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Finally after twenty three years it's time to change jobs to something Andy wanted to do. Starting tomorrow, he gets to wear jeans and a tee shirt and his largest clothing issue will be to ensure he doesn't have "plumbers butt" when working. Andy completed all his planning and now finally gets to be happy working as a handyman. He was so very excited to actually have enough work lined up to fill his first two months completely. He'd been working as a handyman part-time for about a year, loving it. Finally he felt confident enough and made the jump.
All of this was running through his mind as he made his way to a new client. He had surveyed the job last week. They wanted some remodeling done in their kitchen, new tile floors, carpentry work to fix their cabinets and new paint. Mr Hughes had been his only contact, providing all the instructions. Mr Hughes was very specific in what he wanted done, the type of tile to use, paint colors etc. Andy had seen two children running around, and since they had stayed out of the kitchen assumed the mother was somewhere close keeping them distracted while we talked. Andy's wandering mind wondered who would answer the door when he arrived, expecting it to be Mrs Hughes, figuring Mr Hughes would be at work.
He was surprised to find Mr Hughes at home, not that it really mattered. Andy took the opportunity to check that the supplies he had with him would meet Mr Hughes requirements and after a few last minute changes, was left in the kitchen to get to work. He was working for about two hours before he found out he was not alone in the house.
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Jen Hughes was pondering over how to change her relationship with Matt. How was she to take charge of things like the counselor recommended? She used to be a take-charge kind of gal back in high school and college. Then she met Matt, and slowly over time found that she had given all of herself over to him and then as they came along, the children. She had deferred all but the most simple and personal decisions to him, and didn't like the way it made her feel. So, she had found a counselor. Matt was supportive. He had fallen in love with her because she was his partner, or at least that's what he said. Only time would tell, if and when she plucks up the courage and self confidence to begin taking back her life.
She recognized that she had to move slowly with Matt. Their current relationship had developed over the dozen years of their marriage and couldn't be changed in mere days. So, now she was look for opportunities to interject herself and her opinions.
She found it was very uncomfortable. The years of not being responsible weighed heavy. Then, she tested the waters by suggesting a paint color for the kitchen up-grade and a simple look from Matt had frozen my tongue to the roof of her mouth. She nearly fled the room, instead with butterflies threatening to make her ill, she screwed up her courage and suggested a different tile arrangement and actually got the words out before losing her nerve. Matt looked at her with amazement, and considered her suggestion for a second before going back to his plan. It was a small step. She had gotten the words out, and had gotten Matt's attention, at least for a minute. Fear and frustration almost overwhelmed her and for the third time that evening she pushed herself to find the courage to speak up, after all the kitchen was HER domain. So she quietly pushed her tile suggestion a second time and Matt actually agreed that it would look good and could work. YES!! She let it go at that, even though she had a many more suggestions to improve the kitchen. She kept repeating to herself, to take it slow, take it slow.
A few days later the handyman arrived to discuss their plans. She heard them talking in the kitchen, Matt's comfortable voice and then the other voice. Something about that other voice tugged at her. She couldn't tell why or what it was, she just felt it. She kept out of sight, playing with the children, keeping them out of the kitchen, yet staying close enough to overhear the entire conversation. She nearly burst with excitement when she heard Matt describe her tile pattern. She'd done it! Her excitement coupled in her mind with the throb of this other man's voice. Then, suddenly the meeting was over. Over the next week, she was surprised how much she just wanted to hear that voice again. And those thoughts confused and frightened her greatly.
Finally, Monday came and with it that voice. She heard Matt answer the door and heard his voice again. She almost went directly down stairs yet physically held herself back. She didn't want to see him, to hear him, with Matt there, and that thought was scarier than all the fantasizing. She fell boneless into the chair in the reading area of their large master suite, thinking about what was going on. She was tense with excitement; here was someone that didn't know anything about her. He has no history with her, no preconceived notions of how she was supposed to act. And all she wanted to do was to continue to redefine herself. She stood up and with a spring in her step, she went downstairs to meet the voice.
When she got downstairs decided she'd better check things out before jumping forward with her loosely defined plan. Jen quietly walked toward the kitchen and paused to look to see him before he saw her. He was a normal looking guy. No way to tell how tall he was since he was kneeling on the floor. His balding head was shaved close and she realized that he had a nice head shape. Oddly, with shaved heads being in fashion, she'd never realized that difference before. Yet, with him, it worked. He was a bit overweight, not ready for competition in the "Biggest loser" TV show and yet he also wasn't a toned Adonis; just an average guy. She noted his deft movements, fixing the spots that had bothered her all these years, and wondered what his strong looking, large hands would feel like.
Jen shook herself in surprise. She couldn't believe she just had that thought! What was going on. Yet, she couldn't tear her eyes away from him. The next thing she knew she was standing in the room. He heard a small noise and jumped up in surprise. His surprise almost made Jen cry out in reaction. She didn't expect him to be startled like that.
It took nearly a full minute before Andy's racing pulse slowed down, and then it started racing again because he had a chance to really see her. She's a bit shorter than him. Andy guessed about 5'4" darkish hair which she had up in braids and the most beautiful green eyes he'd ever seen. Even her glasses looked good, framing her beautiful eyes, rather than hiding her face. It doesn't stop with her face either, she's slim, though still wonderfully curved so there was no question about her being a woman. She exuded beauty from the top of her head, to the tips of her pedicured toes.
"Wow, you startled me. I didn't realize anyone was in the house. I haven't had the pleasure of meeting you. I'm Andy, and I presume you are Mrs. Hughes." Andy said, sounding stupid and babbling to himself.
He held out his hand in greeting, and she responded in kind.
For Andy, when their hands came together, a jolt of emotion passed from his hand right through his body and out both the top of his head and the souls of his feet, electrifying his entire body in one instant. Andy couldn't have let go of her hand if it had been on fire. And the way his body was heating up, it might as well have been.
