The Current Between Us Read Online Free PDF

sucked, and he’d gotten to the job site a little bit early. Trent tugged the rearview mirror down and worked his fingers through his hair, making sure it all lay down close to the way it should. Then he checked his teeth for anything lingering from breakfast. He realized then he forgot to go back inside and shave after the kids woke up this morning. Damn! The need to give a good first impression had him quickly weighing his options.
    Ten minutes early didn ’t leave enough time to run to the local drug store and do a quick shave, but this was a new general contractor to him, one he’d been trying to get his foot in the door with for years… Shit! Trent looked hard at himself. He didn’t have much more than a five o’clock shadow and many guys purposefully wore their beards like this… But dammit !
    He ’d finally won a bid with Layne Construction, and he wasn’t stupid, this would be the trial job to judge his performance. Nothing too big, but fast-paced and they’d be watching him closely. If he could pull this off while doing a good job, it might work his little electrical contracting business fully in the door of Layne and turn the tide for his baby, Coop Electric. It might even get him out from underneath doing so much of the day to day electrical work himself and would definitely help keep the receivables steadily coming in.
    One last look in the mirror brought him to the decision to ignore the stubble on his face. Being on time should be more important than what he wore on his face … Right? Forcing it all from his mind, Trent jumped from the truck and took a look down, making sure his short sleeve button down stayed tucked into his new blue jeans and everything lay just right with his clothes. He grabbed his clipboard and phone as well as the estimate he’d given when bidding this job before giving a kick with his foot to slam the truck door. He pivoted seamlessly, turning in a full circle to open the truck door again. He grabbed a pencil and tape measure before making his way to what he thought might be the contractor and a very nicely dressed woman standing at the front doors. They looked to be in a deep conversation.
    “ Hi, excuse me, I’m sorry to interrupt. I’m Trent Cooper, Coop Electric. Are you Roger McCall?” he asked and fumbled with the items in his hands, trying to free his right hand for a quick shake.
    “ I am. Nice to meet you, Trent,” Roger said, never fully taking his eyes off the woman in front of him, but stuck out his hand and shook Trent’s.
    “ It’s nice to meet you.” After releasing Roger’s hand, he automatically made the same offer to the woman standing beside McCall when he didn’t appear willing to make the introductions.
    “ I’m Jacquelyn Ballinger, The Art Gallery’s new curator,” she said, shaking his hand. Trent could see he’d interrupted a moment. He could tell from the look on her face it wasn’t necessarily a good moment. Turning back to McCall, Trent held in his laugh. McCall’s expression screamed hell bent on finishing the private conversation. The poor man wasn’t picking up on a single clue the lady laid down that she wasn’t interested in continuing whatever it was they’d been discussing.
    “ Ms. Ballinger, it’s nice to meet you. I don’t want to interrupt. I’m just here to do the walk-through before we begin work Thursday morning. Sir, I can get started and report back on anything I see different than the specs,” Trent said, moving around them to the front door.
    “ Yeah, that would be great. We have a couple of minor changes to Jacquelyn’s, I mean Ms. Ballinger’s, office. I’ll get with you in a few minutes, Cooper.” The project manager looked like any typical foreman for this area. Older, receding hairline, hard Northern accent, and a beer belly requiring suspenders to keep his pants up, but it sure looked like he tried hard to suck that gut in to impress the lady.
    Jacquelyn Ballinger on the other hand looked to be in