Chapter 6
The next day was sunny, and Bailey was working by the hotel pool while Joey practiced his swimming. Then his cousin Carrie called and Bailey talked to her about the beach house, how she wished she could bring her two kids there but she didn't think she could get the time off.
"We're getting the place into shape, so it will be ready if you can come," Bailey told her, and he hadn't put it up on the market yet so there was still time for her to use it.
"Who is we? You and Joey?" Carrie asked.
Bailey laughed. "Joey has been a big help. But I hired a guy too. Do you remember Gwen from when you used to come to visit Grandpa? I hired her brother to help out."
"Sure I remember Gwen and her scrawny, little brother," she said.
"Scrawny, really? He's not scrawny now," Bailey said.
"Oh, please tell me all about it," Carrie said so he must have given away too much.
"Let's say that he has built up some muscles and he's really hard working," Bailey told her.
"He sounds hot," she said.
"Well, if you come down here you'll get to see for yourself," he told her. Carrie's kids were older than Joey but it would still be nice for him to hang out with them.
"Don't count on it, but I'll try," she said.
After he was done talking to Carrie, Bailey decided not to tell Joey they might visit so he wouldn't be disappointed if they couldn't come. He then got a text from Matt that he bought all the supplies he needed and he was ready to get started on the porch.
Bailey did share that news with Joey and he pouted at him, "We're missing it, Daddy."
Since Joey was so eager, Bailey decided to go over to the beach house before he was finished with his work. He just took his laptop so he could sit with it in a folding chair on the beach.
That's what he did while Joey split his time between watching Matt and 'helping' him, and going swimming under Bailey's supervision.
Coming out of the water, Joey saw some birds on the shore and went over to find out what they were up to.
Leaving him to it, Bailey was about to see if Matt wanted to take a break for dinner or wait until he was done.
When he went over, he saw the work was almost done.
"You're pretty much finished, and I was about to ask if you wanted a dinner break."
"The porch is fixed up, but I still need to paint," Matt said.
"You don't want to do that in the dark," Bailey said though it was still light out. Maybe he was just trying to make sure Matt had a reason to come back. "So what do you say about dinner? Do you want to eat with us."
"Is it OK? I've been doing that a lot," Matt said.
"We'd like it if you came along, but if you're busy..." Bailey wanted to give him a way out in case he felt obligated to accept, but Matt was shaking his head.
"No. If you want to wait to paint the porch, I'm free," Matt said.
Bailey actually expected him to have a busy social life to keep him from spending time with them, but asking about that seemed like prying into his personal life. While Joey was still watching the birds, he told Matt about his cousin's plans to maybe come down.
"I bet Joey will like that," Matt said then he looked at the beach house behind him. "Your grandfather left the beach house just to you?"
"I was the only one left, actually," Bailey said. "Carrie is my step cousin, but Grandpa was pretty fond of her. And my mom passed away so..."
"Oh, I'm sorry," Matt said and he squeezed his shoulder.
"Both her and my grandfather didn't get to meet Joey."
"Should I ask about your father?" Matt said hesitantly.
"I never knew him," Bailey said. His father was just a blank space in his life. It was losing his mother and his grandfather that really hurt. "Oh, Carrie remembers you from when you were a 'scrawny kid'. Her words."
Matt chuckled. "Yeah. No one who knew me as a kid recognizes me these days."
Bailey was curious if he built his muscles working or exercising, but it seemed weird to ask. It might show how much his body was on Bailey's mind. Rather than dwell on Matt's impressive physique, he took a closer look at the work he had done on the porch.
"You did a good job. It will look really nice when it's all painted," he said. "All that's missing is a grill. Grandpa's got rusted."
"So does that mean you might move in?" Matt asked. "I mean this place is perfectly livable, you and Joey can totally stay here if you wanted instead of at the hotel."
Bailey had been thinking about that. "I don't know if Joey wants to give up the hotel pool," he said kind of jokingly, though Joey did love the pool and hanging out with the other kids there.
"There's a whole ocean," Matt said.
"Maybe I don't want to give up the room service," Bailey said though he wasn't serious about that either. "It might be easier to work from here and keep an eye on Joey on the beach."
"Or you could hire someone to keep an eye on him," Matt said then he ran with that idea. "Like a live-in manny. You have the room here and that way I don't have to keep living with my sister and her boyfriend, sometimes overhearing them having loud, heterosexual sex."
Bailey just blinked at him. He couldn't quite wrap his mind around the offer Matt just made, and he wasn't done trying to sell him on it.
"I can't be your room service too," Matt said as he leaned on the porch railing next to him.
"Huh?" was all Bailey could say as he started to imagine Matt coming into his room and...
"If I move in here, I can be your live in manny, housekeeper, everything," Matt explained.
Bailey got stuck on the everything, but then shook himself out of it. He was still speechless though, then he stammered, "I would have to think about that."
Matt didn't leave it at that. "The room and board would mean you wouldn't have to pay me that much. Sorry, I know I'm being pushy. I understand if you say no," Matt said and he smiled like he wouldn't hold it against him.
Looking at him, Bailey had trouble really thinking about his offer. Then Matt said he had to go, grabbed his tools, and he left. Stepping down off the porch, watching him go, Bailey remembered they were supposed to have dinner together.
He was conflicted about everything now. He could hardly think. He had to admit it would be nice to have the help, but his attraction to Matt complicated things. But maybe it didn't have to.
Matt wasn't interested in him so this attraction was just something Bailey needed to set aside. He could do that. He didn't usually chase after guys who weren't into him.
While Bailey was mulling things over, Matt had rushed off down the beach. Getting out his phone, Bailey made a quick decision and texted Matt that he was hired. Then he looked up from his phone and saw Matt running back, kicking up sand.
He stopped in front of Bailey, only a little breathless. "Thanks. This is great. I won't let you down," Matt said then he ran off again as Bailey gaped at him. He could have texted that.