"That doesn't change the fact that you're late. Go drop those off in the kitchen and hand out schedules for today. Then come see me."
He handed me a stack of schedules. Each guy would be given 2-3 locations to shovel or plow, and if they got done early, they just called in for more. My Dad glanced back down, and I stood there for a minute more before turning and doing what was asked of me.
His dark hair was buzz cut and his eyes dark blue, which made him look like a military man with a kiss my ass attitude. It was pretty close to the truth, and he was a good looking old guy, but he never dated. My mom had been dead for over ten years, and where I still missed her, he was still lost in the pain of losing her. I had tried a million times to set him up with some of the middle-aged women in the town, and they were more than willing, but he wasn't. Shame really.
"Here's your donuts and your schedules, you bitches."
I walked into the break-room and got a warm reception. It was the food, no doubt. My father had ten to twelve guys working for him, some of them friends of mine from high school, but mostly transients.
The majority of my friends had gone to college or off to the military, but as my father's only child, I figured he needed someone he could trust to help run his ever-expanding business. Too bad he didn't seem to like me most days.
"Hey, donut boy." Cliff, one of the older guys walked up and extended his schedule toward me. "I'll pay you fifty bucks to switch me schedules. I need to use a mover today. Pulled my back out yesterday working on that damn tree Martha gets every year."
I tugged the schedule from his fingers and gave him mine as I growled. "Damn. All of these are shovelings."
"Yep. Sucks. Being the new guy on the crew means kissing a few asses to get a decent schedule. I'm not an ass kisser, so welcome to my world."
"Not sure my Dad would want your ugly lips on his ass anyway." I laughed as he popped me in the chest. "Keep your money, old man. I'm good right now."
"You sure, Finn? I don't mind paying for the switch."
"Naw. It's good. You have three kids at home and it's almost Christmas. Use that on them. I'm alright right now. Honestly."
He patted me on the back, and I grabbed three donuts and a napkin before returning to my Dad's office.
"You want one?" I lifted my hand to show two of the donuts hanging from my fingers.
"No. I want them both." He reached out and took them, giving me a wicked smile and shoving a whole one in his mouth. "Sit."
"Shit?" I asked, tilting my head to the side.
"No. Sit," he mumbled around the donut and reached for his massive mug of coffee that went wherever he did.
"No shit?"
I sat down and smiled, unable to help myself. It was rare for my father to be in a good mood, and he wasn't that morning either, but I'd take anything I could get.
"Did Cliff talk with you?"
"Yes, Sir. I switched with him."
"And he's paying you to do that, right?" My father lifted his eyebrow.
"He wanted to, but I'm good. He's got kids at home, and I don't mind the manual labor. Keeps me in shape for the ladies." I rubbed my chest and wagged my eyebrows.
"You moved out two months ago and have had to borrow money each month to make your rent. You need to stop being so damn nice and start getting paid for all of these favors, Finn. A real business man makes money, not gives it away."
I nodded. "I know, I just couldn't take it from him. I'll pay you back. I'll pick up a few extra days on the schedule."
"That'll work." My father glanced down before looking back up at me like he had something else to say.
"What?"
"You spending Christmas at the house?"
"Of course, Dad. I'll be there on Christmas Eve and that morning. Don't expect nothing big though. My boss is a stingy mother fucker." I stood up and leaned over, rustling some of the papers on his desk.
"Get out of here. Pain in my ass." He kept his face turned down, but I could see the hint of a smile on his lips. It made my day.
I stopped by the supply room and stole a pair of thick gloves and lifted three shovels from the bin that held them before walking back out into the freezing cold wind. We'd had a great snow a few days back, which was kick ass for the slopes and the tourists, but for those of us who worked and lived on the big mountain, not so much.
"Be safe out there, Finn," Milly called to me as she walked out of the front door of the warehouse.
My Dad's secretary would have made him a perfect girlfriend, but he saw her as a business associate and nothing else. The woman was beautiful, with long blond hair that she braided down one side of her shoulder and big blue eyes. Her body was a little on the thick side, but curvy and feminine. If she wasn't twenty years my senior and so good to my father, I'd have already taken her to bed.
"Yes ma'am. Take care of my father? Make sure the old bat eats something healthy today."
"Will do, baby. Just be safe."
I smiled and climbed into the truck. I had to find a way to get them together soon. Milly was starting to grow restless in life and would do what most women who didn't get what they wanted did...she'd leave and find it elsewhere. That would be a huge loss for my father.
I popped my cellphone into the hands-free device and hit the button for my best friend, Brian before turning on my lights and windshield wipers. The snow had started to fall again, which would make for a long and painfully cold day.
"Hey, buddy. Why are you calling me so damn early? Not all of us work our asses off for a hot meal and warm body to sleep next to."
I shook my head at the bastard. "Right. I forgot that some of us sleep with men in suits to make millions. Remind me next time you've got your head up some old guy’s ass and I'm fucking the hottest thing in Aspen; who's got it better?”
"Point taken." Brian laughed. "What's up? You wanna grab a beer tonight?"
"Maybe tomorrow. I have a full schedule today and had a long night last night."
"Did you score with that Terri girl?"
"Was that her name? I kept having to call her baby because I couldn't remember. Embarrassing."
I turned down a long back street that had more snow than I should have traversed through, but having done it all my life, it was nothing new.
"Manwhore."
"You know it." I pulled off into the driveway and left the truck running idle. "Are we getting together with the guys next weekend?"
"Yeah. Jared's bachelor party is here, remember? They fly in Saturday morning, but he's gotta go see his folks for most of the day. Let's plan on taking him to the club that night. Play a few games with the old bastard.”
I chuckled and realized that we were likely to never grow up. "Sounds like a plan to me. I'm going to win, but you know that."
"I do, but Jared doesn't. Let's let him be surprised at how well you've honed in your sexual prowess."
"Sexual prowess? You're starting to sound like one of those suits you wear." I chuckled. "Besides, I'm still shoveling snow for a living. I need the right woman to sweep me off my feet and pay for my shit."
"Naw, you're just in a slump, buddy. You're going to keep saving up and when the time comes, we'll get your resort up and running. Don't let the dream die. They happen to be one of the only free things in life."
"Ski resorts?" I teased him.
"No. Dreams, you bastard. I'm going to go live someone else's now. See you later."
"Later."
I hung up and got out of the truck as the wind slammed against me. I wasn't living a dream, but a nightmare. Thankfully it only lasted eight hours a day.