Chapter 11

 

For the next few days, it was all work and no play at the house. That didn't keep Rico's mind free of what might happen and what it might mean.

Night and day he wondered about the possibilities that might be opening up. But so far nothing more had happened.

 

During lunch service at the café, Rico was complaining to Sam about Mitch while waiting to finish with his last customer of the day. "He's always doing provocative things like standing around, being hot and sweaty, saying handyman things in that deep voice of his."

Sam grinned at him. "Have you tried telling him to stop?"

"Don't take his side. He can't claim innocence after what he did." Rico had told Sam about the kiss Mitch planted on him.

"That was weird," Sam said.

Rico objected. "Whoa. Kissing me is not weird."

"I mean it's weird for a guy who says he's straight to do that. But I guess actions speak louder than words," Sam said with a shrug.

"I need a lot more action than that," Rico said, feeling frustrated in more ways than one. Mitch caused him so many sleepless nights already.

"Your last table might be ready for their check," Sam pointed out, and Rico rushed off.

He was in a hurry to finish out his shift so he could go and be frustrated by Mitch some more.

 

Arriving at the house, Rico found that Sammy was a little hyper and seemed to be ready to go somewhere.

"Rico, Rico, Rico. Is this dress good for cooking?" she asked and looked down at her denim dress with cutouts of orange and lemon slices sewn into it.

"It has food on it. Of course it is," Rico told her.

"Sammy was invited to a cupcake baking party at Lara's," Mitch said.

At the mention of Lara's name, Rico bristled but told himself to simmer down. "Sam told me about that. The boys are going too. Sounds nice."

"Sammy has been apologizing to the kittens because they can't go," Mitch said and that reminded her to go and console the kittens again. She ran off to the back of the house while Mitch filled Rico in on what he needed help with.

A few minutes later, they saw Lara's car pull into the driveway and a whole bunch of kids piled out along with Noreen. She had come along with Lara, Gloria and the Hayes boys. After a quick hello, the kids all went around to the back to see the kittens, and Lara went with them. Since Noreen hadn't met Mitch, Rico introduced them.

"So you're chaperoning the cupcake party?" Rico asked her.

"I don't know how I got roped into it," she said. "I don't even like sweets, but Lara wanted some adult company for the cupcake extravaganza. Her sister, Stella, will be visiting her for a few weeks. Lara said she wants to make her fat. Or barring that, tempt her until she makes her life a living hell." Noreen shrugged.

"Ahhh, sisterly love," Rico said.

He went to the kitchen to get a soda and then out to the back to see what the kids were up to. Or maybe he did it because he felt weird being around Mitch, and he was afraid Noreen would notice something.

Outside the kitchen door, Lara was sitting on the porch step while the kids were all rolling in the grass with the kittens. Riley had gotten into a staring contest with Veronica, and DJ claimed Natalie wanted to shake hands with him because she was swatting at his hand.

He then heard Lara warn Sammy, "Just don't let Noreen see those kittens. She'll want to snatch them up for herself."

"Noreen?" Sammy said since she hadn't met her yet either.

Playing Lara's unwitting accomplice, DJ told Sammy, "That's the teacher. She's scary."

 

When they all went to the front, minus the kittens, Rico introduced Sammy to the terrifying Noreen.

Sammy looked up at her with earnest eyes and pleaded, "Please, teacher, don't take my kittens. I really love them."

Right away, Noreen knew who was to blame. She wheeled on Lara. "What have you been telling people about me?" she hissed at her and Lara cracked up. "Turning me into Cruella De Vil of kittens," Noreen groused.

Lara had to defend herself on that point. "I didn't say anything about you making a coat out of them."

Done glaring at Lara, Noreen now turned to Sammy. "All right, where are these kittens? Let's have a look at them. Hand them over."

"Noooo!" Sammy shrieked while running away from Noreen. "Natalie! Veronica! Hide!"

The other kids then followed her, getting into the drama, and yelling and running off too.

Lara gaped at Noreen half in disbelief, half in awe. "Now you gotta admit, that was all you."

Noreen shrugged then sighed. "Now I'll never get a look at those kittens," she complained, and Lara laughed at her again.

Mitch stared between the two of them until Rico told him. "Don't try to figure out these two."

"So you are a cat person?" Mitch said to Noreen.

"I like them. My grandparents have an outdoor cat, and sometimes she brings us dead animals and birds she kills." Noreen nodded approvingly while Mitch made a face.

"I'm fine with Sammy's kittens never doing that. Having to explain something like that to her..." Mitch shook his head.

"Just tell her it's how cats show love," Noreen said.

"Cats are psychopaths," Rico said gleefully.

"Fluffy, lovable psychopaths," Lara said then she put her arm around Noreen's skinny shoulders. "Sort of like the two of us."

 

Eventually they managed to coax the kids back and into the car, but Sammy kept watching Noreen with suspicion and the other kids did too. Noreen took full advantage, eyeing the kids like she was trying to pick which one she wanted to bake into a pie.

As they drove off, Mitch looked kind of doubtful, so Rico assured him. "Sammy will have a blast. You should worry more about yourself, stuck here alone with me."

Mitch groaned. "Let's get to work."

"OK, but you strap on a tool belt, and I don't know what I might do," Rico warned him.

"You might need to restrain yourself. I want to finish up with the basement today. I need someone to hold a flashlight. I tried to set up a light, but I can't get a good angle," Mitch told him as they headed inside.

"You're just scared to go down there by yourself. Admit it," Rico taunted Mitch who led the way to the basement.

"Whatever you say," Mitch said as he took a flashlight off a hook and handed it to him. "The breaker is off. Use this and watch your step."

Shining the flashlight around the basement, Rico saw that another light was already hanging from the low ceiling. "You have the light up already."

"It's not connected. I didn't want to mess with the wiring without enough light. These wires are old. It's not as easy to figure out what's what," Mitch said.

That made Rico uneasy, but Mitch didn't seem like a guy who would take on more than he could handle. They got to work with Rico acting as a portable lamp. The angle was awkward and that put him so close, he was practically plastered to Mitch.

"Looks good. The breaker can take the extra load, and I'm going to wire this light to the same switch I'm putting at the top of the stairs," Mitch told him. "Point the light over here now."

Rico shifted a little and found himself even closer to Mitch. Tight quarters, dim lighting, Rico couldn't keep his mind from straying. If he was the one playing around with wires, he would have been electrocuted for sure by now.

But Mitch seemed to know what he was doing, handling the wires, snipping, twisting, capping. Everything he did was so sexy, even wiring some boring basement lights.

The lights were hooked up and then tested. With more light to see by, Rico looked around at the junk pile and everything else. When it came time to clear that out, they would actually be able to tell what was what. In fact something shiny was already catching his eye. He went to dig it up then held it out for Mitch to see. "Check it out."

"Is that more pretty junk?" Mitch asked.

"Yes, it is," he went over to show him. He might have stood too close. Being so near Mitch made him feel unbearably hot.

What he found was a silver egg decorated with flowers. The words "nest egg" were engraved on it in a fancy script. It had a hinged opening and keyhole in the middle, but no key.

"I didn't come across a key," Rico told him.

"It wouldn't work anyway," Mitch said as he took the egg from him and looked it over. "The opening has been soldered shut all around. The hinge might be broken."

"There's no reason Sammy can't play with it, right?" Rico asked him.

"It belongs to your grandmother," Mitch said.

Knowing what a stickler he was, Rico went along with it. "Fine. I'll ask permission."

 

Once the work was done Rico went up to get them some cold drinks. Mitch hadn't come up from the basement so Rico went down to take him his bottle of water and see if there was anything he needed help with.

Reaching the bottom of the stairs, he lingered and watched Mitch as he put away his tools, bending down to his toolbox, that sort of thing. Rico enjoyed the sight way too much and felt guilty.

"Here you go," he said when Mitch straightened. Rico handed him his bottle of water while he had a soda.

Mitch gulped down half the bottle then looked all around. "I think this place has lost some of its horror vibe."

"You say that like it's a good thing," Rico said to him archly. "Now the only way I can get a shiver of excitement in this place is by looking at you."

Mitch stopped with the bottle of water halfway to his lips and shook his head. "There's nothing exciting about me."

"Come and feel how fast my heart is beating, and then tell me that," Rico challenged him.

Once again Mitch just stared at him, but this time his expression was so serious, his eyes intensely blue. He set aside his water bottle without taking his eyes off Rico then he approached him, his movements slow, his chest expanding with every breath.

Every step Mitch took closer to him gave Rico an incredible thrill. Then Mitch was on him, looming over him, his blue eyes on fire. As Mitch's eyes raked over him, Rico shivered with anticipation, desperate for him to do something to him, anything.

Then came contact. Mitch placed a hand on his chest, fingers splayed. Rico gasped and in the next second, Mitch's mouth crashed into his, his tongue tasting, probing. The deep, thorough kiss melted all through him, turning his body liquid.

Their mouths melded in a moaning, passionate kiss. Rico's hand closed around a fistful of Mitch's shirt and tugged him in so he could plaster himself against his incredible body. He wanted him so much.

As they kissed, Rico could feel Mitch's cock growing bigger and harder alongside his own. Holding Rico so tight, almost crushing him as he groped his ass, Mitch made him shudder with need.

Rico had to have him. He had to show Mitch the searing, hot passion he had inside, but he was scared too. This was uncharted territory.

He was dying to get down on his knees and wrap his lips around Mitch's cock. Rico wanted to do it more than anything, but he didn't know if Mitch would let him. He was unpredictable. Rico didn't know what he wanted or what he felt. At any second he might pull away.