Chapter 7

7

" W ell," Faith said. "At least we have a little air flowing through here now."

Destiny sighed and looked out the window. She turned around and looked at Faith. "Yeah. So what did you think of the project?"

Faith stared at Destiny for a moment and tried to read her expression.

"We were going to compare notes," Destiny explained. "Remember?"

Faith nodded. "I guess we may as well. It doesn't look like we're going anywhere anytime soon." She sat down on the floor and crossed her legs.

Destiny sat down across from Faith and opened her notebook.

"It would be easy to do wispy grasses that would do well in the heat, but I see more of a garden vibe," Faith said.

Destiny smiled. "I'm not surprised. You love that look."

"I do, but it will complement the architecture of the buildings," Faith said defensively.

"Take it easy, Faith," Destiny said, looking up at her. "I agree with you."

"You do?" Faith remembered when they worked together that oftentimes they had different ideas. They rarely agreed in the beginning, but once they talked out their visions, they would come up with a plan that complemented the space—and a plan they both liked.

"Don't sound so surprised," Destiny said. "We created some very beautiful landscapes together."

"I know that," Faith said. "But we rarely agreed at first."

Destiny chuckled. "That's true. Uh, as I walked along towards the smaller buildings the project seemed to grow before my eyes," she said tentatively.

"Yeah." Faith nodded, looking over her notes. "It's even bigger than I imagined."

"I'm concerned they won't take smaller companies like ours seriously during the bidding process," Destiny said. "But…"

Faith looked up into Destiny's eyes. "But what?"

"I was thinking…" Her voice trailed off.

Faith could see hesitation in Destiny's eyes. This was unusual because she was always so confident. It was one of the things that drew Faith to her from the beginning. However, Faith had seen this look a few times before. Destiny had an idea and wasn't sure Faith would go for it.

"Come on, Des," Faith encouraged her. She could see Destiny soften at the way Faith shortened her name.

"Both of our companies have very good reputations," Destiny began.

"Very good?" Faith said, raising her brows. "I'd say we're excellent."

"Okay." Destiny smiled. "We have excellent reputations. I think if we worked together on a project this size they would take us seriously."

"Hmm. I don't know. I'd have to think about it."

Destiny nodded. "I know. It's just an idea."

"I didn't say no," Faith said. "Can I see your notes?"

Destiny smiled and handed her notebook to Faith. "I did a quick sketch of the walkway between the buildings and where it connects with the side entrance."

"I like this," Faith said, staring at the page. "Let's talk about plants."

Destiny scooted over next to Faith so they could both see the drawings and notes from their notebooks. They talked about trees, shrubs, plants, flowers, irrigation, and soil. Destiny sketched as they brainstormed ideas for the front of the building.

"I still don't understand how you're able to sketch better than I can," Faith said, shaking her head. "I've been sketching and drawing flowers and plants since I started college twenty years ago. You worked with numbers before you started landscaping."

Destiny laughed. "I don't sketch better than you do. It's easier for me to put what's in my head down on paper."

Faith smiled. They'd had this same discussion several times over the years and Destiny would never laud her talents over Faith. She always claimed they both had their strengths and that's why they were such a force when they worked together.

"See what you think of this," Destiny said, handing the notebook to Faith. "It's so fucking hot in here." She got up and stuck her head in front of the window. "Oh, that's better. There's a breeze."

Faith got up and placed her face in front of the other window. "Oh wow," she said. "Look, Des. The sun is putting on a show."

Destiny stepped over and gazed out the back window. "Damn! That's gorgeous," she exclaimed.

"Yeah," Faith said, getting out of the way so Destiny could get a better look. "It's too bad we're stuck in here and can't really enjoy it."

Destiny turned around and glanced at Faith. "Do you still stop and watch the sunsets when you can?"

Faith nodded. She could see the affection in Destiny's eyes and had no doubt it was love. She turned toward the other window and let the breeze cool her face. Her stomach had done a flip when her eyes met Destiny's and for a moment she couldn't look away. She closed her eyes and tried to find the anger that usually accompanied her thoughts of Destiny, but it wasn't there.

Faith pulled the hair tie out of her ponytail and let her hair fall for a moment. She ran her fingers through the sweaty strands then pulled it back up. She took a deep breath, willing her emotions to calm down. What was she feeling? Familiarity? Loss? Love? Betrayal? You can't forget what she did , Faith said silently to herself.

"Are they still there?" Destiny asked.

"Who?" Faith replied, turning towards her.

"The dogs? Who else?"

"Oh." Faith sighed. "Yeah, one is lying in front of the door. The other is sitting and staring at me." She had no doubt the animal would tear into her if given the chance.

"You'd think they'd get bored with us and go patrol or something," Destiny said.

Faith sat back down and leaned against the wall. She watched Destiny take her phone out and walk around the small space trying to get a signal.

"Are you sure your parents aren't expecting you to drop by or something?" Faith asked.

"Nope," Destiny said gloomily. "Mom did say she ran into you the other day."

"Yeah, it was nice to see her." Faith smiled. "Your mom is the best."

"You could go by and see my parents anytime."

Faith nodded and changed the subject. "You know, Mrs. Baker tells me every time you go by the retirement home to work in the beds."

Destiny chuckled. "Just this week she told me that she has decided our trips to see her are twofold."

"Oh yeah?" Faith said, amused. "How so?"

"The reason we still work on the flower beds is to see her," Destiny said.

"She's not wrong."

"No, but she added that it is also our way to check on each other without the other knowing," Destiny explained.

Faith laughed. "Of course we know. She tells us."

Destiny laughed along with her.

"Well, do you have any other ideas?" she asked as Destiny put her phone back into her pocket.

Destiny sat down on an overturned bucket across from Faith and leaned against the wall. "Yeah, actually I do."

"Let's hear it."

"Tell me why you left," Destiny said. "What did I do, Faith?"

Destiny stared at Faith and was surprised she didn't look away. She could tell Faith was not expecting her question. She recognized that look though. Faith was weighing her options.

Destiny was trying to keep her face neutral even though her heart was pounding in her chest. It didn't take long for the light to dim in the space since the sun had set, but she could see and feel Faith's eyes studying her.

"You really don't know," Faith said.

"No!" Destiny said desperately. "I thought we were happy. I was." She was glad shadows had begun to fill the small room and hoped Faith couldn't see the tears that suddenly filled her eyes. Destiny blinked them away and took a shallow breath.

"I was, too," Faith said softly. "Until…"

Destiny waited for Faith to continue, but she simply stared.

"Until what, Faith?"

"Do you remember the competitions between the teams that the Galloways used to come up with?" Faith said. "They were supposed to be in good fun, as they put it."

"Of course I remember them," Destiny replied. "But I didn't think they were necessarily fun."

"Really?"

"They were supposed to make the work crews more productive, but it didn't always feel that way to me," Destiny said. "You didn't particularly like them either."

"Not really."

"It was fun when we were on the same team," Destiny said, remembering how they'd work together to beat the other crews. "But not as much when we had our own teams. At least not for me."

"Then why were we always trying to beat each other?" Faith asked.

Destiny shrugged. "I guess because when we won we could choose the jobs we wanted."

"Do you do competitions with your work crews?"

"Nope. I try to treat everyone the same and assign jobs according to several different factors. Do you?"

"No," Faith said. "I've been accused of supervising too closely because it's hard for me to trust that the job will get done."

"Why?" Destiny asked. "You don't trust your employees? Surely you trust Mark."

"I do, but the job getting done on time and done right is my responsibility."

"I get that."

"Do you remember that doctor's office that had three separate buildings?" Faith said. "Mr. Galloway let us come up with our own designs, but we could only use the plants he had in stock."

"Sure, I remember," Destiny said. "Your crew had the building on one end, mine was in the middle, and the crew Mark was on had the other end. I don't remember who was leading that team. Do you?"

"What I remember is using most of the flowering plants we had on hand and you didn't like that very much," Faith said.

Destiny furrowed her brow and tried to think back to that particular project.

"Destiny?"

"I'm thinking, Faith," she said. "Give me a second." She narrowed her gaze and tried to bring up an image of the doctor's office in her head. "Wait a minute. That was the last project we did."

"It was the last job I did," Faith said. "I don't know about you."

"I remember," Destiny said. "I tried to get you to trade plants with me because I thought the flowering plants would look better in the middle."

"That's right. But I wanted them for my section so it would stand out more."

"Right. Your bed was overshadowed by a big tree." Destiny shrugged. "You wouldn't trade with me, so I used something else." She wasn't sure what the significance of this memory was, but she could tell it was important to Faith.

"The next day Mr. Galloway was going to judge the beds," Faith said. "Whoever won that competition was going to get to design, build, and complete that apartment complex bid he'd just won."

"Right."

"But you fixed it so your team would win," Faith stated.

"What?" Destiny said, confused. "I fixed it? No I didn't!"

Faith scoffed. "You didn't move all the flowering plants to your bed so Mr. Galloway would award you the project?"

"Move the plants? What are you talking about, Faith?" Destiny's stomach fell and she could see anger and hurt on Faith's face even in the darkened room.

"I knew you would deny it," Faith said, her voice strained. "That's why I never talked to you about it."

"Deny what?" Destiny said, sitting up on the bucket.

"Just tell the truth, Destiny. I have proof!"

Destiny's brows flew up her forehead. "Proof of what?"

"The night before Mr. Galloway was to judge our beds," Faith said, "you pulled up the flowering plants in my bed and transplanted them to yours."

Destiny wasn't sure she heard Faith correctly. "Transplanted them? No, I didn't." She was trying to think back to what they were doing at that time, but it had been three years ago. Snippets of the doctor's office, planting, and laying mulch were coming back to her. What did they do after work that day? When Destiny couldn't bring up the memory, she looked up at Faith.

"What's this proof you're talking about?" she asked. "I can assure you, I have never taken plants that were in your beds and moved them to mine."

"You not only sabotaged my design, you're a liar as well," Faith said.

Destiny bristled at the accusation. She'd never do anything like that much less to the woman she loved.

"Watch this and try to lie your way out of it," Faith said, holding out her phone.