REBECCA
Bright beams of light pilfered through the cracks in the bedroom drapes finally bringing Rebecca back to the real world with a start. She sat up quickly causing her head to spin and her cats to go tumbling off their perches next to her. With meows of dissatisfaction one left the other room in disgust the other propped herself down at the end of the bed and went back to sleep. Rebecca rubbed her temples and stretched her legs. She mumbled a few choice cuss words under her breath at Mason and the hour that flashed in red next to her on the nightstand. It was almost noon and she had so much to do today. She had set the alarm clock for eight and it was very clear that an overprotective vampire had come along to turn it off. The fact that she hadn't even stirred when he had been inside the trailer was probably all the ammunition he needed to justify his actions. She pulled herself out from under the covers and threw her legs over the side. It took another couple of minutes to catch her bearings and make the leap off the bed and into the bathroom. As she brushed her teeth she looked at herself in the mirror she saw the beginnings of a dark shadow under each eye along with enough baggage for a two week vacation. She had been stressing about this move and remodel for months and it seemed that now that it was here and happening it was only going to get worse. She just couldn't help itself. Patience had never been much of a virtue for her. She was a planner but when everything was in place and should be moving full speed ahead any little obstacle would drive her absolutely nuts.
Once under the shower head she let the water wash away the dirt and the cobwebs and when she emerged she was sparkly clean and wide awake. She threw on a robe and made her way into the kitchen to find steaming hot coffee waiting for her as well as the list of contractors. She sliced a bagel and popped it into the toaster then went to the fridge to grab the cream cheese and milk. She poured herself a nice big cup of joe, doctoring it to her specifications and retrieved her breakfast. Once the bagel was smeared she picked up the notes Mason had left for her to look over. He had eliminated most of the crews in the area for various reasons all of which she agreed with him on and there were only two names left on the list. One of them being the company mentioned by Jason Stackhouse and endorsed by Mr Compton.
The note said to contact an Alcide Herveaux along with a series of phone numbers. Mason had added a little side note next to the information. Seemed that William had stayed at the house last night and Mason had found out that while he did think that the Herveaux crew could do the work he did have a bit of a personal beef with the owner. Seems that there was a connection between Alcide and Sookie that did not sit well with Bill. Ohhh goodie. DRAMA!! Rebecca was not a fan of drama but she was a fan of getting things done on schedule so she would do a bit more investigating of her own. Starting with a visit to her apparently irresistible neighbor Sookie Stackhouse. She was more than a little curious as to what she could have to enamor three men she had meet this week. She pulled on some jeans and a tank top threw her still damp hair into a ponytail and hightailed it out the door. She probably should have taken a moment call the number left on her list but Jason was supposed to tell Sookie she would be stopping by and besides she kind of liked the idea of catching her unawares.
The dust flew and the gravel cracked as she made her way up the drive. She couldn't wait to have the road paved. Yet another piece of the puzzle yet to be placed. Once at the end of her road she took the small right that lead her onto the road leading to the Stackhouse residence. A white clapboard house came into view ( it was in need of some TLC as well) a little yellow civic parked in the drive way. As she came to a stop she saw a young blond woman with a deep summer tan who had to be her neighbor having words with young black woman who had a halo of dark curly hair surrounding her face. She was pissed and very animated. Her hands were flying about her and she looked very determined to get her point across. Sookie looked only slightly annoyed as if she knew her friend was right but didn't want to admit it to her or herself.
Rebecca waited a minute before getting out of the car. Neither of the girls had noticed her arrival and while she didn't want to interrupt she didn't want to wait around either. Sitting there listening would be worse than announcing her arrival wouldn't it? She slammed the car door extra hard which finally got their attention and they turned towards her. They were both torn between being embarrassed and annoyed.
Rebecca pulled her sunglasses to the top of her head and planted a bright smile on her face and walked to distance between them. "Good afternoon ladies"
Sookie one hand on her hip broke out with a clipped Louisiana southern accent. " Can I help you?"
Rebecca ignored her tone. " Well I sure do hope so Miss. Stackhouse. I'm Rebecca
Both girls stood there sizing her up. Sookie thought she was going to be trouble. Jason most certainly had relayed the message along with a very vivid description. She had thought he had to be exaggerating but now seeing Rebecca standing there all tits,hips and ass Sookie knew he had not. She also knew it was only a matter of time before her brother made a play. What the other girl, Tara, was thinking was much more simple and to the point "Oh great another hot white bitch in the neighborhood just what I need." Rebecca's smile never faltered, it may have in fact become bigger as she looked into the mind of each girl. She thought Tara had some major issues. She could feel fear and uncertainty coming from her aura. She had recently been through quite an ordeal. She saw flashes of abuse and of death. Several deaths actually. It made Tara skittish and even more suspicious of people she didn't know. Not trusting by nature the previous few months had shaken Tara's faith in humanity to the core. She wasn't even sure if she could trust Sookie.
Sookie to had been through a lot. Much of it of her own making. Choices she had made had lead her down a path she had not expected to travel. She had fallen down the rabbit hole into a world of vampires and the two natured. She had taken her first lover and given herself to him completely. But along with that love had come great danger and Sookie had almost lost everything she had in the name that relationship. A cruel lie had recently been uncovered that made everything seem like a waste. She had believed she was fighting for her future and had done so blindly and with great cost. Now she found that she had nothing. None of it had been real. Rebecca saw the faces of two men cross Sookie's mind. The first was of her Bill, the man that she had loved, the man who had betrayed her. The other was yet another vampire. A lawman with icy good looks and confounding disposition. Rebecca knew the man, a brief encounter had been more than enough for her to understand his allure and find it repulsive at the same time.
Sookie's eyes suddenly focused again on the present and grew wide. Could it be possible? Could she really be in my head? Does she know what I am? Rebecca wasn't quite sure if she wanted Sookie to know she to could read minds. Sookie was a telapath and that alone would make her invaluable to the vampires in her life. But there was more. Something in the air tingled around her and a little light went on in Rebecca's head. She had only encountered one other like Sookie in her lifetime. He had been ancient and wise and complete. The blood that ran through Sookie's veins was but a small percentage but it was enough. It would make her irresistible and coveted to the undead. Sookie Stackhouse was part fairy. This information had just recently come to Sookies attention. She wasn't quite sure how she felt about it. Her first thought was how lame. Her second had been was any of the attraction the men in her life had for her because of her or was it all because of the vampire crack in her blood.
Tara grew tired of the silence hanging between them " So you bought the old dump down the way?" Sookie gave her a pointed look and Tara gave her a look in return that said "What that place is a dump".
" Actually Tara the house is mine my fathers family came from Bon Temps. I am just paying to restore it from dump to dream." She gave Tara a mental flick in the temple and Tara put her hand to her head and took a step backwards. She knew Tara had been through a lot but that didn't mean she needed to be rude to strangers. Something told me Tara's tongue got her into trouble more often than not.
" Besides formally introducing myself, which I know I should have already done that is why I am here. Your brother told me last night you were friends with a contractor in the area a Alcide Herveaux and I was hoping to bend your ear a bit. You see I had to fire my day contractor yesterday. Caught him stealing from me and now I am in need of someone who can do the work as soon as possible."
Sookie smiled slightly at Alcide's name. " Alcide is a honorable man who isn't afraid of hard work. I don't think you would find anyone better to do the work on your house. Things aren't so easy round here these days so I'm also sure he'd appreciate the job. Do you have his number? I can go inside and get it for you"
" No no Miss. Sookie that won't be necessary I got his numbers from my night foreman."
"Night foreman?" piped Tara " Who the hell did you get to do work for you at night? Must be paying them a boat load of cash" Another look passed between the two friends.
" Do you have Vampires working at your house Rebecca?" Sookie looked interested despite herself and Tara looked like she was going to vomit.
" Yes I do. I hope that won't be a problem for you either of you"
"Would it fucking matter if it did" Tara mumbled under her breath but more than loud enough for her to hear.
" Honestly Tara no it wouldn't. I have a job that needs to be done and the gentleman working at my house at night are good men. I can assure you they will not be bothering either of you" Tara looked properly chastised and a bit frightened not of the vampires down the street but of her.
" Rebecca you said your fathers family owned Belle Vita right? No one from the Benoit family has been around these parts for a hundred years. How is it you've come to be here now trying to put the house back right? Where exactly are you from anyway?"
" Sookie, I am impressed you know a bit of my families history including the estates name." Sookie gave her the first genuine smile of their acquaintance happily accepting her praise. "My Mothers kin is from Tennessee and the Carolina's. I was raised in those parts. When my Dad passed away a couple of years back I inherited the house. There were some family issues I had to deal with but now I am here now."
" My Grams was with the historical society here and she told me all about your house. It was a big deal back in the day. Your Great Great Great Grandfather and Bill Compton were friends weren't they? Sookie's voice caught on William's name.
" Indeed they were. I meet Mr. Compton last night. I had been reading about him in Grandfathers journals for as long as I can remember. It was weird getting to meet him in person. He seems to be a very nice man. I enjoyed his company."
Sookie looked around everywhere but at me trying to beat back the tears quickly filling her eyes. Tara put her hand on her friends arm gently rubbing it
" Rebecca Bill Compton is kind of a sore subject round here at the moment. Right now he is just a gigantic piece of shit"
I reached out and touched Sookies other arm. She looked up into my eyes and in my mind I sent her thoughts that would calm her. Instantly the tears in her eyes dried up and her crestfallen face broke back into a gapped tooth grin.
" Holy shit my emotions all over the freaking place these days. A second ago I thought I was going to burst into tears and now I am fighting back the urge to laugh" Sookie wiped her eyes.
" I am sorry to have brought up a painful subject Sookie. The last thing I had intended was to upset you on our very first meeting. Men can make or break your world at times. I have been where you are right now and I say make sure when the urge to laugh hits you you do just that. Let it out. Loud and obnoxious until your lying on the floor with splitting sides." Sookie let out a hardy laugh then soon followed by Tara who didn't understand why they were laughing but couldn't help but join in. Rebecca sat back and chuckled a bit herself. When they finally caught there breaths Tara was bent over her hands on her knees and Sookie was sitting on the hood of her car hand on her chest.
"Now don't you both feel better?"
" Hell yeah" said Tara. Sookie just nodded her head up and down. Both girls looked at each other forgetting whatever they had been fighting about when she drove up. There was a friend type make up session coming and she took that as my cue to take her leave.
" Well ladies it has been a pleasure meeting you. I believe though that you were on your way out when I drove up and I have a phone call to make so I'm gonna go ahead and take off. I hope I will get the chance to see both of you again soon."
" That would be great. We both work across town at Merlottes if you want come by and introduce yourself some night"
" As soon as I get the new crew up and running I'll come by to say hello." She gave both girls another smile as she slid her sunglasses back onto her face. The Bon Temps sun was doing a number on her and she felt a headache growing around her third eye. When she got to the car she turned to give the girls one last wave. Tara was already talking in a low voice to Sookie, she however was watching her every move.
She went into Sookie's mind with a message" Now Sookie pay attention to your friend or you'll start another fight." Sookie's eyes bugged out of her head and she took a step towards me. " Not now not here there will be plenty of time" Sookie nodded.
"Soon" she asked.
" Soon and Sookie being part Fae is anything but lame. Have a great day at work. I see major tips in your future" Rebecca got into the car and drove back towards her house.
Sookie was thrilled to meet someone else like her. The last person she had meet had been far from helpful. Knowing she had someone else she could talk to made her genuinely happy for the first time in weeks. Rebecca wasn't quite sure how much of her life she should involve Sookie in. Her life was already complicated and adding Rebecca's secrets may be more than she is willing to take on. Rebecca sighed. No sense in thinking about any of that now. She would take any budding friendships she may make here in her new home as they came. There were some who would know all about her and some who would know only what she was willing to reveal.
Once back at the trailer cats under foot she settled at the small little table next to the kitchen and called the main Herveaux contractors number. She got a nasally receptionist named Celia who told her that neither Mr. Herveauxs were in the office at the moment and could she take her number and information and she would have them contact her as soon as they checked in. Rebecca asked Celia for the office fax number and gave her the information she requested. The prospectus was prepared and she faxed that along with the agreed to estimate from the previous contractor. She knew that was a bit presumptuous, that if the Herveauxs were interested in taking the job they would want to see the site for themselves. She hoped that it being Friday would not hamper her chances of getting them to come out to take a look today. At least the information may be something to entice them into taking a look where they might normally do so. A half hour later her phone rang. A deep growl filled voice asked to speak to a Miss Keane.
"Speaking" She said to the voice on the other side of the line.
It was Alcide calling her back his voice full of both skepticism and hope. He asked her outright if this was some kind of joke. She assured him that it was not. He asked her a series of questions which Rebecca did her best to answer as completely as she could. Each time he spoke her heart would skip a beat and with each passing minute the room became more stifling. Something about Alcide called to her. Just the sound of his voice caused a long forgotten need to be reborn. By the end of the conversation he had agreed to come that evening to meet with her and Mason. He took no issue with the Vampire crew, not a moments hesitation. He told her he looked forward to meeting her and she knew without a doubt she was looking forward to meeting him. The nervous energy she felt after her conversation with Alcide added fuel to the dull ache that had started when she was at Sookies. It was fast becoming a full blown migraine so she made herself some feverfew and vervain tea and took slow deep breaths trying to calm herself.
Taking a seat on the couch she opening her computer and slowly sipped her tea. She was greeted with almost a hundred e-mails. Many were related to her company. Confirmation of orders and shipping information. One from the manager of one of her stores asking about an item that had shown up at her store in California. Two were from her partner in an art gallery in New York. She answered all three e-mails quickly and then forwarded the order and shipping e-mails to the proper stores so they would expect the deliveries. She went through and cleaned out the spam and advertisements which left about twenty e-mails from friends and family that she still needed to answer but they would have to wait until she could concentrate on them properly. Her tea was now gone and while the pain was subsiding she felt drowsy. She opened up a box sitting on the coffee table and pulled out a piece of amethyst. Situating herself comfortably on the couch she placed the stone on her third eye and closed her eyes. Emmy and Saffy climbed up on the couch with her. One on the couch back the other on the armrest behind her. She didn't open her eyes but reached out a hand to each of them. They nuzzled her palm as she ran her fingers through the fur on their faces. After a few minutes they to settled in for a nap and Rebecca concentrated on clearing her mind of everything. Slowly she worked through all of the blocks she had in her brain. Each issue became a box which she picked up and placed on a shelf behind her. The path in front of her became less and less cluttered and soon she walked freely without obstacles to her safe place. Once there she was content and fell into a deep truly restful sleep.
Some time later Rebecca heard ringing it started out far away but as she became more aware it grew closer and got louder. She reached around until she found the coffee table and her phone. Her eyes would not focus on the caller id so she took the chance (said a prayer) and picked it up. It was Mr. Longbrook letting her know that the water had gone in the pool today. They would be starting the deck early and the pool should be ready for swimming by next weekend. A bit of good news on the home front was more than welcome she thanked him repeatedly for his hard work. She grabbed her cats giving them both a big kiss before they squirmed away and flew it out of her grasp. She giggled and stood herself stretching out the stiffness. She looked around her for the amethyst which had gone flying off her head when she sat up. She did not want the kitties to find it later. Locating it several feet away she picked it up gave it a kiss in thanks for it's service and placed it back in the box. Her headache had completely resolved and she felt refreshed. It was only five thirty. She didn't expect Alcide until after seven and with the long days it would be at least an hour after that before Mason made his appearance.
She felt idle and decided to go for a walk. She had already quite a bit of time in the woods around her property searching for the perfect spot to place her circle. She had found it the day before yesterday and it was there she decided to head. Past the house which sat alone looking at her longingly as she went by. Down the small path that lead to the space where she planned on putting the garden. It was overrun but she knew the soil there was fertile and would yield a great deal of herbs and vegetables. The path ended about a hundred feet from the garden spot. The woods took over but showed no resistance as Rebecca entered. When she reached her spot she sat down on the log that overlooked the water. There was an open view of the lake that sat on one side of her property. Giant oaks surrounded her in a natural circle, a small brook full of smoothed over stones ran through the edge of the trees. She tilted her head back to catch the few rays of sun that broke through the oak canopy. The woods here were very different than the ones she grew up surrounded by. The ground was less firm and there were more browns and grays mixed in with the green but she welcomed all the earth under her feet now had to offer and was thankful it welcomed her without question. The life around her had more than enough reason to doubt as humanity was slowly destroying all the beauty and perfection that surrounded them.
From the bag at her side she pulled out four sashays and a small gardening towel. At each cardinal direction she dug a hole in the ground and placed one of the sashays inside. The herbs inside would cleanse and purify the ground beneath it. A pile of stones gathered in her previous trips around the woods sat at the edge of the clearing. She placed each stone until she her nine foot circle was complete. She tied other bundles of herbs to the oaks surrounding the circle. She had not performed any circle rites in the open for a very long time. She had been based in New York for the last few years and traveled quite a bit. Occasionally she would find a place to cast in natures glory but mostly she has performed her rituals in the living room of her apartment. She had tried to work a circle in Central Park for Samhain the first year she was in the city but some horny costumed teens had come upon her freaked and called the cops. She had barely had time to properly close the circle and gather her belongings before they had come back looking for her. She had to smile at the thought of that night now, standing here in her newly minted sacred place. She sat back down on her log surveying her work and enjoying the breeze coming off the water. Her practice the last few years had been simple and sporadic. Basic and usually in honor of Wiccan traditions. The luxury and symbolism of a place like this was not lost on Rebecca.
The alarm she had set on her phone buzzed through the pocket of her jeans. It was time to go back to the house clean up and prepare for her meeting with Alcide. She walked back to the house far more briskly than she had walked away from it. She now dirty and sticky and she could hear her shower calling her. The trailer was chilly the window units in the trailer working overtime to keep things comfortable. She was not a big fan of the heat, never had been which made her move to Louisiana seem odd but she figured she could rely on the man made wonder of central air to keep her from melting. She downed a bottle of water in the kitchen,checked the cats bowls then made her way down the hall to her bedroom stripping off her clothes as she went. The cool air felt good on her bare skin and she stood naked for a moment next to the air conditioner in her bedroom. She patted the side of the unit and gave thanks to Mr. Carrier for the greatness of his mind and padded off to wash off the days grim.
Thirty minutes later she was washed dried and fluffed. It was a quarter to seven when she pulled out a pitcher of tea from the fridge grabbed a couple of glasses from the cupboard. Balancing a tray with the drinks on her hip opened the door to the trailer and walked up to the house. She wasn't quite sure when Alcide would be arriving. He said he was working on another job about thirty minutes from Bon Temps but hoped to be there before dark. She left the tray on the porch and walked into the house. The wiring and woodwork on the bottom floor had been completed. Tonight they would be start the insulation. Hopefully competing the living room, library, office and kitchen. She had certain priorities when it came to what areas were completed first. The Library was the first room she wanted completed. The custom made shelving was waiting in a conex box on the lawn. The books waiting in a warehouse in New Orleans. Within the library space was another room. Hidden behind a wall covered in oak by her Grandfather when the house was originally built. He had used it to hide the families valuables and weaponry as well as his journals. She would be using it as her alter. She placed her finger into a knothole in the wood. Moving her finger around until she hit the latch. The door would not open for just anyone a spell had been placed on it by a voodoo priestess. Rebecca had to find a direct descendant to come to the house to release the spell so Rebecca could place one of her own. Now the door would only open for a selected few of her choosing. She stood just in the doorway and surveyed the space. It was illuminated by beams of colored light coming from the stain-glass skylight in the ceiling. The mosaic depicted the lunar cycle and by some miracle it had remained intact. It was her Grandfathers work he had completed and installed it himself. It was a beautiful piece that held special significance for Rebecca. She had been thrilled to find that it had stood the test of time. She could make out several holes in the walls where Mason intended on installing more lighting. This room was his special project. She closed her eyes and imagined the room completed. Everything with a place in it's place. Mason had built her an apothecary that took up the entire far wall. Another smaller apothecary that had been passed down through her family line would be to the left. The far wall would house bookshelves and a desk. The middle would be a butcher blocked island she had found in an antique shop in Ireland. She had felt it's energy from the moment she walked into the store and went straight for it. When she touched it a spark of power went into her body. Powerful white witches had used this table it had been lost when their line had died out. Now it had a new home and a renewed purpose.
Outside she heard gravel kicking up on the road and with a wave of her hand the door closed behind her. She made her way to the living room and looked out the bay window to see who was coming up the drive. A green van pulled to a stop to one side of her driveway. The door opened and out popped a God of a man. Zeus, Hercules, Adonis take your pick he could easily sway the most hardened of hearts with his born in myth perfection. He was tall at least six foot five with dark black hair that looked like it was forever flopping in his face and a full beard. His body was taunt well defined and he was tan, enhanced she was sure by his genetics. Wearing dark wash jeans and a dirty wife-beater Alcide Herveaux was everything she had imagined and more. She had seen a glimpse of him in Sookies head earlier that day but her mental image did him no justice and she wondered why in the Goddess name she would ever hesitate to take a man such as this on. Getting stuck on vampires did have a way of making you loose yourself but not moving in on this glorious creature was stupid.
Rebecca was enamored smitten and bewitched at first sight. It was a heady feeling one she had not felt in many years. The need awakened in her soul earlier shifted around inside her she knew he had been sent to her. She knew that she was in trouble and she knew that she didn't care.
He still standing in the doorway of his truck looking up at the house. She could hear the wheels in his head spinning. This was the biggest job he had gotten all year and would take the majority of his men to complete. He needed the job and he needed the money. Alcide had family problems. His sisters salon had recently been involved in a fire. It was her only income and while he was doing the work to repair it out of his own pocket she was quickly going broke waiting. Even worse he was incapable of keeping his father from the poker tables and his debts were rising by the day. There were at least three bookies looking to break his fathers legs or worse and he was paying off more of his fathers debts by doing unsavory work for Eric Northman. He looked back down the road, well it hadn't been all bad he thought. He had meet Sookie. He wondered if he should stop by on his way out and pay her a visit. He could legitimately say he was in the neighborhood and not look like he was pining for a woman who clearly was not ready for a new relationship. How did a girl like Sookie get caught up with vampires anyway? She deserved better and so did he and he wished things had been different. But there was no point in waiting around. He wasn't sure if he was in any position to start something new himself. There was a monkey on his own back he couldn't quite shake. The ex from hell. She became a mess and left him one to. He shook away those thoughts and grabbed a grey button downed shirt from the cab of the van. Rebecca watched his arms and hands intently as he put on the shirt and did up the buttons. The door to the van slammed and Alcide started walking towards the house. Rebecca smoothed her skirt and hair and retied the white blouse around her waist. As she took her first step out onto the porch the wind blew through the trees. It had something to tell her so she stopped to listen. She took a long deep breath and froze.
Alcide
Alcide didn't want to like her. From the moment his office manager Celia had told him about her call he had thought she was to good to be true. At first he had thought it was all a joke and had marched into his office a bit peeved to be pulled from the job he was working for someones idea of a fast one. But when he got there he found what looked like the real deal. He had to call her himself. He figured he could tell is she was jerking his chain or not. She had said all the right things was very professional in her manner and persistent in her pursuit. After hanging up the phone he continued to hear her voice in his head and he had been thinking about her all afternoon. Driving to her house he thanked God for the opportunity and prayed that it panned out. If all of the information she had faxed over earlier that day wasn't bullshit this job could single handedly put him back in the green. His personal life was in shambles and large good paying jobs had been few and far between the last year so it would be great if one aspect of his life took a turn for the better. The first few moments of their meeting had been awkward. She had just stood there gazing at him and he at her. He had hoped she'd be ugly or old or ugly and old but Rebecca Keane was neither of those things. Rebecca was drop dead gorgeous. She was wearing a long brown dress with a white blouse tied at her waist with just a touch of cleavage peaking from the layers. Her body was curvy in all the right places. Soft like a woman should be but solid enough to not handle herself like a girl. Her just to the shoulder auburn hair was partially covered by a multi colored scarf. She was wearing several silver rings and a necklace of big blue stones. She looked like the Gypsies that told fortunes and read tarot cards at the parish fair. From the moment he laid eyes on her he wanted to touch her. He hadn't been expecting to find her and now that he was here and had seen her there was no way he was going to walk away from this job. It was quite possible he'd do it for free if she asked him to. He had to walk right up on her before she acknowledged that he was standing there.
With a flip of an imaginary switch her eyes cleared and she smiled brightly putting her hand out and when he took it she gave him a firm as any man handshake. The sparks couldn't have only flowed through his veins when their hands meet, her eyes and smile told him she had felt them to and when she lead him over to couple of chairs on the porch he couldn't help but want to put his hand on the palm of her back and move in close so he could kiss her neck and smell her hair. He also took quick peeks at her ass. Now he was sitting with a glass of tea in his hand doing the best he could to pay attention but kept getting distracted watching her lips move and wanting to pull away the piece of hair that would cover them whenever she bent forward. What he was thinking about his potential client was everything but professional and he was thankful when the sun finally set and several trucks and vans pulled up into the driveway. Rebecca had told him her night foreman's name was Mason and Alcide had no problem picking him out. He was a big man both in body and voice and he stood in front of his men handing out assignments with a unquestioned authority.
Rebecca stood from her chair and greeted each man as they went inside the house. They greeted her back heartily with high fives and evening Miss. Rebecca's. When Mason joined them on the porch he bent and gave her a kiss on the cheek asking her about her day and she asked him if he had a good rest. They were close, possibly lovers and Alcide felt a pinch of jealousy at the thought. If Rebecca was taken it would make taking this job much easier. He wasn't the kind of man to go after someone else's woman. Having been cheated on himself he would never want to inflict that kind of pain on someone else. The men were introduced and Alcide was taken to the office and shown the plans for the house. He was also given a tour of the work done so far. Mason took the lead with Rebecca only interjecting when asked or when she felt she had something prudent to add. Mason was organized and the plans were well thought out. Most of the materials and equipment were already on site or would be here when it came time to to use them. They were now behind schedule but once Alcide agreed to take the job Mason would readjust the schedule based on when he could start working and how many men he would be able to bring on. As they went through each room Alcide listened to Mason but watched Rebecca. She wasn't seeing the house as it was now but how it would be when it was finished. She had explained the houses history while they had waited on the porch. He knew this was her baby and she was putting a hell of a lot of trust in those putting it back together. Alcide wasn't sure he was up to the challenge but he'd never run from anything and looking at her hopeful face he wasn't going to start now.
Back in the office Rebecca spoke to Mason about the pool builders being ahead of schedule. There was now water in the pool instead of a big empty death trap and they would be starting the deck first thing Monday. They both took a look at the deck plans and he went over a few potential issues she should double check with the pool contractor. She listened intently and when Mason finished she turned her attention back to Alcide who had been running his hands along the oak panels that covered one wall of the room.
" Those are one aspect of the house that was is still in good shape when we showed up. We just had to clean them and re-varnish." she explained.
"Rebecca did it the second day here." Mason sent a closed lip smile in her direction. " She is multi-talented and not afraid to tell you so" Rebecca punched Mason in the arm.
" The hell with you Mason Leary. Alcide pay him no attention. He is just trying to tell you in an hopefully non-critical way that I will be actively participating in the remodeling of this house. I will do my best not to be underfoot but I am rather handy and hope to be of assistance when I can."
"Besides being the problem solving go to girl she will coordinating the planting of the garden and she will be doing the tile mosaic in the kitchen and master bathroom." Mason pointed out computer generated plans hanging on one of the walls of the office.
Alcide walked over and took a look. The kitchen back splash would be rolling hills and a field of wheat with a golden sun right above the stove. The glass enclosed shower in the bathroom was of a full moon filled night sky. Rebecca stood next to him her body just barely brushing up against him. She reached up and touched the kitchen scan.
"This is a field I visited as a child in Nebraska. My best friend was from there. His family were farmers. I visited one summer and we played there and this one is of the night sky outside the family estate in Ireland. Two of my very favorite places. Do you like them?"
" There great and very ambitious. Rebecca. Have you done a lot of tile work?"
" I worked with my Dad from a young age. He gave me things like this to do because it kept me focused and out of his hair." She smiled and shrugged her shoulders " I am a bit all over the the place. I don't have a lot of patience and want to do everything myself. So many of the people in my life prefer I have have things like this to keep my busy. Mason is afraid that I will get hurt running around the house. He figures if I am in one room concentrating on my own goals I won't end up maimed or worse."
" It is less likely but not a sure thing" Mason replied mockingly. Again Rebecca hits him in the arm.
There was definitely something going on between those two. Another beautiful girl lost to a dead guy. Sometimes life was not fair.
" So Alcide what are you thinking?" Mason looked at him expectantly.
He was thinking that this morning he was wondering how he was going to handle the pile of bills sitting on his desk. He was thinking he could get his sisters salon back up and running pay off his fathers debts and get a giant monkey off his back. He was thinking he wanted to get hands on this house. He hadn't had a job that made him want to come to work for a long time. This job wasn't just pouring concrete or building a mini mall. This house was a home. A part of a families history and of the woman standing next to him future. This was a job he could take pride in.
The length of Alcides silence must have worried Rebecca for she spoke up in the hopes she could convince him to take the job.
" If there is anything you feel we haven't covered tonight or if you have any concerns or additions you'd like to make to the contract please say so. We can have any amendments added without any problem. Bottom line Alcide is I want you here and as soon as possible. I am willing to do whatever it takes to make that happen. As I said before I have little patience and I usually get what I want." She standing with both hands on her hips staring him down.
She was challenging him to say no to make her go to plan b. I am sure you are used to getting what you want Rebecca Keane he thought and I would love to give you exactly what you deserve. Her eyebrow arched and a smirk appeared as if she had read his mind. He felt a blush starting to run up the sides of his neck and cross his cheeks. He felt totally busted and totally turned on.
" I can assure you Alcide that you will get everything you want out of this job and I am willing to sweeten the pot a bit more. You know the budget figure I gave you?" He nodded his head. " Well anything under that budget figure goes home in your pocket."
Was she for real? He looked from her to Mason who didn't even flinch. He shrugged his shoulders and threw up his hands as if to say this was no surprise. Alcide ran his hands through his hair and down his face and took the plunge.
" Well then I guess you have a deal" He shook hands with Mason as Rebecca did a little happy dance around the room.
When she got close enough she threw her arms around him the best she could and squeezed. " You are going to kick this houses ass" She stopped then looked around the room and apologized to the house.
" I can get started on Monday with a crew of twelve. As we finish up some other projects I'll bring more people in."
" Sounds good Alcide" Mason gave him a pat on the shoulder. " I look forward to working working with you."
"Two ships passing in the night" Rebecca quipped.
" With a red headed parrot for us to pass messages back and forth with" Mason quipped back.
Rebecca narrowed her eyes " HOW OLD ARE YOU? You just wait til Silvia gets here. I am sooooo telling her you were mean to me."
" Who is showing their age now. Threatening to tell the ball and chain on me. Besides all she is going to ask is what you did for me to be mean to you."
" Maybe so but when I tell the wife you called her the ball and chain then it won't matter what I did you will be in the dog house." She smiled sweetly licked her fingers and put two checks in the air. " I win"
So it turned out that Rebecca and Mason were not lovers. At least not now. So he could add another reason for taking this job. It wasn't a profitable reason. It wasn't a righteous reason. Nor a self sacrificing one. Alcide wanted this job because he wanted Rebecca.
