Chapter 5 - Should I give it a shot?

"That will be my dad" Chloe chuckled softly and was about turning to go call her dad when she heard his fast paced footsteps gradually approaching behind towards our direction.

"Oh! here he comes" Chloe said to me in a low voice and shifted, giving her dad more room as he came and stood in front of me - dressed in a finely fitted black suit and holding a briefcase.

Then he switched the briefcase to his left hand and extended his right hand to me for a handshake, saying "Liam, so glad you could make it before I leave for work."

"Yes... And I must say, you look good sir" I replied with a courteous tease - glancing briefly at Chloe who stood beside us with a friendly smile on her face.

"Well thank you" Mr Williams said as we retreated our hands - adjusting his tie while giving me a purposeful look.

"So as for the job, I'll like you to..."

I gradually lost attention to what Mr Williams was saying when my gaze drifted to look at Chloe who left us and moved into the house with her curvy waist swaying seductively as she walked.

"....this before?" Were the last two words of Mr Williams that snapped me back from my morbid mind - drawing my attention as I returned my gaze back to him.

"Huh?" I heaved out with a blank stare, totally cluelessly of what he'd just said.

"I meant if you've ever done this kind of work before?" Mr Williams repeated, fixing his gaze on mine in a dominating look that almost knocked me off balance.

"You mean to take care of the lawn?" I blurted immediately. "Yeah, sure... I've done this before" I lied with a convincing nod of my head - trying as much as possible to remain composed. How hard could it be leveling his lawn with a mowing machine? Well, experienced or not -- I just knew I could do the job.

"Chloe!" Mr Williams called out to his daughter in a loud voice that got me a bit nervous than relaxed. Why was he calling out to her? And what could she possibly have to do with my job?! These questions raced through my head as I patiently stood in front of Mr Williams, waiting for his daughter Chloe who answered from where she was inside the house and was now jogging to meet us.

"You called for me dad" she said with her breaths in short pants.

"Yes I did hun... Errm, I'll like you to show Liam here around the lawn and the garden behind the house... Also, point him to the garage where he can get the gardening tools and mowing machine" Mr William instructed calmly to his daughter who only nodded - giving me a quick glance before looking at her dad who turned to fix his gaze on me.

"So Liam... I'll leave you to the able hands of my daughter here because I am rushing to work. But when I'm back, we'll discuss your payment schedule and the number of days you'll be working per week." Mr Williams said to me with a brief smile as he concluded - giving his daughter a peck on the cheek and walked towards his car to leave for work.

"So... Shall we" Chloe's voice broke out in a courteous tone, extending her right arm out as she moved forward while pulling the palour door shut behind her.

"Ah...yes" I exclaimed with a nod and quickly retreated my steps to give her some space as she walked forward and led me to the lawn while I obediently followed behind without saying a single word; except for Chloe who did most of the talking - not much though, only when she pointed to show me something.

Then we fell into silence as we approached the garage which was packed with a lot of implements ranging from manual handheld tools like the garden scissors to machinery like the mower and others which I wasn't too conversant with.

'C'mon Liam, think up something to say' My mind chorused in frustration as we entered the garage. I was tired of the deafening silence and was desperately looking to engage this girl Chloe in a conversation, but I just didn't know how -- let alone what to even say which was really annoying for me because I was a ladies guy who never ran out of words to say! Well, actually not today because my words failed me.

"Just make do with anything you deem useful for your job" Chloe's sweet voice filtered into my ears as she halted her steps with both hands clamped together below her waist.

'Thank God she's said something I can respond to' This cheerful thought echoed in my head as I paused and turned to face Chloe - feeling relieved that she actually spoke to me because I was beginning to hate the silence.

"Yeah I will.." I replied in a low voice. "Oh, And... And thanks for showing me around" i added immediately in a stuttering voice while grinning as I looked at Chloe who chuckled and gave me an acknowledging nod of her head.

So I was about turning to reach for the hand gloves laying on top a table beside me when Chloe's voice broke out in questioning, drawing my attention back to her.

"So why this job?"

"Sorry I didn't get that" I blurted in a polite voice as I turned quickly - leveling my gaze at Chloe who stood, rubbing both her palms slowly behind on her butt, over the trouser she was wearing before dipping both hands into the back jean pockets.

Then she shrugged her shoulders and said to me "I dunno, I mean... I just thought you'll go for a better job out there -- you know, something more.."

"More rewarding you mean" I cut in sharply, completing her sentence with a smile breaking from my lips.

"Yeah!" Chloe exclaimed with an affirming nod of her head.

"Well, let's just say I ran out of options and couldn't find any suitable job" I heaved and turned halfway to pick up the hand gloves before returning my gaze on Chloe who stood stunned with a consoling smile on her face as if trying to cheer me up or something!

"But if it's any consolation, I'm actually happy I got this job... Well, not unless you want to fire me already" I added, concluding my response with a playful tease that got Chloe giggling which made me relieved because I wasn't quite certain if she was going to find it amusing.

"Well, I don't have that kind of power to fire you" she replied with an amused voice as her giggling subsided.

Then I scoffed with a playful shrug of my shoulder and said to her in a somewhat jocking tone "Coming from a girl who's the daughter of my employer"

"Even at that, I still wouldn't" Chloe said with a sudden laugh and folded her arms to give me a inquisitive look that nearly hinted to me the questions that were racing through her mind. "So tell me... Are you in college?" She asked.

"Nope... But am done with high school though" I answered plainly, adjusting my stance as I stood few metres away in front of her. "Plus college?... Pffff... I have no zeal entering into one."

"Why?" Chloe blurted with her arms spread out in a questioning manner -- certainly not the response she was expecting to hear.

"I dunno..." I answered with a clueless shake of my head. "I just find it to be lame and a complete waste of time -- even for anyone who intends going to college." I concluded with a shrug of my shoulder - leveling my gaze at Chloe whose eyes widened in doubtful shock with the smile on her face gradually fading away; at this point, I knew I had just made a big blunder.

What was I thinking when I said college was a big waste of time? And what if she was actually vying to get into one, does that now mean she's wasting her time?!

"Oh!... I see" Chloe's low voice broke out with her head moving up and down in a very slow manner - almost as if her mind was boggled with so many thoughts.

'Gosh!... Can I be a little less stupid for once' I groaned in my head as I struggled to maintain eye contact with Chloe who was slowly retreating her steps for the garage entrance; Clearly indicating to me that my previous response had somehow crippled her zeal to even engage me in anymore lengthy conversations.

"I errrm... I'll leave you to your work -- i... I was helping my mom out in the kitchen, so I'll just go back now." She stammered, faking a smile on her face before turning around and walked back to the house - leaving me completely speechless and embarrassed with my chest heaving heavily from the anger that was gradually building inside.

Then in a swift manner, I turned to face the table and kicked hard on one of its leg before growling in frustration, saying "Ugh!... Just my chance speaking with her and I screwed it... Gosh, I hate myself right now"

Then I squeezed my eyes shut and held my breath, trying as much as possible to keep my anger in check. Ever since I was little, my mom would always advice i hold my breath for minutes when I felt angry which actually helped in calming me down. It became my mental exercise for years - seeing that I had issues controlling my temper.

'bzzz...bzzz....bzzz' was the vibrating sound of my phone, filling the garage as it rang inside my right jean pocket.

'Wooooff' I heaved out a deep sigh with my eyes popping open before dipping my right hand into my pocket to remove the phone; looking at the caller ID when my eyes widened in amazement.

"Will you look at that... Perfect timing" I mumbled to myself with an amused scoff as I answered the call, placing the phone on my right ear.