Fed Up - By Jessica Conant-Park & Susan Conant Page 0,39

really beautiful materials made from recycled plastics that I could use. I can show Mrs. Roberts a few options and let her decide.”

“Perfect.”

My mother went into the kitchen to get us some lemonade, and I pulled out the next client’s specifications. “So, Emilio, my mother told me that your family owns a large nursery and garden center nearby. My parents do business there. You came back to Boston after college?”

Emilio flashed his dimples. “That’s right. One of my interests at Princeton was environmental studies, and after I graduated, I spent a year working with my family at their business. I did a lot of work on their property, finding ways to save energy and turn their business green. We actually won a local award from the Small Business Association.” More dimples. “Then I spent a few years interning with an architect in Boston and learning about green design. It’s amazing what can be done now with eco-friendly design. It used to be that anything made from recycled products was . . . something you wouldn’t want to look at. But not anymore. So I wanted to bring some of what I’d learned back to my family’s business and keep them on the cutting edge. The problem is still the initial investment costs, though. The people who can afford to install things like wind turbines and solar panels aren’t the people who need four-dollar electric bills.”

Handsome and politically conscious to boot. I could be in trouble.

I nodded in agreement. “You’re right. We really need to get energy-efficient structures into low-cost housing areas. We need to get costs in the reach of the middle class. I think over time we’ll see the costs come down, but for now it’s the wealthy who are benefiting from these kinds of resources.”

My mother returned with tall glasses of iced lemonade. As she set a glass down in front of me, I noticed a hint of makeup on her usually bare face. Ah! Apparently my mother wasn’t immune to Emilio’s looks, either—hence her overzealous display of jewelry today, too. I was feeling a bit guilty for admiring Emilio, but knowing that my happily married mother wasn’t resistant to his charms made me feel better. There was nothing wrong with looking, right?

Look but don’t touch! Look but don’t touch! I repeated in my head.

“Chloe, did you know Emilio’s family is from Colombia? He’s been a great translator for me. My Spanish is quite rusty. Last month I asked Fernando and Matias to dig an ocean in the Marberrys’ backyard.”

Emilio waved away my mother’s compliment. “Glad to help, Mrs. Carter. Listen, I hate to rush us here, but I just moved into my new apartment. I’m right by the Hynes T stop, near Newbury Street and Mass. Ave. It’s a cool location, even if the apartment is pretty small. Anyhow, I’ve got loads of work to get done there, and I’m hoping to finish unpacking today so I can start building tomorrow. Can we run through the other projects?” An apologetic Emilio looked hopefully at us.

“No problem,” I said. “There are four more, and they are all pretty straightforward.”

Fifteen minutes later, when we’d run through the last of the clients, Emilio left to finish his unpacking. “It was nice to finally meet the carpenter you’ve been talking about. He seems nice,” I said casually to Mom.

“Yes, and isn’t he positively gorgeous?” my mother said exuberantly.

“Mom!”

“Well, he is. There’s no denying it. No harm in admiring, is there?” She took a sip of lemonade and skimmed over the schedule for constructing the rain barrels. “I guess he and his girlfriend just broke up, and he moved out of the apartment they shared. I’m sure it won’t be long until he finds someone else, though.”

“Probably not,” I agreed.

“Are you and Josh doing all right?”

“Yes, we’re fine,” I said quickly. “Why would you even ask that?” I glared at her.

“Just checking. Emilio is a great catch, that’s all. Don’t misunderstand me, Chloe. I adore Josh, and I think you two have a wonderful relationship. It’s just that I know how much he works, and I imagine that must take a toll on you. It’s hard enough for couples who’ve been together for years, but you two have only been dating for a year. His schedule must present some challenges.” Mom rose from her seat and picked up our glasses. “And that damn restaurant world is not the most conducive place for cultivating a romance, right? Josh is under tremendous stress a