A Beautiful Mess

Chapter 5

Sydney was hot by the time she arrived at the trailer, and she was looking forward to the air conditioning. She knew that Dr. Easton would be there, working, but she needed to make up her hours, and she wanted to get them finished. Maybe he would leave early and she could work in solitude.

She pushed open the door to the trailer and shut it, watching a surprised Dr. Easton take in her sudden appearance.

"What are you doing here?" It was evident that he was doing his best to hold on to his temper.

"I'm here to work. I have to get my forty hours in before the end of the week," Sydney nonchalantly said as she headed towards her workspace. "Don't worry, I'll stay out of your way."

"Why don't you work during the week like everyone else?" he asked through clenched teeth.

"My schedule was set by Theresa." Sydney fired up her computer and pulled out her phone hooking up her earbuds. She could feel his eyes boring into her back, but she did her best to act like he wasn't there. It was bad enough that they were going to have to be alone together all day.

"What exactly is your schedule?"

"Monday through Friday, ten to four and the other ten hours are up to me to make up on the weekends. I choose to work from ten to four Saturday and Sunday as well." At his look of anger, she shrugged. "I write it down in the book as requested."

"What book?"

She stood up and walked towards him, reaching for a pile of papers on his desk. Buried at the bottom was an old-fashioned ledger where Sydney wrote down her hours.

"Why are only your hours recorded here?" He took it from her, scanning it.

"I couldn't say, I'm only doing as ordered." She moved back towards her desk.

"And Flora?" Easton's voice demanded.

Sydney smiled at the dog who was snoring gently. She hadn't even bothered to get up and greet her when she had entered, but she had opened an eye and wagged her small tail.

"That's a perk." She sat back down. "Just act like I'm not here. If you like, I can do all ten hours today, and you can have the place to yourself tomorrow."

"That will put you here until eight tonight."

Sydney only nodded as she put in her earbuds turning up her music, pretending that his disturbing self wasn't there, sitting just a few feet away.

They worked silently side by side for a few hours, neither saying a word to the other. Just before lunch, the door opened and Theresa breezed in carrying a bag of food from the diner. She had a smile on her face as she looked at Dr. Easton, but the smile quickly faded as she noted Sydney sitting at her desk.

"What are you doing here?" Theresa asked, setting the bag down on Dr. Easton's desk with a thump. The smell of food woke Flora up and she slowly got off of the couch with a stretch before moving over to the bag of food, sniffing at it delicately.

Sydney studied Theresa as she shooed Flora away like she was a giant fly. She was wearing a little blue sundress that stopped well above her knees with small spaghetti straps that barely held it in place. It was evident to Sydney that Theresa had come to try to seduce Dr. Easton, and she had forgotten that Sydney was going to be there, or maybe they were already having an affair, and he had told her to meet him at the site but had forgotten to call and tell her not to come.

Sydney looked over at Dr. Easton and noted that he looked confused.

"I'm working, Theresa," Sydney finally answered, lowering her head back to her work.