This is the prequel from "Asshole." Kind of the day that started it all of sorts. (But not really, lol.)


"Hey, Bella, we've got a concrete test at that gas station on Central," my boss, Carlisle, told me in a rush. I really liked my boss, but, God, was he ever unorganized...

"Um, okay," I replied, setting down the flipper I was using to stir my sieve sample. "When?"

"Like, now," he said with an embarrassed chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck.

I smirked. "Alright, I'm on my way. You're lucky I always keep my truck packed for you, there, Carlisle."

"I know, I know," he replied, his smile a little more pronounced now that he had someone on the job. "And, when you get back, I'm gunna get you to do some proctors for me. They need to have the numbers by Monday out on Highway 11."

I shook my head. "Okay, okay. I'll do my best."

"Thanks, Bella."

"No problem," I told him before turning to Jessica, the only other person in the lab that wasn't running around like a chicken with its head cut off. "You okay with doing these sieves by yourself? I'll be back in about half an hour. I have a feeling I'm already late for this test."

"Yeah, I guess I can do them. I already have three going, but I'm sure I can handle another two," Jessica said with her usual whine. Bitch needed to learn how to work...

I gathered up all my stuff and headed out to the site I thought I was supposed to go to, and then realized that Carlisle told me the wrong gas station.

Now I was extra late.

I hurried to the east end of the city, getting there just as the first concrete truck was backing into place.

"Thank fuck," I mumbled to myself, parking my truck as close to the site as I could.

I hopped out of my truck with my hard hat, safety glasses, and nitrile gloves already on before setting up my little concrete station quickly. Mm, this was a company I hadn't worked with before... They were all Mexican. And I couldn't understand a word they were saying. What a day for my high school Spanish to fail me.

Luckily, I recognized the concrete company, La Farge, but not either of the drivers.

The one driver was helping the concrete crew back the first truck into place to pour the slab of concrete that was going to be around the gas pump.

I stood back and waited for them to figure out what was going on. I had a feeling it was going to take a while. The driver helping the concrete crew was screaming at them for not helping the driver to properly back into place. Good times on site. Always.

"Hey!" someone called out from behind me.

Today was already a bad day for me. I'd be at work since 6 AM, and I was skipping lunch, again, and I did not need to deal with some asshole that wanted me to move my shit so he could get a better look at something that was none of his business.

My temper had increased ten-fold since being introduced to such a sexist environment, and I was just now learning to retaliate with a little condescending knowledge and a mean bitch-brow. It hadn't failed me yet, and I was hoping it wouldn't fail me now.

I turned around, bitch-brow in full force, and a bunch of engineering jargon on the tip of my tongue before realizing it was one of my co-workers.

In fact, it was a very specific co-worker. A co-worker that smiled and stared at me, but would rather brood than talk to me. A co-worker that looked damn good in anything, including the bright orange over/coveralls that we wore every day, and still managed to keep my attraction going strong even after I caught him picking his nose.

"Hi," I yelled back over the noise from the concrete truck. I looked over my shoulder. They were pouring the concrete. "Just hang on a sec, okay?"

I ran over to the chute and grabbed to pails of concrete, expecting a pair of helping hands to show up and help the "weak" girl, but that didn't happen. I looked up after I grabbed my two pails and hauled them over to my station, which just happened to be facing the opposite way of a certain someone. Good. Maybe he'd fuck off if my back was turned.

"You were late!" he yelled at me instead. "They were going to make me do the concrete test!"

"Too bad I didn't show up then, huh?" I snarked back. "That would've been interesting, to say the least."

He snorted and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, a little more than interesting I think."

"So, what are you doing out here anyway?" I asked as I poured my concrete into my Rubber Maid container and began mixing it with my scoop.

"Densities," Edward replied, pointing to the opposite side of the gas station, where they were still excavating.

"I see," I said, looking down at my concrete and back at him before turning my back to him and starting to do my air test. As much as I would love to talk to the biggest asshole I worked with, I had a time limit.

He finally got the hint after my second layer of concrete.

"I'll see you back at the office," he called at me before backing out of the spot he occupied and leaving.

"Sure, sure," I mumbled. "Maybe you can watch me while I struggle to take in my concrete kit, or maybe you can watch my crush cylinders with my bare hands while I wish they were your face."

I needed to start doing yoga or something. There was way too much rage in my mind when I was around that guy...


So, this day, for the most part, actually happened while I worked at my engineering company in the summer/fall of 2011. I worked with this one university student that was so incredibly good looking and decently nice. I did catch him picking his nose one day, and surprisingly, it did not stop my attraction for him. I mean, yuck. The guy picked his nose. But, alas, he was still hot. Also, he'd stare at me whenever he happened to be in the office, but we hardly ever talked. Maybe he stared because I laughed exuberantly while in the clean lab and basically kept my lips zipped in the soil lab, where he worked. I don't know, but that little crush certainly kept my summer interesting. I wish I knew where that guy was, because I would totally make out with him (or sit on his face). ;)