"That's for custom cabinets along two walls, racks for the skis and tall equipment, a workbench and tool rack, and a gun cabinet with a good lock. I'll be over shortly to show you the plans so we can make any changes before I finalize the delivery order on the supplies." Alex sat at his desk, speaking briskly into his phone and doing his best not to sound like he was grinning as much as he was.
"Sounds good, man," said Trey on the other end.
"One other thing," added Alex, flashing a look of pure excitement at Summer, who was leaning on his desk. "I'll have a couple people working with me, and we might have to be there overnight or dead early in the morning. We won't need to come into the house, but there'll probably be some noise. That ok?"
"Sure, whatever you need, buddy. I'm up pretty late anyway."
"Excellent. We'll be over a little later to get started. Just give me a call if you need anything."
He slipped his phone shut and spun in his chair to look up at Summer, his eyes blazing with excitement.
"Right, here's how it's going down. It's—" He checked the time. "4:33pm. If we get this done in 24 hours, you and Zen each get a $50 bonus. I'm going to get the supplier delivering the lumber to Trey's house and then finish up the plans. We start building at 5:45 sharp. Dress warm, eat a good dinner, and you might want to take a quick nap before then because bedtime should be sometime tomorrow."
Summer nodded, looking uncertain. Something in her eyes cut through the executive adrenaline rush beating through him. He knew by instinct and experience that, in the long run, ignoring personal issues for the sake of efficiency never developed either efficiency or, more importantly, healthy people. He put a hold on the tasks and ideas rushing inside him.
"What's up?"
She shook her head, then smiled at him. "You're so alive. How do you do it?"
The question took him by surprise. But there was no denying it. He hadn't felt like this in a long time. He looked at Summer, trying to see where the question had come from. She clutched at her elbows, her eyes fixed on the floor. There was a strange mix of intensity, vulnerability, and desperation in her. Careful, said a voice inside him, though he had no idea how, exactly, to be careful.
"I—I'm not always this way," he faltered. "I've been cleaning two garages a day for—I just keep doing the next thing. Sometimes the things become exciting. That's all."
"But what about..." Summer's voice trailed off. She shook her dreadlocks again. "You make it look so easy."
She smiled sadly, without looking up.
"I never even know what the next thing is."
She swallowed and Alex realized with a shock that she was crying.
"Hey, it's ok." He grabbed her in a casual hug. She tensed for the briefest moment, then relaxed into the hug. Alex did his best not to think about the time. "You're fine."