Making Amends
Carol and Sophia had managed to make the living room livable. Aaron and Eric had put the beds up in the upstairs bedrooms. The kitchen was still a disaster and there were boxes everywhere but the house was livable, mostly.
Carol had sent Sophia upstairs to bed at a decent hour. She sat down in the living room and began to go over her renovation plan. Demo in the kitchen was the first step. Aaron and Eric were starting that tomorrow morning. Aaron was borrowing a friend's dump truck to haul the debris away. The kitchen was pretty much a complete gut.
Then the bathrooms. One upstairs and one on the main floor. One at a time of course. She knew the comps in this neighborhood. The bathrooms would be gutted but she wasn't breaking the bank to create super spas.
The living room and dining room after that and then the three bedrooms. The truck company employee had been at fault. So they had settled for enough money to send Sophia to college and then buy this house and fix it up for resale. Her job at the computer section of the Atlanta Police Department paid enough to support her and Sophia but it wasn't her ultimate goal. Carol wanted to leave Atlanta and buy a small farm. She liked to grow things and she had enough computer skills to either work from home or find a job in some sort of business.
She liked this house. Maybe she would be happy living here in this neighborhood. She liked Andrea Grimes and her husband Rick. Their son Carl had been friendly to Sophia. On the other hand there was Daryl Dixon or as she more accurately called him, Greasy Rider.
Daryl was at least thirty five but he dressed and wore his hair like a rebellious teenager. Carol suspected that he had watched way too many reruns of "The Breakfast Club". One of those clueless guys who just never grow up, who never quite see the gray in their own hair, and who cling to their illusion of youth way past their shelf life.
The man was scruffy. Foul mouthed and cocky, but Daryl had half killed himself moving boxes this morning. He was more than a little rough around the edges but he might have a heart of gold underneath the grimy shirt and threadbare leather vest. Either way he was of little interest to her.
Carol checked all the doors and windows. First night in a new house. First house that belonged to her. She sat down on the couch in the living room and decided to just close her eyes for a few minutes.
Carol was roused from her sleep when someone began pounding on her front door. She had always been a light sleeper and by the time she rolled off the couch she was looking for the baseball bat that Aaron had left. Carol turned on the porch light grateful that she had replaced the burnt out bulb that had been there.
She peeked through the sidelight and saw that the porch was empty except for a woman with lot of makeup and bleached hair. Probably drunk. Carol opened the door but didn't open the storm door.
"Who the hell are you?" The woman snarled. "And what in the fuck are you doing in this house?"
"I'm Carol and I live in this house. So if you want me to call you a cab to take you somewhere I will, but if you don't get off this porch I am going to call the police."
The woman hit the storm door angrily. "Daryl belongs to me. You leave him alone or I'll make you sorry. You tell him to come out here right now and talk to Tiffany." She stepped back from the door and began to yell. "Daryl! Daryl! Let me in Daryl."
Carol realized that the woman thought this was Daryl's house. The houses did look alike and Daryl hadn't trimmed the shrubbery recently or ever. Tiffany looked like the kind of woman who got picked up in sleazy bars. She also looked a little bat shit crazy. That's just the way you roll, Greasy Rider. You like you some crazy bitches.
She saw a tall lanky Atlanta policeman come up the walk. Rick Grimes must have heard the racket this woman was making and come over to calm her down.
Rick was speaking in that calm voice that police officers used to use on Ed when the neighbors called them in to settle Ed down. Always worked on Ed who could turn off his anger quickly when it might land him in jail. Wasn't working too well on Tiffany. Carol called 911. Rick was off duty and he was going to need help with Daryl's psycho bimbo.
The police arrived with flashing lights. What a way to get introduced to the neighborhood. Daryl Dixon joined the chaos. Tiffany ran toward him, "Daryl, make Carol get out of your house. I love you, Daryl."
Daryl's bad hair was pointing in all directions and he wasn't wearing any shoes. "Tiffany, for fuck's sake. Shut up and go home. Leave me alone." He looked guiltily at Carol's door. "Leave Carol alone."
"Baby, I love you. I can make you happy. Just throw her out of your house. " The police hauled Tiffany out in the back seat of the patrol car. Carol could almost hear the music from the TV show "Cops". Bad boys, bad boys, whatta you gonna do when they come for you."
Rick came to her door with Daryl. She asked them in because she felt the neighborhood had been entertained enough with the Tiffany and Daryl show.
"She is going to be charged with public intoxication and I think that they'll wind up with some sort of psych evaluation if she doesn't calm down." Rick shook his head, "Not a great way to spend your first night in your home."
Daryl looked embarrassed, "I'm think she thought she was at my house. She was there a month ago. I can't get rid of her. I stopped going anywhere I thought she would be and today I ran into her at a bar. I told her that I was dating someone else. Someone named Carol. Thought that she would just pick some other guy to stalk. Didn't think she would show up here. I'm sorry."
"I don't think she is drunk. I think she is crazy. Fortunately Sophia slept through this, but this looney tune woman thinks that I am keeping you away from her." And right now I would feed you to her bit by bit.
"I am so sorry. What can I do to make this up to you?" Daryl did look sorry, but sorry wasn't going to keep Crazy Eyes locked up for long.
Carol stared at him. "You need to be over here at 7 o'clock tomorrow morning. We are going to demo the kitchen and maybe we'll do the downstairs bathroom while we are at it. You can help."
Daryl nodded, "I'll be there. I owe you big time."
Rick jumped in, "You need to get a court order to keep her away from you and your property. I guess both of you should do that because I don't think she knows which house Daryl lives in and that Carol isn't a rival for Daryl's affection." There you go. A word of truth. Carol isn't a rival for Daryl's affection. Carol wants to build a ten feet high fence between their houses right now.
Carol gave Daryl another look. "I think that you are going to have your free time all booked up from now on Mr. Dixon."
Daryl slunk back toward his house and Rick went home. Carol locked the doors again and went upstairs to check on Sophia who had slept through the whole event.
Carol had the coffee on before Eric and Aaron got there. Daryl surprised her by showing up on time and with breakfast sandwiches from a fast food place.
Rick came over to tell them that Crazy Eyes was locked up for thirty days. He stayed for the demo.
All four men began to do that thing that men do when they get to destroy something with a sledge hammer. Yelling and slamming into things. They were having so much fun that Carol wondered if she should have charged them. Probably some sort of male behavior that traced itself all the way back to the cave men. She had a brief mental image of the four of them dressed in animal skins pounding the walls of a smoky cave. Aaron and Eric in matching skins and their hair styled. Rick carrying a bigger club than anyone else and Daryl with his hair falling into his eyes. He would look more at home in a cave than the others, but would probably demand that his space had a long comfortable animal skin couch and a wide screen television with access to the Discovery Channel.
Carol waited until their adrenaline filled rush from the demo fueled the removal of all that they had beaten into submission. She and Aaron turned off the electricity long enough to redo the wiring in the kitchen. The kitchen floor needed work and Eric was all over that. The less evolved Rick and Daryl tore through the downstairs bathroom. Two alpha types with sledge hammers in a small space. Please don't me have to call 911 again today. I'll be banished from the neighborhood and I so wanted to make a good impression.
Daryl and Rick cleared the mess from the bathroom and then decided that they could do the back porch. It wasn't a big porch and it was on the list for demo. Carol came out to bring them bottles of water when it got quiet. Both men were sitting on the remains of the porch with dazed expressions on their face. I'll resist asking if it was good for them.
Rick finished his water and got up carefully. "I had better go check on Andrea and Carl". He hobbled off. Was he this bowlegged before?
"He's alright. Just isn't used to hard work." Daryl struggled to his feet. "I'd better start loading this up." He's really trying to make amends. I won't call him Greasy Rider anymore.
She and Daryl worked side by side in the cleanup. Eric and Aaron came out to help and it wasn't long before the remains of the back porch resided in the dump truck. Then it was time to view the kitchen floor because men no matter what their sexual orientation have to have verbal praise for any job done.
"The oak flooring underneath the linoleum looks to be in good shape," Eric was happy to report.
Carol smiled at him, "You did a great job with this and Aaron got the kitchen rewired. Once all the new drywall is put up in here I can began sanding the flooring. Who is ready for some chili?" Praise and feed. Just like children.
Carol had put chili on in the crock pot early this morning and everyone trooped to the one working bathroom to wash up. Early March in Georgia can have some cold days and the spicy chili warmed everyone up.
Eric and Aaron were leaving after lunch to unload the dump truck. Daryl hung around until they left. "Do you need any more help?" Just how crazy is Tiffany? Daryl has worked his ass off today. I am starting to feel guilty.
"Not much more we can do today. The drywall and insulation isn't getting delivered until Tuesday. I'm just going to take down some of the crown molding and baseboards. Thank you for helping Daryl. We really got a lot done with your help today." Go and have a good life, Daryl.
He fidgeted some and chewed on a cuticle. Carol waited him out. Finally, he muttered, "Gotta truck, we can go get some drywall and insulation and put it up this afternoon."
Carol thought of all the reasons that was a bad idea. Starting with spending more time with Daryl who for all she knew had a slew of Tiffanies ready to go postal on her because they thought that she was stealing Daryl from them. There were more reasons than that but with the drywall here today and Daryl's help they could work on the kitchen they could finish dry walling the kitchen.
"Are you sure you don't mind?"
Daryl shook his head, "I feel like shit because Tiffany showed up at your house last night. She could have scared your little girl. I ain't got anything better to do."
"I have to call Axel and have him come over here and check on the electrical before we put the drywall up." Axel creeps me out a little, but he if thought Daryl was my boyfriend he wouldn't have the nerve to say or do anything. Yes, use Daryl to fend off Axel because he used you try to fend off Tiffany.
Axel was a master electrician. He had as a favor agreed to check on the wiring as they did each room. He showed up with a smile on his face within twenty minutes of her call
Carol referred to Daryl as her "friend" when she introduced him. Daryl gave her the side eye and smirked at her.
Axel frowned at Daryl, but checked each wire and connection carefully. "Looks good. I can come by tomorrow night and drop that new breaker box in."
Carol forced a smile, "That would be great. I'll be here after four o'clock.
Axel gave Daryl another unhappy look and left. Daryl commented, "He's skeevy as hell. I'll be home by four thirty." What a tangled web we weave when at first we do deceive."
The home improvement store was only a few miles away. Sophia decided to watch a video with Carl at his house. They were home in less than an hour. Daryl brought over some portable lights so that the kitchen would be brightly lit enough to work.
Carol got a text message from Aaron, "Eric fell off a ladder this afternoon. He has to have surgery and will be on crutches for two months. Sorry he can't help you on your house."
Carol leaned against the wall. She had been depending on Eric to help her. How could she do this alone? She had worked with Eric enough to know what to do, but trying to do it by herself? Your best friend is in pain and all you can think about is yourself. Shame on you.
"Something wrong?" Daryl asked.
She told him the bad news. Daryl grunted. "You know how to do this?"
"I have never worked on a house without Eric. I know what to do, but getting it done?"
"Let's try." Daryl moved the first sheet of dry wall into position.
The drywall went up slowly at first. Daryl got frustrated because she measured cuts too many times and she got frustrated because he was in too big a hurry. They both wanted to use the power drill to attach the drywall into studs. Eventually they began to work together. They finished the walls and got the "lifter" out of the garage to hold the heavy drywall in place while they attached it to the ceiling.
Carol admired their handiwork. "It looks good. It really does. Professional quality." She gave Daryl a curious look, "Why are you doing this?"
Daryl shifted uneasily, "My aunt left the house to me. I want to sell it to make enough money to build a cabin in the mountains. My brother is in prison. I want a place for him to go to when he get out. I need your help to fix my house up so that it will be worth more money. I'll help you if you'll help me".
Carol looked at the kitchen. Her new house was a mess. Eric wasn't going to be able to help her. Trying to find someone else who could work on her schedule would be impossible. Daryl's offer would obligate her to work with him for months. They had nothing in common and she didn't really trust this guy to give up all his free time to get this renovation finished. She liked to plan every detail of a project and Daryl liked to fly by the seat of his pants.
"It's a deal, but you have to keep all your Tiffanies out of my house."
"It's a deal then. I'll be over after work. What are we going to do after your skeevy boyfriend Axel gets finished tomorrow.
"We're to start taping and mudding the drywall. Aaron's friend, Cesar Martinez is going to start the plumbing in the kitchen and in the other bathroom. We need to measure for the kitchen cabinets and appliances."
Daryl left before she finished talking. He was rude and stubborn. She couldn't see this plan lasting more than a few days but he wasn't lazy and he wasn't hitting on her. Which totally worked for her. Daryl wanted to sell his house and go live on some godforsaken mountain with his criminal brother. She wanted to live in an old farmhouse with her daughter. Maybe the little they had in common would be enough to keep this alliance together. Maybe.
AN
The movie "The Breakfast Club" is actually a very good teenage angst film. It has been broadcast countless times. Judd Nelson play a rebellious teenage boy who acts tough but has a sensitive side. Kind of foreshadows Carol finding out that Daryl is not really very tough at all.
Loved all the reviews. So can Carol and Daryl renovate two houses? Or will they go after each other with nail guns and hammers? Will Tiffany get out of the psych ward and terrorize Carol? I don't have a clue. Daryl and I both fly from the seat of our pants.
More house porn to follow.