Build Me Up (NaNoWriMo)

Day 7 (1,171 words)

When Kristen woke up after her second night at Casa Breezer, it was to the duet performed right outside her door. Oh, great, Frank Sinatra had brought a back-up singer to serenade her. Kristen contemplated ignoring the feline choir howling at her door, but figured she’d be pounced on whenever she dared leave the safety of her room.

For a brief moment she entertained the idea of never leaving her abode – or shimmying down from the balcony – but gave it up. She needed to eat, and she needed to get to work. So she folded back the comforter and padded over to the French doors, opening them wide. Then she walked over to the door, turned the handle, and stepped back, using the door as a shield to ward off any evil that may come flying through the passage.

She peered out behind it to watch as two cats – Frank Sinatra and Charlie Chaplin – darted out onto the balcony. Then she executed a sprint worthy of an Olympian and successfully closed the French doors. She worried that the number of cats wanting to use her room as a passageway would increase exponentially as time passed. She really needed to find another place to stay.

After receiving a confirmation from Quinlan Bankhead that she could proceed with the design she’d sent over, Kristen had her drawings forwarded to the Greenport municipal board for the building permit process. They had been granted a permit for the original design, but with Mr. Bankhead’s last minute alterations, Kristen needed to file an amendment and keep her fingers crossed that it went through.

Next on the agenda was setting up an appointment with Ford Hamm, Greenport’s only contractor and the only one in the state certified for heritage renovations. Kristen was inclined to think that the certification – only issued by the Greenport municipal board – was bogus. Not that he wasn’t capable or anything, but that the board had decided to instate a set of requirements to be met simply so only a handful of people could come in to Greenport and work. If things really didn’t work out with Ford, maybe she’d call up Sophie and ask if she knew any good lawyers nearby who would take on Greenport municipality and throw out their silly town statutes. But for now, she was going to play nice.

After a quick cereal breakfast, Kristen grabbed her phone and went outside to get some non-cat-hair-filled air – and escape the stench of the litter box. The sun was out and she sat down on a warm rock close to the water before dialing the number of the contractor’s office. Maybe she’d be able to set up an appointment with an associate of his?

“Hamm Contracting,” a rich voice answered on the third ring and she recognized Ford’s timbre immediately. A gust of wind coming in from the sea made her shiver.

“Yes, hello, I’m… my name is Kristen Barnes. I’ve been hired by a Mr. Bankhead to design his new home here in Greenport, and…”

“You can tell Mr. Bankhead he can go design a house somewhere else,” the gruff voice said and then the call disconnected.

What the-? As far as insults went, that one was pretty tame, but it was still very rude. He must have known about the build already, and he probably had gotten his say at some sort of town meeting, but this was reality, and he needed to face it. Kristen clicked redial.

“Hamm Contracting.”

“Mr. Hamm? I believe we met yesterday – at The Sea Shack?” Kristen forced herself to keep the annoyance out of her voice. She’d schmoozed way more important people in her days.

“Sorry?”

Well, at least he wasn’t hanging up on her again…

“Kristen, from the restaurant? The toolbox assault victim?”

“Right… how did you get my number?” He sounded like he was frowning. Was he that dense?

“Like I said before you hung up on me, I’ve been hired for the lighthouse project, and I’d like to set up a meeting with you to discuss the plans.”

“You’re the Tinseltown designer?”

“No, I’m a licensed architect and interior designer,” Kristen said coolly. “I understand that Mr. Bankhead has already hired you for the contracting work, and I really hope we’ll be able to work together instead of against each other. Do you think yourself capable of such maturity?”

Okay, Smooth Talking Kristen was a massive failure. She couldn’t help but return the condescension she was treated with. There was silence on the other line and she wondered if he’d simply set the phone down and walked away.

“I have a job outside of town that lasts for another week or two. Maybe I’ll be able to sit down with you after that.”

“Could we meet sooner than that? I’m on a tight schedule, and I’d like to get started as soon as possible.”

“Two weeks from now, take it or leave it.”

“Okay, I’ll take it,” Kristen said just before he hung up. Let her be known as the reasonable one. She had a plan.

Ford ran a hand over his face. He was exhausted. Annabelle had come home well after midnight last night, and he’d been waiting up to call her out on it. Now his voice was hoarse and his head was pounding. Getting a call from Bankhead’s lackey was the last thing he needed this morning.

Kristen Barnes. The cheeky tourist with legs up to her ears was Bankhead’s designer. Was she sleeping with him, too? Not that it mattered.

“Ford?” One of the guys at the building site poked his head into the trailer Ford used as an office. “We need you out here.”

“I’ll be right out,” Ford said and grabbed his hard hat off the table he’d laid the plans out on to study. Things were going according to plan and the extra guys he’d hired for the job could probably handle things on their own from here on out, but Ford liked being on site – a breather from hanging around the house and butting heads with Annabelle.

Kristen stepped into The Sea Shack just before the dinner rush. Hallie spotted her from across the room and came over.

“Kristen! You must really love the food here,” she grinned.

“That and the drinks,” Kristen smiled back. “You wouldn’t happen to have a table for me, would you?”

“Sure do,” Hallie said and jerked her head towards the table that was fast becoming Kristen’s regular table. “What are you in the mood for today? Fish, meat or poultry?”

“Well, I’ve sampled two of those, so I guess I’ll try the poultry.”

“We have a yummy deep-fried turkey on the menu. I’ll have the cook fire it up for you. Do you want a martini with that?”

“Actually, I’m in the mood for beer tonight.”

“Coming right up.”

When Hallie left, Kristen casually looked around the restaurant. With any luck, Ford Hamm would show up here and she’d have that meeting sooner than he thought.