"Where are we going?" Lonnie asked as Brandon missed their turn. Ricky squirmed in his lap, trying to look out the window. "And why did you bring Ricky?"
Brandon cut his eyes over at his little man, before turning his attention back to the road. "It's a surprise."
"Oh. I like surprises," Lonnie grinned as he looked up and down the street, trying to figure out their destination.
"Good."
Brandon seemed a little nervous to Lonnie, which made him wonder all the more what the surprise was about.
When Brandon stopped in front of the pizzeria and parked the truck, Lonnie frowned. "Pizza is the surprise?"
"No, smart ass. I'll be right back." Brandon leaned over and gave Lonnie a quick peck on the lips. He left the truck's diesel engine idling and hopped out. Ricky bounced up Lonnie's lap and put his paws up on the window and watched his big daddy walk around the front of the truck.
Lonnie watched his sexy bear of a man get out of the truck and hurry into the restaurant. Brandon returned a few minutes later with a large pizza box, breadsticks, and a plastic bag with bottles of soda.
When Ricky saw Brandon, he bounced off Lonnie's lap into Brandon's seat. The little dog's tail was wagging a mile a minute.
Brandon managed to get the door open before Lonnie could reach over and help.
"Scoot, pest," Brandon growled at Ricky.
Brandon handed the items to Lonnie as he got into the truck, then scooped Ricky up, gave him a quick kiss on top of his head, and then put him on the floor in front of Lonnie's feet. Lonnie turned around and carefully put the pizza on the back seat. He put the bag of breadsticks into the bag with the sodas and set it on the floor, next to a big duffel bag. Lonnie poked at the bag, wondering what was in it and if it was related to the surprise.
Brandon put the F-250 into gear and turned and looked out the window towards the street. The engine rumbled loudly as he pulled into traffic.
Lonnie turned back around and put his seat belt back on. He looked out the window, trying to get his bearings on their secret destination.
They drove for about fifteen minutes before things started looking familiar.
When Brandon turned down onto the dead-end road, Lonnie's heart began to race. He had been dying to see the old flip house ever since the construction was finished just two days ago. He was especially excited to see the inside, since Brandon asked for his advice on paint colors and other decorating choices. That really made him feel good, like he was really part of the company. He couldn't wait to see how it all turned out.
Brandon pulled into the driveway of the small ranch home, parking the truck in the driveway, in front of the garage.
Lonnie's mouth fell open at the sight in front of him. "Oh my god, Brandon! This is fabulous!"
Lonnie unbuckled his seat belt, pushed the door open and stepped down onto the running board. He hopped down onto the driveway, scooped up Ricky and set him down on the ground, and walked around to the other side of the truck to look at the house.
The flip house had been repaired and completely repainted on the outside, a really pretty shade of pale green, exactly the color he suggested. Brand new shutters framed the windows. A new application of sod on all sides made it look like a real home. The walkway from the sidewalk to the rebuilt front porch was lined with stones and flower beds. It was way more deluxe than he imagined it would be.
Brandon fished into his pocket and handed Lonnie a keyring with a single key on it. "Here, cupcake."
Brandon watched Lonnie's face light up. Those dimples he loved so much made an appearance and he couldn't help but smile. He grabbed the pizza, drinks, and the duffel bag he had stashed earlier in the day. He followed Lonnie up the sidewalk to the front porch.
Lonnie put the key into the deadbolt lock and turned around and looked back at Brandon. "I've never come in this way before. I can't wait to see how it turned out."
They both chuckled as Lonnie pushed open the door. As soon as he stepped into the living room, Lonnie couldn't help but gasp.
The inside of the house had been gutted and remodeled. Long gone was the cold, dark abandoned house that he took refuge in when he became homeless. The inside was almost unrecognizable.
The dirty carpeting had been torn out and replaced with beautiful bamboo floors throughout the home. The living room was painted the earthy, warm sage green color he had chosen. The fireplace had been refinished with a gorgeous stone work. Lonnie ran his hand along the fireplace mantle, wishing that he could have enjoyed such gorgeous craftsmanship in the short time that he lived here. He flipped the switch next to the fireplace and the gas ignited, bathing the fireplace logs in bright, warm flames. He watched the flickering flames longingly for a moment. How sexy would it be to make love with Brandon in front of the fire on a cold winter night? He shut the switch off and moved on.
The living room flowed right into the dining room, which had a simple chandelier and white wainscoting on the walls to differentiate it from the living room space. Lonnie leaned on the new counter that separated the brand new kitchen from the dining room. New stainless steel appliances, custom cabinets, and granite countertops gave it a fresh, contemporary look.
Brandon set the pizza box and bags on the breakfast bar and they continued their tour. Off the kitchen was a pantry and a utility room that had a new washer and dryer. Moving down the hallway to the bedrooms was the newly remodeled bathroom, the two smaller bedrooms and finally the master bedroom.
It was the master bathroom that made Lonnie want to cry from envy. A new bathtub with jets sat in the corner. There was a separate glass shower stall big enough for two, complete with dual shower heads. A huge mirror took up the wall above the double sink vanity. The tile work was simply amazing.
Ricky's nails clicked on the tiled floor as he walked around the bathroom, sniffing all of the new fixtures. Brandon snapped his fingers. "Boy, if you lift your leg in here, I'm gonna drop kick your ugly little ass."
As they walked back to the kitchen, Lonnie shook his head. "Brandon, this is just amazing. I can't believe the work you guys put into it. I thought you were going to go cheap and quick?"
"Well, it started out that way, but this place is special to me."
