looks up when she hears his voice ... and jaw drops when she sees him. Staaaaaaaaaaaaaaares.

staaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaares, cheeks turning very pink "........... Uhhhh"

hands drop away from the post hole digger. Still staring and blushing. Snaps out of it and stumbles back. "Sorry!"

her cheeks with her hands, stares at his chest in the wife beater and stutters. "That's n n n n ... not w-what ... " sits in the grass _

still can't take her eyes off of him.

"I don't need an umbrella," hides her face behind her knees.

"The sun isn't what's making me hot!" covers her mouth and looks at him wide-eyed.

buries her face in her knees again so her voice is muffled. "It's you."

lifts her face and looks at him. " It's you! Okay? You're really cute and good looking!" Buries her face in her knees again.

"You're still good looking." sneaks a peak at the wife beater.

feeling sooooo awkward right now. He's so cute and charming, and funny and nice and ...

calms down enough to watch him work. Notices his muscles rippling on his shoulders.

watches a bead of sweat slip down his chest. Bites her lip and looks away, sighing.

"Oh! Right away." hops up and runs over to the pole, laying on the ground. lugs it up and carries it to him. "Here it is."

"I'm with such nice company."

watches him, then runs over to the bucket of ready-mix concrete waiting and adds water from the garden hose. "I'll be ready in a second."

pours water into the bucket, stirs up the mixture until it looks like weak porridge, then tries to move the bucket over to Alfred and the_

pole. Didn't take into consideration the water would make the concrete heavier.

sighs, "Okay" Walks over and holds the pole up, pouting that she couldn't carry the cement over herself.

blinks at the nose tapping, watches him carry the bucket easily. Huffs and pouts more. "Not fair, I'm such a weakling."

watches the concrete go down into the hole. "I should have been able to lift that bucket."

"It didn't look heavy when you carried it."

watches him put the last of the cement in the hole, lets go of the pole and makes sure it stays in one place. "How strong are you?"

looks at his wife beater now clinging to him from him perspiring. Sighs. "Yes ... yes you are ... " is still looking at him.

if there's a hammer heavy enough to hit over his head so he 'gets it'. Looks at the post and the drying cement. "This looks good."

remembers, of course if he knew she was crushing on him, he might pull an Ivan and run away from her. She didn't want that to happen ...

again.

"Not when I'm washing it, or sleeping. Why?" looks up at his hand.

"Younger? How much younger?" worried now, doesn't want Alfred thinking she's a little girl.

"You do? You still see me as a grown up though, right? I'm not a child. I'm the baby sister in my family but that doesn't make_

me a baby."

"Yes, better ... although ... maybe I could find a more mature way to wear my hair?"

him a small smile, not about to get her hopes up. "You do? Thank you." At least he thinks she's pretty.

looks at the post and birdhouse, hopes birds move into it soon. "Do you want me to tell you when birds move in?"

"I will then, as soon as I see birds moving in." gazes at the blue color of the birdhouse that matches Alfred's eyes.

"Ice cream? I don't know if I have any. I don't think I do. I have kvas in the fridge, but that's a drink."

tries not to blush when he tucks her hair back, but fails.

"Oh, sure. If you want to. Baskin Robbins?"