looked into my eyes and said, "Thanks for inviting me and thanks for the tour."

"You're welcome. The next time you come I hope I don't make you cry though."

She just smiled and said, "I'm not worried." I walked her to her car and as she got in I said, "I hope my shoulder will be okay."

She looked at me with a guilty smile and said, "I'm sorry about that."

"The gang loved seeing you beat on me."

"So should I hit you again the next time?"

"No once is good." She gave me one more smile and then headed home.

We hadn't even gotten much past the framing stage on the houses when another change order came in by fax on the first house. I looked it over and took it to out to the crew and went back home to calculate the cost of the change and what I'd charge for it. I sent a fax back detailing the changes and the cost to be added to the project and went on about my day. After that two more change orders came in and I followed the same routine with those. I knew there was

going to be more and I was betting it was because Travis Development had already sold the homes and the buyers were penciling in some changes. Those had to go to the architect, then back to Travis and then to me.

The next changes came by way of personal delivery by Paige after she had called ahead. When she arrived she handed me a packet and said, "Good luck,

there are several in there."

"Damn. Okay, what the customer wants he gets. I shouldn't complain though since it just increases my profits."

"Will it affect the time frame?"

"It could but I hope not. I'll look at these in the morning and get them to the guys." I looked at my watch and asked her, "You're not heading back to the office now are you?"

"No I'm done for the week." "I was going to meet a couple of friends of mine for dinner, could I persuade you to join us? Nothing fancy."

"It's kind of early to eat isn't it?"

"Well by the time you and I have coffee and visit and then we meet them and have a drink it will be time for dinner. I promise stimulating conversation, good food and cold drink."

She paused, smiled and then said, "Yes I'd like that." "Great. Now you'll notice I'm still in work jeans so I'll start the coffee and go change and be right back. Make yourself comfortable."

*

Chapter Four

When I came back she was looking out of the window toward the old house and I walked up behind her. "You sure are infatuated with that house."

"Well I didn't want to sit down and have you think I was reading your mail or something."

"Yeah I know this isn't a very good arrangement for entertaining."

"If that house didn't bother you so much you'd have some great options over there."

"I suppose."

"For example the dining room could become your office and the living room could double as a waiting area for your clients and such. Or better yet make this your office and you live in the main house."

"That's true." I kept us supplied with coffee for the next hour and then we went to meet Merle and Renee. When they saw me with Paige they were quite surprised but said nothing and the four of us had dinner. We came up short of the stimulating conversation that I had promised but the four of us had a pleasant dinner and Paige was the center of attention. We had after dinner drinks which turned into more after dinner drinks and Paige ordered a Mudslide. She tasted it and said, "Okay, but not great."

"Too weak?"

"No it just lacks something I guess."

"Let me taste it." I did and paused and then said, "I make better ones."

"Is that right?"

"I think so anyway. There are several different recipes like that. Some called Mudslides and some with different names but have almost identical ingredients."

"I'll have to pick your brain for recipes then."

"Be happy to help." We called it quits with that drink and after saying out goodbyes to Merle and Renee headed back to my place.

When we got back I asked her, "Want to try one of my drinks?"

"Sure." It only took me a few minutes to mix a couple and then I watched her as she tasted it.

"Very good, that's what I was hoping for tonight."

"I'll show you how I make them." Once those were pretty much gone I asked her, "Want to try a different recipe."

"I think so but I better be careful."

"Okay let's see if you can taste the difference between the two. I mixed up two more and I had to agree with her. I was starting to get a good buzz going too. I handed her the glass and she took a good drink of that one.

She paused and then took another drink. "I think I like this one better but the other one is good too." "This one is heavier on the Baileys."

"That's what I'm noticing." "The first one is your basic Mudslide, two ounces each of Bailey's, vodka and Kahlua."

"Yes it's a little smoother."

"This one is called a Screaming Orgasm and remember I didn't name it."

She giggled and emptied her glass. "Whatever it's called it was full of booze too."

"That's right, it's one ounce of vodka, an ounce and a half of Bailey's and a half ounce of Kahlua."

She took one more taste and said, "I have a friend coming into town and we used to see if we could find the perfect Mudslide. At least that was our excuse for drinking the night away."

"How about a Southern Screw?"

Paige was getting pretty looped and grinned at me. "How is that different than your regular screw?"

"You tell me" and I went to mix us a couple. Handing her a different glass I said, "This has less booze but it's still potent." She tasted that and grinned again.

"The southerners know how to screw. This is good."

"This is vodka, Southern Comfort and orange juice." Both of us had consumed far more alcohol than we should have but we were having fun.

"I'll bet you'd be an even better bartender if you were sober."

"I'll bet I could remember my recipes better" and we both giggled and looked at each other. "Oh Paige you are so drunk."

"Am I?"

"One of us is because you're weaving a little I think or maybe that's me."

"I think I'm in trouble."

"Me too."

"I'm in trouble because I'm too drunk to drive."

"I can't drive either. You better sleep in my bed."

"I'm not that drunk."

"No I'll sleep on the couch."

"No I'll sleep on the couch."

"Oh no you're my guest."

"You don't have a guest room?"

"Yeah but it's full of files and things."

"Oh."

"Come on honey I'll show you the way and then I kissed her softly. We managed to make it to my room and she dropped onto the bed and lay there looking at me.

"You gonna be okay on the couch?"

"Yeah but in a minute okay? I think I'll just sit here for a second."

"Sure." The next thing I knew it was after nine in the morning and I was lying next to Paige who was still asleep. I looked down to make sure we were still dressed. I managed to sit on the side of the bed for a minute before getting up and stumbling to the bathroom before going to make coffee. I was about half way through my first cup of coffee when Paige came stumbling out and I got her a cup. She looked at me and said, "God you look awful."

"Good then at least I look like I feel."

"Did we sleep together?"

"It would seem so."

She stood there nursing her coffee sip by sip and then said, "I'm glad you were drunk then because if you were sober and laid next to me all night and didn't try anything that wouldn't say much for me."

"If I was sober and spent the night with you you'd be lucky to escape with your life."

"That makes me feel a little better about myself."

"Did you get me drunk on purpose?"

"I don't think so. Wouldn't make much sense to get you drunk and me be too drunk to do anything about it."

"Oh well I had a good time last night."

"I did too."

"You made some good drinks too...or at least I think you did."

"We'll try again after we've healed from this time."

"Maybe in smaller quantities next time. Are you going to make me go home now?"

"You can stay with me until Monday if you want." "I want to be rid of this hangover is what I want."

"Lots of fluids is our only hope."

We weren't real talkative as we went through the pot of coffee but little by little we started to feel human again. I poured the last of the coffee in our cups and we resumed our seats at the table. "Don do you remember kissing me last night?" "I did kiss you...didn't I?"

"Oh my God you don't even remember that? I must be a real siren."

"No I'm sure I remember that and I called you honey."

"You did?"

"See it isn't just me." I don't want to get that drunk again."

"Me either. If I'm going to kiss you I sure as hell want to remember every bit of it. I'll pour us a glass of tomato juice and honey and we can go out back and move around, maybe that will help."

"I'm game to try." We moved slowly but we did wander around the backyard and she slowly shook her head. "Damn our first date and we slept together."

"Was that a real date?"

"Well it was impromptu but I'd call it that."

"I wouldn't call that sleeping together."

"Oh, what would you call it?"

"Um...well, that is...I guess sleeping together. But we didn't make love."

"We could hardly move let alone make love. Don I'll give you this much, you were a fun date."

"I'm glad but I can do better. Are you hungry?"

"I can't decide but I think I am a little."

"Want to try some toast and jelly?"

"Sure." We managed to keep that down and then went back outside and sat next to each other as we sipped more coffee.

Within half an hour I announced, "I'm feeling about a thousand percent better."

"I think we're past the worst of it. Did I tell you thank you for making yourself go in the house for me?"

"Yes you did."

"That was so nice of you."

"So it's like you imagined it you said?"

"It really was. It's quite dated but that would be easy and fairly cheap to fix, but even with it as it is all it needs is a thorough cleaning."

"You're not suggesting I go over there and do that are you?"

"No, but on the other hand if you're not going to ever live there why not sell it or rent it out?"

"I just can't bring myself to do that. More coffee?"

"Maybe one more."

*

Chapter Five

We went inside and I refilled our cups and shut the pot off and then turned around and looked at Paige. I set my cup on the counter and said, "Paige I'm going to tell you something that I haven't admitted to anyone else, not even my close friend Merle." She looked at me and set her cup down too and waited. "When you went to the bedroom at the old house did you notice the tall mahogany framed dressing mirror in the corner?" "

Yes I saw it." This was going to be harder than I thought and I paused. Paige took my hands in hers and just waited for me to continue. I couldn't look at her but I continued. "The one time I was in that bedroom last fall some days after the murders I was having a good cry and happened to look at that mirror that my mother had used so many times. I saw something. God this sounds stupid to say it out loud. I saw something in the mirror that wasn't me or the room."

"What was it?"

"I don't know, it wasn't like an object or whatever. It was like motion...like, oh shit I don't even know how to describe it."

"Take your time Don. Was it bright or dim?"

"Kind of dim and hazy. It was like I could sense people or a person and yet I couldn't identify anything like an arm or a leg. Sounds like hallucinations doesn't it."

"I don't think so. Is that why you won't go back in there?"

"I don't know."

"So if that mirror was gone could you go in there?"

"I just don't know. Did you look in that mirror?"

"Yes I did. I saw myself but the reflection wasn't very good."

"See that's weird because that mirror isn't an antique. Dad bought that for Mom about ten years ago."

"Then the mirror should be in good shape."

"You'd think so."

Paige kissed my cheek and handed my cup back to me. "Take a deep breath and drink your coffee."

"You think I'm nuts don't you."

"I certainly do not. I can't explain what you describe but my God Don you'd just had one hell of a shock. I can't begin to imagine what you went through."

"I keep telling myself that I was just grieving."

"That may well be the case and maybe if you looked at the mirror again it would be perfectly normal. Or if the mirror was taken out you could wander through the house and not have it bother you. So many possibilities exist but until you're up to trying a few things it doesn't matter. How it affects you and how you have to handle it is all that matters." I took a deep breath and then smiled at her.

We were still holding hands and I tried to make a joke saying, "I knew that if we could get that drunk together and survive it you were the one I could tell that story to."

She put her arms around me in a gentle embrace and said, "I'm glad you felt you could tell me and I would never tell anybody. Maybe as time goes by I can help you get past whatever is holding you back."

"I won't keep dragging you through my fears or phobias or whatever they are."

"No please don't hesitate to turn to me. Why shouldn't I try to help if I can? I mean after all we've slept together and everything." We both smiled

then and she kissed my cheek before we resumed sipping on our now tepid coffee.

It was afternoon before Paige went home and I spent a lot of what remained of the day loafing around and finished nursing my hangover before I went to my office to review the latest construction change orders. I had seen a lot of change orders in my years of construction but this beat them all by a good margin and we still had a long way to go on those houses. There was no way we could absorb them all and not have to extend the completion dates. Thankfully I had that provision in the contract but until those last changes arrived I had been hoping we could impress them by meeting the original deadline.

I had calculated the costs and the new completion date and sent the detail by fax to Paige for the Colonel's review. It was only a couple of days later when Paige called and said, "The Colonel wants to meet with you. What's your schedule like?"

"I'm flexible."

"Does this afternoon about three work?"

"I can be there at three sure."

"I'll let him know."

"How have you been?"

"Fine how about you?"

"Great once that hangover left."

"Yeah that was wicked."

"See you at three Mister Connelly." I knew that the boss must have drifted by right then and I laughed to myself as I pictured her suddenly becoming cool and professional for his benefit. I had a pretty good idea what this little meeting was going to be about so I rechecked all of my figures and came up with another way to show them. I knew I was right and I knew my ass was covered in terms of the contract. I wanted to handle it so that they would call me again one day with more business.

I left early and went to both job sites and talked to the guys just to make certain he wouldn't have any surprises waiting for me and then went on to see Paige and the Colonel. When I went in I winked at her and smiled and she whispered, "You look nice."

"Thanks so do you" I whispered back.

Straightening up she said, "Mister Travis is expecting you."

"Thank you" and I went to his office and knocked and was admitted by his commanding 'come in' directive.

He had a couple of files opened up and was sitting straight as he said, "Have a seat."

"If you don't mind I'll stand for a minute, I took a fall at the job site and bruised my ass." He blinked at me and then smiled.

"Okay then no problem. But I do have a problem with these numbers you just sent me."

"Oh which part?"

"All of them but let's start with the time frame."

"Oh I'm sorry I thought I was very clear on that."

"Oh you were clear but that's unacceptable."

"Colonel if your buyers are looking for miracles have them read the Bible. In all the years I've been in the business I've never seen this many change orders. You and I both know changes take extra time, materials and money. We've absorbed several changes and maintained the original completion estimate and even kept the costs very low, but those days are over."

"Oh come on Don you can't really tell me those minor changes affect you that much."

"Colonel you are very experienced in what you do and you know damn well I'm right on target. I can appreciate the fact that you want to turn that house and move on and you want to impress the buyers so they'll send you more customers. I'm busting ass to make a good impression on you for the very same reasons. But even with those common goals we also have the common problem of too many changes. That's the reality of it."

"But good God man look at the cost."

"Oh I have believe me." I sat down then and continued. "Look we both know I bid damn low just to get my foot in your door and I'm keeping that margin just as tight on the changes and upgrades but the numbers don't lie. With changes I make more money true, but then so do you. Hell if the buyers are willing to spend then they have to be willing to wait if they want anything approaching quality. If they don't want quality then somebody else can finish it, we don't build crap just to be fast." He leaned back and looked at me in kind of a stare down and then he smiled.

"You sure are a long winded son-of-a-bitch." I laughed and leaned back waiting for him to say more. "Okay damn it but keep doing your best okay. I warned the buyers what was going to happen but I wanted to see if I could push you."

"Next time if you want I'll build in a little more margin so we can look more like magicians." He laughed again and nodded. I stood up and asked him, "Is that it Colonel?"

"Yeah that's it."

"Good. Now I'll go put the bullwhip to my crew for you." He laughed again and I waved over my shoulder as I went out. I stopped at Paige's desk and in a near whisper asked her, "If I'm not too late how about dinner Saturday night?"

In a return whisper she answered, "I'll call you after while." I smiled and left feeling pretty confident she would say yes.

*

Chapter Six

Paige called me an hour later and said, "To answer your question, yes I'm available for dinner on Saturday."

"Great."

"With Merle and Renee again?"

"I hadn't thought about it but we can if you'd like."

"Sure that would be nice. Of course if you lived in that big house next to you I'd offer to bring dinner and we could all eat there."

"You just don't give up do you."

"I'm sorry that wasn't nice of me."

"No it wasn't but your point is well taken. But for now why don't we meet them at the restaurant again."

"Okay what time?"

"The usual?"

"Oh have we dated enough to have a usual?"

"You are being such a smart ass."

She laughed and admitted, "You're experiencing the real me. Yes the usual assuming I'm to be at your place about five thirty."

"That's close enough."

"But you're not getting me drunk this time because I'm not ready for that just yet."