A Change for the Better? (14 page)

“Hi there” Declan boomed as Ben came through the door “what had you so deep in thought – or should that be who?” Declan’s throaty laugh made Ben shift uneasily.

“I’m thinking about a project actually” he answered defensively “it could really make things happen for us.”

“Okay” Declan smiled, deciding not to tease his friend anymore “do you want a coffee? And you can fill me in about it?”

“Yeah, black please – oh and throw a sandwich together – I’m bloody starving!”

Just over an hour later Ben had filled Declan in, not only on the Southampton project but also about his missing parent and his new house guest. He was actually feeling much better now, Declan’s calm manner and refusal to get wound up by almost anything was having a soothing effect on Ben. He started to see that with some help from his friends he could actually cope with Lucy and work.

“Cheers Dec, and not just for the sarnie. I needed a bit of clear Irish thinking”

“No problem mate, I needed to speak to you anyway. Cliona’s having another of her dinner parties four weeks on Friday and as I need someone who lives on this planet to talk to I thought you might like to make up the numbers.” Declan saw Ben hesitate and decided to press
home his advantage before Ben wriggled out of it, “and, of course, as you owe me a favour now, after my sage advice on your present predicament …..”

Ben groaned

“Okay, okay, I’ll come – but only cos you’ll be cooking. Cliona’s artistic friends can be a bit hard on the digestion.” Declan said nothing but a flash of recognition flew across his face

“I’ll ring you next week and give you the time” was all he said with a wink.

Later that evening, as he poured himself a
well-deserved
cold beer, Ben congratulated himself on handling the situation with Lucy much better than expected. She had taken the news about staying with Ben for an indefinite period in a relatively calm, and possibly even adult, manner. In fact there had only been a small skirmish when he had set out some of the rules, in particular about having at least two
days’ notice
when she was going to be out for the evening, so he could check out the facts followed by a particularly heated debate about Ben checking Lucy’s homework. However he had come out on top for both by using the age old elder brother trick of shouting louder, sitting on her and tickling her until she conceded. All in all he was pleased with his evening’s work. Now all he had to do was sit down and work out the
detailed
costing
for the Southampton project and he could call it a night!

By Thursday morning Ben was shattered, he had now spent two nights into the wee small hours trying to get his
costing
right and he was still a fair way from making it affordable. He was glad Thursday had arrived and he had some physical work to do, checking the progress at Cheadle House and then fixing the plumbing at Tolpuddle House later that afternoon. Ben couldn’t wait to get to Katie’s and get his hands dirty doing some real work (and that was the only reason he was looking forward to it he told himself). By three o’clock Ben was ready to work off some pent up frustration by hard graft. The assessment at Cheadle House had not gone as well as he had hoped and he had to get rid of a couple guys on the site – something he never enjoyed, so as he waited outside Rawlinston Girl’s College to pick Lucy up he was ready for an afternoon of uncomplicated plumbing.

Three hours later this noble object seemed a long way away. ‘Uncomplicated’ was the last thing this plumbing was. Billy and Ben had uncovered numerous quirks to Tolpuddle House’ plumbing that had caused a lot of scratching of heads, rubbing of chins and muffled curses. Billy was a determined man and had never let a plumbing problem defeat him yet, so he was sorting out each challenge as it
arose. Ben had been pretty much reduced to labourer and assistant with responsibility for wrench holding. Still this had given him plenty of opportunity to speak to Katie who, when they had arrived had opened the door in oversized overalls and streaks of magnolia paint down each cheek. Katie had started to paint the walls in the front room to give it a lift before the meeting the following week. As she painted and he unattached and re-attached radiators under Billy’s watchful eye Katie asked how Lucy was getting on. Lucy, herself, had disappeared into Katie’s kitchen with homework, cocoa and a slab of marble cake to keep her going.

“She seems a bit quieter than usual” Katie continued

“It’s Mum,” Ben sighed “she’s done a runner on us again.”

“A runner?
What - left her?” Katie gasped

“Well, she says it’s a holiday to find the ‘centre of her core’ – or was it the ‘core of her centre’ – either way it involves staying indefinitely in another country, so Lucy’s got to stay with me. I’m not sure she’s entirely happy with all my ground rules.” He smiled ruefully.

“Well, I never liked being told what to do when I was a teenager” Katie grinned

“Or before that as I recall – you probably don’t like it much now either as far as I can tell” Ben teased and ducked as Katie flicked a splodge of magnolia ‘one coat’ at him.

“Oh and I bet you’re a stickler for the rules Ben Wilson – especially ones you get to make up yourself. I’m beginning to see Lucy’s problem” Katie retaliated

“Everyone needs a bit of discipline to keep them on the straight and narrow – and, believe me, with our mother, Lucy’s had precious little of that at home” Ben retorted indignantly. Katie turned and looked at Ben with a serious expression.

“Is it really that bad then?” she asked carefully. Ben groaned

“Oh, that’s only half of it. She’s an absolute nightmare. Don’t get me wrong, she’s not cruel or abusive, just completely
self-involved
, always rushing from one guru to the next in some desperate bid to find
herself. All the time missing all the things
that are
going on right in front of her nose.”

“Was she always like that?”

“No, it started after my Dad left when I was twelve. She never came to terms with it. I think she thought it was her fault.”

“And was it?” Katie asked gently

“No – not really, Dad found a junior model. Cliché of all clichés – his secretary” Ben said bitterly. Katie didn’t respond immediately, as some emotion he couldn’t quite distinguish ran across her face. It almost looked like guilt, but it couldn’t be, it wasn’t her fault after all. 

“So Lucy misses her?” she finally asked

“Well I don’t know if she misses her – but she certainly misses having a stable parental role model. Mum and her trail of boyfriends have never given her a settled home. Actually it’s a wonder she’s not a worse handful than she is. I think underneath all that bravado she’s a sensible kid really – just lacks a bit of direction.” Ben paused.

“And now she’s got her big brother to provide it for her” Katie joked to ease the tension a little.

“I guess so” Ben replied a little uncertainly

“Hey, don’t knock it” Katie added “I was an only child. I’d have given anything for a brother who cared about me enough to yell at me now and again. Lucy’s lucky to have you – and she probably knows that deep down.” Katie turned back to her painting and Ben felt better than he had since that conversation with his mother. He was doing his best and maybe Lucy would appreciate that.

He soon had more pressing plumbing matters to attend to, as an unexpected leak appeared out of a radiator he had just attached and as he worked on that they both sunk into their own thoughts until Poppy stuck her head round the door.

“Wow, look at the three of you deep in concentration. It was so quiet I thought you’d sloped off to the pub or something.” She joked.

“Hey, this is difficult work I’ll have you know” Ben answered, “not just anyone could do it and it takes a skilled craftsman to get it right.” As
he spoke he turned and very carefully turned the water tap at the junction of the pipe and water came rushing out of the joint at the end of the radiator spraying Ben straight in the face.

“See what I mean” he said, without a flicker “expertise like this can’t be bought.” As Katie and Poppy creased up with laughter Ben returned to his problematic joint.

“Lucy’s in the kitchen if you want to say Hi” Katie shouted across to Poppy

“I know – that’s why I’m here. I went in to beg a few of those oatmeal cookies off you, and she’d drawn this. What d’you reckon? For a border I mean.” Katie stepped down from the step ladder and looked at the card Poppy was holding out. On it was a flowing Celtic design with crosses and rings delicately shaded in bronze and gold tones that would lift the magnolia walls of the room. Katie gasped,

“It’s beautiful, it would look beautiful, but wouldn’t it take a long time to do?”

“Not if I give her hand” Poppy replied “shall I tell her she’s got the commission?” Just as she spoke Lucy popped her head round the corner and was greeted by Poppy’s broad grin.

“C’mon then Pablo, you’d better get started if we want the whole room done by this time next week.”

Lucy responded with a grin even broader

“Really?
Do you like it?” she asked, still a little uncertainly

“I think it’s beautiful” Katie confirmed “and if you’re really happy to do it I’d be very grateful – although I have to admit now that I can only pay you for the paint.” She added a touch sheepishly.

“Oh I don’t want paying” Lucy answered “It’ll be great just to do something I’ve designed. I didn’t really think I could.”

In no time Poppy and Lucy had set to work, measuring the length and depths required on the walls that Katie had finished painting and were busily stencilling the design on the wall in no time. Before any of them knew it was eight o’clock. Billy had just left after finally locating and fixing (with Ben’s expert help of course) all the leaks and pipes, and there was a warmth beginning to radiate around the front room as the boiler heated the water now circulating in the system.

“Jeez, I’m starving” groaned Poppy, and although this was nothing unusual the others had to agree that they too were, in fact, pretty hungry.

“Actually some of that gurgling before might have been me rather than the pipes” Ben joked “We’d better get off Luce, and get some dinner inside you.”

“Why don’t you stay?” Katie asked “I threw a stew in the oven hours ago as I wasn’t sure what would be happening and there’s plenty to go round – if you’d like? It’s the least I can do really, after all your help.” Poppy was already heading for Katie’s kitchen as Lucy looked to Ben

“Well sure, if that’s okay – is that okay with you Luce?” Ben said to the back of Lucy’s blond bobbing ponytail as she too disappeared into Katie’s flat. For a moment Ben felt a bit shy and awkward as he and Katie were left alone.

“Well, I think that’s a yes – if it’s okay?” he added quietly.

“Absolutely” Katie replied, playing with a strand of her hair and covering it liberally in magnolia. “Oh poo!” she said as she squinted at it, “I’m going to have two tone hair for days now!”

“Two tone skin too!” Ben teased as he dipped a finger in the paint and flicked it down her cheek – making a quick exit into the hallway before Katie could respond.

Katie caught up with him just as they entered the flat and tried desperately to rub her paint covered fingers through his hair as Ben ducked and dived to escape. It was a few minutes later when they became aware of the two open mouths staring at them in disbelief and they came to a standstill looking sheepishly about them.

“God, when I’m marvelling at the immaturity – you’ve got to be worried” Lucy said haughtily – to which they all started laughing.

Ben dropped Lucy off at Katie’s the following two evenings so she could finish her border in Katie’s front room, but, despite a desire to go in and join her, he had too much work to complete and had to settle for a quick conversation on the doorstep as he picked up Lucy. It was strange, he reflected, how quickly somewhere could become familiar and comfortable to you. Maybe it was partly to do with the scary big things happening at the business, which meant he needed space away from there to escape – or maybe it was the company! Ben had had two very important meetings in the last day. Firstly he had met with John Richmond at the solicitors and drawn up paperwork for John and
Charlie’s investment into BW. They were going to complete the formal signing on Friday at the weekly meeting and were following it up with a celebratory lunch at Declan’s restaurant. And now that the money would be in place, Ben was keen to move on the Southampton project straightaway. To that end he had met with Stewart Jackson earlier and gone through his first draft of the
costing
. They had agreed that it was definitely possible and Stewart was setting up a meeting with the local council the following Thursday, they currently owned the land and buildings and could tell them what planning permission was required for the redevelopment. They would combine this with a visit to the site so that Ben could get a proper look at the scale of the job. Ben was excited and mildly terrified by the idea, but he’d come this far and he was going to make sure he left no stone unturned in his pursuit of the opportunity.