Boredom had Dana sinking into a funk, even as she lay by the pool, sunning in her new suit and basking in the warmth of the sun on her face. The privilege in which she lived her life made it quite monotonous, and she grew tired of tanning, going to the country club, and shopping. Three of her girlfriends had called today, each looking to do something that they did at least once a week, and she'd turned them all down, yawning and telling them she felt a bit under the weather and thought perhaps she should stay in bed.
Now, though, she grew lonely and needful, uninspired in every way. How could she maintain a life so ordinary, with no adventure and no spontaneity, for decades to come? She needed to spice things up a bit, and she considered planning a trip somewhere. But she'd traveled everywhere she could think of, and she didn't want to go alone. Nor did she want to invite her conformist friends.
With a sigh, she shifted on the lounge chair and closed her eyes, resigning herself to a day of pining away for something better. But her self-pity was interrupted by a raucous on the other side of the fence, and as the angry voices grew louder, she rose and tiptoed around the pool toward the commotion to see what was going on. She couldn't exactly look over, as the fence was far too tall, and being so well constructed, there were no holes to peek through, so she simply crouched against the wood and listened.
"If you think I'm going to pay you for that shoddy work, you've lost your mind. It's going to fall apart in a month, and I'm don't have the time or the wherewithal to have it fixed. And I'm sure as hell not paying for repairs!" The voice was irate but cultured. Dana grew more curious by the moment and suddenly wished she paid more attention to who her neighbors were so she could imagine the scene.
"You signed a contract, and you owe me two grand for that. Now, I don't care if I never see your face again. I spent far too many man hours building the damn deck to just walk away without collecting the fee." It was a gruff, offended voice, and Dana looked around for a way to spy. She frowned as she took notice of her pecan tree, which had a perfect place for her to step up and stare over the fence. She didn't climb trees, but then again, how was she going to get the goods if she couldn't see what was going on?
With determination, she stepped up into the tree, hoping that, as the volume of the men's voices grew, they wouldn't hear the strange rustling sound it caused as she got a good grip and found a spot just high enough to spy.
Instantly, she gasped. She'd seen the man in the chinos before, walking a standard poodle around the block. He was older, probably in his mid- to late-forties, but he still looked good, just slightly past his prime. The other man, however, had her mouth going dry. Tall, lean, and golden brown from working in the sun, he was a god, standing there shirtless in jeans that rode low on his hips, showing off his six-pack and chest to perfection. The angles of his face were accented by his anger, and as he moved his full lips to cuss at her neighbor, she wanted to touch them. Or maybe lick them.
Her lust shocked her. She couldn't remember being so attracted to anyone in years. It was a shock and a relief to know that those parts of her were still functional.
The conversation next door heated up, distracting her from her internal thoughts. Hottie construction worker threw the paperwork on the ground and his arms in the air. "Fine, asshole. I'm leaving and I'm taking at least some of my wood with me."
As the neighbor hollered and cussed, the worker busted up the deck – which looked just fine to Dana – and grabbed an armful of wood slats, carrying them through the yard towards what she assumed was his truck out front. Hustling down from the tree, she had a fantastic idea, something that would be entertaining, as well as useful. She knew now what she was going to do to alleviate her boredom.
As she rushed through the house, she grabbed her silk robe, draped over the back of the couch, and pulled it on. Frantically heading out the front door, she hurried to where the man was just getting a shirt pulled on as he opened the door of the driver's seat. "Sir!" she called, waving him down and catching his attention.
He gave her a strange look with one eyebrow raised. "Can I help you?"
Boy, could he! But she focused, giving him her best smile as she approached him. "Yes, I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I guess you were building a deck for my neighbor, and I was hoping to get a quote from you and see if you could build one for me."
