Page 88 of The Reno
He nodded. “Come on.” Liam smirked. “I need to get through a day without thinking of that mouth.” I snorted, and Liam’s eyebrows shot up. “I’m not joking, Red. I’ve got a serious case of blue balls.”
“Such a baby.” I shook my head. I leaned across the console, grabbing a fistful of his soft hair. “If you get through today, maybe I’ll come around tonight and—”
“Careful how you finish that sentence,” Liam said, his eyes burning.
I leaned closer and whispered, “I’ll get on my knees and use my mouth.”
Liam closed his eyes and groaned; the noise shot straightto my core.
Liam shook his head, and a grin overtook him. “You don’t know what you just started.”
With the first fix on the electrics and plumbing completed, with my cute new antique bronze switches hanging off the walls, Liam enlisted Danny, a plasterer. Danny was in his mid-thirties, with a stocky build, a moustache and a mullet. It was a bold look, but he pulled it off. His strange blend of New Zealand and Mancunian accents made me want to smile. As Danny set up his radio, Liam got a call to pick up the bathroom materials, leaving me twiddling my thumbs. I paced from room to room, energy humming around my brain and legs.
I bit my lip.
God, I hated having nothing to do.
I poked my head around to see Danny drilling the plasterboard into the walls.
An idea hit: a cartoon lightbulb above my head.
“Danny,” I said, my voice going sing-song.
Danny raised an eyebrow when I asked him. But, like most people being asked about their skills, he enjoyed teaching me and gained enthusiasm with each question I threw at him. He taught me how to fix the plasterboard, mix the plaster mixture with a power stir and then apply a thin coat of plaster over the joints. As we chatted away, I learnt that Danny moved from New Zealand five years ago and had lived all over the UK. He settled in Manchester because he liked the city and had supported ManchesterUnited from afar since he was a kid.
He raised his bushy eyebrows. “Liam mentioned you were from the Big Smoke. Are you liking it here?”
“Yes,” I said, and I realised I was telling the truth. “Even if it’s a bit mad here.”
“It’s barmy.” Danny grinned. “But I wouldn’t live anywhere else.” He arched an eyebrow at me. “London is mad expensive.”
I nodded. “It is.”
“And everyone is fucking rude.”
“Liam said the same thing.” I rolled my eyes. “It’s not that bad. People are busy—not rude.”
“Trust me; this town is full of busy people—mainly busybodies. But we still have time to say hello and ask how you are.” Danny shrugged. “I wouldn’t be able to do it.”
“Live in London?” I asked, a bit incredulous.
“I lived in a small town back home. I never liked cities. I get why people do, but even going into Manchester stresses me out. I only go to do my Christmas shopping.”
“On Christmas Eve?”
“Yep.” Danny grinned.
As I began to mix the plaster, I thought about Danny’s and Liam’s aversion to London. I didn’t get it. But then, I hadn’t known any different growing up. It was natural to move to London. Could I even imagine myself living somewhere else? I tried to picture myself in this house—living here in this town. I could maybe go freelance, but I was so sure I would fuck it up. But then, a slower pace of life sounded lovely. I could do exactly what I wanted to do. No more shitty meetings with clients I hated. Nomore packed Tubes. No more roommates and their crusty Super Noodles on the kitchen worktop.
It took an hour to complete one wall in the front room. Danny was laughing at my shoddy attempt when I smelt cedar and rain. Liam. I turned my head enough to see him from my periphery. He was leaning on the doorway, his hands crossed over his chest.
Danny’s hands moved to mine, guiding me. “Just go to the edge.”
I laughed as I tried and failed to push the mixture to the corners of the wall. I couldn’t quite angle my wrists in the right way. I stepped back, assessing my efforts. The white mush was patchy and uneven. It looked more like one of those hipster bars in Camden with exposed plaster and Edison bulbs. Fine for a dive bar. Not entirely the vibe for a house someone was going to buy.
“Oh my god, this is terrible.”
“You’re a natural,” Danny replied, humour in his voice.
