Denied, I roll my eyes. “Maybe I like dirty and sweaty.”
Handing her my cup, I climb back up on the ladder to work on the shutter. I spray some WD-40 on the rusted catch, figuring if nothing else, maybe I can just work it loose. Wiggling the shutter back and forth, I can feel the catch starting to give. “You know, this is why you need a butch around. You really should get out here about once a month and treat these so they don’t rust.”
She shrugs. “I know. You told me that last hurricane season. It’s just in the in-between times, I tend to forget about it.”
“Well, then you need to put it on a calendar or something,” I snap. I’m aware that I sound sanctimonious, but I’m irritated that I can’t get the catch loose. Now I’ll probably have to unscrew the entire assembly from the cement wall which will mean remounting it after the storm. Drilling into concrete is a pain in the ass, especially on a ladder.
“I’m sorry, Dana.” Roxanne sounds contrite and sad, which makes me feel like a complete asshole. “If you want, I’ll call a contractor. You shouldn’t have to suffer for my mistakes.”
Lifting my hands to the sky in a “why me?” gesture, I call out, “Why have you forsaken me?”
Roxanne laughs. I look down to smile at her. “I’m just being dramatic because this fucker is really stuck on here. It’s pissing me off, not you.”
“Well, you’re yelling at me, not at the fastener.”
“True enough,” I say, laughing. “I think I’m going to have to take the whole thing apart. It’s stuck on here pretty good.” I give it one last yank and it jerks free, knocking my off balance. I know I’m going down and my life flashes before my eyes. Okay, technically, the image of me in a full body cast flashes before my eyes. Before I can recover my balance, I’m off the ladder and falling backward. Braced for the landing, it takes me a second to realize that I haven’t hit the ground. Instead, I’m in tiny little Roxanne’s arms and she’s laughing. “You know, you’re totally right,” she says, putting me down and rubbing her arms. “This is why I need a butch around. I just can’t handle this sort of thing all by my little lonesome.”
Shaking my head, I glare at her for a second before bursting into laughter. “Oh God, Roxanne. You’re tougher than you look.”
“And you’re heavier than you look.”
“I guess I’m a little portly.”
“Would you like me to finish the shutter?” she asks, sweetly.
“Not a chance.” I climb back up the ladder and finish latching the newly released shutter into place.
When I climb back down, Roxanne puts her arms around me and kisses me on the cheek. “My hero.”
“Yeah, right.”
“I’m serious. That’s a heavy job and I appreciate you taking care of it for me.”
Wrapping my arms around her waist, I smile. “So you’re admitting that I was right?”
“About what?” She grins.
“About needing a butch around.”
“Isn’t that kind of an antiquated notion? Like saying I need a man around?”
Ruffled, I lean back to look at her. “It’s not even close to the same thing. Saying that a woman needs a man is taking away her personal identity.”
“Saying a woman needs a butch is taking away her personal identity.”
“Au contraire. We complement each other. I’m the Laurel to your Hardy.”
“The ketchup to my mustard?”
“The salt to your vinegar.”
“Gross.”
We laugh for a moment before Roxanne pulls away, breaking the hug. Glancing at her watch, Roxanne says, “I better head down the hill and get some supplies.”
“Are you going to the grocery store? Can I come with you?”
“I thought you were all laid in?”
“I am, but I want to get some cookies.”
“If you want, I’ll get some chocolate chips and make you some cookies.”
“Oh, that’s even better. Why don’t you spend the night at my place?”
Looking at me sideways, she smiles. “Do you really think that’s a good idea?”
“Frankly, I think it’s a great idea. However, Susannah and Olivia and Sam will be there, so it won’t be quite the lovely intimate evening I would hope to be having with you.”
She reaches into her door to retrieve her car keys.
“In that case, I would love to spend the night. I hate being alone during storms.”
We get into her car and she heads down the hill. Watching her drive, I smile at her profile. She really is a beautiful woman.