The Cowboy and The Pencil-pusher

I was going over the budget with my feet up on the desk when Kurt sprinted into the work trailer, blushing and thick-necked. "What the hell are you trying to recruit?" he demanded.

"What are you talking about?" I took off my glasses, not understanding why he was so angry.

He held up a can of paint. "You said the guest room would be in the same style as the ranch."

"That's right." I frowned. "What do you want to say?"

In the corner, Benjie, who was working on a laptop, jumped up. "I'm going to get some coffee. Anyone want a cup too?" He raised his eyebrows. "No? Okay. I went by myself." He slipped away like a gust of wind, and all the documents on my desk were swept up by him.

Kurt shook his head with a disgusted expression. "I knew we couldn't fully trust you."

Humiliated, I put my foot down awkwardly and stood up. "What do you mean?"

"I mean my instincts are right, can't trust you, get as far away from you as possible." Anger clouded his face.

"Oh, really?" I almost screamed, it was embarrassing.

"Yes." He leaned over and slammed an unopened can of paint on my desk. "You think I don't notice, do you?"

I put my hands on my hips, trying to look unfazed by his anger.It's not easy. "What did you notice?"

"The color of the paint."

I frown. "What's wrong? I picked the color myself." I took pains to pick the most unassuming brown I could find.

"I knew it."

I was red all the way from my neck to my cheeks. "Look, I don't know what it is that made you tear your crotch jeans, but come talk to me after you learn basic respect."

"Respect?" He opened his eyes wide. "Why should I respect someone who wants to make fun of me and my family?" He pointed to the paint can. "'Princess fan'? Are you mistaken?"

"What?" I glanced at the jar.Sure enough, "Princess Powder" was clearly written on the label. "I didn't order this color."

He took a step back and crossed his arms over his chest, looking skeptical. "Oh, really?"

Hearing the questioning tone in his voice, my anger rose slowly. "I ordered 'Mustang Brown'."

He stretched his neck but said nothing.

"They obviously sent the wrong color." He said I can't be trusted and I was angry for a long time.I tried to sound businesslike. "This kind of thing happens all the time, there's no need to make a fuss about it."

His face seemed to be red. "oh."

I avoid his gaze and sit down again. "I'm calling the paint company today to have them take these back and send them the correct color."

He picked up the jar and said hesitantly, "Thanks."

"Uh-huh." I pretended to dive into the paperwork, but in reality I was burning with anger.He didn't show any intention of leaving, I looked up and tried to keep the expression on my face as calm as possible. "Is there anything else?"

"No."

I watched him, full of resentment. "In that case, if you don't mind, there are many other people waiting to be fooled by me, so I have to keep working." I put my glasses on and pretended to read the numbers on the file.

He exhales heavily. "This... I'm sorry."

I looked up, eyebrows raised. "Sorry for what?"

His lips moved. "You want me to say that again?"

I shrug. "You can do whatever you want, your opinion means nothing to me."

"Liar."

I lower my eyes. "I didn't lie." No wonder I didn't lie.However, I will not let him see that his words can bring me such a big blow.

"If you don't care what I think of you, then you shouldn't be mad at me right now." He walked around my table.

I leaned back in the chair, stopped what I was doing and looked at him. "Where do you get that judgment? You hardly know me."

He hangs his head. "I said I'm sorry."

He struck a chord with me, but don't end up with a simple apology. "The insult you blurted out just now came at me, which means that such thoughts have been brewing in your elm head for a long time."

he laughed. "Elm head?"

"Or do you prefer to be called an 'ape'?" I scowled.

"Calling me a nickname won't solve the problem."

"Solve the problem?" I said angrily. "You obviously think I'm an untrustworthy bastard, and I don't like being treated that way. How are you going to fix this?"

"I'm overreacting." His jaw tightens.

"You think so?"

"I always don't know how to proceed with the situation related to you, so I guess I didn't care about 21 and went to the most obvious conclusion." He scratched the back of his neck with a blank expression on his face.

I snorted. "Wow. Thanks. This is so much better. So the obvious conclusion is that I'm an asshole?"

He curled the corner of his mouth and said with a smile: "Damn it. I should take care of this mouth."

"I agree." I wag my fingers at him. "Go away, I have to work."

Instead of leaving, he sat on the edge of my table. "Paul, don't do this." He began to coax me.

I frown. "What do you want from me?"

"I want you to accept my apology." He picked up my stapler and fiddled with it. "I'm angry, but I have no reason to yell at you. You've always been frank with me, and I shouldn't doubt your character."

He sounded very sincere, and that husky voice shook me a lot. "Yes, you shouldn't."

"I don't get angry a lot, but when I do, I'm a grump."

He looked deflated.I sigh. "Okay. I accept your apology."

He straightened up and asked with a smile, "Really?"

"You can go now." My voice was a little choked up.

"Did I hurt your feelings?" he asked me, leaning over. "I did not do it on purpose."

"No. I just have a lot of work to do. I have other things to do besides your project." I flipped through the stack of papers in front of me, distracted by his proximity.

He puts down my stapler. "This proposal from your father to my grandfather seems too good to be true." He shrugged. "I guess I'm waiting for you to send me a post."

I lean back in a chair. "No tricks. My dad wants to help you, so here I am." I look around the cluttered interior of the trailer. "In this place of magical reality."

He smiled sheepishly. "I was so shocked to see the pink paint all over the van. It didn't even occur to me that it might just be a mistake in the order."

"I guess."

"I'm glad it was just a misunderstanding." He met my eyes cautiously. "Maybe you don't believe it, but I really like you sometimes."

I can't help laughing. "It's not like I hate you all day."

He laughed, but the smile faded from his face. "Maybe I'm still resentful that your dad chose Blackbond for the project." He fiddled with the pen in my pen holder. "I would have hoped it didn't turn out that way."

"He's got to pick someone fast. We need to get the project off the ground."

He cleared his throat. "I've noticed that you and Blackbond hang out a lot." His tone was a little deliberately casual.

"Well, he's one of the directors of the renovation project. We've got a lot to discuss."

He stood up slowly. "Watch out for him."

I threw aside the documents in my hand and looked into his cautious eyes. "which aspect?"

"Let me put it politely, he is exquisite in all aspects." He bit his lip. "If you know what I mean."

"Five seconds ago you called me a scum, and now you're worried about my virginity?" The thought of him worrying that Blackburn might have a crush on me makes me almost giddy.

"He's a tough bastard."

"So far, Blackbond and I have had a purely business relationship."

"So far?"

I raised my hand, waved it, and laughed loudly: "No one can say for sure about the future."

He frowned. "Blackbond is not good enough for you."

I leaned forward and said, "Don't worry, I'm not planning to shoot anyone. I'm here to oversee the cost of the project. Ask Benjie, and he'll tell you. When I'm working, I'm only concerned with the work."

"Well, I think you are quite pitiful after hearing you say that."

My face burned. "Do you have nothing else to do? You must have other people to bully besides me, right?"

He dimpled from laughter. "I like to bully you the most."

"I'm so lucky." His words made my heart tighten.I need to focus on work.I'm not here to tease cute cowboys.

"We should have another meal together soon."

I snorted. "So we can tell each other about the rapport we almost built up?"

He nodded his hat brim, his eyes mischievous. "certainly."

I pointed to a pile of papers next to it. "There are so many people's dreams waiting to be crushed, I'm not sure I can fit you into my schedule."

He chuckled.

I tapped my fingers on the table and looked at him. "You really think I'm going to paint the guest quarters 'princess pink'?"

His Adam's apple rolled under the tanned skin of his neck. "I want to think so."

I was surprised by this. "Why?"

He shrugged one shoulder. "I have no idea."

"You're trying to think the worst about me." It's not a question.

"I like to figure out how good my relationship is with other people. You make me very unpredictable. One second you are angry because you can't take back my grandpa's ranch, and the next minute I feel that I am very happy with you .I just want to know who you really are."

"People are multifaceted."

"may be."

"After getting to know your grandpa a little bit better, I have a new perspective on things. Yes, I would have taken his mortgage back without batting an eye when I first got here. But I'll be flexible, too. I'm afraid that's not necessarily the right thing to do. Whether or not I have the legal right to do it, Maddy is a good guy and he deserves a second chance."

His eyes widened. "Whoa. Let me get my phone and record what you said. Who would believe you're such a softhearted person."

I pouted. "Don't be fooled by what I said. If your grandpa still doesn't get the loan after the transformation, I will take back his mortgage without any scruples. My essence has not changed much."

He frowned. "Ouch, I'm hurt."

"It's my job. I try not to think too much about it. Just like when a policeman has to arrest someone, he doesn't get upset because his life will be bleak after he is arrested. He just does the essential work. Me too. I'm not obsessed with the consequences."

"It appeared..." His laughter was stiff. "The cold-blooded moneylender we know and love shows up."

I sniffed at his sarcasm. "Yes." I raised my chin. "Oh, by the way, the homeless shelter is very grateful for my generosity." I noticed a nice pink tinge to his cheeks. "I don't think I'm all that bad."

"You're not bad at all," he said softly as he walked towards the door. "But if you're really the bad guy, it's much easier for me."