Matt reached for the bandanna in his rear pocket. It was soaked with sweat, which had of course done wonders for the seat of his pants. He wiped his face and wrung the bandanna with a quick twist. Sweat dribbled from it like a leaky faucet onto the top of his shoe. He stared at it almost hypnotically, before feeling it soak through the light mesh fabric, giving his toes a nice, slimy feel. Oh, that was just dandy, wasn’t it?
“As I recall, you said Joe and Laird would be here to help us with your ‘little project’ and that Megan and Allison would cook some burgers and we’d have beer, and that – oh yeah, installing this thing should only take a couple of hours at the most.”
“They’re coming,” Travis said.
“You said that four hours ago.”
“They must be running a little late.”
“Maybe you never called them at all.”
“Of course I called them. And they’re bringing the kids, too. I promise.”
“When?”
“Soon.”
“Uh-huh,” Matt answered. He stuffed the bandanna back in his pocket. “And by the way – assuming they don’t arrive soon, just how on earth do you think the two of us will be able to lower this thing into place?”
Travis dismissed the problem with a wave as he turned toward the box again. “We’ll figure it out. Just think how well we’ve done so far. We’re almost halfway there.”
Matt scowled again. It was Saturday – Saturday! His day of recreation and relaxation, his chance to escape from the grindstone, the break he earned after five days at the bank, the kind of day he needed. He was a loan officer, for God’s sake! He was supposed to push paper, not hot tubs! He could have been watching the Braves play the Dodgers! He could have been golfing! He could have gone to the beach! He could have slept in with Liz before heading to her parents’ house like they did almost every Saturday, instead of waking at the crack of dawn and performing manual labor for eight straight hours beneath a scalding southern sun…
He paused. Who was he kidding? Had he not been here, he would have definitely spent the day with Liz’s parents, which was, in all honesty, the main reason he’d agreed to Travis’s request in the first place. But that wasn’t the point. The point was, he didn’t need this. He really didn’t.
“I don’t need this,” he said. “I really don’t.”
Travis didn’t seem to hear him. His hands were already on the box, and he was getting into position. “You ready?”
Matt lowered his shoulder, feeling bitter. His legs were shaking. Shaking! He already knew he’d be in serious, double-dose-of-Advil pain in the morning. Unlike Travis, he didn’t make it into the gym four days a week or play racquetball or go running or go scuba diving in Aruba or surfing in Bali or skiing in Vail or anything else the guy did. “This isn’t fun, you know?”
Travis winked. “You said that already, remember?”
“Wow!” Joe commented, lifting an eyebrow as he walked the perimeter of the hot tub. By then, the sun was beginning its descent, streams of gold reflecting off the bay. In the distance, a heron broke from the trees and gracefully skimmed the surface, dispersing the light. Joe and Megan, along with Laird and Allison, had arrived a few minutes before with kids in tow, and Travis was showing them around. “This looks great! You two did all of this today?”
Travis nodded, holding his beer. “It wasn’t so bad,” he said. “I think Matt even enjoyed it.”
Joe glanced at Matt, who lay flattened in a lawn chair off to the side of the deck, a cold rag over his head. Even his belly – Matt had always been on the pudgy side – seemed to sag.
“I can see that.”
“Was it heavy?”
“Like an Egyptian sarcophagus!” Matt croaked. “One of those gold ones that only cranes can move!”
Joe laughed. “Can the kids get in?”
“Not yet. I just filled it, and the water will take a little while to heat up. The sun will help, though.”
“The sun will heat it within minutes!” Matt moaned. “Within seconds!”
Joe grinned. Laird and the three of them had gone to school together since kindergarten.
“Tough day, Matt?”
Matt removed the rag and scowled at Joe. “You have no idea. And thanks for showing up on time.”