Disgruntled (2 page)

“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Well, I need to get back – my neighbor’s with Eric. See
you.” He waved and sauntered toward the corner. Reva
watched for a few seconds, and then internally scolded
herself for salivating. She checked her neighbor’s doors. Had
anyone noticed them? Once inside, she realized she hadn’t
flinched or jumped even once in Todd’s company. Must be a
good sign things were getting better. Right?
Days later, Reva plodded down the center of the street two
blocks from her home and thought back to the interaction
with Brent. She accepted that she had likely made more of it
than necessary. Her morning runs invigorated her, lightened
her mood, and even the conversation between Gavin and
Brent was dismissed as trivial gossip. She chided herself on
her ability to make too much of an incident and continued
to work diligently with her staff on their projects. She was
excited at how quickly some of them moved and although
Brent’s seemed to have slowed significantly, she expected
that he eventually would work out whatever roadblock was
causing him trouble. No need to interfere at this point.
When Friday afternoon arrived and he still had no progress
to report, she admittedly was concerned but didn’t want to
confront him yet. Reva had one golden rule when dealing
with staff—one passed on to her by a prior supervisor. He
had been a business professor in a previous life and studied
the psychology of business closely. The rule was: give praise
and reward any day of the week, but never give criticism or
correction on Fridays. Most people will stew over it all
weekend and come to work useless or angry on Monday.
Not to mention the dent in productivity it would make.
Mondays and Fridays are usually the biggest catch-up days,
so let them concentrate on those efforts.
Reva had jokingly questioned his logic, but he gave her
resources to validate his suggestion. After checking them
and
the research behind his
comment, she put
it into
practice and found it to be fairly accurate. Of course, there
were some exceptions when it wouldn’t fit but for the most
part, it helped. Truthfully, she hated confrontation anyway,
but those days were worse. So, she made a note in her
calendar to speak with Brent Tuesday morning about his
project and left to enjoy the weekend. She shrugged it off
when he completely ignored her wave as she passed his door
on the way out.

It wasn’t often that Reva woke on a Saturday morning with
absolutely no agenda whatsoever. It was a well-earned luxury
since she had stayed up past midnight working, cleaning the
oven, doing laundry, and vacuuming. These sudden bursts of
energy were hormonal, no doubt. Regardless, she lay in bed,
stretching from head to foot, with a lazy grin of satisfaction.
“How on earth will I spend the day?” she asked out-loud.
Glancing
at
the
open
closet
which
stared
at
her
with
invitation, the black shiny bikini purchased less than three
weeks earlier almost waved. She nodded. “Of course.” After
all, the weather girl projected unseasonably sunny weather
and
there
wasn’t
anyone
to
stop
her.
Why
not
take
advantage? She padded to the bathroom, scrubbed her teeth,
washed her face and doused herself in sun lotion before
donning the black summer buy.
The annoying ring of her cell reached out as she lazily ate
toast and sipped a morning cup of coffee. Reva sighed at the
display and cursed, then thanked, the gods that blessed her
with a big family.
“Have I caught you doing anything illegal?” her sister, Maria,
asked.
“Eating breakfast. Does that count?” Reva chewed into the
phone. Maria always asked the ridiculous just to get a
reaction.
“Only if it’s laced with something interesting. Want to go
shopping this afternoon then over to Mom and Dad’s for
the barbecue? Mom wanted me to ask.”
“Is Mom buying?” Reva loved it when her mom got a
generous streak and a lonely one at the same time. Reva
always got at least one good outfit from it.
“She said she’d spring for some sexy tops if it would help
the dry spell.”
“Gee, thanks. Even my own mother thinks I can’t get a date.
Remind her that I’m not an old maid yet and that sometimes
being choosey is a good thing. How would she feel if I’d
gone through with the wedding to Nick?”
Reva took a swig of coffee as the phone fell silent. She knew
her mother was likely listening – she always did. For some
reason, the woman loved to have everyone on the same line
and just enjoy the sound. Maria said it made her feel like old
times at the house but Reva suspected she was just nosey.
“I realize you all think that a nice man will cure me of Nick’s
influence, but personally I’d prefer no man at all right now.
I’m gonna hang here and do some sunbathing but I’ll come
by for dinner. Give me a rain check on the rest.”
“Got it. And don’t mention that jerk’s name again. We’re all
glad you figured him out and sent him packing. Or rather
packed yourself and hauled butt. How’s work going?”
Figured
Nick out?
Maria really didn’t know everything apparently.
Reva wondered if her Dad had admitted to the phone call
Reva made that night. The night she’d ran home to Papa like
a baby. It had been almost impossible to speak with her eye
swollen shut and her lip feeling like a smashed banana. Still,
he’d called the Police and Nick had been jailed long enough
for her to get out. Leave it to Dad to sugar-coat what really
happened.
It was great how Maria turned the conversation away from
anything that might upset her. She had a knack for doing
that with everyone in the family.
Reva called her
the mediator
behind her back—and to her face
sometimes. Just when they all started flaring up in their
Latin-induced
emotions,
she
would
dampen
it
with
a
completely
off
the
wall
subject
change
that
effectively
squelched a brawl. Sometimes it would make Reva want to
deck her—as she had always loved a good argument—until
recently. And their family certainly had some.
“It’s work. Same old. Same old.”
“Rev, I think you could possibly have the most boring job
ever. No wonder you never meet anyone interesting. They’re
all nerds like you.”
“Yes, but they’re nerds with a good job that comes with a
decent salary. Besides, who wants to date anyone from
work? That’s asking for disaster. I can just see me getting
involved with someone, eventually sleeping with them, and
then going to work and going – ‘oh, you again.’ – and having
to pretend I don’t know absolutely
everything
about him. No
thanks.” A small choking noise on the phone confirmed that
indeed her mother was listening. “Oops, sorry Mom. I mean,
it’s not like I really ever do that anyway. So, don’t worry.”
Maria rushed a “bye” then hung up.
Reva grinned at the cell as she hit the end button. She loved
to give her mom a little bit of a heart palpitation in the
morning. That always got the juices flowing and served them
right for interfering.
She dropped to her feet, grabbed the towel she’d brought
with her and found her favorite sunny spot in the middle of
the yard. With the radio blaring, Reva settled her sunglasses
on her face, and promptly returned to a half-sleep with her
toe tapping to some pop song she’d never heard before. A
few years ago, she had been very comfortable nodding off in
the
sunshine.
Not
now.
A
half-sleep
that
periodically
included her eyes skirting around the yard was the best she
could manage.
A bug landed on her leg. She twitched lightly to send it away
but it returned in seconds tickling softly against her shin.
After the second twitch yielded no results either, Reva
glanced down to send a hand swatting the insect away. At
the sight of a furry length of rodent that seemed ready to
either crawl onto her or take a bite, she let out a scream and
jumped to her feet. She watched as the potential neckwarmer scurried toward the back fence and slithered through
a space where the grass had been dug away.
That must be the
kid’s pet.
A dirty face peered through a knothole in the wood. “You
okay ma’am?”
She quirked her head sideways and met the small eye with a
curious gaze. “Are you Eric?”
“Yeah. Sorry about my ferret. He likes to eat your plants and
sometimes I can’t catch him before he makes it under the
fence.” She heard some rustling around as the kid climbed
up to peer over the top of the fence at her. “You going
swimming?”
Reva looked down at the swimsuit and shook her head. “No,
just sunbathing.” She reached for the towel to wrap around
her.
“Don’t stop on our account.” A husky voice joined the
child’s. Reva jerked her head up and caught Todd dropping
an arm over the fence, watching her fumble. “He has Bugsy
back in the cage so he shouldn’t bother you anymore.” He
had a shit-eating grin sprawled across his face and she knew
he’d witnessed her bolting up when she felt the animal on
her leg.
“Does it bite?” She ignored him and wrapped the towel
around her waist. She wanted to wrap it around all of her,
but she decided against it. She wasn’t that squeamish…or
prudish
either.
With
the
towel
covering
her
hips,
she
dropped her hands to her waist.
“Only if you antagonize him. He’s usually pretty skittish
himself so he just runs off most of the time.” Todd had dirt
on his hands; a small fleck of it fell to the ground.
“Today’s a yard work day, hmmm?”
“Fillin’ holes,” Eric answered. “Bugsy keeps digging under
so we’re fillin’ ’em up.”
“Oh. Thanks for that.” She smiled.
“Then we’re going to get a new ball thingy,” he added when
Todd nudged him.
“Thanks for that too, but—”
Todd cut her off. “Eric’s going to pay for it himself with the
money he makes working in the yard today. After he fills the
holes, he’s adding some plants to try to deter Bugsy from
getting through. Aren’t you buddy?”
“That’s right. Better get back to it.” The child gave a dirtyhanded wave as he dropped behind the fence.
“Sorry we bothered you, Reva.” Todd pulled his arm in and
smiled. “Nice suit, by the way. Should get a lot of attention
at the pool—you might want to tie those strings up though.”
He disappeared behind the fence to join Eric.
Reva looked down and let out a gasp. She had loosened the
strings from her neck so she wouldn’t get tan lines. Great! I
almost flashed the man’s five-year-old son. She yanked the
strings tighter and cemented them in place. Tan lines will
just have to do. Her old top had been a tube-like thing and
she didn’t think about the strings.
She settled back onto the towel and closed her eyes but the
sound of the voices on the other side of the fence held her
interest. Would it be obvious to mute the radio and listen?
She guessed so. Still, a few words came across and it was
entertaining to hear the number of questions Eric asked and
the calm way Todd answered them. Her brother’s kids were
much the same way but she hardly ever saw them.
Reva lounged in the warmth of the sun and fantasized about
tan legs and worn-out chacos sitting next to her. It amazed
her that she had been able to relax knowing they were just
past the fence. Still, something about their presence relaxed
her further and she felt the pinch in her shoulders release
along with the tension in her neck. She drifted off with a
smile on her lips. Incredibly realistic footsteps plodded her
way. Thump. She sucked in her breath and jolted up, then
rubbed her eyes to get the blinding brightness into focus.
When she moved her hands from her face, a cardboard box
lay next to her full of lemons and limes. She blinked up into
the sun, placing a hand above to shade her view.
“I didn’t want to toss them and hit you. Throw them away if
you want but they make great lemonade. I use the limes for
some pretty killer mojitos.” Damn those legs. She quelled a
rash impulse to reach out and stroke the baby-fine hairs and
toned calves.
“I love mojitos. You’ll have to give me your secret.” She
glanced at her watch and realized she’d been in the sun
almost an hour. “Wow, I’m going to be toasted. I fell
asleep.” She knew he didn’t understand the importance of
that statement.
Todd smiled and reached out a hand to help her up. “You
were drooling. If I’d been a burglar, I could have robbed you
blind.” Or worse. He pressed an index finger to her arm and
pulled away. “But it doesn’t look like too much sun.”
“Thanks to SPF 50 and my very kind genetics.” She stared at
his hand briefly then took it and pulled her towel up with
her, wrapped it around, and tucked the loose end. She
noticed Eric surveying the contraptions surrounding the
yard with interest. He hesitated to touch, but with hands in
pockets he shuffled through the grass, curiously eying the
various
pieces.
She
warmed
at
the
small
man
carefully
evaluating the engineering and creativity of her brother’s
artwork. Reva slid her eyes back to Todd.
A slight twitch lifted his brow. “Kind genetics,” he repeated.
Reva felt the sweat trickling down her spine and decided to
make a graceful escape and clean up. She pushed hair away
from her forehead noticing the dampness there as well.
“Thanks for the fruit. I’ll have to try the mojito thing. That
sounds great. I need to get going.”
“Oh, sure. Big plans for the weekend, I guess.”
“Family dinner at the parents.” She grimaced. “Not exactly
what I’d call big plans but with a family like mine it can
sometimes get that way.”
“You must be from around here. Don’t tell me. You grew
up here and have never lived more than fifteen minutes
from Mom and Dad.”
Reva didn’t care for the tone in his voice. Accusation
dripped from his words as if she had no adventure in her. If
only he knew. At one time adventure was her middle name.
Put a capital A on it and serve it up with a little fun too.
Okay, maybe that was overstating a bit. Doesn’t matter. That
was the person she had been once, not now.
“Nope. I grew up in San Diego. My Dad’s military. He
transferred here when I was fifteen. I was furious that my
entire social life had to be uprooted for his job.” She swept a
hand up to wipe the drip of sweat trailing down her chin. “I
have a sister and two brothers, all of whom can drive a
person to drink. The oldest two were already gone by the
time we moved. So, when I was eighteen, I decided to do
what a very driven but sanity-seeking high school graduate
would do. I went to college in Florida and got an MIS
degree.
Then
I
missed
everybody
-
so
when
a
job
opportunity came up here, I tried for it and got it.” Not to
mention that I wanted to get as far away as possible from an
abusive ex-fiancé.
“Your parents must be proud.”
“Hardly. Our family is full of various levels of achievement
and my little degrees are the least of them. That’s what
happens
when you get a bunch of hot-headed siblings
competing against each other.”
Eric called out to Todd. “Dad, you could sell some of this
stuff. Don’t you think?”
“Funny, that’s what I thought when I saw it too.” Reva
turned and watched Eric run a finger over the table Todd
praised earlier. “I have an internet-based lawn and garden
sales business. We have a few stores but most of our stuff is
sold over the internet.”
“Wow. That must be a lot of work.”
“It can be. I like to be outside so at first it was a hobby while
I ran a landscaping business. People liked the originality of
the pieces I added to their yards and a friend suggested I
should sell them. It all blossomed from there and now I
don’t do the landscaping unless it’s for a friend or one of my
old customers -- or right here.” He waved a hand at the back
fence. “And I’m inside a lot more than I like with all the
work required, but it’s still fun.”
“I’m burning up so it’s time I headed inside myself. Thanks
again for the limes.” She waved as he started back to the side
gate. She should probably get a gate lock so people wouldn’t
tromp in and startle her. She watched the flex of his calves
as he moved and shrugged. Maybe not. That was one of the
things she loved about her parent’s neighborhood. All her
high school friends had been pretty welcome to come and
go as they pleased, along with most of the neighbors. There
was always something going on in someone’s yard, and it
was assumed that the neighbors were always welcome. A
peeping tom or stalker wouldn’t stand a chance in their
crowd. Of course, there were downsides too -- like people
always in your business. Something that had encouraged her
to
get
away.
Plus
whenever
weekend
barbecues
rolled
around, people cooked twice as much food as needed so
then even more were asked along. There was little room for
dieters. These were more like block parties than backyard
barbecues. “Hey, you and Eric want to come with me to the
dinner?”