Regina had been in Orlando for three days. Yesterday, Mika had come over for drinks and girl talk. Regina didn’t tell Mika that she and Sidney had separated. What was the point? She knew Sidney would be back as soon as he figured out that the homewrecker was all flash and no substance. Plus, she came back to Orlando to forget about her problems and to enjoy the warm weather. However, she did tell Mika that she wanted to put in a pool and a hot tub in the backyard. Mika knew a contractor who was good and dependable. She had called him for Regina.
Regina didn’t hold her breath for him to be on time. In her experience, contractors were never prompt, but they sure as hell wanted to be paid thusly. So, when her doorbell rang at exactly eleven a.m., she was just as shocked as she was when Sidney told her he was leaving her.
She opened the door to a white man who had a light tan. His hair was dark, thick, and tousled in the front. He had a little boy with him who had dark hair, too.
“Hi, Mrs. Jackson?” the man said.
“Yes,” she said almost breathlessly. He was gorgeous. She had dated a white guy when she was going to cosmetology school. It only lasted six months. He was sweet, but he wanted to have ten kids, and he wasn’t joking. Regina had wanted children but not ten. That was ridiculous in this day and age. They had broken up because they weren’t on the same page about their future. It was just as well because his parents and her family weren’t crazy about their relationship. A few months later, she had met Sidney. During the years, interracial couples had become a little more accepted, but she still heard the hiss of black women when a black man was either dating or married to a white woman. The same went on when a black man saw a black woman with a white man.
“Hi, I’m Scott Jenkins. Mika said you had a job for me.”
“And I’m Clay – Jenkins,” the little boy said.
“He’s my son,” the contractor said with a crooked smile. “Sometimes I let him tag along when I go on a job.”
Regina smiled at the child. “It’s nice to meet both of you. Please come in.”
They stepped into the small foyer.
“Did Mika tell you what I wanted done?”
“Yes, she said you wanted a pool and a hot tub in your backyard. I need to take a look at your property to see what I can do.”
Regina walked them to the backyard. She quietly watched Scott survey her lot. Clay was on his father’s heels. It looked like he was explaining to the child what he was doing. He took out his phone and snapped some pictures of her yard. Another few minutes went by before they walked back to her.
“You have good land here,” Mr. Jenkins said. “Have you considered putting up a privacy fence as well?”
“No, but it is something to consider since I want to put in a pool. Then again, my neighbors are not that close.”
“No, you have plenty of yard space between the homes, but what if you’re having a pool party? Do you really want your neighbors peeking out their window at you?” Mr. Jenkins asked.
She chuckled. “No. You have convinced me. I would like an estimate for the fence as well.”
“You know, this is a great property. I was thinking that it would be nice to make this a real space for entertaining. Outdoor kitchen and grill along with the pool and hot tub.”
Regina thought for a moment. It sounded great, but this was only a vacation home. Once Sidney came to his senses, she would be heading back to Livingston. “I don’t know. This is just a vacation home.”
He nodded. “I understand. I tell you what, give me a few days to put some sketches together for you, and you can decide. If anything, a better outdoor space can increase the value of the house.”
“That’s true. All right, I’ll look at your sketches.”
“It’ll be real nice, Mrs. Jackson. My dad is the best contractor in Orlando,” Clay bragged with a smile.
The adults chuckled.
“I like you,” she said to the little boy. “I’ll take your word for it. Mr. Jenkins, if you can show me some great sketches, then you’ll have the job. Oh, and if it’s reasonably priced.”
“I’ll keep that in mind, and please call me Scott, Mrs. Jackson.”
“All right, you can call me Regina.”
“I’ll be in contact with you in a few days,” Scott said.
True to his word, Scott returned to her house three days later. They were in the kitchen sitting at the table. His sketches were beautiful. “Did you make these yourself?” she asked. “With the help of graphic software, yes,” he said sheepishly. “As you can see, I have a sketch of just the pool and hot tub. The second sketch is with a privacy fence. And this one,” he said as he pulled out the third sketch. “Is what I had in mind for your backyard.” Her mouth dropped open. “Wow.” The sketch had a full patio area with an in-ground, square pool, a large grilling area with steel cabinets, a patio set with lounge chairs, and a small brown building
Two weeks later . . .Regina was having a light brunch with Mika, Rachel, and Lisa. Rachel and Lisa were friends of Regina’s who lived in the neighborhood. She kept in touch with them through text messages and Facebook.The backyard was a mess, so Regina had closed the blinds to the patio doors. But at least things were getting done. It took Scott an extra few days to get the permits, but he started the job a day after he got them. He had three other workers, and he hired an independent contractor for the pool and hot tub.The ladies were chatting about the latest fashions when the sliding door opened. It was Scott. Sweat glistened off his tanned skin and on his temples. He was wearing a white wife-beater and light-colored blue jeans. The muscles in his arms were prominent and thick, but not bulky. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know you had company.”“It’s all right,” Regina said.&ldquo
Three days later . . .Regina was talking to Scott about his progress. The pool would be five feet at its deepest. The digger was coming tomorrow to break ground on it. Once the cement was poured, Scott could start working on the hut and patio.His men were returning from break. They grabbed their tools so they could continue to break up her old patio slab.Regina looked over at the men. “Hey, I thought you only had three guys working for you,” she said as she eyed the fourth man she had never seen before. He was wearing blue jeans and an orange T-shirt.Scott followed her gaze. His eyes narrowed at the unidentified man. “Hey!” he yelled.The unknown man started walking over to them. He pulled an envelope out of his back pocket.“Who the hell are you?” Scott asked with furrowed brows.“Regina Jackson?’ the man asked her.“Yeah.”He handed
Regina had woken two hours ago. She had a slight headache and felt groggier than she usual would waking up. She had popped two aspirin and called Uber to take her back to the bar to get her car. She had just finished taking a shower when the doorbell rang. It was a few minutes after nine. She wrapped a cotton robe around her and headed downstairs. As she walked to the door, she wondered who it could be. When she peeked out the door, her head jarred back. It was Scott. It was Saturday, and he didn’t work on the weekends unless he was behind on a project, so she wondered what he was doing there. Regina opened the door. “Hi.” He was holding a white paper bag. “Hi. I came by to c
It was Monday morning, and Regina entered the large law firm in downtown Orlando. She sat in the waiting area of Bowman and Richards looking at her cell phone to see if she had any messages, and then put it away. Glancing down, she inspected her outfit of white stockings, white high-heeled shoes, and peach-colored business skirt and matching top. She had left the house before Scott and his men had arrived. She wanted to have breakfast out and stop by the post office to pick up a package of books she had ordered online. When they had arrived on Saturday, she wasn’t home. For some reason, the mailman wouldn’t leave them on her porch. A short, chubby, middle-aged woman approached her. “Mrs. Jackson?” “Yes.”&
Scott couldn’t believe what he did yesterday. She seemed to have brushed it off, but still. He was going to wait a few months before he made a move on her. But thanks to his carelessness, he might have blown it. His plan was to get to know her better on a friendship level and ease in, but that plan was shot to hell now. “Dad, are you okay?” Clay asked from across the dinner table. Scott looked up. “Yeah. Why do you ask?” “Because you got this far-off look on your face, and you’re just poking at your food. I mean, you’re not the best cook in the world, but it’s not that bad.” 
It was Thursday afternoon, and Regina was concerned about her interaction with Scott. He had avoided her like the plague on Wednesday. When she went out to speak to him this morning, he wouldn’t look at her as they talked. There had to be a way to get him to lighten up and get back to the easy manner they once had. She found Scott easy to talk to. It was like he didn’t judge her, and there was always understanding in his eyes. She still hadn’t told Mika or the rest of her friends that she was getting a divorce. They were good friends, but they were still women. It had been Regina’s experience that women were two-faced no matter how long they were friends with someone. She really wasn’t ready to be gossiped about behind her back. There was a t
Scott, Clay, and Regina had just finished dessert. The guys had gobbled up the food like they hadn’t eaten in days. Normally, she would have leftovers for two days. Not with Scott and Clay. Both of them had two helpings. Scott had two pieces of cake. They walked to the living room. “So, Clay, what do you want to do now?” she asked. “Do you have a PlayStation?” “No, but I think I got something just as good. Let’s go downstairs.” Scott’s eyebrow kicked up.&nbs