"You're joking!"
Belinda cocked an eyebrow and Michael shrugged his angular shoulders.
"It's God's honest truth, Bel," Michael said. "My folks bought the house at a tax auction. They figured it'd give me a place to stay while in college and then rent it when I'm out."
Belinda folded her arms across her chest and leaned back in her chair. Her eyes narrowed slightly and she pursed her lips.
"But why that house?"
Michael broke into a wide grin, "What? Didn't have any fun there?"
Belinda grinned and glanced downward. She took a sweet, deep breath and the memories of a passionate encounter resurfaced. The young woman cooed softly. Her cool green eyes opened slowly and refocused on her boyfriend. She took another snorting breath and suppressed the memories of passion for a moment of practicality.
"Michael," she started, "is the house even livable?"
"Well, the bones on it are great. Dad's there now making sure the water will run and the power works. Um..."
"Um.... What?" Belinda asked.
"My folks are making me live there and fix the place."
She felt hollow. Hollow like the cold, dank room that surrounded her. She remembered the couple, alive, passionate, and the spark it ignited in her. She forgot to walk the halls. They were no longer warm and lush, but dusty and tattered. A musty dank filled her nostrils wherever she went. The scant furniture that remained was covered with a threadbare cloth.
Then a faint spice caught the air. She scented it and remembered.
The young man.
He returned.
She dashed out of her dank room and smiled. Pulling her wispy gown around her, she padded down the stairs and found, once again, he was not alone.
"You're right, man. This is one helluva fixer upper."
Michael turned to his friend and shrugged. "What can you say, David? It's not exactly like we're on Flip That House or anything."
David dropped his large duffel bag and knapsack. He scratched the day old scruff on his chin and appraised the large room. Michael grinned. He and his friend, more his friend, were always building or tinkering. If it were a bike, it needed to go faster. If it were a shed, it needed to withstand a direct nuclear blast.
"Well," David mused, "at least the power works."
"And the plumbing too," Michael responded. "Well, at least in this one downstairs bathroom, but plumbing and electrical aren't things we're worrying about. We're just dry wall and carpentry guys."
"This job is going to take a while," David said as he moved around the room.
She pulled her gossamer robe around her body tightly as she watched this other young man. He walked with a casual elegance, unlike the excitable prance of the first one. His dark hair was lightened by the sun and his dusky skin was testament to a love of the outdoors. Both young men were handsome, but in different ways. The first young man was well built, but almost foppish, but his companion. He was of the earth.