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And when Caroline and Contractor Joe needed to discuss recaulking the s on the second floor, going on and on about how for the best seal you needed a really thick caulk? Clark turned three shades of purple and I dah ress was es I felt were needed but also made Clark coister but rity of the house Caroline had walked a tightrope between the two the the tension that was no longer ignorable

The easy truce Clark and I had formed after the first few days, the friendship that had blossoone And in its place? Uncomfortable silence Frustrated and stilted conversation And worse? Caulk Oh the caulk

Once we said good-bye to Contractor Joe, Caroline excused herself to make a phone call and I was alone with Clark in the entryway

Silence More silence Shuffle of shoe, puff of breath, and then again, silence

Finally, we both started:

"So what do you think about--"

"So if it’s all right with you--"

Then we both backed off

"Go ahead," I said

"No no, ere you going to say?"

"No please You first," I insisted

"Ladies first, Vivian," he insisted right back

This would go on all night if ourto say is, what do you think about Joe? He seemed to be the best of the bunch to me"

"I think he appears to be very capable, and see for here I’ht so too, but I wondered what you thought," I ra the space Which had never been necessary before "So--yeah"

More silence

"What were you going to say?" I asked

"H at the sa to say?" I repeated

"Oh Well, I was just going to say that it sees out, and this project is pretty well on track I think everything’s going to work out just fine with the house"