by Trina Solet
"Don't worry about the dishes. Mina and I can handle the dinner and the clean up."
Hearing them talking, Mina poked her head through the sliding glass doors.
"She's a good little worker," Jeff praised her as she ran over to give Ned a hug.
"She likes to help and I'm going to take advantage of it while it lasts. She won't always be so eager to do chores," Ned said while Mina looked up at him questioningly. "I was telling Jeff that you're a good little chef."
During dinner Ned got a text from Jeff telling him that he got caught up in some work. Ned looked out the front window. The house across the street had been sitting empty for a while. He noticed that the car that had been in front of it was gone. That meant that Jeff was over there alone and probably hungry.
"Hey, Mina. You want to go see Jeff?" Ned asked her. He knew what the answer would be.
When he took her across the street, they found the front door wide open as well as most of the windows. Going right in, they called out to Jeff and looked around. Wiping his brow on his sleeve, he came out to meet them.
"It's you guys. Are you visiting me?" Jeff asked Mina.
"We're visiting you with food," Ned told him while Mina held up the plate they had brought over.
"What do you have there, Mina?" Jeff asked.
"Dinner," she said with a shy smile.
"Is it for me?"
She nodded as he took the plastic plate from her.
"It looks good. Did you make this, Mina?" Jeff said.
"No," Mina said and shook her head.
"Who made it?"
"Jeff," she told him.
"Who's this Jeff guy?" Jeff asked.
She giggled then pointed at him. "You!"
"Oh, right. Thank you, Mina."
"You welcome," she said looking down shyly.
"Let's go out on the back porch. There's too much dust in here," he said and led them out through the back doors.
They went out and sat on the steps. Jeff ate with the plate of pasta on his knees. While he ate, he told Ned what he had been doing to make all that dust. "There was an old leak. The leak was fixed but the drywall was ruined. I wanted to see what was going on behind the wall while Mrs. Diaz was here, in case there was serious water damage or even mold. I pulled off some drywall then I wanted to clear it out of here. No mold, thank God. I'll just be putting in some new drywall. There's more work to be done than I thought. I hope that will be OK."
"No problem. And if it's the kind of work you can do with Mina around, you can bring her over here during the day. That way you won't have to do all the work after I come home," Ned told him. He would hardly get to see Jeff if he crammed all his work into the evenings and weekends.
"Really?" Jeff said, surprised.
"You said Mina was a good worker. And she needs to learn more handywoman skills," Ned said.
A little later, Jeff was back home with them. They watched TV together and Ned was just so relieved that the work Jeff was doing wasn't taking him too far away. It was hard for him to believe that he had ever tried to put on the brakes when Jeff was hitting on him. Now that Jeff was going to be doing handyman work, working with tools even more, Ned was going to go out of his mind with lust.
That's why he didn't even try to get any work done after Mina went to bed. Fantasies of Jeff as a handyman sneaked up on him constantly. Ned would ogle him shamelessly as he worked. For a while, Jeff would toy with him and pretend not to notice. Then he would have enough and give Ned what he was asking for. Calloused and strong, his hands would strip Ned and grope him without mercy.
Jeff was pure fantasy. When Ned pictured him, he couldn't believe he was real. But it wasn't just the way Jeff looked. Muscle by itself had never been Ned's thing, but Jeff wasn't just muscle. He was smart and he had the biggest heart, not to mention he was an absolute angel with Mina.
That last thing was enough to win over Ned. Together with every other thing that Jeff had going for him, it was just too much. How was Ned not supposed to fall hard for him?
A call from his brother, Carl, pulled him out of his obsession with Jeff and what he was going to do about him. First Ned updated him on Mina and arranged some FaceTime with her and Carl and his wife tomorrow.
"And what are you up to?" Carl asked.
"Feeling sorry for myself for having a gorgeous guy as a manny. Trying to do some preliminary work on updating the syllabi for next year. That sort of thing."
"So gorgeous guy is a bad thing? I don't think I understand gay guys," Carl said.
"Of course you don't. I'll translate it for you. What if you had a gorgeous nanny living with you?" Ned asked him.
"Dude, I'm married without children."
Ned tried again. "OK, you're a single guy with children and a gorgeous nanny."
"Say no more. I've already married her."
"I forgot. You work fast." Carl had proposed to his wife on their second date. She didn't say yes until their two month dating anniversary.
"But you get the idea. Just marry the guy," Carl told him.
Ned chuckled. "It's that simple, huh?"
"You smart guys make everything complicated."
After he ended the call, Ned found himself smiling at what Carl said. The thought that somehow he could end up married to Jeff made him a little giddy. It gave him the heady rush of the impossible coming within reach. No, the operative word was impossible. A hot young husband for a guy like him, that was crazy. He might tell himself that, but damn, the smile just wouldn't leave his face as long as that idea teased his stupid, gullible heart.
Already his need for Jeff was enflamed by every second they spent together and now there was this yearning for forever. No wonder he always lost control around him. All day having to keep his hands off Jeff, his desire was building until Ned couldn't endure one more second of it.
Down the hall, he could hear Jeff taking a shower. Ned couldn't help but picture him in there, water streaming down his gorgeous body. His cock was sticking straight up of course, begging for Ned's mouth. He couldn't quite bring himself to pounce on him in the shower though. Going to Jeff's bedroom, Ned impatiently waited for him to finish up.
Jeff came into his bedroom with a towel over his shoulder and wearing only his pajama bottoms. Ned felt his body heating up and a stirring of a passion only Jeff could bring out in him. And here he was still wet from his shower. With Jeff's body so enticingly close, his muscular chest rising and falling, Ned just wanted to touch him all over.
He was achingly hard for him. Stepping forward, Ned pressed his hard-on against Jeff's hip and heard him grunt. His hands explored the nicely muscled length of his body.
Running his lips along Jeff's throat he inhaled the scent of his damp, freshly showered skin. Drops of water beaded on his body here and there, and Ned tried to lick up every one.
When his hand reached for his hard cock and squeezed it, Jeff rolled his hips forward for more. Ned stroked him a little and felt him get even harder in his firm grip.
"I've been dying to do this all day," he said, his words muffled against Jeff's neck.
"Tell me more," Jeff demanded, his breathing fast, his voice deep and filled with yearning.
"I'll show you."
He was drowning in this feeling and dying to share it with Jeff. Pulling down his pajama bottoms, he watched his impressive erection spring free. He made him sit on his bed then kneeled in front of him.
Greedy for his cock, he still sucked him off with incredible tenderness. Toying with him until he couldn't take another second of it, Ned finally swallowed him down. Suddenly Jeff stopped him and pulled him into bed with him. He lined them up head to toe and they sucked each other off in unison.
Afterward, they lay there spent and drowsy, but Ned knew he couldn't stay. He only lingered long enough to watch Jeff starting to fall asleep. Jeff with heavy lidded eyes and a sleepy grin was irresistible. Ned had to kiss him just one last time before he forced himself to go.
Chapter 21
The next day after Jeff started working for Mrs. Diaz, they got some good news about the kitten. While Jeff was across the street, Ned took Mina and the kitten on a walk through the neighborhood to see if they could find her owners. None of the people they ran into knew if she belonged to anyone. Then a lady that Ned sort of knew, though he couldn't remember her name, recognized the kitten.
"My friend and I found three others just like her when we went jogging. I think a stray might have had a litter back in the bushes on that empty lot. But I haven't seen that stray cat for a while," the neighbor told them.
"Hope nothing happened to her," Ned said.
"Me too."
"That means this little lady doesn't have an owner," Ned said and scratched the kitten behind the ears.
"I don't think so. My friend took the others we found to a shelter. They said they would have no trouble placing them. I guess this poor thing got left all alone. You keeping her?" she asked.
"We are," Ned said right away. He had already made up his mind about that.
Once he explained to Mina what was going on, she only looked mildly pleased. In her heart, that kitten was already hers. As far as Mina was concerned, Ned's decision was just a formality. Ned was relieved they wouldn't have to separate them.
Now that they had such good news to share, they went right over to Mrs. Diaz's house to tell Jeff. He was happy and kissed the kitten on the head.
"That means you get to name her," Ned said to Mina.
"Princess!" Mina said right away, horrifying him.
"Oh, God help me," Ned lamented. "Don't you want to think about it some more?"
Mina looked puzzled so Jeff explained, "Your dad likes the name a lot."
Seeing that he couldn't count on Jeff to save him from the horrible fate of having a cat named Princess, he tried to minimize the damage. "She can be a princess, but princesses have names you know."
"Like Princess Bubblegum," Jeff threw in.
Mina responded with her own idea, "Pie!"
"Princess Pie?" Ned said and started to give up all hope.
But Jeff had another idea. "How about Strawberry Pie?"
Mina was all for it. "Princess Strawberry Pie!" She said and hugged the kitten to celebrate her new name. So that was officially the kitten's name now.
"Oh for the love of God," Ned groaned. "I'm shortening that to PSP."
"That's never gonna stick," Jeff predicted meanly.
Ned eyed him. "What did I ever do to you, you traitor?" he asked while Mina and the kitten went to play in the back yard.
"Oh nothing. I just happen to see Professor Wiltshire rub your arm, just in passing, real friendly. Ever since then I've been looking for a good way to get back at you."
"What? Are you making fun of me? Haven't I suffered enough?"
Jeff only glowered at him in answer.
Ned thought back to the last time he saw Larry Wiltshire. It was when they were showing the cat all around the campus. Larry might have touched his arm, maybe for a second. Ned hardly noticed, but it obviously made a stronger impression on Jeff than it did on him. Jeff was still glaring at him, and Ned found that he was gratified.
"You are serious and I am shocked and flattered." But Ned had to inform him, "Just so you know, this wasn't the kind of punishment I fantasized about."
"It's not a punishment if you fantasized about it," Jeff told him.
"Good point. Still, when a guy like me can make a guy like you jealous, it's a good day."
"A good day? You have a cat named Princess Strawberry Pie. That's going on all the vet forms, you know," Jeff reminded him, but even that couldn't spoil his enjoyment of Jeff's jealousy.
Ned went home then back across the street with drinks. He found that Jeff was hard at work while Mina and the kitten staked out the back yard as they playground. As Jeff worked, his t-shirt tightened across his strong back. He was a beautiful sight.
While Ned ogled him, Jeff grimaced and rubbed the back of his neck. When he did that, his muscles pulled at his T-shirt. Then he reached up his arms and stretched. Now his T-shirt rode up enticingly revealing his waist and how his jeans had slipped down on his hips.
"You need a break right now," Ned told him. "Sit and rest. I brought you guys some pink lemonade."
Jeff looked over at him and at the lemonade he was offering.
Ned got defensive. "It's the only kind we have because someone let Mina have too much influence over the shopping list."
Jeff laughed and they went out to join Mina in the back yard.
Seeing Ned, she ran over waiving a dollar bill. "Money! I have money!"
"No. You have a dollar," Ned corrected her.
"Money!"
"Is that what you pay her for working here," he asked Jeff.
"She earned way more than that. Her and that kitten have been very helpful," Jeff claimed.
"I bet they have. It looks like you're almost done here," Ned noticed.
"I have a few more days work. I'm a little closer to being able to afford tuition for next term," Jeff told him then chugged the lemonade.
"You don't need to worry about that. I'm going to pay for next term," Ned informed him. It was as good a time as any to bring it up.
Jeff refused right away like Ned knew he would. "You can't do that."
"Of course I can. Look how much you do for us." Jeff opened his mouth to argue but Ned stopped him. "If you insist on paying your own way through school, you can save up for the term after that."
"You've done too much for me already," Jeff said.
"I can't help wanting to do things for you. The same way you're always doing things for us."
"I work for you," Jeff pointed out.
"Is that why?"
Jeff was silent for a moment. "Still, it's not the same thing," he finally said but his voice betrayed his defeat.
"I know how lucky we are to have you. How lucky I am. Nora told me that I'm even lucky that you have terrible taste in facial hair. As far as she's concerned, the only good facial hair is no facial hair. She's dying to take a razor to me." Ned rubbed at his beard protectively.
"She just has beard envy. Actually I saw pictures of you without the beard. When I showed them to Mina, she didn't believe it was really you."
Ned laughed. He had the same experience with her. "I know. I couldn't convince her either. I guess that means I can never shave off my beard. Nora is just out of luck."
Jeff looked at him appraisingly. "Looks good on you. You can keep it," he said and then smirked.
Ned shook his head, but it was nice to hear him say that.
Chapter 22
The next evening Jeff was working across the street again, and Mina was at the window waiting for him anxiously. The kitten was a little hyper too, climbing all over the couch and all over Ned. She was probably making sure that everything was evenly covered with her hair.
Since he was working after dark, Jeff had the lights on over at Mrs. Diaz's house. As Mina watched the lit up windows across the way, Ned noticed that she had a paper in her hand with a drawing on it.
"Can I see?" he asked.
"Not for you. For Jeff," Mina said and held on to the paper protectively.
"What about me?" Ned asked pitifully.
She sighed. "I make for you."
"Don't if it's too much trouble," he pouted.
"Is OK," she assured him. "I don't want you be pouty-face." Mina gave him a hug to console him, kissed the cat, then went back to the front window to wait for Jeff.
When Jeff came home, she started jumping around waving her drawing in the air like a banner. Jeff was a little dusty. Sweat made his t-shirt stick to his wonderful chest. He was a picture of a man who had been hard at work.
"What do you have there, sweet Mina?" Jeff asked her.
"Picture," she said, showing him. "Is for you."
"Are you sure I can keep it?" Jeff said as he admired it. It was a drawing of a fairly small house with a stick figure that might have been J
eff towering over it.
"Yes, is for you. And a kiss." Mina reached up her arms and Jeff leaned way down. She kissed him on the cheek quickly then ran away down the hall then ran right back.
"Where's my drawing?" Ned asked.
"Soon," Mina told him but she went over to Jeff and whispered something to him.
"First, I'm going to take a shower. I'll be right back, and then you can sing our song," Jeff told her. "You go ahead and draw that picture for your dad."
Mina nodded and got to work. Taking what she was doing very seriously, she wouldn't let Ned sneak a peek at it. She covered up the paper and gave him a stern frown every time he tried.
When Jeff came back, his hair was still damp and his clothes and the rest of him were clean. Ned could smell the fresh, just showered scent coming off him, but he didn't mind his scent when he was sweaty from working hard either. His body always exuded masculinity and strength. The man was intoxicating.
But right now he and Mina had plans. First Mina gave Ned his drawing and then she was going to sing.
"A drawing and a song, I'm a lucky guy." Ned looked at the drawing closely. The stick figure was probably him, but he wasn't sure what was going on in the rest of the picture.
With a drawing in one hand and the kitten trying to attack it, Ned was ready to give Mina's performance his full attention. As she stood in the middle of the living room, Mina looked at Jeff uncertainly. To encourage her, Jeff held her hand.
"Go ahead."
In a voice that was only a whisper, she started singing, "Jeff and Mina..." She stopped there and looked at Jeff again. "Forgot more," she said.
Jeff smiled at her. "It's easy. It's a song about Jeff and Mina and all the things we did today."
"What about me?" Ned asked.
Mina turned to Jeff worried that her dad got left out. "Oh, no."
"OK, it's a song about Jeff and Mina and her daddy," Jeff told her.
"Professor Daddy," she corrected him.
