It wasn't until he got back into his house and got preoccupied that he realized he didn't know what time Mike was going to come back. It was like neither of them had even thought about the time and Erwin had work tomorrow at that. So he just figured when he woke up the next morning he could call the man.
He started the next day like he usually would and just before going to the office he gave Mike a call. This time it was only a few rings before the husky man picked up the other line.
"Oh, hello Mike?"
"Good Morning Mr. Smith, Is there something I can help you with?" The tall man asked sleepily.
Erwin noted that Mike probably wasn't used to getting up so early considering he said he didn't have much business. "Well I was just calling to see what time you'd be coming this evening, I have to go to work in the office today and I don't think I'll be done until 3-4:30 p.m"
"Ah, I understand. I can make it over whenever you get off work, just call me when you're done."
"Alright! I can't thank you enough." Erwin couldn't help but feel grateful at meeting such a nice man.
"No problem, It's the first time in a long time that I've had any business so I don't mind getting back into the swing of things." Mike sighed with a slight chuckle.
"Ok its settled then I'll see you later!" he said happily.
"Ha ha yeah, see you."
Erwin hung up the phone and grabbed his coat, suitcase, slipped his shoes on and set out the door.
The day seemed to drag on but Erwin successfully got all the office's paperwork done. Occasionally daydreaming throughout the day about the condition his garden will be in once cleaned up of the weeds but not too deep in his fantasies that he got nothing done. He was able to leave right on time to meet Mike.
He made his way back home, a little tired but that wasn't enough to bring him down as he pulled into his driveway to see lawn tools neatly placed on a display blanket in the middle of the yard. He hopped out and looked around for the man and found him hunched over, on his knees in the middle of the garden.
"Good evening, Mike!" Erwin trotted over to him happily.
"Oh, hello Erwin" The taller man said still in deep thought.
"Is something wrong?"
"Yes and No… hmm" Mike paused. "It seems that its not just the helicopters taking root in your garden that's the problem"
"Oh no, What else is it?" He started to get slightly worried.
"Well its nothing drastic, but as old as this mulch is it's started to decompose and attract termites." Mike grabbed a handful of the mulch in his gloved hand and showed it to Erwin.
Erwin bent over to look at the mulch within his hand carefully. "I see what you're saying now" He sighed.
"No worries though, I can have this fixed up within a week or so."
"You'd really do that?" Erwin said ecstatically.
"Of course. Like I said before I don't have any other customers so I don't really mind."
"You're a blessing" Erwin gave both of the man's broad shoulders a few pats.
"Ha ha thanks but no problem."
"I'm going to go inside and put something more comfortable on" He said wanting to quickly get out of his work clothes. Although he enjoyed looking decent in the workplace he couldn't wait to get home to put something more laid back on.
"Sure, Sure" Mike waved casually at the other man.
Erwin hummed happily as he unlocked his door and made his way to his bedroom. He shedded all of his work clothes, putting them in the hamper, and then acquired a new comfortable fresh outfit that he could also be outside in. He made his way back through his hallway and had the thought that he was a little thirsty and he could only imagine how Mike felt with the accumulating heat outside.
He made his way through the kitchen and made a pitcher of fresh lemonade carefully putting it into two glasses with ice. He sat it all nicely together on a tray so he could easily carry it out to his new found friend. He glanced at the tray giving it a slight accomplished huff before heading out the front door to the yard.
"Here Mike, I made us some lemonade." Erwin said cheerfully walking over to the man.
Although it had been such a small amount of time since Erwin had went into the house, Mike had most of the little Maple trees pulled up from the ground.
Mike looked up slightly surprised. "Oh thank you, you didn't have to do that"
Erwin handed him a glass and smiled, "Of course, I don't want you to end up working yourself to death."
Mike chuckled and grabbed one of the glasses taking a sip. "Wow this is pretty good."
"Ha ha thanks, I always fix it just like my mom taught me to." Erwin says happily as he sits the tray on a table in the patio. "It's the perfect amount of lemon juice and sugar"
"You aren't kidding" Mike says after gulping down his cup.
"Feel free to get more, I made a whole pitcher of it, Help yourself." Erwin started heading the front door.
"Thank you"
"You're welcome, Now if you need anything don't hesitate to come get me or call for me. I'm going back in to work on some paperwork."
"Sure" Mike said nonchalantly.
Erwin headed back inside his house and started for his office, grabbing his suitcase along the way. He only had a tiny bit of work left to do and he knew he should be done before it got too late.
He was close to finishing when he heard footsteps coming down his hall, he laid down his pen as Mike knocked on the doorframe to his office.
"I'm done for the day" Mike reported. "I can come back tomorrow and work if you want."
"Thank you so much! I'd really like that" Erwin smiled "I just can't seem to thank you enough Mike!"
"Ha ha I can make it around the same time tomorrow, if its all the same to you."
"Sure, Sure. I should be done in the office around the same time tomorrow." Erwin chuckled.
"Alright, have a good night Mr. Smith" he turned to walk out the door.
"Oh and Mike." Erwin called after the tall man.
"Yes?" Mike came and rested his hand on the door frame.
"Please call me Erwin, you don't have to stay so formal." Erwin grinned.
"Of course, Erwin" Mike smiled and gave a small wave before leaving.
Erwin leaned back in his chair sighing before he sat up, cracked his fingers, and began working again. He just needed to look over a few more papers, sign a few, and he would be done for the night. Since he worked on these tonight and didn't wait until he was at work tomorrow, he should have an easy day and get home relatively early tomorrow evening. Erwin felt happy.
He woke up the next morning in a pretty good mood. Got dressed, drank his coffee, and went about his work day. Once there he waved at his fellow co workers before he walked into his little room along the wall of different offices. He got started with his work right away just like he always did.
He sat and worked diligently in his chair and got to thinking about how much of a good worker Mike was. Although Erwin was his only customer he still thought the man was considerate, after all Mike always arrived at the same time and stayed until he got done with his task for the day. To what Erwin could see he done his job profoundly and never slacked off. Erwin wanted to repay the man and thought harder on ways he could.
Finally he came up with the answer. What better way to show your appreciation than to put some food on the grill?
He finished up at work early and decided to head to the grocery. He wanted to grill them both up something nice so he got some salmon and a few ingredients along with some fresh mushrooms and string beans from the farmer's market on the outskirts of town. Erwin learned, one day when he had a day off and wandered around town, that vegetables and fruit always taste the best if they're bought fresh from a farmer's market.
Once he had everything he needed he made his way back to the house with his arm full of grocery bags as he greeted his little, but not little, gardener.
"Oh, Hello Erwin, Do you need any help with those?" Mike stood up from his spot within the mulch.
"No not at all!" Erwin smiled at him. "Since you always help me out with my garden, I want to show my gratitude. So I thought we could enjoy a grill out." he beamed with happiness.
"You don't have to go through so much trouble."
"Ah, but I want to. You've become a friend of mine now." Erwin said as he headed towards the kitchen to set things up.
"Well, Thanks a lot Erwin… I consider you a friend of mine now too. Do you need any help preparing anything?" Mike looked a little concerned that the man was going through so much just for him.
Erwin opened up the other set of doors within his kitchen that lead out to another part of the patio that held the grill. "Nah, Just sit there and rest while I get everything started." He walked across the wood and started up his gas grill before walking back into the kitchen to start working on the salmon's citrus glaze.
"Would you like anything to drink? I have beer, soda, juice, you name it" Erwin said in the middle or stirring, and stopped to open the refrigerator.
"I'll have a beer, thank you" Mike said as he sat down at the bar beside the kitchen.
Erwin threw the beer over to Mike with a grin. "Good choice, Good choice." He turned back around and continued on the glaze then swiped it on both sides of the salmon before heading back out to the patio and putting it on the grill.
"Alright, now that I got that out of the way I'll start with the side dish." He shuffled through his grocery bags to pull out the string beans and mushrooms.
"Are you sure you don't want any help?" Mike questioned not knowing what to do with himself.
"Yes, I am sure but thank you. If you want you can watch something on the television." Erwin said still looking down concentrating on cutting the mushrooms.
"You're welcome, and nah I don't watch much TV unless a ballgame is on." Mike took a drink from his can.
"Same, I can't get into much of the shows that are on usually." Erwin scraped the slivers of mushrooms off of the cutting board and started sauteeing them with some garlic and let the string beans cook.
"I know right? I usually just find something to do around the house" Mike sighed with a small laugh.
"Same, Same" Erwin added the oil, honey, and soy sauce to the mushrooms and let them simmer for a while and went to check on the salmon.
"Wow Erwin, it smells amazing." Mike sniffed the air a couple more times.
"Thank you." He began straining the string beans and began to pour the mushrooms and garlic over them.
Erwin put the beans aside in a dish and grabbed a drink before he sat down to rest for a moment. "Well now that the mushrooms and beans are finished, we just have to wait on the salmon to get finished and then we may eat." He sighed.
They talked for a couple minutes about football, and things they done around the house to pass time before Erwin got up to bring in the steaming salmon. He cut the salmon in two and began to brush the remaining bits of glaze onto the fish. He set them up on two plates, putting the mushrooms and string beans beside the fish.
"And here you are Mr. Zakarius" Erwin chuckled as he made his way over to set the plate in front of Mike. Sitting down beside the man at the bar with his plate too.
Mike got up and walked over to the sink to wash his hands off before sitting back down to enjoy the meal. They both sat in silence as they savored the amazing flavors within the fish mixed with the mushrooms and beans.
"Erwin its delicious, is this another recipe your mom taught you?" Mike questioned with an amazed look on his face.
Erwin giggled at the question, making the other man look at him with more questions. "Nah, I just learned this one night while watching the Food Network" Erwin looked over at him with 'believe it or not' grin on his face.'
"Ha ha haa I never would've guessed!" Mike said while laughing. "Sometimes, I admit, I find myself watching that show and hating myself afterwards because I end up making myself hungry for something I know I can't possibly make" Mike chuckled some more.
"You know, I thought that very same thing" Erwin pointed the fork at Mike and waved it. "Until one day I thought 'Why not?' and I tried it."
"Heh heh well maybe I can try making something off of there one day and I'll make you my guinea pig and you can try it." Mike said jokingly.
"I'm sure it wouldn't be that bad!"
"You believe in me too much, dear Erwin" Mike chuckled as he finished his plate and got up to rinse it off in the sink.
They both talked some more before Mike thanked him once more and left. Erwin washed the dishes off giggling at some of the things the man had said earlier before he decided to take a shower and head off to bed.
Over the next couple of days they both started talking more and Mike started staying progressively longer.