Holiday History (2 page)

He looked me up and down, smiling before he walked out, leaving me dripping blue paint into my hands. On top of everything else, he was cool.

*  *  *

For
the first time in recent memory, Tim didn’t spend the trip home balling me out for something. He just hummed along to the country song on the radio, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel.

“Okay, you are freaking me out. What is with you?”

“Can’t a guy be happy?”

“Not you, Tim. What, did you get lucky back there?”

“I probably could have. I think he might bat for your team. Did you see the color he picked for the master bedroom?” Tim laughed at his own joke, but I wondered if he was right about Gary. Tim didn’t let my fantasy go on too long.

“Don’t get your hopes up, kid. There was a picture of a pretty blonde on the mantle. A blonde with big tits.”

“Oh well, I guess my quest for Prince Charming continues. So, seriously, why are you so happy? You didn’t even yell at me for speaking.”

“Can’t a guy just have a good day? I’m gonna make a shit-ton of money on this job, and it’s meatloaf night. Not even your inane comments are going to get me down. You know what they say: it’s the little things.”

I just laughed, not wanting to mess with Tim’s good mood. Despite my digs, I was jealous of his meatloaf nights. I sighed, thinking of the Ramen noodles I had waiting for me.

*  *  *

It was
weird working with Tim when he was in such a good mood. The second day on the job, the humming continued. In fact, he was singing when we started the living room.

“Good meatloaf?”

“Shut up, kid.”

“Oh come on, Tim, you can tell me. Margie put out last night or what?”

“Damn it, Kevin. Don’t talk like that here. This isn’t just some job; this is important.”

“Relax, Tim. He’s upstairs. And I’m sure he wouldn’t object to you getting some. Hell, I might have to call and thank Margie myself. You sure are a lot more pleasant today.”

Tim wanted to yell at me, but at that moment Gary came into the room to save me.

“Hey, Tim, could you spare Kevin for a moment? I wanted to talk to him about the bathroom.”

“Sure thing, Gary.”

Tim scowled at me as I walked down the hall with Gary. I had to laugh, forgetting my orders to be professional.

“Something funny?”

“Oh, it’s nothing. I was giving Tim a hard time before you came in.”

“You two seem to get along okay. He doesn’t seem so tough.”

“He’s just a little grumpy sometimes. He wants to impress you, and I have a tendency to say the wrong thing. He doesn’t want me to embarrass him.”

“Something of a smartass, are you?”

“Is it that obvious?”

“Let’s just say I know your type. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a big fan of smartasses.”

“Well, thanks. I guess.”

He looked at me over his shoulder as we entered the small guest bathroom. There wasn’t a lot of room to move, and I did everything in my power not to touch him. My pulse jumped just from being close to him even as I tried to calm myself down.

“Anyway, I think the walls are in good shape, but this color is just all wrong. I really want the whole house to be right before everyone arrives.”

“You have a big family?”

I bit my tongue, breaking Tim’s rules yet again. I wasn’t supposed to make small talk. I was supposed to do my job. Wincing, I turned my head towards the faux-finished wall.

“Yeah, kinda. It will be a full house. Everyone usually goes to my sister’s house, but they didn’t want me to be alone over the holidays.”

“Why would you be alone?”

His face dropped a bit, and I did my best to let him off the hook.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Jordan. Shit, I didn’t mean to pry. It’s none of my business. I’ll go get the paint and get started. Forget I said anything. It’s none of my business anyway. This is what Tim was talking about; I just don’t know when to shut up.”

I turned, trying to get my head back in order. He shocked me when he grabbed my wrist. I reluctantly looked up at him. His eyes were still dark.

“It’s okay, Kevin. I just got out of a serious relationship, about nine months ago. My family means well, but they are going a little overboard this Christmas. They’re all coming here to make sure I’m okay. They didn’t come right out and say it, but that’s what they’re doing. So, I needed to clean this place up a bit. Prove to them I’m not wallowing. I let it go way too long.”

“I’m sorry, Mr. Jordan.”

“It’s Gary, please.”

“Gary.”

I don’t know why I repeated his name. My voice cracked; my throat desiccated. It was at that moment that I realized he was still touching me. His thumb felt heavy and hot on the inside of my wrist. He leaned in toward me by a fraction, his lips slightly parted. I looked down at his hand, and he let go. Nothing so simple had ever had such a profound effect on me.

“I should let you get back to work, Kevin.”

He moved past me and disappeared, leaving me breathless. I shook my head, trying to shake loose what had just happened.

*  *  *

My phone
rang first thing in the morning, even before my alarm went off. I knew before I even picked up that it was Tim.

“This better be good, Tim.”

“Don’t start, Kevin. I need you to go up to Gary’s on your own today. The dog has gone crazy, shitting all over the house. Margie won’t let me go to work until I take him to the vet. She’s going crazy, cleaning up for the holidays, and the dog’s ruined her favorite area rug. Fucking thing. I’ll try to be there by lunch, but we can’t show up late. I’m counting on you, kid; don’t fuck this up.”

“I think I can handle it. I’ll see you later.”

I rolled over and sighed. I knew I should feel angry, but I didn’t. The thought of being alone in the house with Gary didn’t seem so bad. In my logical brain, I knew nothing would happen, but a guy could dream, couldn’t he? Maybe if I hurried, I could still catch him in the shower. Just as I was ready to reach into my boxers to enjoy the mere thought of Gary soaking wet, my alarm went off. So much for fantasies.

Not only was Gary not in the shower when I arrived, he was heading out the front door. My heart sank as I saw him walk toward his waiting BMW.

“Hey, Kevin. How are you?”

“I’m fine. How are you?”

“I’m good. I have to run, so you’ll be on your own. I hope that’s okay. Help yourself to a drink or anything you need from the kitchen. I should be back soon.”

Before I could respond, he waved from the car and sped away. Hearing Tim in my head, I went inside and got to work. The guest bedroom was to be outfitted in blue as well, lighter and brighter than the kitchen. The room was bigger than my living room and had more windows. Despite all the edging, I managed to finish pretty quickly. After I was done, I couldn’t resist taking a stroll around the quiet house. I hated to admit it, but I was a snoop. Not a rifle-through-drawers-type weirdo, of course. Just curious. One of the best parts of my job was seeing how other people lived. I went down the hall to the master bedroom.

Tim was right about the photo. On the nightstand next to the bed was a picture of a blonde sitting in a beach chair. I told myself that could mean anything, that she could be his mother. The rest of the room was simply furnished in typical male surroundings. I stared at the unmade bed and felt my cock stir just a bit. God, it really had been too long since I got laid.

The master bedroom was fine, but the Holy Grail was just one door away. The office—the room we didn’t have to paint. I stopped outside the closed door, thinking about what Tim said. I couldn’t afford to fuck this up. But my curiosity was killing me. I turned the knob and pushed the door open slowly. My mouth dropped open as I took a look around. Despite the clutter on every surface, the office still managed to look neat. A giant nautical map hung on the wall, pushpins growing out of it in small clusters. Model ships were on nearly every shelf, and the curtains had tiny nautical flags all over them.

The bookshelves were calling my name, stuffed to capacity with books stacked haphazardly in every direction. I ran my finger over the spines, noticing a theme. In between all the sailing books, I found a surprise: history books. They were everywhere. This guy was killing me. Cute, smart, rich, and now, a history buff. I continued scanning until I saw it. My favorite history book was tucked in a corner, well worn and obviously well read. I pulled it out from the rest, flipping it open to a familiar page.

Before I could stop myself, I was sitting on the leather couch, reading my favorite part. The house was quiet, and I kept my ears open for Tim’s arrival. But soon I was engrossed, the words blocking out everything else. I had just finished the chapter when I heard a voice from the doorway.

“What are you doing?”

It was Gary. Standing in the doorway, he looked angry. More than angry, he looked furious. I dropped the book down on the table in front of me and jumped up.

“Shit. I’m sorry. I was… I was just… God, I’m sorry.”

I ran down the stairs, not knowing where to go. I stood at the front door, panicking. Tim was going to kill me. This certainly classified as fucking up. I heard footsteps getting closer to me, but I was stuck. I turned around just as he came into the room. His face was unreadable, and I started talking before he could yell at me.

“Look, Mr. Jordan, I’m really sorry. I know I had no right to do that. I didn’t mean to invade your privacy. I promise it won’t happen again. I know you’ve heard that before, but I’m serious. Please don’t say anything to Tim. I really can’t afford to get fired.”

He didn’t say anything. He just continued to move closer to me. I braced myself for the inevitable. I knew he must be furious—his anger was evident when he caught me in his office. I stared at his green eyes, sweat forming on my back. I knew I should stay quiet, but I made one last effort to save myself.

“Go ahead, Mr. Jordan. Yell. Scream. I’m used to it. Tim freaks out on me weekly. I promise I won’t cry. Well, not a lot, anyway.”

At first, he stayed stoic, but eventually, he smiled. He pulled the book I was reading from behind his back.

“I told you, it’s Gary. Don’t worry, I’m not going to scream at you or have you fired. I have to admit, I was surprised to find you in there. And maybe a little pissed. But then I noticed what you were reading. Interesting book choice. I wouldn’t have had you pegged for a Captain Cook fan.”

I sighed in relief, my muscles finally relaxing a bit.

“I used to be a history major in school. And I like boats. So, you know….” I blushed, feeling stupid. But he just laughed and took a few steps toward me.

“I teach history. Naval history, to be specific.”

“You’re a professor?”

“Yeah. I’m taking a sabbatical to write a book.”

“A professor who writes books. Must be a good life.”

“I’ve done okay.”

“I would say that is an understatement.”

“I know what you are thinking. How can I afford a place like this on a professor’s salary? I couldn’t, but my dad left it to me.”

“I wasn’t going to ask.”

“Sure you were. I would. That’s usually the first question I get.”

“So you’re not going to tell Tim? I wouldn’t blame you if you did.”

“I don’t see any reason to. If you’re interested, I have other books you might like. Of course, you may have read them already. I know history majors read a lot.”

“Well, I didn’t get that far. Most of the stuff I’ve read has been on my own.”

“You didn’t finish? Why not?”

I looked down. This was not a conversation I wanted to have, not with the cute professor. Running my hand over the back of my neck, I tried to think of a good reason why I would have left school. Before I could say a word, he stopped me.

“Hey, Kevin, look. It’s none of my business. I just mean, and don’t take this the wrong way, but you don’t seem like you should be painting houses.”

“Thanks. It’s just a long story.”

“Maybe you can tell me sometime. Hey, are you hungry? I was just about to make myself a sandwich. You want one?”

I opened my mouth to refuse, but one look at his eyes made me stop. I nodded and followed him to the kitchen. My eyes fixed on his hands as he worked. He was chatting as he went, but I barely heard him. I hadn’t meant to stare, and I hadn’t meant for him to notice. But I did. And he did. I turned my head to hide the flush of my cheeks, until I noticed his cheeks redden in kind.

“So, Kevin. Do we have time for this long story, or are you going to make me guess?”

I swallowed hard, wondering if there was time for me to think of a good-sounding lie. But his eyes were so kind, I decided to go with the truth.

“Well, the short version is my dad gambled away my college money. We were too rich for me to qualify for aid, and I’m not smart enough to get a scholarship.”

“I don’t buy that. You seem pretty smart to me.”

“You don’t really know me that well.”

“I’m usually a pretty good judge of character.”

“Well, anyway, I had to drop out. I want to go back, but it’s not easy to save money. Tim’s great, but this job only pays so much. I have to keep a roof over my head.”

“You’re still young. You have time. I’d hate to see you give up on something you really want. Believe me, I’ve seen a lot of people do it. They always regret it.”

He reached his hand out and touched mine, letting it rest a second too long. I panicked and pulled away faster than I should have.

“Thanks for the advice, but I know what I’m doing.”

I stood up to put my plate in the sink, trying to keep my distance from a guy who was quickly turning me stupid. He caught my wrist before I could get very far, turning me to face him. My first instinct was to push him away and run out the front door. But I didn’t. I felt the pad of his thumb run over the inside of my arm, just like it had in the bathroom. His fingers eased their pressure. He backed me up against the sink, his knee slid between my legs and another smile played across his lips.

“Do you know what you’re doing now?” Gary leaned in further, his lips almost touching mine.