It was Scott's turn to drive, and we were heading east. I was holding his hand and humming a happy tune. "Scott that was a great time with your Uncle and Aunt. For me it was a busman's holiday working on their house. But I think that you and I got to know both of them, and in such a short time. That was really good to have close family like that."
"Emma, I can see why Max keeps you around. Tim and I are talking about a dip in the floor, and you talk him into fixing the support beam, new wider doors to the bedrooms, more electrical outlets, new drywall over the plaster and lath. You get Ly turned on by helping her plan and then do the decorating with just paint. Three different colors in each bedroom? It was beautiful. I did notice that every wall was white before we got there. I'm going to have to be on my guard if you ever want me to so something. Do you sell ice in northern Alaska in the winter?"
"Oh, give me a break. Yes it was the mushroom effect. But look at it this way. Ly and I had talked about she and Tim staying in that house until they no longer can. He's over 60 now. She is about 5 years younger. Fixing the dip damaged the already poor condition of the interior walls. Those walls were substandard when they were first plastered in the what, early 20's? The doorways were way to narrow for older adults now and the doors were 1950's crap, probably was an attempt to modernize the house. That and that replacement trim needed to go. It's a craftsman's style house. Wider pre-hung new oak doors in the style of the house, flat walls, period style woodwork. What's was not to like? Besides, It was the right time to do it.
"For a bonus, I didn't tell them that I was going to have you install more electrical outlets on new circuits. Did you see how many electrical extension cords there were in those bedrooms. How over loaded the circuits were? They used the one we slept in as an office. It screamed out fire hazard. Was that over the top?
"It was good that the service had unused capacity and you ran a couple of new circuits in the crawlspace. Romex did make it easy. By the way, very good work on the wiring. You learned that in the Marines?"
"One of my many hidden talents." That's when I lightly punched him the arm. "Actually, I watched the electricians when I had that summer job as a construction laborer. They had me pull some wire. The first time I attached an outlet, the electrician quietly told me about the importance of code. Black and white or colored wires have a real meaning. I read a booklet that day and he mentored me the rest of the summer. I'm not just a pretty face."
I swatted at his arm again. "Talk about hidden talents Scott. You were monitoring and working with the crew leader of the delivery team for the beam. The crew was about half Hispanic and it wasn't going very well at first. Then in Spanish, you instructed that young workers on how to use the winch and keep safe in case something went wrong. I still remember the look on that one kid's face. What was the joke you told him to break the tension?"
"I apologized for my Spanish. I told him I learned Spanish from a Texan-Mexican-American, a Puerto Rican American and from people from several different regions in Spain who don't talk to one another. The last one got him laughing. Then I told him I couldn't read Spanish if I tried except for bathroom, tequila and tacos. Honestly, I was afraid he was going to get hurt. By the way, how did you figure out that some of those guys did drywall taping? It was interesting negotiating in English from you and then in Spanish to them."
"Oh, give me a break. I was looking in their trucks and saw the tools of the trade. These guys had durabond as well as joint taping compound. I then knew that these guys worked at a higher lever because of that. Besides, your Uncle and Aunt have a place that the harder product would be better."
"Emma, now that they're not around and you can talk. Fill me in. I know that there was more going on than what was said."
"Scott, Ly asked me not to say anything, but I discovered when you two were initially looking at the dip, sound carries in that house. She heard us the night before, all of it. Including my story about Juan and the blonde and she listened to our lovemaking. She said that Tim goes out like a light, just like you do, or at least I thought you did till that night I barely over heard them. That shocked the heck out of me that night.
"Anyway, I was mortified. That's only one of the reasons for new plasterboard in the hallway and bedrooms. The layer of wallboard in each bedroom over the plaster deadens sounds. That's why we had a couple of days not making love in the bedroom at night until it was up. Besides that, we ran out of Trojans."
"No, we didn't run out. A fresh box magically appeared on my side of the bed on Monday night. I thought you bought them." I shook my head no. "I saw them and I thought you did. Go figure. I wonder which one of them did? By the way, Tim told me about sound carrying in the house on Monday. He also asked me not to tell so no one would be embarrassed.
"By the way Emma, what would Max have charged for that work we did? I understand that there was no insurance, overhead and all that stuff. Tim spent about $1,600 total out of pocket."
"Understand that skilled labor has a high price tag. Health and benefits and all that. People have to make a living...about an easy $4,000 to just cover the out of pocket costs. Then there is liability, depreciation... Maybe $6 to $7 thousand. We got by cheap with the labor.
"By the way, you did a great job organizing and planning the work and the work site. You're a natural at it. Starting with installing the jacks in the house to planning how to get a beam longer then the crawlspace into the crawlspace, then be fit to be sistered to their original beam."
"That was something I did learn in the Marines going through the ranks. I also learned it from that electrician that summer. I didn't apply all I could be until I left the states, but that's the past. This is the future."
We became silent for a while. He was driving east. We were leaving the west coast and heading on home, home the long way that is. I called Max and got another 10 days when we started to work on Tim's house. I also called Gene and Curt. They were happy for the update. They also told me that someone else will take care of my doctor visit slot for that week. I called Gina and she was looking over my apartment and took care of the two bills I don't pay on-line. All of them told me to take our time and enjoy the country with Scott.
We were heading toward Yellowstone. I did make a request of Scott. I didn't want to camp. I'm not thrilled about being bear meat and there had been some bad encounters in the news recently. He wasn't thrilled, but there was a Motel 6 with rooms, hot water showers and soft beds. We did spend the rest of the time, including cooking and eating in Yellowstone Park or the Tetons.
Those four days were magical. I don't remember having hiked in such a beautiful place in my life. We'd be walking along in single file on the trail and Scott would stare at me. I was first, but I still kept catching him looking at my ass instead of the scenery. I razzed him about that. "Emma, somebody has to. And besides, you're so enamored of the scenery that you aren't paying attention to things that might be dangerous. Stuff like cliffs, animals, rock slides, bolts of lightening, MIG 25's."
"Funny guy Scott, real funny." Then he yelled stop. I was going to miss a beautiful view of a waterfall. While standing there, he patted my ass. He was also getting something out of it for him too. I started thinking about giving him something too.
On the second night, we pulled into the hotel after dark and headed in for showers. The campfire we were at left us smelling of the campfire and foil pack hamburgers we had just finished. Tin foil packed with ground meat, onions, veggies, garlic powder over a couple of coals we were loaned from a couple that were in the campground. We shared a bottle of wine with them, so it all turned out fine for everybody. They were from Texas, near Louisiana. They loved the lack of humidity and the mountains.
Getting back into the hotel, I asked Scott to start the shower and I'd join him after I took care of our clothes. We had three days of clothing to be out in the woods with. We just finished day two. I wasn't going out in the woods smelling like a hamburger.
He jumped into the bathroom first and tossed out his clothing that I bundled into a large sized trash bag. Tomorrow morning was laundry day for us before we went hiking.
I quickly peeled off my outer hiking clothes and added them to the bag. The jeans were a little bit loser than when this trip started. This man has been real good for me. I don't know why, but eating healthier and the extra exercise during the day and at night has done wonders for my body. Even with all the wine and beer we've been drinking.
It disrobed and put my bra and panties into the dirty clothes bag. I then took out a small tube of lotion for later. I also took out some cheese, some crackers, a small dry sausage that I sliced and opened up a bottle of wine, pouring the wine into some large plastic cups to breathe. Who knew that 2 buck chuck was so good if you let it sit out a while? Now was the time to join him in the shower.
I walked into a steam room, wonderfully warm. Scott was reaching out to me with open arms. I could see that he had washed already. Within seconds of seeing me, he was starting to be ready for me in other ways too. "Hey beautiful, come on in, the water's fine." He reached over and started to wash my back. I turned around quickly for him. I wanted him to look me in the eye as he washed me. "I love your hands all over me Scott. Got any special plans for tonight lover?" That little word caused his cock to twitch and his mouth to smile. "Oh I don't know, may be just watch a little TV." There was that special smile. We so love playing with each other. "So watching my ass all day hasn't given you any ideas?"