Ordering in.
“Why am I flying around carrying a car? Because I hate fucking rush hour traffic.”
The Crimson Crusader, Chicago, 2002 to a CGIS Response team leader after panicking citizens called him carrying his corvette past the Sears Tower.
The truck shook as Solaris set it down, “I need to keep gloves in my bag, or figure out where my super gear is. I need my Thwump. Penny, my hands are a mess. Do you mind getting the door?”
"I have some stuff in the garage that'll help." Penny said, opening the garage door and moving the truck in, then fetching a bottle of Simple Orange from the shelves and offering it to her. "It feels weird, but it gets grease off quickly."
“Thank you” Solaris said as she squirted the soap into her hands.
Marcus's grandmother came looking for them. "Ah, such a handsome boy. Look at my grandson, he is almost as tidy as you, now. Though look at his tie. So crooked."
Nohoa laughed. “I’ve missed you, and your cooking Granny Ruan. Mama said she was going to send you some Macadamias soon.”
"Your mother is a good woman. And you listen to her, like a good boy.”
"I'm standing right here, Grandma. You make it sound like I’m a goon."
"Would you prefer I speak behind your back? Silly boy, but I do love you. And stand up straight, don’t slouch." The older Vietnamese woman winked at Nahoa, where her grandson couldn’t see her. "And welcome back, Miss Summers, Penny. I didn't expect you all back so soon, or at the same time."
“The boys ran into a spot of bother, so I ended up flying everyone back so we didn’t get stuck in traffic. Marcus can tell you about it later. Are the furniture people done yet?”
"Lazy bums. They're still struggling to get everything in, especially with the additional orders for the offices. Then the manager had to admit to staffing issues, probably to avoid overtime. We’re going to be getting deliveries for days yet. I said fine, but there better not be a scratch on either furniture or floor, and I would be checking!"
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“That is irritating. I would think as much as I spent a bit of overtime would be nothing. I will have to write their management a scathing letter.” She smiled. “That will also allow me to vent a bit of stress. Penny dropped her suit components in the garage for temporary storage then took the trailer back to the shop to get it repainted to match her new truck
“We can park it down by the boathouse once the trailer is painted… and after the boat house is built. I might want to put a fishing shed down there, since the dock looks lovely to fish off.” At their surprised look she chuckled. “I may be from a landed family, but I grew up in what was a small fishing village. Even My father helped at certain times of the year when I was a child, and he wasn’t at sea.”
“I love fishing myself, but haven’t had a lot of chances since coming to New York.” Nahoa said. “Did a lot of deep sea fishing back in Hawaii.”
"Right, so, I'll also get life preservers for when the boys buy a boat on Craigslist and sink. Boys will be boys." Penny laughed. "And they always have."
. “To be fair we girls get into our own fair share of scrapes, though most of my worst childhood misadventures could be blamed on my twin.Solaris agreed
"That is usually the way of twins. One gets away with everything." The Granny Ruan joked. “And speaking of, I have arranged for the boathouse apartment for the cook you want to hire to be done. I found quite a deal online, so I ordered a second smaller version of the little hut to put at the front gate." She reported. “The contractor team delivering it will also run the plumbing and power.”
“That is a quick, unexpected, but pleasant surprise. When will the contractors be out to build them and how long will it take?”
"Men will put down footings in the next couple of days, and the houses will be here in three days, along with the appliances and furniture I ordered for it." Granny said, “The Fence and gate will be next week, but fortunately we're near the end of the year for such projects, so they had space. The time is more for them to get the materials and equipment lined up."
Solaris looked confused, “Did Sears start selling houses again?”
"Amazon, actually. Sears just sells tools and jeans."
"The house unfolds, apparently. Came with all the kitchen stuff for just a bit more. Ordered the furniture too. Was very convenient. Nothing too nice, but nothing to make them feel uncomfortable either. I was going to put this husky boy in a gate guard job. If he does good tomorrow watching deliveries, hopefully the rest of the furniture will be delivered."
“That would be cool,” he said, perking up. Begging meals from granny would decrease his food budget. “I can do that, and iI can keep the yahoos who come out of the woodwork from knocking.”
“I have school, but the subway runs out here, and I don’t have anything to early in the morning or late in the afternoon, this semester.”
“Granny Ruan, did you cook or are we ordering in tonight?”
"I was unsure when people would get back. I can order delivery if we are hungry. Yes, II know you are Thud. Or I can try to whip something up."
“We can order in, I know the kitchen is still being set up. I do love how easy it is to get things delivered now. How many Chinese restaurants deliver here? We should order a sampling from all of them so we know which we like the best.”
"Oh, that is a good idea. I'll go check, and order from the best rated five."
“Sounds Delicious.”