I ran my fingers across the back of my head and down my neck. When I had to inform clients that the problem was bigger than I expected, I was understanding and sometimes, if it was obvious they might have trouble affording the work, I gave them a discount.
By the looks of Heidi's home though, I suspect a discount was the last thing I needed to worry about. But this was my job. Based on the numbers for the work Heidi's home needed, this job would be the answer to my prayers.
But every time I thought I could do the work, my father's voice popped into my head. "There's one type of client you need to stay far away from, Max. The one that you can't stop thinking about. Especially, if that client has enough money to take everything away from you if you break their heart."
I doubt anyone, even someone with not much to his name, could break Heidi's heart, but she does seem to have plenty of money to hurt me.
"I patched the leak, so you can turn the water on now. But, I'm afraid I found a bigger problem. Something you will need to take care of sooner rather than later."
My heart was beating wildly in my chest as I watched her eyes widen. I only had to patch one pipe today and yet, this felt like the worst job I've ever had.
"Oh no. Is it bad?" Her hand lifted to her neck to shield herself.
I nodded and turned my eyes down like a coward. "All your pipes need to be replaced . . . The one that burst is just the first of many that are corroded away enough to burst. This house was built in the early 1900s, and the pipes look to be original. They're cast iron, and I can see rust everywhere on them. I'm assuming the pipes in the rest of the house are the same but can't be certain. I'm surprised they lasted this long, to be honest."
Finding the strength to glance up, Heidi had her hands on her cheeks as all the color drained from her face. Please don't faint.
"What should I do?"
She dropped her hands and began to walk around the island. For a moment I held my breath, believing she was coming to attack me. I let out a breath as she moved past me without lifting a finger.
"You are more than welcome to get a second opinion. In fact, with something this big, I encourage it. Also, shop around to find the best deal. Something like this you're going to want to save money where you can."
I always told clients they were more than welcome to shop around, but I didn't emphasize it. They usually called a few numbers but realized I was the best deal in town. I even directed them to the review sites of the plumbers in the area, knowing that Brighton Plumbing always had four- and five-star reviews.
Not only did Heidi have the money, but she knew a powerful lawyer, Felipe Aragon. What could I do if she caught me staring, or worse, if we did something together only for her to write me off as just having fun with the hired help?
I would have to take it. My business wouldn't survive any attack she levied against me. Without Brighton Plumbing, how could I keep a roof over my family's head?
"The best deal?"
This was the part I feared the most telling her. But since I wasn't going to be the one to do her plumbing, I inflated the price just enough that when she did find another plumber, she would never want to use me again.
"Yes. Something like this will take weeks to fix, maybe over a month, and cost you at least thirty to forty thousand dollars." I choked a bit at the made-up number.