“Not yet,” Asher says, squeezing me. I don’t know if his words or the lack of oxygen is responsible for the dizziness I’m feeling.
Jack nods his head. “Alright, so the only request you have is child safety?” he asks, looking at me.
“Um…” I know nothing about pools except how to swim in one. This isn’t as fun as I thought it would be.
“You want a Jacuzzi, a grotto, a deep end?” he asks, looking at me expectantly.
“Um…” I repeat, feeling like an idiot.
“You got any books or pictures of work you’ve done that we can look at for ideas?” Asher asks and I’m thankful that he’s smart. I sag into him with relief and he kisses the top of my head.
“Yeah, of course. Let’s go to the table.”
“Would you like something to drink?” I ask as we make our way into the kitchen.
“Coffee would be good, if you’ve got it.”
“Of course.”
I pour him a cup of coffee and get one for me and Asher as well. I set out sugar and cream on the counter and then take a seat between Asher and Jack.
“So these are some of the pool designs we did last year.” He pulls out three pictures. The first one looks like a tropical paradise. It has tons of flowers and plants around it. The pool is bright blue with sand colored cement surrounding it. The second is a plain, bean shaped pool with an area for chairs and a table. The third is large and has two areas for sunbathing. It had a Jacuzzi that you could get to from inside the pool by walking up a set of stairs or you could get to it from outside the pool. It also had a shallow end that you could lay in and the water would only be about five inches deep. If you had kids, you could stay with them in that area.
“I love this.” I point to the third picture.
“I like this,” Asher says, indicating the first picture.
“Well, we can incorporate what you both like into your pool.”
“Awesome,” I whisper.
“So, when can you start?” Asher asks, and I turn my head so fast that I’m surprised it doesn’t fly across the kitchen.
“Don’t you think we should discuss price?” I ask.
“You like it?”
“Uh yeah,” I say in a duh tone.
“So we’re getting it.”
“I like the pool, babe, but I also like diamonds. I still wouldn’t buy one without knowing the price,” I say quietly.
“I would,” Asher says with a completely straight face, causing me to do a double take.
“I guarantee the price is competitive,” Jack cuts in. “And you’re getting the family discount.”
“Oh.” It’s all I can say.
“So, when can you start?” Asher asks again and I shake my head. I don’t think that it’s normal to make this kind of decision in less than twenty minutes. The prices of pool installations that I saw in my research online were twenty thousand or more. That seems like a lot of money to spend just by looking at three pictures.
“It should take a week or so to get the permit then. We can break ground. After we start to dig, it should take about six-to-eight weeks to finish. You guys should be swimming by the time the weather really changes.”
“Wow, that’s so fast,” I say, smiling at Jack. He smiles and shakes his head, looking over my shoulder at Asher.
“You get it?” Jack says, looking at Asher. I look at Asher, wondering what the heck he’s talking about. He pulls me close and kisses my temple.
“Alright, man. Send me the blueprints,” Asher says, standing. “Let me know when you get the permit and are gonna break ground.”
“I’ll call you later this week,” Jack says, putting all of his stuff back in his folder.
“Next weekend is Gran’s birthday. Everyone will be expecting you.” Asher changes the subject and reminds Jack of the upcoming celebration.
“I’m driving to Atlanta with Meg this week, but we should be back in time for the party unless her family convinces her to stick around through the weekend.”
“Bring her.”
“What?” Jack asks, shoving his folder under his arm and walking towards the front door.
“Bring Meg.”
“Bring Meg?” Jack repeats.
“Yeah, why not?” Asher shrugs like it’s no big deal.
“You hate Meg,” Jack says, looking at me. I shrug. I have no idea who Meg is or what her history is.
“No, I hated that Meg was a friend and she believed the bullshit that bitch fed her about having my baby. Then, I was pissed that she confronted me in front of people in town about abandoning Joan after I knocked her up without ever asking me about it first. To top it off, she told Joan where I lived, so when I got home from a public blow out with Meg in town, I had to deal with Joan sitting on my front porch waiting for me.” Wow, I didn’t like Meg very much right now either. How could you claim that someone is your friend then believe a stranger over them?