Page 48 of Losing a Piece of Me

“That would be great, Jeff. Thanks. Two men would be quicker than one and the sooner we can re-open the better.”

Fuck. Just what I need. Someone who has no idea what he's doing to slow me down. Not only that, but that also means that I'm going to be stuck with his ass all day.

He smiles widely at her. “Great. Be back in a few.”

He walks out of the store with his head held high.

You've won this round, but I'm going to work your ass into the ground, I think as I give him a death glare, to which he flashes a quick smile before pushing out the door.

His new “work” outfit is just as hoity-toity as the previous one – the only difference is that these expensive jeans are covered in holes to give the appearance of being work clothes. All my jeans have holes as well, but mine were earned from good old-fashioned work, not bought that way at the store.

The t-shirt is decorated with some weird tattoo designs and has some guy’s name scribbled across the front. The sleeves are frayed on the ends, again, making the shirt look likes it’s been worked in, but it’s just another part of the façade.

I laugh quietly to myself before kissing my girl on the lips and giving her ass a firm smack as Jeff and I walk off to the back.

His eyes follow my hand, but linger a little longer on her ass. I can’t blame him there, she does have a great ass, but it still fills my chest with anger.

“Jeff, grab one of those two-by-fours and lay it on the chalk line so we can form the base of the wall,” I direct him. After a moment’s pause, as he tries to decide which ones are two-by-fours, he bends over to pick up a board. His shirt pulls up and reveals rhinestones decorating his back pockets.

This is just too much for me. I have to turn around to conceal my silent mirth from him.

This guy is a straight-up douchebag.

I cover my mouth with my fist, trying to hide my smile. If he catches me laughing, he’s going to say something and we’ll end up in a fight - something I want to happen, but not here in Lex’s store.

Within a couple of hours, the framework for the new wall is up. The next step will be to tear down the old wall. With my Sawzall, I start cutting through the framework of the old wall. Jeff gets to take a breather for this part since I don’t trust him with power tools.

As I’m cutting through the wood, he joins the girls and shows off his battle-scars. And by ‘battle-scars’, I mean the tiny cuts and scratches he got from moving wood around.

I shake my head at him and go back to the wall.

After enough of the old wood is cut out, I entrust Jeff with picking up the mess. He’s not happy with this job assignment, but he won’t argue in front of the girls.

I flash Lex a smile and a wink, which she laughs at. I don’t know if she knows what I’m doing, but if she does, she’s finding it just as amusing as I do.

We call it quits around dinner time, after I’ve managed to get the framework for the new wall up and the old one taken down. In the morning, I have to pick up the sheetrock to start on the drywall. It’s a good place to stop for the day and I’m more than pleased with how haggard Jeff looks.

He managed to put a few real holes in his jeans after all, and he only hit his thumb twice with a hammer. He’s probably worked harder today than he in has his whole life, and I guarantee he will feel it tomorrow.

I wrap my arm around Lex and lead her toward the exit. Jeff is walking slow already, and the quiet laughter that has been held back all day finally starts to come out.

“You’re not funny,” Lex says, low enough that only I hear.

“Since when? You’ve always loved my sense of humor.” I give her a playful nudge with my arm as I open the truck door for her.

Chapter 13

The tension in the room becomes palpable as soon as Striker steps in and sees Jeff standing at my side.

I also notice the hard time he has been giving Jeff all day. I don’t say anything, partly because I think it’s funny, but partly because I know the situation we’re in must be bothering Striker. He’s sizing him up and comparing himself to him even though, in my eyes, there is no comparison.

Striker has always had my heart. He has always been there for me… at least when I would allow him to.

On the way home we stop to grab some Chinese food, and then cuddle up in bed to watch a movie. Finally, I decide to ask him about earlier.

“So what’s with you and Jeff today?”

A smile spreads across his face before he shrugs. “Seriously, that guy is the highest level of douche you can get. Why did you sleep with him?”

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