or anything. I’m blind, don’t you know?”
I looked down in chagrin at the floor and saw that I was indeed dripping soapy water all over the floorboards. Smug know-it-all . I smiled and called back, “Don’t go in the sunroom. All the furniture has been moved around so I could mop. Hang on…. With second thoughts, you should go in the sunroom. It might teach you a lesson.”
The bastard just laughed.
Chapter 9
T HE TEXT came through at fifteen minutes before 9:00 p.m. on Friday night. Patrick was getting in the taxi and would be with me in ten minutes. I wiped my hands on the apron I wore and chucked it aside to go and find Charlie.
“Hey, Charlie. Can I ask you to do me a favor?”
Charlie never even paused or looked up from where he was pouring Merv a beer. Merv was a regular from 6:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. He was broad and stocky with a big handlebar moustache like the cricketing legend Merv Hughes. I didn’t even know if his real name was Merv; we just all called him that and he answered to it.
“Not if it involves money or sex. I don’t do loans and I never want to see another man’s wrinkled snake,” Charlie answered.
Merv guffawed into his empty beer glass as Charlie placed a new one in front of him. I cringed. “Ew. Gross, Charlie. You’re older than my old man.”
“Stuff you,” Charlie threw back. “I’m not more’n twenty years older than you.”
I nodded. “As I said, older than my old man.”
Merv gawked at me. “How old is your fuckin’ Pops, then?”
I did a quick calculation in my head. “He’d be forty-four now, I guess.”
Merv whistled through his teeth. “Fuck, Charlie. You’re old enough to be this man’s Grandpop.”
Charlie glared at Merv in mock anger and went to swipe the man’s fresh beer, but Merv was quicker, lifting it to his lips and chugging it down before Charlie could snatch it off him. I laughed and turned back to Charlie.
“I’m serious. I need a favor. I have a friend who’s coming in a few minutes and I need you to keep an eye out for him while I finish up with the dishes.”
Narrow eyes assessed me up and down. “Is he going to be trouble?”
I laughed. “I hope not. The man is fucking blind. How much trouble can he get into?”
“Blind?”
“Yeah. As in he can’t see. I’ll put him up on a stool here next to Merv, but I need you to be nice and keep an eye on him. Can you do that for me, Charlie? Please?”
Charlie agreed and I went outside to watch for the taxi. It arrived promptly and I watched as Patrick paid the driver and emerged. He had his white cane and sunnies on, which were more of an indication to others of Patrick’s disability than props for him.
“Patrick!” I hailed him. “Dude, you look mighty fine. You make a gay man’s heart go pitter-patter in that outfit. You’d better watch out for the ladies tonight.”
And I wasn’t lying. He’d changed into tight dark jeans and had tucked a plain black T-shirt into the waistband, which showed off his taut stomach and narrow hips. He had black boots on and a black belt, and I felt my palm itching to touch and feel.
Down, boy!
Patrick smiled hesitantly at me and I could see he was nervous, which I’d never seen before on him. He was always so confident and in charge at his house. I grabbed his arm and slipped his hand into the crook of my elbow like I’d seen them do in movies. I jabbered on about nothing as we slowly and casually made our way into the establishment. When we reached the bar I gently took his hand and showed him the height of the bar in front of him and whispered in his ear. “There’s a stool on the other side of you.”
Once he’d made himself comfortable, I hailed Charlie, who was down the other end. “Charlie! Come and meet Patrick.” Charlie lumbered down, grabbing empty glasses on his way. “Charlie, this is Patrick, my daytime employer. Patrick makes me scrub and clean his place for him. Patrick, meet my nighttime employer,
I looked down in chagrin at the floor and saw that I was indeed dripping soapy water all over the floorboards. Smug know-it-all . I smiled and called back, “Don’t go in the sunroom. All the furniture has been moved around so I could mop. Hang on…. With second thoughts, you should go in the sunroom. It might teach you a lesson.”
The bastard just laughed.
Chapter 9
T HE TEXT came through at fifteen minutes before 9:00 p.m. on Friday night. Patrick was getting in the taxi and would be with me in ten minutes. I wiped my hands on the apron I wore and chucked it aside to go and find Charlie.
“Hey, Charlie. Can I ask you to do me a favor?”
Charlie never even paused or looked up from where he was pouring Merv a beer. Merv was a regular from 6:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. He was broad and stocky with a big handlebar moustache like the cricketing legend Merv Hughes. I didn’t even know if his real name was Merv; we just all called him that and he answered to it.
“Not if it involves money or sex. I don’t do loans and I never want to see another man’s wrinkled snake,” Charlie answered.
Merv guffawed into his empty beer glass as Charlie placed a new one in front of him. I cringed. “Ew. Gross, Charlie. You’re older than my old man.”
“Stuff you,” Charlie threw back. “I’m not more’n twenty years older than you.”
I nodded. “As I said, older than my old man.”
Merv gawked at me. “How old is your fuckin’ Pops, then?”
I did a quick calculation in my head. “He’d be forty-four now, I guess.”
Merv whistled through his teeth. “Fuck, Charlie. You’re old enough to be this man’s Grandpop.”
Charlie glared at Merv in mock anger and went to swipe the man’s fresh beer, but Merv was quicker, lifting it to his lips and chugging it down before Charlie could snatch it off him. I laughed and turned back to Charlie.
“I’m serious. I need a favor. I have a friend who’s coming in a few minutes and I need you to keep an eye out for him while I finish up with the dishes.”
Narrow eyes assessed me up and down. “Is he going to be trouble?”
I laughed. “I hope not. The man is fucking blind. How much trouble can he get into?”
“Blind?”
“Yeah. As in he can’t see. I’ll put him up on a stool here next to Merv, but I need you to be nice and keep an eye on him. Can you do that for me, Charlie? Please?”
Charlie agreed and I went outside to watch for the taxi. It arrived promptly and I watched as Patrick paid the driver and emerged. He had his white cane and sunnies on, which were more of an indication to others of Patrick’s disability than props for him.
“Patrick!” I hailed him. “Dude, you look mighty fine. You make a gay man’s heart go pitter-patter in that outfit. You’d better watch out for the ladies tonight.”
And I wasn’t lying. He’d changed into tight dark jeans and had tucked a plain black T-shirt into the waistband, which showed off his taut stomach and narrow hips. He had black boots on and a black belt, and I felt my palm itching to touch and feel.
Down, boy!
Patrick smiled hesitantly at me and I could see he was nervous, which I’d never seen before on him. He was always so confident and in charge at his house. I grabbed his arm and slipped his hand into the crook of my elbow like I’d seen them do in movies. I jabbered on about nothing as we slowly and casually made our way into the establishment. When we reached the bar I gently took his hand and showed him the height of the bar in front of him and whispered in his ear. “There’s a stool on the other side of you.”
Once he’d made himself comfortable, I hailed Charlie, who was down the other end. “Charlie! Come and meet Patrick.” Charlie lumbered down, grabbing empty glasses on his way. “Charlie, this is Patrick, my daytime employer. Patrick makes me scrub and clean his place for him. Patrick, meet my nighttime employer,
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