Rebuilding Valley View (Valley View Book #4)

Chapter 8

I was really hoping that night with Tyler wasn't the last of its kind and thankfully it wasn't. I didn't want to spend my weekends at the bar, but I didn't really know anybody except Tyler. Over the next month, we got into quite the routine. Like clockwork every Friday, he showed up with a six-pack and pizza and I picked the show or movie. He even usually wore sweatpants, even though the first night was just a joke.

June was one of the hardest months so far. We were working earlier to avoid the hottest part of the day and on Monday we began Phase 2. Phrase 2 meant a new group of idiots, I mean guys that were coming to work for me. I am used to having to break them in and getting used to taking orders from a woman, but a couple of them are resisting hard. One even had the audacity to go to Chris and try to complain about me. Thankful for people like Chris, he shut that down really quickly.

This is what I signed up for though. This is the light at the end of the tunnel. No more 3:00 am mornings, no more hot sweaty summers, no more orange vests. Well sometimes orange vests, but only when I’m checking in on a project.

I’m in my head after taking a shower that I hardly even hear my phone ring. I’m a little too excited when I see that it is Tyler calling. “Hey!” It had been a long day and getting the chance to talk to him already was making my day better.

“What’s up, Charlie? How was work?”

“I don’t want to talk about it,” I groan.

“I know we usually stay in, but what do you say about going out?”

“Out where?”

“The Watering Hole.”

“Oh Tyler, I don’t know.” The only thing I could think about is the last time I went to the bar and what happened to me. Instinctively, my hand touched the side of my face even though my face had healed long ago.

“I know, I get that last time wasn’t that great, but I’ll be there.”

“I can hear your cocky grin over the phone.”

“Then tell me it is a yes.”

“I’m not splitting a pretzel board with you.”

“I wouldn’t dare eat your carbs, I learned my lesson a few weeks ago when I had the last breadstick.”

I sat down on the edge of the bed to think, “I guess I can put on something besides sweatpants.”

“I’ll be by to get you at 8.”

“That’s late.”

“The party doesn’t start until after then.”

I groan again, “You owe me.”

“I’ll pay you back with a great time tonight. I promise.”

“That doesn’t count, you’re buying my dinner.”

“Okay fine, Charlie, just twist my arm.”

”Bye, Tyler.”

“Bye, Charlie. Smile, it’ll be fun!”

I sit on my bed for a little while longer, just going through everything in my head. It isn’t that I’ve never looked at Tyler and felt something, but I don’t know what to do with those feelings. He’s a handsome guy, for sure. He seems to have a lot going for him. For some weird reason, he seems to want to hang out with me. I’m just not going to be here for long and I’m not sure I want to start something when I’ll be leaving in less than a year.