The Rehab

"Eighteen thousand," Maddy replied, "she'll just borrow more next semester. Why in hell would you do this?"

"Because I can," I said as I pulled out my checkbook. I began filling out a check.

"And you trust me it's eighteen and I'll tell her you paid it back?" Maddy asked incredulously.

"Yep, if you were a bitch, you would have charged interest," I said with a large smile. "What's your last name Maddy?"

"Make it out to Magdalene Johnson," Maddy answered, "and what should I tell Lucia?"

"Tell her you have a kind heart. Tell her money fell from the sky. I really don't care what you tell her," I said and realized I meant it. I was just giving Lucia choices. Everyone deserves choices.

"You know I am going to wait for this to clear," Maddy said, "I am certain you are certifiable."

"Thank you, Maddy," I said, handing her the check. She shook her head as she took it. "Trust me, she can make better use of it than I can," I added seriously.

"Are you sure you don't want to stick around? I'll buy you a another drink," Maddy asked, with a smile, in a futile attempt at the rest of my wallet. I just laughed and shook my head. I felt really good when I left the Pleasure Palace for the last time. There were few times in my life when I was an actual help to someone. I could, at least, look back at this event with a bit pride. Lucia had made me feel good, twice. I needed little miracles like that.

I suffered another migraine Thursday afternoon. This one cost me some time as I hid from the sun. I was working on stripping the old layers of paint off the wood siding in the morning. When the migraine finally subsided, I attacked the siding with more vigor. I really wanted to complete this house. I probably should have picked a smaller one, but this one had character. I knew in my mind what it would look like when it was done. The real estate agent didn't see it, but she had no vision.

Friday was a miraculous day. The inspector was on time and allowed the electrician to complete the connection to the grid. I shamefully yelled, "Let there be light," as I plugged in one of the few lamps I had. That glowing bulb was a beautiful sight. I ran to the kitchen and plugged in the little 'college dorm' refrigerator I had bought and heard its compressor hum. I screwed a bulb into the temporary socket in the ceiling and threw the switch. Blessed light filled the room. I flicked the switch on and off a few times, feeling way too much joy for such a trivial event. I could now work outside during the day and inside during the night. It was glorious.

Saturday morning I felt wonderful. I had only one side of the house left to scrape and I had power. I mounted a set of speakers in the window and plugged them into my phone. I set the app to random shuffle and 'Sultans of Swing' kicked up loud. My nearest neighbors were a quarter-mile down the road so it was my world with my sounds. I was singing along, poorly, while I went to work on the siding - this time with power tools. I have no idea how man survived in the past when electricity wasn't even a dream. I felt like a king, tearing into the layers of paint with mechanical speed.

I was finished with a quarter of the side and was moving the ladder when a red pickup pulled into my dirt driveway. I reached in the window and paused 'Layla.' Maybe my neighbors were closer than I thought. No one came out of the truck and the sun was glinting off the windshield so I couldn't see who was in it. I moved toward the vehicle, pulling the dust mask off my face and trying to beat some of the paint dust off my clothes.

I shouldn't have been surprised when Lucia stepped out of the driver's door, but I was. I really wasn't prepared to see her again. I stopped walking forward and just stared, trying to think about what I should say. Her black hair was tied in a pigtail with a few errant strands loose in front of her ears. Her expression was confused and must have looked something like mine. I guessed she didn't know what to say either. I decided to move forward again.

"How did you find me?" I asked to break the ice. I think I made it sound harder than I meant to.

"I had breakfast at Rusty's," Lucia answered. There are no secrets in a small town, not with people like Diana running about. "Why did you do it?" she asked with a small bit of difficulty. I stopped about twenty feet away. It felt like that was the appropriate space we needed. I began to feel a bit stupid since I really didn't have a good reason, at least not one that would make sense to her.

"Sorry, it seemed like you needed it," I said softly. It sounded better in my mind than it did leaving my lips. Lucia put her hands on her hips and tried twice to say something, but did a better job than I had holding it in. She ended up just shaking her head.

"It's a gift for you and Sophia," I somewhat pleaded, "don't ask why." I was wishing Maddy was more of a bitch and had claimed it was from her. I just wasn't prepared to support my asinine decisions.

"People don't do things like that!" Lucia yelled. I felt her anger wash over me. It took me by surprise and I took a step back. I was never good at being yelled at. My defenses kicked in.

"It made me feel good," I yelled back, "until now!" I finished with more venom than necessary. I regretted it as soon as I saw the change on Lucia's face. I thought she was about to cry, then she jumped back in her pickup and slammed the door. I took a few more steps back, for some reason I thought she intended to run me over. Instead, she drove off at an angry speed. I kicked myself for being an idiot. Just another reason to avoid people altogether.

I didn't turn the music back on as I returned to the siding. My happiness was gone and I needed time to brood. Luckily, I could take it out on the old paint. I moved the ladder, climbed to the top and immediately pulled too hard on the power cord. It separated from the extension cord which fell to the ground. I was seething and almost threw the sander. Why did I pay off that infernal woman's debt? Why did I care if it pissed her off? I took a few deep breaths and climbed slowly down the ladder. I tied the two power cords together and then plugged the ends together. It would take more than a simple pull to separate them now. I then sat on my ass, in the grass, wondering why I was feeling like shit.

It was fifteen minutes before I climbed the ladder again. This time I turned the music on and let Clapton change my mood. The work helped and I began to forget how badly I felt. The old paint soaked up the brunt of my self-disgust. I murdered years of paint layers as viciously as I could. It wasn't long before I was at least humming to the music again. I hoped I hadn't made Lucia cry.

It took all morning to complete that side of the house. It looked much better than the other sides I had done manually. I was contemplating whether I should redo the manual sides with the power sander when the red pickup returned. My stomach did a flip flop and the morning pains returned with the vehicle. I promised myself to remain civil and just get it over with. I would let her scream at me so it would end and I could get on with the rest of my life, what little I had of it. I paused the music and moved toward the pickup with trepidation.

Lucia exited the truck with a picnic basket. Her eyes were red, but she was wearing a forced smile. I guessed she was finished yelling also. "I made you lunch," she said in an even tone. She was waiting for a response.

"You don't owe me anything," I said stupidly. My mouth, once again, moved faster than my brain.

"Let me make you lunch," Lucia stammered, almost pleading. I saw the strain in her eyes. It was hurting her, my pretending that what I did didn't matter. My empathy kicked back at me.

"Actually, I'm starving," I said and added a smile. Anything in that basket had to be better than the can of spaghetti I had planned to heat up. Lucia's face brightened noticeably and so did my mood. We moved to the porch steps, the closest thing to furniture I had. "This is my table right now, at least until I get the kitchen done," I apologized.

"It's lovely," Lucia lied. She spread out a small cloth on the porch and set out plates, silverware and two cups. She added a wrapped sandwich on each plate and pulled out a round plastic tray with fresh cut carrots, broccoli and cauliflower. A small dish in the center contained what looked like ranch dressing. Lucia absently dipped a carrot and tossed it into her mouth as she pulled out a bottle of white wine. She handed me the bottle and a corkscrew. I went to work as she pulled out two carryout trays from Rusty's. "Diana said you liked the pie," Lucia said, almost daring me to deny it.

"I love the pie," I responded happily, "and thank you for lunch." That got me a real smile. I worked at the cork as Lucia unwrapped the sandwiches. They were chicken salad and I could smell it was freshly made. I was hungrier than I thought. The cork popped free and I was inwardly proud I didn't spill any in the struggle to get it out. I filled the two plastic cups and lightly reseated the cork in the bottle before I put it down.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you," Lucia said, looking at the picnic layout instead of me, "I was confused and I didn't know what to say and it just came out."

"I yelled back, so we're even," I replied, trying to smooth the waters. I was never a good smoother. She took my comment well and looked at me with more comfort in her eyes.

"Mama told me not to come out here, to just pretend I won the lottery," Lucia continued. I loved how she said 'Mama.' Her accent was very slight, but it came out more clearly when she used that word. "I tried to stop myself and I couldn't. I was angry with myself because I didn't know what to say when I got here. You gave me all that money and tried to tell me it doesn't matter - I just went a little crazy." I didn't want to talk about the money again. It was done in my mind, I was hoping she would let it go.

"You tell your mama everything?" I asked as I took a bite out of the sandwich. "This is really good," I added rudely as I chewed. I got another smile. Lucia had a really big smile. One of those light-up-the-room smiles.

"Mama and I are close," Lucia replied. I could see the truth in her eyes. "It's just the three of us, and, now that Sophia is away at school, we are even closer. She wants me to quit dancing now, after what you did." I could see some stress in her. I had given her choices and she wasn't ready to make them. At least she wasn't trying to give the money back.

"I agree with your mama," I stated. The wine was sweeter than I usually go for, but it fit with the sandwich and veggies. It would also make a good preamble for the pie.

"I've never really done anything else," Lucia added. She was ignoring the food. I think the meal was basically made for me. "I don't even know how to pay you back." I almost choked on my last bite. I swallowed hard.

"The whole point is that you don't pay me back," I said, with as much compassion as I could muster, "you'll take the fun out of it if you try." I knew what was coming and I didn't have a pat answer. The truth would elicit pity. I needed a good lie.

"Why would you do this for me?" Lucia asked. I saw the concern in her eyes.

"Look, I'm stinking rich and I can't spend it all, even if I wanted to." Half truths were better than bold face lies. "I don't really have any family. I would rather you and Sophia have a better life than let the government take it all in the end."

"You're really that rich?" Lucia asked, trying to justify it all in her mind.

"Huge windfall this year. It let me quit my job and rehab this house," I said while spreading my hands wide apart to emphasize the huge part. I would have made a bad Rockefeller. I couldn't even give away money without making people upset. Lucia just nodded her head. I don't think she fully accepted it yet. She looked at the house, still in its dilapidated form.

"And this is what you like to do?" Lucia asked, gesturing at the house.

"It's my only dream," I admitted. It was actually my only feasible dream. Space travel was still too many years away.

"I can paint," Lucia offered. Her eyes were on mine when she made the statement. The next idea that came into my head was really stupid. My next statement topped the stupidity chart. In my defense, her eyes were really pretty.

"Twenty-five dollars an hour and you forget about the loan," I stated firmly.

"Done," Lucia answered with one of her big smiles. I knew this would bite me in the ass later and it was going to take a big chunk of skin, but now she had made me happy a third time. "I've never worked for a rich guy, do I need an evening dress to paint?" she asked with a big smattering of smart ass. I laughed.

"Jeans and a t-shirt you don't care about," I answered. Lucia started in on her sandwich as I continued with my second half. The rest of the lunch went peacefully. We talked about useless things like how long the weather would hold and other places to eat besides Rusty's. I took her on a tour of the house, explaining my vision of how it would look in each room. She was incredibly enthusiastic about the project and added in trim ideas that made sense to me. I've never shared a dream with someone who agreed with it. It enhanced the dream and made it all that much more doable.

"I have to tell Maddy I quit and I will be here tomorrow at eight," Lucia said as she stuffed the remains of the lunch into the basket.

"Tomorrow is Sunday," I stated, thinking she might need the day.

"Oh, that's right," Lucia realized. "You're invited to dinner tomorrow. So we'll have to stop working by 5:00." She started toward her pickup.

"Dinner?" I asked, desperately looking for clarification.

"Yep, with my mama and me," Lucia turned and walked backward as she spoke, "it's not negotiable so don't try to get out of it. I know you don't have any plans." I wondered who the boss was on this project. She turned around and literally skipped back to her truck.

"See you tomorrow," I called as Lucia disappeared into the cab. For the here and now, hiring Lucia was the best decision I could have made. I grasped at the possibility of finishing the house quickly and moving on before the inevitable occurred. I could get that lucky. I looked at the front of the house. I decided then, that since I now had another painter, spending the time to go over the manual sanding with the power sander made total sense. I spent the afternoon doing just that. There was no sense in an uneven job.

Lucia arrived a little before 8:00. She was incredibly cheerful. She wore some baggy white denim painter pants and an old faded gray t-shirt. Her hair was once again pulled tight behind her head, this time tied in a ponytail with the top wrapped in a scarf. I was barely awake when she entered. I had overslept and was pleased when she decided to make some coffee first. That blessed electric power had paid off again. I had to admit she filled out a pair of painter pants quite well.

"Where should we start?" Lucia asked with way too much joy in her voice. She was certainly more pleasant to look at than the drab walls. I had to smile at her unbridled enthusiasm.

"Outside," I answered, "got to get it done before the cold weather sets in." I had purchased some exterior primer and had it colored as close to the final light brown as I could get. I was going to try to get by with only two coats, one primer and one final. I figured we could start on a side and work our way to the front once we set a good pattern.

It only took us a half-hour to get the gear set up to start painting. When Lucia bent down I had to look away. She really made those pants look good. I used the ladder and she started on the ground. Every time I reached down to dip my brush, I got a good view of her taking long strokes along the horizontal wooden slats. I could swear she wasn't wearing a bra. Her breasts were always a split second behind the movement of her chest and bounced back when her chest stopped. It was a very distracting visage and my eyes seemed to be in a fight with my morals.

By the time we finished the first side, I was sure she was bra-less. I could even clearly make out her nipples from time to time. I had painted the whole side half aroused. I wasn't sure if I should be enjoying painting so much. We stepped back to admire our handiwork.

"You missed a couple of spots. There and there." Lucia pointed out. Sure enough, I had.

"Damn, I wonder how that happened?" I asked as I looked at the spots that were so blatant from this vantage point.

"You spent most of your time staring at my tits," Lucia stated with one of her big smiles.

"Yes, they were most distracting," I agreed, knowing I wasn't as sly as I thought. I hefted the ladder back to the one of the spots. "I thought I was being a bit less obvious about it."

"I knew you liked them so I kept them loose," Lucia said seriously. I looked over at her and saw the staidness in her face.

"You know, the loan and your pay, it doesn't mean..." I stuttered for the right words, "it doesn't obligate...this isn't a strip club."

"I know." Lucia smiled. "I liked you looking, it pleases me." She grabbed a brush, dipped it and started to climb the ladder. "Hold the ladder," she instructed. I wasn't sure what to say to that. I guess it was in the nature of a stripper to show off. When I looked up, she leaned and started to touch up a spot I missed. I could see straight up her t-shirt to the bottom of her wondrous globes.

"Truly beautiful," I stated clearly. Lucia just kept painting with more exaggerated strokes. I helped her down and shared a smile. I moved the ladder and she repeated the process on my other mistake.

"Tomorrow the plumber is coming," I said when Lucia descended again. I figured she might want to be more conservative. I knew I wanted her to be more modest. I still had that unwarranted jealousy thing.

"If you behave yourself with Mama." Lucia smiled. "I won't tempt the plumber."

"Blackmail?" I questioned, "you're resorting to blackmail? What do you think I would say to your mother?"

"Just be nice," Lucia reminded me sweetly. I wondered briefly if she would show up naked tomorrow if I was rude to her mama. I smiled inwardly at my thoughts.

We were able to get the back of the house primed before we had to call it a day. We were expected at Lucia's mother's house at 6:00 and we both needed to clean up. Lucia surprised me by having a change of clothes and some toiletries in her pickup. We took turns sharing the one bathroom with its dribbling shower. She wasn't used to the lack of hot water like I was. It tends to speed up your shower dramatically. Hopefully, that could be one of the first things the plumber can correct.

I was astonished when Lucia walked out of the bathroom. Her raven hair was flowing freely down her shoulders, across a white blouse. She was a wearing a pleated white skirt that reached to her ankles, tied off with a brown woven hemp belt that was cocked lower on the right side. She was simply stunning to look at.

"I used all the hot water," Lucia joked. I just stared at her transformation. She smiled when she noticed. "Todd...Shower," she reminded me. I collected my drooling brain and took over the bathroom. The vision of her stayed with me even in the cold water. The thought I wasn't really dating her, but meeting her mother was disconcerting. I felt myself emotionally drifting toward her. Physically, I knew I was attracted to her, but I thought I could keep her at arm's length emotionally. How do you stop something you really don't want to stop?

The best I could do was khakis and a blue polo shirt. It seemed a bit plain set against Lucia's attractive attire, but she seemed pleased. I made a point of opening the car door for her. There is something about a well-dressed woman that makes you want to be more manly. We men all know we should open doors, but it had been a long time since I had rushed ahead to make sure I did it. She seemed to accept it in stride.