Chapter 4

They actually got a lot of things done that afternoon. Bill brought his laptop in from the truck and Susan didn't have a problem working with the forms on the computer. She was mystified when he downloaded the files and he explained that he had a wireless connection.

Mandy had joined them, in a pair of lose jeans, and objected to the statement. "We don't have a wireless internet connection."

"Well, I do at my place," Bill asserted.

"Fine, but that's not here," Mandy retorted.

Bill looked at Susan and smiled. "I see what you mean about challenging," he said.

It earned him a genuine smile back and Susan gave one of those 'I told you so' shrugs.

Mandy looked between the two suspiciously.

Bill strung Mandy along a little longer before finally admitting that he lived in the 5^th wheel that was parked in the space right behind their space. "I have a pretty strong wireless signal because sometime I use it on job sites and it has to reach quite a distance."

The revelation that he lived right next door and hadn't told her lost some of the points Bill had gained with Susan.

About two hours later the other daughter got home and they had to go through the whole introduction and explanation thing about who he was and why he was there again.

Beth looked like a little girl version of her mom. Susan was quick to point out that Beth was 14 and was just starting to sprout. Bill was confused by the sprouting reference at first but caught on when Susan surreptitiously pointed at her own breasts.

Bill had been ready to say that Beth was a cute little girl and almost got a charley horse in his tongue when he changed it to, "I can see that and the sprouting looks good."

Bill winced inside as soon as he heard what he said and all three females looked at him like he was a strange bug.

Susan and both her girls had a million questions about construction and building big structures. The questions and answers continued late into the evening, about 9:00. The only real interruption was when pizza was delivered, which Bill paid for.

"Ok Mom," Mandy pronounced with her mouth full of pizza. "I know we usually don't let you keep pets but you can keep this one."

Beth giggled and agreed with her sister but added, "But it is up to you to make sure he is house broken."

Bill wasn't sure how he felt about the jokes at first but he relaxed after a few moments of thinking about it. This felt good. They accepted him and he felt comfortable with them. Well, most of the time anyway. There were a few times through the long afternoon and evening that Mandy turned a smoky look on him. The looks made him feel uncomfortable. Beth saw what her sister was doing and tried it a few times too. Susan noticed too but just shook her head in amusement and continued with the conversation.

Finally Susan exclaimed, "It sounds like complete chaos," referring to the construction of a big building.

"Well, you are close," Bill said. "But it's my job to turn it into managed chaos. That's why I get the big bucks."

"Really," Beth asked with big eyes. "How much do you get paid for managing something like that?"

"Beth," Susan scolded. "That isn't polite."

Bill grinned and said, "That's OK," before turning to Beth. "I figured it up one time. If I worked a normal 8 hours a day and 40 hours a week it would work out to between 45 and 50 dollars an hour."

"Really," all three females asked in unison? All of them got big eyes.

"Well, yes," Bill confirmed. "But that is for a 40 hour week. Then I calculated it against the hours that I was actually working and it was closer to about $18 an hour."