Chapter Forty-Four
Jamie opened his eyes. Where am I? It took a minute to take in the rose wallpaper to realize he was in his grandparents’ bedroom. In their bed. He jolted upright. “Oh, hell.” It took a moment before he swung both legs over the side of the bed, and then he groaned.
He stood up and stretched and then saw the small alarm clock on the bedside table. “Oh, shit!”
Jamie stumbled, almost falling, reaching for his loose-fitting grey shorts. He stopped, took a breath, and put on his clothes. He’d forgotten to get shoes and hoped that Mike was already up so he could get a clean pair of socks.
He stepped into the living area of the apartment. “Hello?” Looking, he saw that he was alone. “Damn it. How did I sleep so long?” He managed to get his shoes on and get the door open. He could hear the sound of voices and tools coming from the diner.
“Well, there he is.” Joesph was sitting at one of the wooden tables that seemed to have magically appeared, his computer open. “Want coffee?”
“Yes, please. Why did you let me sleep so late?” Jamie sat on one of the benches. I need to find out where these tables and benches came from.
“Because you needed it.” Joesph stood, then entered the diner. “I’ll get you some coffee.”
He looked over towards Salzy’s apartment.
Joesph came out of the back door, a cup of coffee in hand. “We’ll need to get a coffee maker for the apartment. They need to get the drink station moved so they can rewire and replumb for the new location.”
Jamie took a sip of the coffee. “Okay. Have you seen Salzy?”
“Not yet.” Jospeh smiled over the top of his computer. “I suspect he’s going to be feeling that tequila when he does show up.”
“Um...” Jamie blew across the coffee. “And Mike?”
Joesph raised an eyebrow. “He was gone when I got up and back just as the coffee brewed.” He tilted his head towards the back door of the diner. “He’s already in there working on getting the drink station dismantled.”
Jamie leaned forward, closer to Joesph. “Do you know why he’s doing all this? Did you ask him to...” Jamie waved a hand about. “Do... stuff?”
“I only asked him to consult on the steel beam. The rest is just him.”
“Did you agree to pay him something?” Jamie took a long sip of the coffee.
“I offered him a consulting fee, but he refused.” Joesph leaned towards Jamie. “If you want my honest opinion, he’s here because he has a thing for you.” He punctuated with a pointed finger in Jamie’s direction.
Jamie shook his head and continued to drink his coffee, not saying anything and not knowing what to think.
“Can...” Mike had stuck his head out of the back door of the diner. He was wearing another tank top that looked as if it had been painted on and was now covered in a thick layer of dust on the front. “Good morning,” he said to Jamie.
Jamie lifted his mug. “Good morning. Sorry, I slept so late.”
“Not a problem. You probably needed it. However, do you think you could give me a hand with this coffee machine?”
“Sure thing.” Jamie stood up.
Mike and Jamie stood in front of the big coffee maker. “What’s the issue?” Jamie asked.
“Well, I can’t seem to get both of my fat hands in that small space under this cabinet to undo the water supply.
” Mike held an adjustable wrench in his hand.
“I need a second, smaller hand to hold the other wrench in place while I undo the connector. I can’t get both of my hands in there at the same time. Space isn’t all that big.”
“Where is it?” Jamie looked behind the contraption.
Mike lowered himself to the floor and lay on his belly. “It’s down here, close to the wall and floor.”
Jamie joined him on the floor. There was a flashlight on, showing the connection, one wrench already in place. “Okay. What do you want me to do?”
“Slide your hand in and hold that other wrench. I’ll try and slide this one,” he said, shaking the wrench in his hand, “in behind. If I can just get it started, I think I can get it by myself.”
“Okay. Sure.” Jamie pushed his hand in under the cabinet but was just shy of being able to reach the other wrench. “I’ll have to slide in closer.” He pushed himself forward and wriggled his way, putting himself shoulder to shoulder with Mike.
“Got it?” Mike asked.
“Alright. I think I have it.”
“If you just hold it tight...” Mike grunted, squeezing his big, meaty hand in the small space. “Let me...” he grunted. “Let me just get a turn on this.” He grunted again.
“Whoever put this in must have had tiny hands,” Jamie said, his arm fully extended, barely able to get a good grip on the wrench.
Mike shifted, grunted again. “Yeah. I think they must have.”
“Has it even budged?”
With a mighty pull and grunt, Mike’s muscled forearm slammed down on the floor. “There. I think I got it. Let me do one more turn while you keep holding.”
Jamie couldn’t even see the connection with both their hands in there.
“Got it.”
There was a small river of water coursing towards them.
“I should have gotten a rag,” Mike said as he worked the connection loose. “It’s just the small amount of water that was left in the line. Shouldn’t be too much.”
“Not afraid of a little water.” Jamie felt the cool wetness seep into the front of his shirt.
“You can let go of the wrench now,” Mike grunted out. “Now if I can just get my hand out.”
Jamie pulled his hand back and glanced over at Mike. Even dirty this man is hot.
Mike shifted and then happened to look at Jamie; their eyes met. Their faces were mere millimetres apart. Without thinking, Jamie closed the gap and kissed Mike. It wasn’t a passionate kiss, just a nice soft meeting of their lips.
“Oh, crap.” Jamie pulled back. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.”
Mike grumbled, something low and deep in his chest. Then he leaned in and kissed Jamie. “I didn’t mind. I’ve wanted to kiss you for some time now.”
Jamie scrambled backwards, wriggling and squirming away, the front of his shirt and shorts wet. When he finally got free of the cabinet, he got to his knees. “I’m really sorry.”
It took Mike a moment longer to dislodge himself from under the cabinet. Jamie was already on his feet. “Don’t be sorry. It was nice,” Mike said, the front of his tank top also wet.
They stood there a few moments looking at each other. Mike was the first to speak. “Um... you’re... wet.”
“So are you,” Jamie all but whispered. He was looking at Mike’s huge chest, his nipples clearly on display, and the dark chest hair spilling over the top of his shirt plastered to his skin.
“But...” Mike pointed to Jamie’s front. “It’s... your shirt... well, it’s see-through and well... your shorts are somewhat revealing.”
Jamie looked down. It was true. His T-shirt was completely transparent, and his shorts left nothing to the imagination, and that’s not mentioning his semi-aroused state. “Oh, shit!” He quickly covered his crotch with both hands.
Mike’s khaki shirt and shorts, while wet, weren’t see-through. Jamie thought that he noticed that Mike may be a little hard as well.
“I need...” Jamie turned and jogged across the kitchen towards the back door. “I’ll be back.”
That’s what I get for not wearing underwear, Jamie thought as he ran up the steps.
Joesph watched as his friend bolted up the steps to the apartment, taking steps two at a time. He looked at Mike, who had just exited the diner. “Well, this is interesting.” He pointed to Mike. “A wet T-shirt contest I didn’t get an invitation to?”
Mike frowned at Joesph. “Just a plumbing issue.” He turned and went back into the kitchen.
Just then, Joesph saw Salzy emerge from his apartment, wearing shorts and an old T-shirt. Salzy looked up and waved.
“Morning, sleepyhead,” Joesph greeted him.
“Good morning.” Salzy yawned and stretched. “I didn’t realize it was so late.” His hair was damp from the shower. “Nice day. Not too hot.” He sat across from Joesph.
“How’s the head?” Joesph asked, still looking at his computer that was in front of him.
“Fine. I just need some coffee,” Salzy said, standing.
“Better hurry. Mike’s removing the coffee maker as we speak.”
“Damn.” Salzy scurried towards the door. “Can’t start a day without coffee.”
Joesph’s phone rang. “Hello, Joesph Collins speaking.”
“Hello, Mr. Collins, this is Jim from Columbus Heating and Air. How are you today?”
“I’m well, thank you.”
“I was just calling to confirm our appointment for this afternoon.”
“Yes, I will be here.”
“Okay. I’ll see you about one then. I’m looking forward to it.”
“Thank you. See you then.” Joesph disconnected the call just as Salzy sat down with two cups of coffee.
He looked at Salzy. “The HVAC guys are coming today. You might want to tidy up your apartment.” He looked at the two cups of coffee in front of Salzy.
“Are we doubling-fisted drinking this morning?” Joesph asked as he scribbled a note on the pad of paper next to his laptop.
“I always have two cups of coffee. I got two before they pulled the drink station apart. When is it going back in? Do you know?”
“Probably not for a few days.” Joesph looked up. “They have to do the wall that it’s going on first.”
“I guess I’ll have to go buy a coffee maker.” Salzy gulped his first cup.
“I told Jamie that we needed one.” He leaned forward. “I cannot do mornings without caffeine.”