The Landlord

Chapter 6

Chapter 6

I started off well. 6:00 in the morning, I was ready and met Blake at his house This time, with ratty paint clothes. Though, according to Blake, he couldn't tell the difference between my paint clothes and the outfit I wore yesterday. A prime example of how some men just don't understand. I think old jean shorts and a loose glittery tee-shirt I didn't want qualified as paint clothes.

He set all the paint cans I would need to stain the wood in his driveway. Which was annoying. I would have to walk to his house every time I needed a new can. What was more annoying... him leaving for work and not showing me how to open the paint cans.

I wasn't blonde. I sure fucking felt like it though.

Just standing there, staring at the cans in his driveway, I sighed. I painted before, sure, but... never personally opened the paint cans. There was no way in hell I was going to ask for help. Not from some nosy neighbor.

So what did I do?

Back in my house, I was sitting on the couch, staring at the video on my phone. How to Open a Paint Can was the title. Not my proudest moment, but it did the job.

I was about to head back outside, but man, the air felt so nice. Summer came very early this year and I didn't approve. It was already baking outside. Blake wouldn't know if I started a little late. Plus, I was hungry already. So, I made a sandwich (I really needed to go grocery shopping). Then, sure, I admit, I watched a little TV. Sue me, the TV was working, I wanted to take advantage of it. However, after that, I did go back out into that hot hell and got to work.

After I walked to the first house on the road, I opened one the paint cans. Success! I set it on the porch along with a pillow. Yes, a pillow. There was nobody around the judge me. Plus, nobody knew it was the pillow from my couch. Hey, it was ugly and Blake said we needed to redecorate, so I didn't see the issue with using my couch pillow as a kneeling pad. After yesterday, my knees were dead and hated me for putting them through so much abuse.

There was no stopping the sun though. I had to tie my hair up, but it didn't stop my sweat from tampering with my make-up and dampening my necklace. Ugh. Of course. Aside from that being a constant annoyance, once I started, I was on a roll actually. Well, kind of. The porches took a while to paint with stain, but I did them well and it was easy. No fuck-ups, nothing terrible. The worst thing that happened was I splattered some of the brown paint on the white siding, but it was one of the vacant houses. I'm sure nobody would notice... if they didn't look at it.

My downfall came when I reached the fourth house. It was two doors up from mine. I started to paint, stroking my brush up and down with the brown stain. I was kneeling, facing outward towards the road, working my way in. Not long after I started, I heard the front door open three feet behind me.

"Good morning, you must be Ruth!" a voice reached me.

Turning and looking behind me, a girl stood in the doorway. She was younger, maybe close to late-20s, and was quite pretty. She had a round face, beaming with a smile, and was wide awake. That's how you know she was a country girl. Happy, awake, and it wasn't even noon yet.

"Yeah. Blake must have mentioned me I'm guessing."

Blonde hair was braided, and she had a damn apron on. Yup, she fit the bill perfectly. "Yeah, Mr. McCormick mentioned you would be by today. I can't thank you enough for this."

"Well, he's paying me. Just helps with the bills, you know." Well, my phone bill anyway. He was taking care of everything else regarding the house.

"Anyway, I wanted to thank you for sprucing things up around here. It will make such a difference. Never wanted to complain to Blake; don't want to cause any drama. But my husband and I have been hoping for some touch-ups here and there. We feel blessed it's happening."