Clarke shot Vince the fifth annoyed look in an hour. Her thoughts on him had been completely reversed as she stood there and watched him work. He was no longer as attractive as he was at first glance. He had been whistling the whole time and seemed to be having fun while he worked at a disjointed pace. There didn't seem to be any rhyme or rhythm to what he was doing, and he completely ignored any flirting that had come his way. She'd pretty much given up on him. She would fire him for it if she didn't need him to fix everything up so badly. But the way he was working, she wasn't even sure he would do a good job.
She was about ready to leave and give him the key so he could lock up when he was done. Watching him get dirty wasn't at all what she had imagined. "So, why the rush?" he asked, stopping to look up at her as she huffed out a sigh.
"Excuse me?" she asked, feeling even more annoyed that he suddenly wanted to talk to her.
"Is there some rule about not talking to each other?" he asked, chuckling a bit. He was having way too much fun for someone who was cleaning up after a fire. "I mean, since you insist on being here while I work, it means we're going to spend a lot of time together. We might as well get to know each other." He shrugged and went back to work like it didn't faze him one way or the other.
"I guess…." Clarke trailed off, not knowing what else to say. She didn't make it a habit of getting personal with people, especially guys. So, she wasn't about to tell him it was all about her mother. "I just don't want to lose any business. It's time for Easter and prom, and wedding season's coming up quick. So, it's important I get open." She nodded like a period at the end of the sentence; satisfied with her explanation.
"Mmhmm, well, I'm sure you can still meet with clients elsewhere. I sense something else is going on." She shot him a look, and he put his hands up in surrender, not saying anything else.
"So, what about you, why don't you have any licenses or work for a real company like your cousin?" she shot back, anxious to get the focus off of herself. But she was revealing more about herself with her disposition than she could have ever realized.
If the question offended him, he didn't show it. Instead, he answered right away. "Because I like the adventure of getting to do something different every day, and I like being my own boss, essentially. It also means I don't have to cheat people out of a lot of money for a crappy repair job like my cousin does. It also keeps me open to any opportunity that comes along; frees me up."