#HotAndHandy (Keeney Builds #1)

Chapter 22

CHAPTER 22

“ W here did you learn to do this?” Vincent asked, watching Tomas’s fingers skim across the keys of the laptop.

“You don’t know how to use PowerPoint? What rock have you been living under?”

The remains of their lunch had been pushed aside, and they sat at Marcia’s kitchen table peering at a laptop. They were killing two birds with one stone. Vincent replacing a washer on the sink while Tomas worked on their presentation for Keeney Works. Neither one was thrilled about speaking to the board of directors. However, Hilary had told them that creating their own presentation would make it go smoother—they would be using their own words and experiences, not reading a script written by someone else.

“Dude, I do construction.” Vincent sat back and crossed his arms.

“Dude, so do I, but eschewing technology won’t help our business.” Tomas didn’t spare him a glance, focused solely on the computer.

“Eschew? Nice word choice.” Vincent smirked in mock admiration .

“Thanks, it’s got a minimum point value of fifteen.” In their time together, Vincent and Tomas played many a Scrabble game. They memorized tile values, two and three-letter words, and were ruthless competitors. “I figure we can alternate speaking. I’ll cover one slide, you do the next.”

Vincent’s leg jiggled as he glared at the computer screen. He hated speaking in public. In prison, he and Tomas discussed many aspects of their future business, but it never occurred to him that they would have to convince a group of people to invest in them. He took comfort in the fact he wouldn’t be doing it alone. Ali, Tomas, and Hilary would be present. Although Hilary being there might be hard. She’d invested a lot of time and effort in the project, and it would suck to develop performance anxiety in front of her.

“Seriously, how did you learn to do that?” Vincent waved at the screen. “Since, you know…”

Tomas had been diagnosed with dyslexia in prison. Great with numbers, words got jumbled in his head, making reading and writing difficult. He compensated by memorizing instructions read aloud to him. Scrabble was a game to pass the time, and a tool to build his comprehension skills. “I found a tutorial on YouTube. Creating the slides is pretty easy, but someone will have to proofread my writing.”

Marcia came in and cleared the table. “I can do that for you. Do you want to practice on me? I can give you feedback.”

Tomas leaned back and exchanged looks with Vincent, who shrugged. “Sure, if you’ve got time. This is rough. So let us know if we’re covering all the bases.”

“Got it.” Marcia left the dishes on the counter. Rummaging through a drawer, she returned to the table with a writing tablet and pen. “Angle the screen so I can see it as well.”

The two men rearranged themselves, sitting on one side of the table, Marcia on the end, and the computer screen close to Tomas, but angled so all three could see it.

Tomas said, “Hilary is starting us off. She’ll state the roles of each organization—Keeney Community College, Keeney Building Supply, and Keeney Works, and how they benefit each other.”

“Which is?” Marcia interrupted.

Vincent waved a hand in dismissal. “Ma, you know this.”

“ I do. But the more you practice saying it, the easier it will come. You need to hone your pitch.” She tapped a finger on the table for emphasis.

“Fine.” Vincent took a deep breath. “We see Keeney Builds as a joint project benefitting people with difficulty finding and keeping jobs. It would be a mix of classroom education, on-the-job training, and paid internships, as well as a support system for keeping students on track. KCC will provide facilities, accredited classes, and career counseling. KBS will provide job training at their location and paid internships with their building contractors, meaning Tomas and myself. Keeney Works has a proven track record for finding jobs for at-risk persons. It is the go-to place for those trying to re-enter the workforce. Keeney Works doesn’t have an in with the building trades. We can provide that. This is an opportunity for people who want to work with their hands, and get trained for long-lasting and varied careers.”

Marcia scribbled on the tablet. “Not bad. Tomas, can you change each of the logos into a puzzle piece and have them fly together to become one entity?”

Narrowing his eyes at Marcia, Tomas pulled the laptop toward him, and pounded away at the keyboard. He turned it back to her. “Like this?”

“Much better. It’s a good visual for the board to focus on how each group can fit together. Do you mind if I use it for the website? ”

He nodded slightly, but Vincent grinned, knowing what that meant for his friend.

Tomas picked up from where Vincent left off. They worked together seamlessly, feeding off each other, enthusiasm picking up as they went along.

“Excellent!” Marcia said when they finished. “Here are a few notes for you. But on the whole, I think you’ve covered everything.”

Tomas took Marcia’s notes and tucked them into his backpack with his laptop. “Thanks, that was useful.”

Marcia stood and went to the fridge to pull out bottles of beer and pass them around. At Vincent’s raised eyebrow, she shrugged, “The sun’s over the yardarm somewhere.”

Taking a drink, he watched his mother scribble on her notepad. “You’re really into this, aren’t you.”

“I am. It’s far more interesting than dealing with medical billing, and will positively impact the community if we succeed. Now, you may want to take Carl with you to the presentation. He can give a testimonial about what he has learned from working with you.” She leaned back in her chair and thought some more. “I take it Ali is speaking on behalf of KBS?”

“Yeah,” Vincent replied. “I know they’re getting along better, but we thought it would be awkward for Iris to present to her daughter-in-law.”

“She won’t be that for much longer. Fiona is divorcing Eddie,” Marcia announced with a satisfied smile.

“No shit? Good for her.” Vincent raised his beer in salute. Tomas sipped his beer and didn’t say anything.

“Yep. She kicked Eddie out of the house and demanded his key back.”

“My heart bleeds for the guy,” Vincent had no sympathy for him.

“Should she get the locks changed? Eddie may have more than one key.” Tomas’s face was expressionless, but his jaw was tight.

Vincent shared a look with his mother before speaking. “Good idea. I’ll have Hilary suggest it to her.”

“Screw that. Text me her address, and I’ll take care of it.” Tomas rose from the table and gathered his things. “Thanks for the lunch and the beer, Mrs. Ortiz.” He lifted his chin at Vincent and was gone.

T he phone rang three times before Hilary absently picked it up. “Hello.”

“Ms. Banks, there’s someone in reception waiting to see you.”

“Really?” Hilary brought up her calendar but could not see any entries for the day.

“It’s a woman named Marcia Ortiz.”

“Really. Umm…I’ll be right there.” Her mind went blank before panic seized her. Something must have happened to Vincent because why else would his mother be there. Not bothering to put on her shoes, she raced out the door and down the hallway. Images of him lying beneath a stack of lumber or cut and bleeding from an errant saw blade flashed as she passed gaping faces, and careened around the corner to the brightly lit reception area.

Spotting Marcia, she blurted, “What happened? Is he okay? Is he in the hospital?”

Looking at Hilary like she’d lost her mind, Marcia came toward her. “What are you talking about?” Then her eyes widened, and she reached out to grab Hilary’s trembling hand. “He’s fine. Everything is fine. I am so sorry, I shouldn’t have shown up without an appointment.”

Hilary waved off her apology and sank into a chair to wait for her heart to reattach itself in her chest. Giving Marcia a weak smile, she said, “Hi. Is there something I can help you with?”

“Yes and no. Do you have a few minutes?”

Hilary took in the white knuckles clutching the portfolio. “I could use a break. How about we go get a cup of tea?”

“That would be lovely,” Marcia said on an audible exhale.

After retrieving her shoes, Hilary waved at the receptionist, then held the door open for Marcia to precede her. Not knowing why she was visiting her, Hilary started with a safe topic. “It’s beautiful right now, I hope it stays this way for the evening.”

Marcia agreed, mentioning the need to water her flower beds when she returned home. The conversation limped along as they headed outdoors. The campus of Keeney Community College was laid out in a quadrangle. Three buildings held classrooms and labs, while the fourth was the administration building where Hilary worked. Some summer classes were in session, but for the most part, the campus was quiet. Hilary led the way to an espresso cart under a tree with a few bistro tables and chairs around it.

“Please,” Marcia pulled out her wallet, “let me treat you. What would you like?”

“An iced London Fog, please. Thank you. I’ll find us a table.” Hilary grabbed a table in the shade and sat, mentally listing the reasons for the visit. Each item started with Vincent. She squared her shoulders, prepared for Marcia to tell her to leave her son alone. By the time Marcia arrived with the drinks, she was ready to mount a defense and declare her love.

“I am—” said Hilary.

“I want—” said Marcia.

“What?” they said at the same time.

Hilary picked up her drink and motioned to Marcia. “You go first. ”

“First off, I’m glad you’ve forgiven Vincent. He treated you so badly I was afraid you wouldn’t. It was all I could do not to break off his arm and beat him over the head with it. My son needs to learn his lessons the hard way.” Her lips were so thin they almost disappeared.

Hilary hid her smile. Vincent had told her about the tongue-lashing he’d received. What would Eddie have been like if Iris were more like Marcia? Aloud, she said, “We’re good. Your son is…very special to me.” She held Marcia’s gaze briefly before the older woman looked away.

Marcia blinked a couple of times, cleared her throat, and straightened her shoulders. “I want to work for Keeney Builds.” At Hilary’s bemused expression, she continued, “I have the time and energy to devote to the project. I know my way around spreadsheets, PowerPoint, and copy machines. I may not know much about marketing strategies but take direction well. I’m good at herding cats, I can corral Vincent and Tomas, and handle Iris.” Her voice faltered on the last name.

She cleared her throat. “Iris is my best friend. She doesn’t have the energy to give to the project right now. But I know she supports it. She believes in community. She believes in combining forces to accomplish a goal. She’s given my son a purpose and an opportunity. Without Iris, Vincent might still be struggling to find work in construction.

“I want to support her. I want to take this vision you and she share and make it into a reality. I can subtly push her. I can get her out of her pity party, and help her find direction. Please let me help.” Marcia picked up her drink and sat back. Her face looked composed, but her jiggling leg gave away her anxiety.

She was a good friend, and Iris was fortunate to have Marcia Ortiz in her corner. Keeney Builds would need her energy and drive to get off the ground and succeed. “I think you’re right. Iris is wounded right now and unable to give much. I know she wants to be left alone, but we don’t have time before the board meeting.” Hilary sipped her drink and asked, “You heard Vincent and Tomas present yesterday? How was it?”

Marcia opened her portfolio and took out some papers. “I made notes. Here’s a copy for you. They work well together. A bit stiff, but they loosened up after a while. There’s a couple of places where they geeked out over power tools and CAD design, which was endearing. People like to see that kind of passion. I also think they should each talk about their release from prison and finding work.”

Hilary flicked her gaze from the papers to Marcia. “I agree. Do you think they’ll do it?”

Marcia blew out a gusty sigh. “Men don’t like to admit weakness or need. We’ll have to work on them. Let’s meet for dinner at my house tomorrow. You call Vincent and Tomas, I’ll call Iris, Ali, and Carl. You and I can tag team.”

Hilary saluted her with a smile. “Yes, ma’am.”

“Sorry about that,” Marcia replied, pressing her lips together. “It’s just that this project excites me.”

“It’s not a problem. I spend too much time in meetings where no one wants to take the lead, so I appreciate your determination.”

They gathered their drinks and papers, and walked back to the admin building. “I’m going to find the Australian girl, Nadia,” Hilary declared. At Marcia’s raised eyebrow, she continued, “If we find her, there’s a chance she can help us clear Vincent’s name.”

Rapidly blinking, Marcia looked away, sniffed, and nodded. “Good. Vincent didn’t want me to. I’ll go through my files from the lawyer and let you know if there is anything in there for you.”

“Great. Thank you.”

Marcia reached out and touched Hilary’s sleeve. “Thank you. You’re good for my son.” Her gaze went down to Hilary’s shoes. “And I think he’s good for you as well.” She lightly patted Hilary’s arm, and walked off.

Hilary looked down at her leopard-print shoes, smiled, and returned to work.