Coworkers, page 35
As he pulled out of his driveway he heard his phone ringing beside him on the seat. Looking at the number he had a smile on his face. Just like he had thought it was the boss. Probably wondering if he had left for work yet.
“Hello?” Carl asked in a friendly tone of voice.
“Hey, was just wondering if you had left yet? Are you going to be here on time?” His boss's voice went into his ear.
“I just left. I will be there for six.” Carl told him, keeping his eyes on the road. They talked for a few more minutes and than they got off the phone.
Carl went the speed limit on certain roads and on other roads he didn't care because no one traveled them. He always made it to work fifteen minutes before he was suppose to clock in and this time it was no different. He would be there for four-forty-five. He was going to show the boss that he could show up to work early whenever he was asked to.
It was the best job that Carl had that he actually liked. He had plenty of jobs throughout his teenage years all having to do with construction or painting. He loved the job he did because even on his first day he didn't have to worry about someone being behind him and training him. He didn't have to worry about someone sitting there looking over his shoulder while he worked. He was glad that his boss didn't think that he needed a babysitter. It made Carl feel confident in himself when the boss was always there on his side. He couldn't remember a time when his boss had been mad at him. He didn't think that the boss had ever gotten mad at him.
When Carl made it to work he could see that the boss was standing out front. He could see that he wasn't happy. He knew it had nothing to do with him because he was twenty minutes earlier than his usual days.
“We are going to have a lousy day today.” Carl muttered to himself as he shut the truck off and took the key out of the ignition.
“Hey boss.” Carl grinned at him and nodded his head.
“Hey, we are now just waiting on Jake to get here. I don't know what's taking him so long. I just got off the phone with him fifteen minutes ago and now I can't get a hold of him.” Ken told him, running a hand through his graying brown hair.
Ken was twenty-nine years old and he felt older than what he was. Some of his crew stressed him out and he was going to stress out until Jake showed up.
“Maybe he got stuck in traffic or something.” Carl shrugged, he didn't think about things that stressed him out. He would be stressed out if they were an hour late for work.
Ken was about to call him again when they watched him pull up in his black, beat up truck with a smile on his face. Ken shook his head and than felt a smile come to his face when he realized that his crew was all there.
“We don't have time to chit-chat we have to get going. I want two of you riding with Jake and I will ride with Carl!” Ken barked out the orders watching the crew scatter towards Jake's truck.
Carl just shook his head, he didn't run for anyone not even Ken. He didn't mind impressing him when he had to or even when he didn't know that he was but he didn't jump when someone yelled at him.
Carl got back in the truck and started it up. Ken got into the passenger side seat and slammed the door shut. He sighed with relief when he looked over at Carl.
“I don't know why you freak out so much boss. You know things are going to work out alright and you still stress over it.” Carl laughed at him, backing out of his parking spot and heading out onto the main road.
“We have to get to this contract. If they like our work than we are going to be set even for the winter months. That's a big thing for us.” Ken explained to him.
Carl noticed it was the first morning that Ken didn't have a cup of coffee in his hand. He did however have a cigarette hanging out of his mouth and he didn't like it when someone was smoking in the car with him but it was a company truck so he couldn't say anything about it.
“That's great. I understand what a big deal that is but you're not going to make the crew move any faster if you keep yelling at them like that. I'm use to it and I don't rush you know that.” Carl pointed out to him as he stopped for a red light and noticed that Jake and the other two members of the crew were right behind them.
“I will work on that. That sounds like some good advice.” Ken grunted, inhaling and than exhaling the smoke, putting it out the passenger window that he had cracked so it wouldn't go all through the truck.
Carl's day was getting better and better as far as he was concerned and he was suppose to call one of his buddies to see what they were doing later. Hoping that he could get out in time to unwind like everyone else was hoping to do.
“So what are we painting first?” Carl asked, wondering what he was getting himself into. He wasn't like the rest of the crew to just sit around and wait to see what was going to happen the second they showed up. He wanted to know what he was getting into.
“We are going to be painting the inside of a mansion for starters. Like this guy has a lot of money and if we do a great job he's going to want more work done. This is a trial work and he's put up a lot of money on this contract. We have to get it done professionally and in a fashionable manner because he plans on having some kind of banquet at his house within the next few weeks.” Ken told him, wondering if he had gotten himself in over his head when he had told the guy that it would take only two weeks to get the house completely done on the inside.
“You do know that we are going to have to put in a lot of hours right? I mean I hope this guy doesn't think that he can have anyone underfoot because if he does there's no way we are going to be able to do this quickly and professionally.” Carl rolled his eyes, he had a feeling if he was going to get out at his regular time that day than the next couple of weeks he would be working late hours.
Chapter 2
Ken didn't say anything to Carl the rest of the ride there. It had taken them an hour and a half before they finally reached their destination. When Carl pulled into the driveway his eyes grew wide it was a three story high building and he knew that the ceiling were high just looking from the outside of the house. No one was there when they had showed up.
“Alright guys, lets get to work. We are going to work through lunch and take a late lunch break. Than I will see how far we've gotten. I'm even pitching in on this one, we need all the help we can get but I know my crew. You guys do a great job and I'm not going to have someone coming in here messing it up, not knowing what they are doing.” Ken gave them a small pep talk at the back of the company truck and Carl was impressed with him, he had actually taken his advice and didn't order anyone around.
They smiled at Ken and got their painting gear, they were talking softly and in better moods since they had left the shop.
“See I told you that you would get a better reaction out of them if you didn't yell at them. Now keep practicing that and you will be fine.” Carl laughed, grabbing his ladder and his painting gear. He knew that they were in for a long start.
Ken opened the door with the keys that were left in the mailbox just like the client had told him on the phone. Ken had phoned him when they showed up and when they went into the house Carl wasn't sure if they could finish the place in a week or two.
There were too many bedrooms and the ceiling were higher than what he had originally guessed they would be. He wanted it all painted white. Every single room was to be freshened up so it was good that they didn't have to sand anything down he just wanted it all repainted for a nicer look.
“The longer we stand here looking at it the longer it's going to take us to get the job done. Jake I want you three men to work here in the living room and I will work with Carl in kitchen. If we get this done in a group we might be able to get this bottom floor done and half of the first floor before break time.” Ken told them as calmly as he could though he looked nervous and a little uneasy when he had looked at the place on the inside.
“We are going to set the goal guys!” Carl shouted, raising his fist and watching the other guys do it too.
Carl was going to talk to Ken about hiring a few more people if he was going to keep the contract going for a long time. If he was going to there would be no way that it could just take the five of them to finish off each project in the amount of time that Ken signed contracts for. There was just no way unless Ken was expecting them to work day and night.
Carl set up the ladders in the kitchen and wondered if the client wanted the cupboards painted as well. Before he decided to do it he thought it would be best if he talked to Ken.
“Hey, did he say anything about repainting the cupboards and cabinets. If he wants the walls done he might as well get the cupboards done too. It would be common sense.” Carl told him, climbing up the ladder with his brush and setting the bucket down on the counter.
“Yes. He wants all of it done.” Ken nodded his head in agreement, giving him a smile before he started on the other side of the room.
“I would like to suggest something if you don't mind?” Carl asked, the idea had just came to the top of his head.
“I wouldn't mind at all, anything to get the project done a little faster.” Ken nodded to him, getting his paintbrush wet with paint and starting at the top of the wall, coming down slowly.
“I think what you need is to rent an air brush and pretty soon you need to buy one. We would get this room done in one hour with an air brush.” Carl looked around, estimating the time it would take. He knew alone with the paint brushes that they had they were going to take more than that on one room.
“We will do it this way for today and I will get a couple of air brushes tomorrow and see how we do. I want to make sure we get this done the right way so that we don't have to go over it when we're done you know?” Ken asked him, nodding his head but not looking over at Carl. He thought Carl had a good idea but being the boss he wanted to try it his way first. Not to mention it would take too much time to go get one now. If Carl had suggested it earlier than he would have looked into it the night before but now they were already there it made no sense to leave the job site now and search around for the cheapest place to get the airbrushes that Carl was talking about.
Carl got to work and was happy with the quick pace. He was surprised that Ken could paint just as fast as he could if not faster and still make it look good when he was done.
By the time that they were done with the kitchen it had taken them two hours. Carl was wiping the sweat off his forehead and looked around the room. He could have been working on the upper floor with the airbrush next and it wasn't even noon time. He didn't say anything more about it knowing that Ken was good on his word about trying new things.
Carl was ready to give up when he looked up the stairs and looked through the rooms. He didn't understand why their client wanted all the rooms done unless he was giving a tour of the mansion and selling it.
“I don't know of any banquet that would use the upstairs as well.” Carl put a hand on his hip and looked at each room with Ken while the rest of the crew was still working on the living room which they were almost done with.
“I don't know. All I know is that he wants everything all done. You know he's going to look up the stairs and check every room. This guy means business Carl, he wants it all done and he wants it done quick. I couldn't refuse the contract, he's paying us a lot of money for this.” Ken explained himself even though he didn't have to. He was the boss and what he said went whether anyone liked it or not.
“It's not really that big of a deal but I'm telling you the airbrushes are really going to come in handy. I wasn't going to mention anything more about it because I already have but these rooms are just too big for paint brushes.” Carl looked over at Ken and raised his eyebrows.
He noticed that Ken was looking at the size of the room that they were in. One thing that Carl didn't understand was how someone needed just a game room or just a jacuzzi room when they had a lot of money. To him it was just a waste of money and he could live off what one room would cost. He knew that he could. He felt sick in the pit of his stomach as if he was ready to puke.
“Yeah. We are going to check prices tonight. Well I will when everyone goes home.” Ken nodded his head walking out of the room to go look through the other ones on the third floor.
Carl knew it was going to be a hell of a job to get everything done the way the client wanted it. He knew that they were going to work their asses off for someone who might not even be happy with what was going on. Carl though that if the client didn't like the work done the first time than he would make the go over it again. He had never had a project so big before and it was going to take a lot of sweat and tears to get it done.
“Lets get to work Carl.” Ken told him, walking passed the door again and seeing that Carl was still looking around it.
“I'm on it boss.” Carl nodded his head and turned to walk out of the room. He had to grab his ladder and the paints to bring upstairs.
He looked in on Jake and the rest of the crew in the living room. He was glad that they were almost done. It would mean that they had already met their first goal of starting on the upstairs before lunch time even came around.
“We will take a break around one guys. I want to see how far we've gotten come than. It's only eight now and we are on our way to work on the upstairs. We are doing really good on this.” Ken clapped his hands as he took his supplies upstairs with him along with the step ladder that he had in the kitchen. He knew he had to have something more than just a step ladder when he had to reach up higher.
Carl was back upstairs before Ken was, while he talked to the rest of the crew he was walking by them and heading up the stairs to the first room he came to. When Ken showed up behind him Ken could see that he was already getting to work.
“You work on the other room while I get this one. There are three more rooms on this level that need to be done not to mention the hallway walls.” Carl told him lightly, hoping that Ken didn't think he was bossing him around when it was suppose to be the other way around.
“Sounds good to me. Holler if you need anything.” Ken told him firmly and walked away from the room without going in.
Ken didn't mind when Carl suggested things from time to time but he didn't like the fact that Carl had thought that he knew more than he did when he was the boss. He was glad that the crew wasn't up there listening to it when Carl suggested he went to another room to start on it.
Ken knew himself that if they had one in reach room things were going to go faster for them but it wasn't just about faster he wanted to make sure that he looked at each room himself. If he was happy with it than he knew for sure the client would be happy with it. He was just as picky as the clients that they had. If there wasn't enough paint in one corner he would have them repaint it themselves before a client had a chance to complain.
Ken forgot about it, he didn't hold a grudge very long and he knew that if he held a grudge not much work would get done. They had to work as a team or it wasn't going to get done any faster. He knew that it wouldn't get done in a weeks time if they didn't come together as a crew. The last thing he need was for them to fall apart.
If he fell apart as the boss than he knew that the crew would tumble. No matter what issues he had with any of the crew he kept it to himself until they got back to shop. If he really had a problem he would yell at them the second they returned and than it would be over and done with. The next morning was a new day. That's how he had always looked at it and that's how he was always going to look at it. He figured that's why he still had the same members of his crew for a long while now. They like how he treated them and he told them how it was when he felt the need to.
Ken never threatened to fire any of the crew members. When he had first started out with the company as a boss he was strict about everything. He weeded out the men that he didn't need in his company. The ones who didn't want to work, the ones who called in three times a week and still expected a decent check when they showed up on Friday. He got rid of all the guys who didn't want to work but get paid and he was glad he did. He needed a crew that wanted to work, a crew that he could depend on and he had found it by taking out all the men that had been in his company. All but four of them. He was the kind of boss who didn't care about getting his hands dirty right along with them when he had to.
“How are you coming along in there?!” Ken shouted out to Carl, hearing his voice echoing down the hall.
“Good, I'm almost done with the first wall. Probably another ten or fifteen minutes if I would have to estimate right now!” Carl shouted back to him. He wanted to let him know he had the room handled. He was making good time.
“Great. I will come check on you in an hour.” Ken told him, putting more paint on his brush. Making sure it didn't run.
“Where are you going?” Carl called over his shoulder as if Ken was standing right there beside him.
“Nowhere. I'm still working with you.” Ken laughed, he had to laugh. Just by the way Carl's voice sounded as if he was going to leave them high and dry.
Chapter 3
At exactly one o'clock that day they had lunch. Carl was suppose to call his buddy at noon time but it wasn't like he could stop working and go make a phone call so he stepped out of the house and went around the corner while everyone was talking and eating.
“Hey what's up? I was going to call you at lunch but I'm just getting on lunch now. Is there anyway that you want to meet up when I get out of work?” He asked into the phone not knowing that anyone was around when he was talking on the phone.
His phone was on speaker because he could hear it better that way for some reason. He knew he had to get a new phone sooner or later and with this contract he knew that he would be able to get a better one with his next pay check.
“Yeah. I was hoping that you'd call I miss you.” The male voice replied back to him on the other end of the phone.
Ken was standing near the front door watching everyone, he walked around the house and heard Carl talking to someone. He was going to turn back around when he began listening in on the conversation that Carl was having.
