2. Talk About A Surprise

Knox was making his way through all the condos on his order and testing the electrical, making his notes for repairs and upgrades that might be needed.

Several owners in the building were having renovations done at once. He found it both ingenious and hilarious that one construction company was able to get multiple residents to do this at the same time.

In a way it made sense and since he'd been subcontracted with this company for years, he wasn't complaining.

It just meant that he had to check out condos surrounding those having work to make sure they weren't disrupted when power was cut to those under construction.

No reason to inconvenience the residents more than the noise level alone.

At one he knocked on the last door of the day for his jobs here, then he'd go meet with the construction firm and give his adjusted quote now that he'd walked through the condos getting the work.

Those surrounding the three having the work done had been good so far.

No one answered after the first knock, so he did it one more time. He'd been told someone would be home at all of the places he was stopping at and wouldn't have to worry.

After the second knock, he was getting ready to make a call when the door was opened by a woman who looked both frazzled and stunning at the same time.

Her light brown hair was up in a ponytail, but part of it was flipped in the front and almost caught on top of her head, a piece hanging in her eye.

She swung her head and the straggling piece flew to the back.

"Sorry," she said. "My oven went off at the same time as your first knock and I didn't want to burn my cookies."

He could smell the scents of vanilla and chocolate floating through the air.

"Not a problem," he said. He was squinting his eyes at her, then he looked down at his iPad to see the name Poppy McGill. He frowned and looked at her again.

"Is there a problem?" she asked.

"No," he said. "You look like someone I went to school with years ago, but I don't know any Poppys."

"I'm not Poppy," she said. "Come on in. I'm just renting the place. My name is Sage."

"Mancini," he said, his smile filling his face.

"Yes," she said. "Do I know you? You said someone from school, but I'm sorry. I can't place your face."

"I doubt you could," he said, laughing. "Or not many can. Maybe I should squat down so that I'm shorter than you. Then picture me at about eighty pounds lighter and thick black glasses. Thank God for corrective surgery."

Her light brown eyes went wide, her mouth opened and closed a few times. "Knox Bradford?"

"That's me," he said. "I can show you some ID if you want."

"No," she said. "That's fine. I mean, I should see it as a contractor and all."

He pulled his wallet out to show his ID. He always wore some kind of clothing that said Bradford Electrical on it.

"Here you go," he said.

She glanced at it and grinned. "Thanks. Talk about a surprise."

"Yeah," he said. "I didn't know you lived here now."

It's not like he kept track of her.

Sure, he'd had a major crush on her when he was younger. But she wasn't interested.

He had to say, after he'd heard one of her bitch friends comment on him being nerdy and her never lowering herself, he'd been embarrassed and hurt.

But she'd sought him out later that day and apologized. Said those weren't her words at all and was mad that they'd been said.

Not too many girls that age would have done that.

She had said she only thought of him as a friend, but the last thing she ever wanted was for him to think poorly of her. Or have anyone think words that weren't what she felt.

That stuck with him for years. Maybe it was something he needed when his life turned upside-down and he moved out of the area and never saw her again.

"I do," she said. "I moved here six months ago. What about you? Is this where you moved to when you left school at the end of the year?"

"No," he said. "My parents split and I moved with my mother. I only visited after on holidays and summers. But my father hadn't stayed in the area long either."

No reason to explain the drama he'd lived for years. It wasn't anyone's business and he had a ton of regret he couldn't get past.

He was trying, but it wasn't as if he had anyone to talk to about it or to ask for forgiveness. The one he wanted it from was no longer around.

"So how did you end up here?" she asked. "Or should I leave you alone while you do your work?"

"I can talk and work. You're the last place I need to check out and I won't be long." He moved to the kitchen first, saw the cookies on a tray and a timer going off on the oven for another batch. One more tray of balls of dough ready to go in.

"Do you want a cookie?" she asked.

Must be she caught his eyes landing there.

"I wouldn't turn one down," he said. "They smell awesome."

"I'm working from home today. Figured while I was at it, I could bake some cookies and bring them in tomorrow."

She picked up a spatula and removed one from the sheet pan and handed it over while she put the rest on a rack.

"Nice and warm," he said, the heat in his palm. He took a bite and the melty chocolate pulled away from his mouth. Damn. Just like his grandmother used to make.

Not his mother. She never baked and if she did it wasn't for him half the time.

But when he visited his father, he often stayed with his grandparents while his father was working. His grandmother would spoil him and make cookies all the time.

A nice nostalgic memory to have.

"Yeah," she said, picking one up and eating it with him. "Have another. It's just me and I'll end up bringing most of them to work. No way I want them left in this house where I'd eat them all."

He reached for another since he was hungry and they were too good to pass up. "Thanks. Doesn't look like you've got a problem with eating sweets."

She was still on the thin side as she'd been in school. The only difference was, even though her height was the same as the last time he saw her, he'd grown damn close to a foot.

He'd always had hope he'd be over six feet. Or at least six feet like his father was. But his grandfather was six four and he'd matched that height by the time he hit twenty. Shocking how he grew another two inches after high school, but he'd been told his grandfather had the same thing happen.

Guess he was just slow to develop and it was something he'd had to deal with in his new high school being the smallest kid his freshman year.

Not good times by any means, but when he graduated, he at least was one of the tallest. Just still skinny. The bulky muscles didn't come until after.

When one of his mother's boyfriends took an interest in helping him out and bringing him to the gym.

Titus didn't last long in his mother's life, but it was enough to give Knox the foundation he needed at eighteen to transform his body.

"Glad to help you out," he said. "I need to see your electrical panel. Should be in your laundry room, right?"

"This way," she said. "Though if you're going around to other places in the building, you probably know your way."

"I do now," he said. "The condo next to you is having some renovations done. Moving a lot of things around and I'll be rewiring. Then there are two more having work on different floors. I just need to check on the surrounding condos to make sure when I'm shutting off the power there it won't affect you."

"That's good to know," she said. "Not that I work from home often. I just did it today knowing you'd be here at some point. So hopefully most of the noise is gone by the time I get home at night."

"Should be," he said.

He followed her down the hall to the small laundry area and went over to the panel. Didn't look as if anything had been done in here. This building was forty years old, but judging by the kitchen, things had been upgraded in the past ten years or less. It would make his job easier.

"Everything look okay?" she asked.

He turned, his eyes taking in the sight of her in her black leggings and a yellow T-shirt that was resting on her hips. The T-shirt wasn't even baggy but rather fitted to her body.

He'd bet anything she made use of the gym on the first level.

"It does," he said, smirking at her.

She laughed. "You know. You look nothing like the kid I saw last."

"I'm not that kid," he said. He held his finger and thumb up in a pinch. "Maybe a little like him. I still hate to read."

She looked oddly at him and then giggled like the sound she'd made once or twice around him before. "Oh yeah. I remember that conversation about our English test."

"One of our last ones before the school year ended and I moved away."

Her smile fell. It was as if she had a memory she didn't like. "I'm still so sorry about that."

His hand reached out and patted her arm. "Hey. We all say stupid shit in middle school and it's not like you even said it."

"No," she said. "I didn't."

"Can I tell you how nice it felt when you apologized? Yeah, I had a crush on you. Who didn't?"

"Not many that I remember," she said.

"You'd be surprised at the number," he said. "But my point is, you made up for it by apologizing when you didn't have to."

"Of course I did," she said. "Those weren't my thoughts or words. I mean, I did think of you as a friend. But the rest, that wasn't how I thought of you."

"I get it," he said. "I've seen pictures of myself back then. There is a reason I didn't have my first girlfriend until the eleventh grade."

"I'm sure anyone would be lucky to have you now," she said.

"I'll let you know if I find someone."

No reason not to add that. It's not like he was going to ask her out or anything, but you never know.

He'd be in the building doing work. She lived here.

Maybe they'd cross paths again.

"Do you need to see anything else here?" she asked.

"I think we are good. Though this place has been updated, nothing changed in the panel so they must have kept it all in the same layout."

"I think I heard Poppy say that she did that when she bought the place. Not much more has been done since. But I'll ask her tomorrow if you want."

"You'll see the owner?" he asked.

"I work for Poppy and her sisters. I was lucky that this place was going to be empty when I was hired so I didn't have to find an apartment."

This was a damn nice condo to be renting. She must have a decent job to afford it. Unless her boss was cutting her a break.

"If you want to ask, that'd be great." He pulled his card out and handed it over. "Can you shoot me an email if she knows of anything?"

Sage grabbed the card, their fingers touching and that crush he'd had years ago might have flashed through his memory bank again.

"I can do that," she said. The timer went off and she turned to run to the oven.

He could let himself out but didn't. Just stayed there while she switched the cookies over.

"I'm all set," he said when he went to leave.

"It was good seeing you, Knox." Her eyes met his. "Really good."

He grinned back. "You too. See you around."

He turned and left and when the door was shut leaned against the wall and took a deep breath to gather himself.

Over the years he'd become more confident in his life and his body. It'd taken time, but owning his own business and the wealth that was left to him gave him that nudge he needed to not be bothered by petty shit anymore.

He could come and go and do what he wanted in life.

He could retire and drink beer on the water if he desired, but he was too young for that.

This was what he liked to do even if some women found it...beneath them.

Knox wasn't a suit and tie or office type of person and never would be.

He took one more breath and pushed away from the wall to get back to work.

He wondered how long it'd be before he saw Sage again and was already preparing himself for the sight and how he'd react.