A Cute Guy with a Mower, Chapter 2
Justin might have skipped church on Sunday morning if he hadn't signed up to be a greeter. It would be pleasant to lie around the pool and enjoy the summer sun with his new housemate. However, he also needed to be in the company of other friends. In a way, church was part of his social life. While working from home had its advantages, it made for a lonely existence if he didn't get out on a fairly regular basis, and bars weren't his thing.
Attired in summer dress-casual clothing, he came out of his room just as Seth was emerging from the main bathroom clad in a bath towel.
"Are you off to town?" Seth asked.
"Yup, I agreed to be a greeter at church, so I'm going to fulfill my obligation."
"Could I go along, or would I be an embarrassment because of my orientation?"
"You're certainly welcome to join me and you wouldn't embarrass anyone. I doubt they could tell you're gay by looking at you. Besides, my church is a welcoming congregation. Um, that's a code-term that means we don't discriminate based on race or orientation."
"I've heard about places like that, but I've never been to one. Do I have time to get ready?"
"Sure. I'll start breakfast while you dress. You can wear jeans or shorts if you like. As you can see, many of us don't wear ties and jackets, especially in the summer."
Seth hastened to find a pair of khaki slacks and a coordinating camp shirt which he felt would do. Then, he went down to eat breakfast.
Seth's experience at First Presbyterian was a real eyeopener. He'd never attended a mainline Protestant Church before, and he found it to be much different from what he was used to. The large pipe organ filled the sanctuary with beautiful music as the pastor and lay reader came down the center aisle toward the end of the prelude.
The service followed an order which was printed in the bulletin. There was a responsive call to worship and a hymn. After that, a prayer of confession and pronouncement of forgiveness. Then came the passing of the peace. These were all rituals which were foreign to Seth, but they were ones which he could easily follow.
During the passing of the peace, several people in the congregation spoke to him, welcoming him to their church. He was touched by their friendliness, and also by the fact that Justin introduced him to them as his housemate.
The sermon was nothing like Seth was used to either. It focused on ways to help one's fellow human beings rather than the culture wars and the evils of a woke society. Seth found it refreshing.
Initially, he hadn't been thrilled with the idea of spending time at the social hour in fellowship hall because he was a stranger, but he hadn't wanted to do anything to upset Justin's routine. He discovered that a lot of people took time to make his acquaintance. That included a young guy, Grayson, who had recently graduated from a rival high school. If Seth's developing gaydar wasn't completely haywire, he got the feeling that this dude might be interested in him.
Seth's mind was conflicted. He enjoyed the attention of other males, and this young stud was hot, but Seth had a serious crush on Justin. He'd been holding out hope that his benefactor might eventually develop an affection for him in return.
On the way home from church, Seth asked Justin about Grayson.
"Um, is that guy who was talking to me over coffee just like me?"
"If you're talking about Grayson Graham, I'd say the two of you are complete opposites. He's a spoiled, lazy, self-centered brat while you're ambitious, conscientious, and caring."
"Thanks, but I meant was do you think he might be gay?"
"If he isn't, the Pope's not Catholic and bears use indoor plumbing."
"There you go doing the dad-jokes again. I got the feeling he might be hitting on me. I wondered what you thought of him."
"It's obvious that he's attracted to you, and I can't tell you not to pursue him for a fling if you want to. Just be aware that he's more interested in conquests than in long-term relationships. During the three years I've known him, he's had several `boyfriends.' He actually came onto me when he was only 15. I kept trying to fend him off without hurting his feelings. Even if I'd have been interested in the boy, I wasn't about to mess around with an underage kid. I finally had to threaten to call his parents if he didn't leave me alone. That's what put an end to it."
"At that age, wasn't he old enough to consent?"
"He would have been if I'd have been only a year or two older. It still isn't wise for someone my age to have sex with anyone, male or female under 18 no matter how fun it could be."
"Oh. So, if he'd been older would you have dated him. Um, I guess that's none of my business."
"No, I wouldn't. He's cute and sexy, probably gives a good blowjob but, as I said, he's not someone I could foresee anyone settling down with."
"So, you're looking for someone who's more than a fuckbuddy too."
"Yes, I am. When I commit to another person, I want it to be a forever thing – a soulmate, if you know what I mean. Do you think I'm expecting too much?"
"Nope, that's what I want too."
On Monday afternoon, Justin reaped the first reward for his kindness to Seth. He'd been occupied all day with solving a supply-chain problem for CVS, which was one of his clients. It had taken many hours and lots of wheeling and dealing to get the necessary meds enroute. His boss had praised him for coming up with the solution, but Justin was tired and burned out. He hadn't had time to plan anything for dinner. If he were alone, he might have made mac and cheese or some other comfort food which wouldn't have been too healthy. However, now, he had to consider his young housemate who would, no doubt, be starved from his long day of taking care of yards. Just as he was at his wit's end, his phone rang. Seth was on the other end.
"Hey, I've just finished mowing the grounds of the Buick dealer. `Mandarin Spice' is just a few blocks away. If you don't have something started, I'd like to get Asian carryout for dinner. Would that be okay?"
"The word `okay' doesn't even begin to cover it! It would be a blessing! I've had one hell of a day."
"What would you like to eat?"
"I'd like their egg drop soup, their shrimp with vegetables, and maybe some crab Rangoon."
"Cool! I'll just double the order and add an order of egg rolls to split. See you in about 20 minutes or so."
"Be sure to save the bill so I can reimburse you."
"No way! This one is on me."
Justin smiled as he set the table. Seth was not only conscientious; he was considerate and caring. He was the kind of guy who would make a good partner.
Toward the middle of June, temperatures and humidity rose, taking its toll on people who worked outside. Seth had to keep himself hydrated to prevent having a heat stroke. He was also mindful of using sunscreen to keep from damaging his skin. He wouldn't normally have been concerned about that. However, he knew that he'd be in trouble with Justin if he didn't. It wasn't that Justin was acting like a helicopter parent, it was more that Seth respected his opinion and wanted to please him. He would love to have an even closer relationship with the man who had come to his aid in his time of need.
Seth still wasn't totally sure of Justin's orientation. Justin seemed very supportive of gay people. However, in conversation, he'd once mentioned a former girlfriend. He hadn't said he was looking for a lasting connection with a woman, but he hadn't said he was interested in it with another man either. Seth had been trying to figure out if there was any hope of their becoming boyfriends. Justin hadn't flirted with him or become overly aroused when they shared the hot tub or swam nude. Perhaps he was asexual. It was too bad life didn't come with a user's manual about relationships.
With the warm temperatures and high humidity also came reasonably frequent rain showers; some of them downpours. Thus, lawns weren't going dormant early in the season like they had the past couple of summers. Grass kept growing, so Seth kept mowing. It looked like he would end up making a lot of money this year. If all went well, he should be able to save enough to survive the winter. He needed to have a backup plan. He couldn't expect Justin to keep on supporting him. If next winter were anything like last year, there wouldn't be enough snow to remove to pay for his lodging.
The summer solstice came without a big celebration on the part of the two young men, although Justin joked that he probably had some Druid ancestors. They did have a steak dinner outside and a nude swim after. Seth noticed that the color of Justin's skin was relatively uniform while he had a kind of a farmer's tan. Well, it wasn't like his body was all white other than his butt. He went shirtless when cutting lawns for customers who didn't mind seeing their lawn boy's chest and abs. He used tank-tops when mowing for businesses, and he mowed the back of Justin's lawn completely naked once he got comfortable with the idea. Too bad that Justin was often working inside and couldn't see him.
Justin may have been inside the house, but that didn't mean he wasn't observing. He felt kind of naughty squatting down on the deck with his binoculars checking on Seth. However, his guilty feelings weren't enough to make him stop.
"Are you planning to go anywhere for the Independence Day celebration?" Seth asked one evening late in June.
"Nope. I don't have any relatives I want to see, and I'd hate to be traveling during that time if I did. What about you?"
"Me neither. You've met my delightful parents. I don't have any close buds from school to hang with either. They seem to be avoiding me now that they know I'm gay."
"We could take in some of the Freedom Festival activities in Cedar Rapids if you like. There's usually a pretty good band concert and some fireworks. There's also an organ recital on Sunday afternoon during the weeklong celebration."
"That might be fun," Seth replied. "I've gone on the carnival rides, but they're not like an amusement park in quality. They seem a little tame."
"I still like some of them, and the kettle corn is good."
"Well, if you're not too grown up for them, I guess I'm not either," Seth chuckled.
The young men did take in a number of events, beginning with the organ recital at 3:00 on Sunday afternoon at Justin's church. It was a program of patriotic music played by several of the top church organists in town. Looking around at the crowd, Seth figured he was probably the youngest member of the audience; that is, of the adults. There were a couple of small children, but the rest were mostly middle aged and senior citizens.
He was relieved to see that Grayson wasn't there. That guy still seemed to be trying to get better acquainted with him. Seth would have to admit that the other 18-year-old was good looking. If the bulge in his pants wasn't from being padded, he was probably hung as well. However, Seth was still holding out for someone who would want more than a one-night stand.
After the concert, the guys went to a recently opened sports bar for their supper. It was pretty good, as far as bar food goes, and it wasn't too expensive. Seth insisted on picking up the tab. Justin didn't argue, but he did insist on leaving the tip.
Carnival rides, fair food, and fireworks constituted the bulk of their 4th of July observance. It was a fun time of relaxing and being out among a throng of other people. It wasn't that they felt lonely at home with just the two of them, but it was good to socialize as well. The only fly in the ointment was when they caught sight of Grayson. However, he was with another guy who looked nearly old enough to be his father. He seemed to be embarrassed, and he didn't try to hit on Seth. The guys figured it was probably a date, or, more likely, a hookup. It provided one more reason for Seth not to be interested in him.
One of the highlights of the evening was the military band which played a number of patriotic songs and marches. One of the pieces was a relatively short one by Samuel Barber called, Commando March. Most of the males in the audience smirked when the title was announced.
"I wonder if he knew what that meant when he named it," Seth speculated.
"He might have. He was gay, you know."
"Really? I had no idea. His orientation doesn't seem to have had a negative effect on his music."
On the Sunday after the Independence Holiday, Grayson "chatted up" Seth during the social hour. He seemed to be on the hunt again. Seth thought about mentioning Grayson's "date' from a few nights ago but decided it would be catty to do so. Justin was in a conversation with the pastor about something from the sermon and hadn't noticed Seth's discomfort. When he did see what was going on, he rapidly drew the discussion to an end, moving over to his much-relieved housemate. He put an arm around Seth's shoulder as he spoke to Grayson.
"It's good to see you, but you'll have to excuse us. We have just enough time to get to brunch at the Doubletree. We don't want to be late for our reservations."
With that, he guided Seth toward the parking lot.
Seth laughed the minute they got out of the door.
"Thanks for saving me, but didn't you just break the 9th commandment? I would have thought today's sermon would have stayed with you a little longer."
"What are you talking about? I didn't bear false witness against my neighbor."
"But it's usually interpreted as a warning not to lie. Your exit line was almost good enough to make me believe it, and I know it's not true."
"Don't be too sure of what you're saying," Justin snickered.
Seth was mystified at the response until Justin pulled into the parking ramp attached to the hotel complex.
"So, you're going to take me to brunch to cover your deception?"
"No, we have reservations and will only be about 10 minutes early. If they're not too busy, they might seat us immediately."
"Seriously?"
"Yup. Have I ever lied to you?"
"Um, not that I know of. So, what's the occasion?"
"This week will mark one year since you first came to mow my yard. I had just messed up my knee waterskiing and a friend had given me your business card."
"Wow! You're celebrating that?"
"Yes, why shouldn't I?"
"I don't know. I'll be celebrating a year of being with you next June on my 19th birthday, that is, if I'm still living with you."
"I'll be commemorating that date as well. And, unless you're getting tired of staying with me, we'll have to plan something special."
Seth had to turn away and brush the tears out of his eyes. The only thing he could think of that would make him happier would be to go home and cuddle for the rest of the day. That wasn't going to happen, even if they'd been boyfriends, because he had a mowing job later in the afternoon which needed to be done before the expected showers on Monday. Still, he had renewed hope that it might happen sometime in the future.
That evening, Justin had a picnic-style supper ready for his young friend when he returned to the house. They ate it on the patio after Seth had a shower to remove the sweat and dirt from his body. Afterward, they spent time in the hot tub and the pool. Both went to bed fairly early. Neither went to sleep quickly, however.
Monday dawned a bit cooler with a threatening sky. Contrary to the forecast, there were only a few sprinkles before the sun came out. As a result, Seth was able to get quite a bit of work done. He was pleased with what he'd achieved, but he had been looking forward to a day of rest.
Standing on the back of his new machine didn't require a lot of brain power. So, he had time to think about where his life was going and what he wanted in the long run. He wasn't looking to become rich, but he wanted to be comfortable.
For a long time, he'd had this dream of owning his own landscaping company. He liked the idea of not having to answer to anyone else. He wanted to be free to make his own decisions. However, he'd been reading some things on the web which made him question his career choice.
One article talked about the danger to the environment from the chemicals used on lawns. It suggested that the nutrients and weed killers necessary for city and suburban yards, while not being as bad as the runoff from farms in the Midwest, were contributing to the "dead zone" in the gulf region. Those chemicals might have to be outlawed.
It questioned the value of maintaining perfect, manicured lawns which served no practical purpose. Perhaps some new approach was needed to save the country's waterways. Possibly, people should plant their yards in wildflowers instead of grass. That trend could wipe out one chunk of his livelihood!
Another piece that he read discussed the number of small nurseries which had gone out of business in recent years. It seemed that the first generation built up a good reputation and large clientele only to have the next generation fritter it away, and the grandchildren selling the property for a housing development. Of course, that need not be a consideration in his case. He wasn't sure he would ever have children anyway. However, competition from places like Walmart and home improvement stores, which carried plants and trees in the spring, also cut into sales from nurseries.
The third op-ed he'd perused stressed the advantage of having at least a couple of years of education in business before venturing into creating one's own company. It also compared the incomes of college-educated people to those who had nothing beyond high school. As an aside, the author mentioned that people employed in some physically taxing jobs tended to die younger and suffer more aches and pains from arthritis in their old age – just at the time when they should be enjoying their "golden" years.
All of these things went through his mind. Justin had encouraged him to consider enrolling in junior college during the winter to explore what other paths he might like to take. At first, he'd sort of resented Justin's input because it reminded him of what his parents might do. Now, he was thinking about doing it, if for no other reason than to please his best buddy.
The bottom line was that he wasn't interested in becoming wealthy per se. He could be content with simply having enough money to be comfortable. Most of all, he wanted to feel loved.
Author's notes: Thanks to the following who wrote about chapter 1: Normal, JFL, Paul R, Vin L, James M, Caryandken, Mendy D, Andy R, Charles G, Jim W, Geoff F, Stephen, Tim T, Mark C, Geoff, Rod R, Gordon, Frank K, JLF, Burke C, Tony C, Stevan S, Chris L, John L, Paul F, Steve C, Eric F, Si R, Ken McC, Joe W (1), Allen B, Peter S, Tom C, and Joe W (2). I appreciate your positive feedback! Thanks for reading this story. If you enjoyed it, please feel free to contact me a dlee169@hotmail.com and let me know. Your emails are the only reward I receive for writing. Please put the story title in the subject line in case your email goes into the spam folder.
Thanks to David S for editing. He finds the typos and missing words! He also makes valuable suggestions.
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Thanks, David
Ps: I have a chronological list of all my posted stories which I can email to you if you have an interest.