I sighed.
He continued, “More pipes will erupt if you don’t replace the whole system. I figure, you’ll be flooding once a month.”
“How much would the whole replacement be?”
“Around $15-25,000 at least.”
Jesus.
I shook my head in disbelief. “And how long would I have to stay closed in order for your crew to do it?”
“We could work it out where you didn’t have to close. My team could also begin working on the exposed pipes first as well as take care of the bathroom and bars’ plumbing in sections.”
Damn it. This is going to be a lot.
“However,” He licked his lips. “I don’t want the price to discourage you. I’m willing to offer you several discounts.”
I bet you are.
My curiosity got the best of me. “Discounts?”
He tossed me a wicked grin, one lathered in lust and all things that probably dealt more with my bedroom and less with my plumbing system.
“I would like your time,” he said. “Lots of it. For that I would cut the total cost of the replacement in half, maybe even more.”
He just wants my time? Yeah right.
I crossed my arms over my chest. “There is no way your cutting that big of a price, just because I’m sharing some minutes with you. So let’s be real about this, do you want my time or my panties?”
“Both,” he said with no embarrassment or hesitation. “And in regard to time, I don’t want a few minutes or hours. I need days and weeks, maybe even months.”
I widened my eyes.
“I’ll let you choose the panties.”
For the third time that day, he shocked me.
I cleared my throat. “Look, Mr. Moreno.”
“Maceo,” he corrected.
“Maceo, I don’t have that much time to give you and I’m not in the business of renting out my panties to pay plumbing bills.”
“Really? You should probably change that.” He directed his gaze to the center of my thighs. There was no way he could see anything beneath the skirt’s black material, nonetheless that area warmed under his attention. “I imagine those panties are smoothed up against something that’s priceless.”
I shifted my weight to my other foot. “It’s still not for sale.”
“It should be,” he whispered.
“You’re insane.”
He shrugged.
“And over confident,” I continued.
“I’ve been called worse.”
“Christine!” Cora yelled from her table and wiggled her now empty wine glass in the air. “Are we going to finish the tryouts or what? The hotties are probably melting in the sun outside.”
“I’m coming. Give me one second.” I returned to Maceo. “I have to go. Feel free to have your men look at whatever they need to. However, let’s make this clear, so I won’t have to repeat myself.”
“Please.” He leaned forward. “Make it clear.”
“I don’t need panty discounts on anything.” I pointed at his crew. “What I need is for your men to be efficient and truthful.”
“You’ll get that.”
“Once you’ve confirmed whatever the problem is, give me a price, and make sure it’s an honest one. Keep in mind that I’ll get second and third opinions. In the end, I will go with the plumbing company that I believe is the best for me.”
His smile oozed with certainty. “You won’t need to look any further in any situation.”
I ignored the in any situation part of his comment. “If your men are thirsty or anything, just let me know. I have sodas in the fridge.”
“And will I be able to sit inside while the auditions are happening? You are holding some sort of tryouts, right?” He gestured to my front door. “Or is the line of half-naked men outside solely for you?”
You’re such a persistent little bastard, aren’t you?
“I’m auditioning men to replace five empty slots. The guys that filled them ended up getting so popular that a scout from Vegas snatched them up.”
“Good for them, but bad for you.”
“True.”
“Can I sit through the try outs?” He batted his lashes. “I’ll be really good and only throw dollars at the men in the most gentlemanly way possible.”
He has to be joking.
I tilted my head to the side. “Do you really want to watch the auditions?”
“Of course. Maybe I’ll learn something.”
Okay. Shock score total. Maceo: four. Christine: zero.
“You can watch the auditions, if that’s your thing,” I said.
“I don’t know about it being my thing, but I do love to try new experiences.”
“Well my friends are over here to help me pick, but maybe you can provide more of an objective choice.” I considered the absurdity of it all. “Right now they’re evaluations have included shrieks of glee, hooting, salivating, and one of them proposed to the guy after he finished his set.”
“Hmmm. I’ll do my best with being objective.” He playfully fluttered his eyelashes. “However, I can’t promise that I won’t suggest marriage to the stud muffin that truly catches my eye.”
Oh brother.
Chapter 3
Cocky Bastard
I wouldn’t date Maceo for two reasons.
First, that cocky ego of his took up too much space.