Slave: The Ghost of Cambria - Book Two

Chapter Nine

Tony was thrilled when he saw the sparkling clean Kim's Plumbing van pull up the driveway and park. Though Andrew Kim wasn't the first contractor to arrive on the worksite, nor the first to work in the house since Tony had taken over the design of the remodel, the man was the first contractor who Tony had hand-picked for the job. The rest of them had been engaged by the former design firm, and after Tony's management of those contractors had resulted in conflicts, he was anxious to begin building a team of his own. Kristen had given Tony full control of both the design and execution of the refurbishment, an even more excellent opportunity than he'd initially proposed to Richard Cole. For Kristen, Tony had traded an indefinite work timetable for a six-month schedule that came with a budget large enough to employ other professionals to realize his vision. This meant Tony would get both his portfolio and the experience he sorely needed in site management in less than half a year. Though Kristen had only agreed to a specific limited remodel, the truth was that Tony was dead-set on achieving his original plans for a complete resurrection of the dilapidated craftsman-styled house. While he would direct and oversee Kim's work on their plumbing needs, Tony would also work every day to apply his woodwork artistry to make the house look better than ever.

Tony didn't wait for the man to make his way to the front door and proceeded outside to introduce himself.

"Good morning," he smiled to greet the stocky middle-aged plumber.

"Are you Tony?" asked Kim.

"Yes, welcome," he acknowledged. "I'm so glad you were able to start with such short notice."

"Well, like I said," answered Kim, "I'm not sure how soon I'll be able to begin the job. But I'm happy to review the house to determine what's needed."

"Excellent!" said Tony with an embarrassingly bright tone. "You might not remember me, but I worked on a job you finished in Atascadero last year. We were only in the house for one afternoon together, but when you were gone, I overheard the site manager discussing with the client how thrilled they were with your work."

"Bartolo Bauer?" Kim asked.

"Yes, that's right," said Tony enthusiastically.

"That's very kind of you to say. He certainly never mentioned it to me."

"He said you saved their ass because you found issues that he and the designer had overlooked."

"I certainly did," said Kim, "You'd have thought I would've heard back from him for another job by now."

"I'm sure one's coming, but I'm glad I got ahold of you first," beamed Tony. "Like I mentioned, the job was started by another contractor who didn't work out well. I don't have any reason to believe that the man didn't know what he was doing, but he had a challenge with the needs of the homeowner. And the long story ended when she fired the design firm that had hired the man. Between you and me, I don't think you'll have any challenge with this job, and we're certainly ready for you to start."

Tony understood his words amounted to a blank check for a contractor, but Tony also recognized that nothing was more important to the restoration than its plumbing. Even if the man ripped apart his budget, Tony couldn't afford for the work to fall apart two years from now if he was to use this house as the centerpiece of his résumé.

"Alright, then. Let's go see what you've got," Kim offered his first smile in return.

Tony guided the plumber inside the house, opening the front door for the man deferentially. The tour began in the kitchen, where Tony reviewed the preliminary work that had been done. From the backyard, Penelope began to bark when she sensed the new arrival in her house, and Tony quickly addressed her through the glass door, signaling for the Husky to sit down. The animal's hind legs immediately met the wooden planks of the porch, and she silenced herself.