The Chipped Tile
Holtz expected it to be a little while before she heard from Erin again, especially after how dangerously close to flirting they got after the last time they were together, yet it was only a few days later that she got the call. Soon, she was driving the familiar route to the house.
Erin greeted her at the door. “Holtzmann, come in!”
Erin ushered her into the kitchen, where she dropped into a crouch in front of the dishwasher and pointed at the tiled floor. Holtz joined her there.
“See the chip?”
“Yes, but what I don’t see is the salsa.”
Erin pushed her, and if it weren’t for Holtz’s supreme core strength, she would’ve fallen right over.
“Can you fix it?”
Holtz puffed her chest out. “I can fix anything. I have something to fill that right in. Easy peasy lemon sleazy.”
“I don’t think that’s the phrase.”
Holtz stood up and hiked her tool belt. “I’ll run to my truck and be back before you can say ‘ghost.’”
“Why would I say ‘ghost’?”
Holtz hummed the Ghostbusters theme again, then ducked out.
***
“So, when did this happen?” Holtz asked as she filled in the chipped tile.
“Uhh…just yesterday.” She was clearly lying. Holtz didn’t know what to make of that, so she chose to ignore it instead. She had a feeling the chip had something to do with the fiancé, but she’d learnt from her mistakes. She wasn’t about to bring that up again.
She finished filling in the tile and stood. “There you have it. That’ll need to set, so avoid the area for a bit.”
“Thank you,” Erin said, then: “Can I interest you in a cup of coffee?”
Holtzmann considered that. She’d had fun the last time, but with every minute she spent with Erin, she was starting to develop a bit of an interest in her. And, obviously, that was off-limits. Erin was engaged. From her end, she probably thought she was building a new friendship, but from Holtz’s perspective…they were heading down a dangerous path. A path full of coffee dates and flirtatious banter and God knows what else.
She shook her head. “Sorry, I’ve got another job to get to. Another time?” Why had she added that? She wasn’t supposed to be encouraging this.
Disappointment fell over Erin’s face. “Oh, okay.”
She wrote out a cheque, and that was that. It was only as Holtz was driving away that she wondered if she’d made the right decision. What could coffee hurt, really?
Next time, she’d say yes if Erin offered.
For friendship, obviously.
That was all.