Chapter Two
Two weeks of hard labor had begun to pay off and Riley was pleased to admit the house was livable. Two weeks was bleeding into three and they still weren’t ready to start moving the big things. They had done all the patching and painting they needed to before handling the floors. They decided to refinish the hardwoods downstairs, opting for carpet on the second level.
Riley shut off the belt sander, leaving his ears ringing in the sudden silence. Colin turned his off as well to see what the problem was when Riley stopped.
Riley peeled off his dust mask and said, “Man, I hate doing hardwoods.”
“I know. It’s a job,” Colin said. “But they’ll be beautiful. Are you done?”
“Except for the edges. I need a break, don’t you?”
“We’re almost done – “ Colin said, then smiled at Riley's grimace. “Ok, let’s take a break. Sit on the back porch?”
“Sure, I’ll grab some fresh waters.”
Riley admired the newly laid kitchen floor: large blocks of black ceramic tile lined the kitchen, shining like a new penny. The new appliances were scheduled to arrive in two more days, replacing the aged ones of at least ten years or older. They decided they could wait to install a new sink and cabinets. As much as they both wanted to finish things quickly, they had a lifetime to whittle away at the many home projects they had to do.
Riley stepped out onto the back porch and took a seat beside Colin on the steps. “Here you go.”
Colin took the water and twisted off the lid, downing about a quarter of it in a couple of gulps. “Ah, that’s good.”
“I’m tired, Col,” Riley admitted. “We’ve been working non-stop for more than two weeks.”
“I know, babe. They’ll finish with the carpet over the next couple of days, we’ll finish with the hardwood, and then we can move in. End of week three for sure.”
“That’s five more days.”
“Look how much we’ve done, though,” Colin said encouragingly. “It hardly looks like the same house, and we’ve barely started.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Riley said wearily. “We don’t work this hard on paid jobs.”
“You’re tired. I’ll give you a backrub later tonight and you can hit the sack early. How does that sound?”
“Early bed? I’m physically tired, not sleepy tired.”
Colin draped an arm over Riley’s shoulders and pulled him close. “I know, but physical tired means you need to regenerate. I should get some extra sleep myself.”
“So you’re giving yourself early bed, too?”
Colin laughed. “It’s only fair, isn’t it? I’ve been working just as hard and frankly, I feel like I could use some rest, myself.”
The screen door opened behind them and a man clad in work pants and a denim shirt stood in the doorway.
“There you guys are. We’re going to pick up some subs, you want some?”
“Thanks, Jerry,” Colin said. “We brought lunch, though.”
Riley frowned at Colin and said, “Subs would be better.”
“We’re broke after fixing up this house,” Colin teased.
“A money pit,” Riley said. "That's what it is."
“Well, I think you guys did real good,” Jerry said. “We’re moving right along with the carpet. Should finish it up tomorrow.”
“Thanks, Jerry,” Colin said. “We’ll come up and take a look in a little while.”
“How’s the sanding going?”
“Good,” Colin said. “We’re almost ready to do the edging.”
“It’s going to look real nice when you’re done,” Jerry said in his North Carolina drawl. His accent never failed to make him standout as a transplant to the small Virginia town.
“You’re invited to the open house if we ever get finished,” Riley said. “Which I’m not sure I’ll live to see.”
“Somebody getting tired?” Jerry laughed.
“Yeah. Very,” Riley said disconsolately.
“Let me know when you’re ready to move in. I’ll get the little woman to fix us up some burgers or chicken or something and me and the boy will help get you moved.”
“We appreciate it, Jerry. What are you doing Saturday?”
Jerry clapped Colin on the back and said, "Moving you?"
"That would be great."
“I'll plan on it. I’d better haul out and get those subs before them boys hang me by my toes,” Jerry said.
“See you in a bit,” Colin said to his long-time acquaintance. After Jerry left, Colin said to Riley, “How about you? Want to eat lunch now while we’re taking a break?”
“Sure.”
They ate their sandwiches in the cool of the back porch, and chatted about their plans for the house.
“At least we’ve been bringing a few boxes everyday. Moving the big stuff won’t be such a chore,” Riley said.
“No, not so bad. I won’t miss that cramped apartment, will you?”
“Nope. Except for the disposal. We don’t have a disposal here.”
“We can remedy that,” Colin said. “When we replace the sink, we’ll put one in. Just think, we should spend our first night together here Saturday.”
“Yeah.”
“What’s wrong?” Colin said, laying a hand on Riley’s knee.
“I just hope we don’t grow to hate it here with all the work it needs.”
“We won’t. We’ll take it a step at a time. We’re getting the big stuff out of the way now. From here on out, we can take a room at a time, or a project at a time.”
Riley sighed. “If you say so.”
“I say so.”
“And what you say goes, right?” Riley said with a twinkle in his eye.
Colin leaned toward his partner and gave him a peck on the lips. “And don’t you forget it.”
“Like you’d let me,” Riley said, grinning.
“And I say, it’s time to get back to work if you’re finished.”
“I need to hit the john first. I think I’ll use the one upstairs and check out the carpet job while I’m there.” Riley stood from the porch and dusted his hands against his thighs.
"Don't get locked in," Colin said with a grin.
"Don't even joke about that," Riley said.
“I’ll follow you up,” Colin said, collecting their trash.
Riley stopped at the foot of the intricately adorned staircase and rubbed the toe of his workboot over the flooring. "That spot looks like it came out. I wasn't sure it was going to."
"Finally," Colin said, inspecting the floorboards closely. "I had to keep going over it."
"I don't see it anymore," Riley said. "Looks like you got it all out."
"Whatever spilled there was stubborn as hell," Colin said. "Probably something spilled on the rug and never got cleaned well."
"People don't seem to realize what spills are doing underneath their carpet. It looks nice now, though."
"Let's check out the upstairs."
The smell of new carpet mingled with the fresh smell of paint as they topped the large staircase. A soft breeze blew through the hallway where Riley and Colin had opened the windows for fresh air, bringing in the scent of spring to complement the work they had done to clean and update their home.
“Ok, now, I’m getting excited,” Riley said, admiring their work in a new light.
Dark beige carpet lined the hallway, working in conjunction with the new eggshell paint to brighten the once dank and dreary hallway, formerly clad in worn, dark red carpet up against peeling bleak wallpaper. Sunlight poured into the narrow hall, doing its share to make the hallway look crisp and new despite the fact that the structure was well over 100 years old.
Colin grabbed Riley’s hand and squeezed it. “It looks good, doesn’t it?”
“It looks totally different,” Riley said with a satisfied gaze at his partner. “It looks good.”
Colin turned toward the sound of footsteps behind him, and said, “Hey, Jer –“ he stopped short. “Oh, I thought that was Jer – “
“Oh, hi,” Jerry’s oldest son said, coming from the master bedroom. “I thought you were Dad with our lunch.”
“Sorry, Caleb. It’s just us. I thought I heard him, though,” Colin said.
“Delirium driven by overwork,” Riley said.
“Come take a look at our hard work,” Caleb said, and they followed him into the bedroom.
Two other men in Jerry’s crew were busy finishing the job, tacking down the carpet edges and cleaning it up around the baseboards for a nice finished look.
“I can’t get over how different it looks,” Riley said in awe.
“Between the paint and the carpet, it looks almost new,” Caleb said. “You guys did a nice job with the paint, by the way.”
“If we hadn’t used sprayers, we’d still be painting,” Colin said wryly.
“Lunch!” Jerry announced from behind them.
“All right,” Riley said quietly to Colin in the interruption. “Gotta pee.”
He went down the newly dressed hallway and turned into the main bathroom. He turned to close the door, then thought twice. No need to get locked in again even with people around to get him out. Leaving it open about an inch he went to do his business. Before he was finished, he heard the door close with a click.
“Damn it, Colin!” he shouted to the closed door. Mumbling to himself as he shook his cock, he said, “Not like they haven’t seen a dick before.”
He reached for the doorknob and paused before taking it in his hand. Would it be locked again? He shook his head, rolling his eyes at himself. The handle turned easily in his palm, cleanly opening without a hitch.
Colin was in the hallway when he came out of the bathroom. “Did you call me?” he asked.
“Yeah,” Riley said. “Were you afraid someone would see something?”
“See what?”
“My dick. You shut the door.” Riley hooked a thumb toward the empty bathroom.
Colin frowned and said, “No, I didn’t.”
“Someone did.”
Colin looked toward the bedroom and said, “Everyone is in there. The wind must have caught it.”
Riley looked toward the open window at the end of hall outside the bathroom and clicked his tongue. “I'll bet that's what happened. Sorry, Colin.”
“It's ok. At least you didn’t get locked in this time,” Colin joked, nuzzling Riley's ear.
“Right. I wait to do that when no one’s here to let me out. It's more exciting that way.”
Colin took a playful swat at Riley’s behind and said, “Back to work, daredevil.”
"Slave driver," Riley said.
"We can play master and slave later, if you aren't too tired," Colin teased.
"Can I be the master?"
"No."
"You're no fun," Riley joked.
"Cops and robbers? Wanna play that?"
"How about prisoner and prison guard?" Riley suggested.
"Man of the house and butler?"
"Only if I get to wear the tux," Riley said.
They both laughed and then paused, reflecting on what they had left to do as they returned downstairs. "I guess we'd better play contractor first," Colin said.
"I was right. No fun at all," Riley said. "Ready to get back to it?"
"Ready." Colin paused at the foot of the stairs and frowned at what he saw. "Can you see that spot again? Or is it my imagination?" he asked, bending down for a closer look. He ran his fingers over the area and squinted at the wood.
Riley knelt down beside his partner. "I think I see it, too, from this angle. It looked like it was all gone when we were headed up the stairs. Looks like you have a bit more sanding to do."
"What are you grinning at?" Colin asked.
Riley stood with his hands spread innocently. "Not a thing, not a thing."
Colin sighed. "Just when I thought I was almost finished."
Riley laughed and pulled out the hand sander. "It's just one area. You'll be done in no time. With plenty of time to help me on the edges, I'll bet."
"Go slow," Colin said, wryly. "I wouldn't want you to finish without me."
"Not a chance," Riley said.
The carpet crew had called it day long before Riley and Colin were ready to throw in the towel. As Colin put the finishing touches on the sanding job in the hallway, Riley straightened up from his own work, stretching like a wakening cat.
He arched backward and anchored his palms to the small of his back. "Ah," he said as he stretched. "My back is seriously not happy right now."
"Mine either." Colin's knees popped as he stood. "Or my knees. It's a sign."
"Of old age?"
"Very funny. I don't consider 35 to be all that old, thanks," Colin said. "I meant it's a sign that we should stop for the day."
"Hallelujah," Riley said with exaggerated praise skyward. "Miracles still happen."
"Why don't we go home and I'll give you that back rub I promised you."
"I'm right behind you."
Colin waited at the door while Riley heaved his tool belt over his shoulder. They stepped out onto the leaning front porch and Riley said, stomping the heel of his workboot against the timbers, "We have to do something with this, too."
"I was thinking maybe concrete."
"Concrete?" Riley asked with a scowl. "Not real attractive."
"Or wood," Colin offered with a shrug. "Either one would work. We could tear this all out and rebuild it."
"I'm too tired to think about it right now."
Colin put his toolbox in the back of the van. "So tomorrow we can stain and varnish the floors. Piece of cake after today."
Riley leaned his head into his hand and he worked his temples. "I don't want to think about tomorrow."
"It's downhill now. I promise."
"I know. I wasn't sure before, but I think we actually might be in here Saturday," Riley said. "If we don't drop from exhaustion first."
"Come on," Colin said, opening the passenger door for Riley. "Let's go home."
"I'll be glad when that means we're settled and this is home," Riley said.
"Soon, babe. Soon."
