Until You Believe Me (3 page)

Connor

I smiled at the thought that the construction guy had taken time to track down who I was and to check on me. I put the card on my desk and started to gather my books for my next class.

"Excuse me ma'am but there was an extremely tall and rugged man who was looking for you." Ben had peeked his head in my office.

I held up the note, "I see that. When was he here?"

"You missed him by maybe twenty minutes. He seemed really worried about you." Ben gave me his own faint look of concern.

I smiled to reassure him. "I'm ok, it shook me up that's all. Remember the control freak routine thing Dr. Freud? It's still hanging on." I held up my hand for him to see.

Apparently my smile worked as he left my office.

Grabbing my set of books I marched off to my second class of the day.

Walking across campus I followed my usual path back to the office building so I could grab some lunch. In the hour and a half I was in class construction had seemingly doubled. There were now three trailers around campus bearing the same logo from the letterhead, Matthews and Sons Construction. Or perhaps I hadn't notice them before. I could hear hammering and other various construction noises from all over different points on campus. Various men with hardhats were walking around or working with tools and wood and metal. It was almost like ants marching. It seemed like chaos but they all seemed to have a purpose and all had a goal in mind.

I reached the office around one and unpacked my lunch. Picking up my newly purchased novel I started reading while I ate my turkey sandwich and my container of applesauce. Mondays were often slow because Ben had three classes where I only had one. It was nice to sit in silence and read, but I had grown so used to having him around. We had been childhood friends and went to college together and he was the one who set me up with the job here at the University. I was thankful because teaching really was my passion. Even more so English was. I complained, often, to Ben about the undergraduates, but I remember what it was like. Now I didn't party or sleep in class or text, but I remember how you could get caught up in the wrong aspects of college, I had seen Ben do it for a semester. He pulled it together and graduated with honors, but I understood.

The afternoon passed slowly, I had a couple students drop by to have a little help on their upcoming essay but overall I felt productive. The clock struck four and I decided not to wait around for Ben. He wouldn't take it too seriously. I packed up and headed out.

As I walked out of the building, I saw a bunch of workers packing up outside one of the trailers. The gesture of the man from this morning  had been extremely kind and in the chaos of the construction site I would imagine it time consuming to track down somebody you had no idea about.

I walked up to one of the men. "Excuse me, I know this is a long shot but you wouldn't happen to know a Connor who is working today, do you?"

"When doesn't Connor work? It's not nightfall yet so he's probably in the trailer fixing the world's problems right now." The man was nearly opposite of the one I had literally run into this morning. Short, chubby and an almost booming voice.

I took his explanation to mean that Connor was inside and that it was ok for me to peek in to say thanks.

I walked up the rickety wooden steps to the door of the trailer. As I put my hand out to grab onto the knob I heard a voice from inside the trailer.

"No, I understand...Whatever you need to do...Just do whatever you and Dr. Warren thinks is best...Don't worry about the cost...Please just what is best...Thanks..Bye Sarah."

When I didn't hear anymore talking I quietly knocked on the door.

"Come in."

I opened the door and slowly walked in. The man's head was down, in his hands looking at a piece of paper on the desk. Even at that angle I could tell it was the man from this morning. It wasn't until a few seconds of silence had passed that he looked up. His expression changed and he jumped from his seat looking slightly nervous.

"Dammit, that fucking hurts." The loud noise followed by his loud voice made me jump.

"Sorry. Dammit I just hit my knee on the desk. Shit. Sorry. I mean sorry about all the cursing."

I smiled a little and waved. "I didn't mean to cause a fuss I just wanted to thank you. I got your note. I hate that you tracked me down after I was an idiot this morning. I'm ok, really. Still attached." I raised my hand as I had for Ben and smiled.

"It was easy considering you said several times that was your office. It was just a matter of trial and error." This time he smiled still rubbing his knee. I couldn't believe how bright his smile was and how it put me sightly at ease.

"Karma I guess." He said motioning with his head down to his knee.

"Oh. I'm sorry, really. I just wanted to thank you. I asked some guy outside if he knew you assuming he didn't. I mean you all are in the same basic uniform. So I'm pleased to be able to say thanks in person."

He smiled and was opening his mouth to say something else when his phone rang. "Excuse me, just a minute, don't move."

"Matthews...yep...by Thursday at least...send Caroline the invoice...Thanks...bye." He ended the call and smiled back in m direction. "Sorry...again."

"Are you Matthews, like it's your name tattooed on all these trailers around campus?"

His smile was sheepish and I noticed a slight hint of red had appeared on his cheeks. "Uh, yeah. Well I guess I'm technically an 'and sons' but that's me."

"No wonder the guy said you usually work until nightfall. This is quite a gig. A whole university to renovate."

He reached up and rubbed the back of his neck. Anxious, almost nervous. "It's a pretty big project. We have a lot of guys on it. About half our workforce actually."

I felt my eyes nearly bug out. "Half? There's got to be close to 75 guys here."

"67 to be exact. We have other jobs that we are finishing up before all my guys are here. The university is pushing us to work on through the summer double time and be done with about a third of the renovations."

"Wow, Mr. Matthews, you seem to be leading quite the empire here."

His smile as shy but bright and the red appeared once more. "It was my dad's but ...well I inherited it." His voice was sightly hesitant.

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that."

His eyebrows furrowed then relaxed with realization. "No, he's not dead. I mean, he started the company over forty years ago. I'm next in line so I get to play king of the empire I guess."

It was my turn to blush. "I'm so sorry, I just assumed when you said inherited."

His smile reassured me that no harm was done. "Please, stop apologizing. You've apologized just short of one hundred times yet you haven't done a thing wrong."

His eyes showed genuine concern, almost to the point that I felt he had never been more upset by anything else in his life.

I broke the awkwardly intense silence after a few seconds. "Well, I just wanted to say thank you. Not many people would have taken the time. And Mr. Matthews I won't take anymore of yours. Have a good evening." I gave him a small smile and turned to walk out of the small trailer.

"Uh Mrs. Branson!" He called after me.

"Oh please, I'm not married and call me Madison. I hear my last name enough on a daily basis."

"Well, Madison. I'm sorry for today. I'm glad you got the note. And don't worry, I will take very good care of your university. You can stop worrying." His smile was wide this time and almost reminded me of a little boy.

I knew my face showed confusion until my light bulb struck. "Ben. I'm sorry about him. It's not you...or your company...it's just..I...I mean I don't like mess. Not that you're messy but construction is. I'm sorry. Ben has a big mouth." I felt heat rising into my face yet again. I was going for the record today I guess.

Some of his bright smile faded and I felt a little sadder because of that. "Please Madison, stop apologizing. I understand. And like I said, I will take good care of it."

I gave him a small understanding nod and walked out of the trailer.

Chapter Five

The following days passed uneventfully. I felt like I was in the zone. I had papers due in most of my classes and I was actually getting some decent ones in.

It was Thursday evening and I was packing up to leave. Ben came in, as usual and we walked out together. Passing the new rising building we both commented on the progress and that we were told we would be moving out offices in the next two weeks.

As we came up on the parking lot I noticed Conner standing outside of the trailer talking to a few of his guys. I gave a small smile in case he saw me pass, not wanting to be rude.

"Madison! Hey!" Connor waved and started walking over to Ben and I. I took a quick glance at Ben and saw his eyebrows furl into a confused and curious expression.

"Connor, how are you?" I smiled politely.

"I'm great, how are you? Everything still in working order?" He smiled and it was bright, just like the last time we had spoke.

"Oh yeah, like I said, I was more startled than anything. It's really ok." I noticed after I stopped speaking that I was crazily flopping around my hand that had been jammed against the door. I blushed a little and quickly stuck my hand behind my back hoping nobody else noticed my stupid movements.

Connor reached a hand out, beckoning for my left hand. I felt the heat of his skin and the slight roughness of his hands. He leaned in close to examine my hand, so close that I could feel his breath. The breaths sent a shiver from my left hand to my spine and all the way down my body.

"Looks good to me. Now I can stop feeling so guilty since I see I have done no permanent damage." He left go of my hand and let out another alarmingly beautiful smile.

I laughed, an awkward, nervous, giggle-laugh. Like a teenager who just had her first kiss from her biggest crush.

"It's f-f-f-ine, really. All better." Again my hand began flopping around as if to show him how agile my wrist was.

"I'm so glad. Uh, excuse me, sorry...uh, Brian?"

For the first time I remembered Ben was standing right there and he had pretty much the biggest shit eating grin I had ever seen.

"Well it's Ben, but don't apologize. How's it going?" He tried to contain the grin but couldn't seem to do it.

"Can't complain, sorry, Ben. Thanks for your help the other day. I'll see ya'll around." Another bulb bursting smile and he waved as he walked back to the trailer.

"And let it out." Ben was looking at me with the same grin as before and I realized I was holding in a breath.

It took a few gasps for me to get a normal flow of oxygen going again, and I took off toward the car at double my normal pace.

"Oh no ma'am, there is not a chance in hell that you are fleeing this scene. What in the holy universe was that whole Sleepless in Seattle scene?" In a few strides he had caught up.

"Sleepless in Seattle?"

"Yeah, where you nearly had an orgasm in public, except this one wasn't faked."

"You're mistaken. That was nothing. He left a small note just checking on me. I went to say thank you that evening and then he hadn't seen me until today. Just checking on my progress." I continued to B-line it to the car.

"Yeah, he just wanted to check up on you while he eye fucked the shit out of you and made you come right in your wadded up panties."

"Wow, graphic much? That wasn't even close to happening and real mature."

"Yeah ok Madison, he totally thinks you're hot. And he clearly had some effect on you."

"I'll see you tomorrow Ben, take a cold shower before then because clearly since you haven't been seeing Miss. Sex Kitten you need some hormone adjustment."

****

I arrived at work Friday as usual. Fridays were a blessing because I didn't have to start class until mid morning. There were a couple memos on my door, i unstuck all of those before entering my office. Several students had left notes saying they would not be in class, one turning in the paper that was due today. Lastly I opened the small envelope.

Madison,

I'm so glad you are ok. Construction zones can be dangerous. Be careful, I do not want to deal with a liability case on this job.  was wondering if you had time for lunch today (Friday)? Give me a call at this number.

Sincerely,

Connor