Page 66 of Unlikely to Stay
“Me too.The music, the clothes, Dustin, the Upside Down.All great.I’m trying to limit myself to one episode a night since there are only two seasons, but it’s been hard.”
“I know exactly what you mean.”
“Then unless you want to ditch work for the evening and head over to my place to watch, I suggest you tell me what to do.”
“You can start painting the baseboards that I’ve already cut.”
“Are you sure you want me painting?”
“I see you’ve come prepared in appropriate painting gear.I think you can handle it.”
“I’m glad you have faith in me.”
“Once I get all the ones cut for the main walls, now that you’re here we can start building the walls for the dance and yoga room.”
“That’s exactly what I thought about doing tonight.”
“Then chop, chop.”
Brant saluted her before grabbing a paint can and brush to get to work.All of a sudden, music started playing in the corners of the room.“How’d you already get the surround sound installed?”
“I begged Kent to come over today and install it and check the electric.He’s a sucker for Annie since she helped his son climb out of the dark hole he was in after returning from his tours overseas.Since I’m one of Annie’s closest friends, he’s a sucker for me by default.”
“You have no shame, do you?”
“Not if it gets this place up and running faster.”
“Everything look good?”
“Yep.Surprisingly, everything was up to code and it only took him minutes to install the surround sound.He told me he’d come back to install it in the yoga room when I was ready.I’m thinking I might soundproof those walls so when there are classes you can’t hear the sound from the main room.”
“I think that’s a good idea.”Brant began painting one of the baseboards.“So, did you tint the windows yourself?”
“Yeah.”
“Impressive.”
“How so?”she asked, cutting another baseboard.
“I imagine it’s like hanging wallpaper and that shit ishardto do,” he said, finishing up the first coat on the baseboard in his hand and starting on another.“I’m impressed you did this on your own.”
Colleen laughed.“Ain’t no thang but a chicken wing,” she said, giving him a wink before turning on the saw again.“And Imighthave made Kent help me before he left.”
They continued working together comfortably, her music the only sound echoing throughout the room.She definitely had an eclectic selection.He recognized the sound of Ed Sheeran’s voice in a couple more tracks in addition to some by Buddy Holly, Eminem, Johnny Cash, and even Frank Sinatra.
“You have some interesting choices in music,” he said loudly enough to be heard over the saw.
“What?”
“Your music.It’s eclectic!”he said louder.
She smiled and nodded her head before turning off the saw.“My dad was interested in all sorts of music when I was little, not just hippie music like my mom, so I got introduced to all genres.”
“You told me about your mom and dad, how your dad left.But you don’t talk about your mom much.Does she still live here?”
“Yep.”
Brant could tell by the sound of her voice Colleen’s relationship with her mother wasn’t the best.“I take it you guys aren’t close?”