by Maxene Novak
Max glanced back at the others to see Gabby with her nose buried in her phone. She typed away on it vigorously, completely oblivious to what played out on TV. Drew, however, stared back at him every now and then, the corner of his mouth pulling up into a smile.
Max swirled his tongue over the top of the sucker, his gaze stuck on Drew. He didn’t realize what he was doing until Izzy came running back into the room with a few packages of markers. It was like Max had been stuck in a trance. In an instant, he snapped out of it and went back to drawing with her.
The way Drew looked back at him lingered in Max’s mind for a long time. It hadn’t been the kind of stare Gabby gave him whenever he and Izzy played together after school. Gabby wasn’t around much, but when she was, she always looked at him with relief, like she was really glad to have him around the house to take care of her daughter.
Drew, however, had looked at Max with something else in his eye. It probably didn’t help that Max had been swirling something around his tongue. He was no stranger to flirting with people a little older than him, but Drew had a wife and a kid. He knew it was bad to tease like that, especially when his family sat in the same room as Drew.
The show came to an end, and Max had to break the bad news to Izzy that it was bedtime. She pouted and tried negotiating with him to stay up a bit later, but eventually she gave up her arguing and headed off to the bedroom to change into her pajamas. While she changed, Max poured himself a glass of water and leaned against the counter, sipping slowly.
“Hey,” Drew said, poking his head into the kitchen. “I have tomorrow off, so you can sleep in if you’d like.”
“Oh,” Max said, slightly startled by the man’s sudden appearance. “Yeah, okay. I appreciate it.” He wasn’t sure what else to say, and instead stood awkwardly, drumming his fingers on the side of the glass. Drew approached him. He stepped into Max’s personal space, their chests almost touching, and reached behind him for a glass up in the cabinets. Max held his breath, unsure where to look. He met the man’s eyes once more, and Drew winked at him.
“Excuse me,” he said in a low voice, then maneuvered around Max to pour himself some water. He downed it in a few gulps. Drew wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, stepped closer once more, and placed the glass on the counter beside Max. “Have a good night, Maxie.”
Max watched as he turned and left the kitchen. For a minute, he was too stunned to do anything. Before, he’d thought he’d been imagining the man flirting with him, but there was no doubt in his mind. Drew hadn’t come that close to him, winked, or used his nickname just to be friendly. Max wasn’t stupid enough to think that.
He had no idea what to do now. In a way, it was exciting knowing that the man was into him that way, but he felt a sense of guilt. He was the babysitter. Drew was married.
That little bit of conversation he’d had with Louisa came back to him. Did he really need to feel guilty if this was something the Nobles did regularly?
Five
With the day off, Max decided he wanted to spend most of his time in his room. He was still just a bit confused about what had gone down last night and needed some more time to process it. He needed to talk to this with someone, but all of his friends back home would’ve give him shit over the situation. They’d have lightly scolded him for even considering it, mostly because they’d have no idea what the rumors said. That only left one person he could talk to.
Max called up Louisa. She answered a moment later.
“Hey,” he breathed, glad that she’d been able to talk at the moment.
“What’s up, handsome?” she asked cheerfully.
“I’ve been thinking about something all day and I’m kind of losing my mind over it. I was wondering if I could talk to you about some personal stuff. It’d have to stay between us, though.” He sat up on his bed and fiddled with the blanket. His knees bounced with a mind of their own.
“Sure, you can tell me anything. What’s been on your mind lately?”
Max thought about the best way to tell her what he was going through. He eventually decided that the best way to approach the situation was to just be honest with her. “Well, I’ve been in some situations with Drew lately, and they’re kind of confusing me.”
“What kind of situations?”
“Like, he’s a really hands on guy. He gives hugs, he doesn’t really worry about personal space, things like that. I had ice cream with him last week, and he swiped it off my chin like it was nothing. He’s walked in on me nearly naked. And last night…”
Max could hear the eagerness in Louisa’s voice when she asked, “What happened last night?”
He caught her up to date about the close encounter he and Drew had the night before. He could still feel the man’s body heat as their chests nearly pressed up against one another. He could smell the warm cinnamon of Drew’s breath, and the lingering scent of his cologne. He’d never been awkward in terms of sexuality, but something about the way Drew approached him filled his stomach with butterflies. He felt like a schoolgirl with a crush on the teacher. It was inappropriate to have these thoughts. It was wrong.
“You should go for it,” Louisa laughed.
“What?” Max exclaimed. “No, I could never do that. He has a wife, Louisa.”
“If they get down like the rumors say, that fact doesn’t matter at all. They share lovers with each other, Max. They’re freaks in the bed, and it sounds like Drew wants to get you on his mattress.”
Max chewed on his nail and stared across the room at the bookshelf. “Do you really think so?” Max had never had a close friend to talk about boys or girls with, and he was actually quite grateful for Louisa. They’d only just met, but she seemed like the kind of person he could trust with his silly romantic confessions.
“I totally think so. He wants to get you in bed and make you call him daddy or something.”
“I can’t believe you,” Max said, shaking his head and smiling. Louisa was completely out of line, and he loved it.
“I really do think that you should see what he’s all about. I wouldn’t run down there and pull his pants down or anything, but flirt a little. See how he reacts to the situation. Ask about his wife, too. There’s a possibility that he’s actually not in an open relationship and he’s just cheating on Gabby. Be careful, but also have fun,” Louisa said.
Max smiled. Louisa was right. People all over town talked about the people who came in and out of the Nobles’ bedroom. Where there’s smoke…
“I guess I’ll give it a try,” he finally said.
“Good! If anything happens about it, I need to know all the details. I’ve been dying to know if those two are really into all the things people say about them,” Louisa said.
Max chuckled and promised to keep her up to date on his romantic excursions. He hung up the phone and sat back in bed. His mind swirled with all kinds of scenarios. What if he tried turning on the charm and Drew reacted negatively to his advances? What if they did end up fooling around and Drew let it slip that he was actually just having an affair? The scariest what if was what if Max actually liked how it felt to be with Drew?
The man was a catch in his eyes. He had a steady job, he was handsome as sin, and he had the kind of magnetic personality that Max couldn’t fight even if he’d wanted to. It was no wonder Gabby had snatched him up when she did.
Finally, after hours of deliberating, Max cleaned himself up and went downstairs to find the others. Gabby had gone out for drinks with her girlfriends and Izzy lie snuggled up next to her teddy bears. That left Drew downstairs in the kitchen, papers spread across the dining table. His glasses hung low on his nose, and at first, he didn’t look up when Max entered.
Max cleared his throat. Drew gave a start then laughed at himself in embarrassment. “Sorry,” Max apologized. “I didn’t mean to scare you or anything.”
“You’re perfectly fine,” Drew assured him. “Take a seat.” Max did as instructed. He pulled out a chair across the table from
him and looked over the papers. At first, they’d looked like a messy nightmare of loose sheets of paper, but upon closer inspection, they were the essays Drew had been meaning to grade.
“Finally getting around to these old things?” Max teased.
“You be quiet,” Drew smiled. “It’s not about telling yourself when you need to do something. It’s about asking yourself when you’ll be ready to do whatever task you’re putting off.”
Max thought for a moment. “Hm. That just sounds like you’re trying to explain away your procrastination. But that’s just me.”
“Alright, you caught me,” Drew chuckled. “I’ve been fighting these papers for long enough. I need to get them graded and handed back tomorrow. Can you believe how many I still have left?” He gestured towards a stack of essays. The pile was ungodly.
“I told you before, if you need any help, I don’t mind. 1984 is life-changing for me.”
“You think you can grade these?” Drew asked, his brow cocked up. Max grabbed one of the essays from the top of the stack and slipped the red pen from Drew’s hands. He read over the first paragraph and shook his head.
“This essay is already off to a rocky start. It’s a really poor introduction to the essay, and on top of that, her thesis doesn’t have proper pronoun-antecedent agreement.” Sure, Max could admit that he was using fancy words to describe something simple, but he knew it would impress Drew all the same. He was right.
“Are you sure you don’t just want to take over this class for me?” he joked. “You weren’t kidding when you said you picked up on some things from your dad.”
“Nope,” Max smirked. “If I hadn’t dropped out of school, I probably would’ve gotten my degree in child psych and English. Those two fields are my favorite despite being pretty different.” He shrugged and went back to grading the paper. Drew stared at him for a moment, too impressed to say anything else. He too returned to the essay in front of him. He skimmed over the second paragraph, circling punctuation errors.
They made small-talk as they worked. Drew caught Max up to date on all the drama with his coworkers, and Max talked about what life was like dealing with the Nannies. Drew couldn’t believe they’d accepted Max so quickly. He’d been dropping Izzy at school for months and they never paid him any mind.
“I don’t know how you did it,” he shrugged. “I’m glad you’re finding some friends, though. I can’t imagine what it’s like traveling across the country and not knowing anybody.”
“It’s not so bad,” Max said, looking up from the paper. “I’ve already met some great people.” His eyes lingered on Drew a bit too long. Drew met his gaze, his red pen twirling between his fingers.
“Is that right? I’m sure relationships are hard when you move around so much.”
“Yeah, that’s the bad part about doing this. The plus side is that there are always those people that get stuck in my head. The ones I can’t stop thinking about.” His words were heavy. Max could barely believe he had even said them. Drew didn’t seem to pull away from the topic, though, so he assumed things were going well.
“Who’s this person that’s always on your mind?”
“Just some guy,” Max shrugged with one shoulder. “He’s handsome. Just over six feet tall. Big, burly shoulders. He’s got that college professor look.” That last bit lacked any subtlety, and Max didn’t feel bad about it, either. The narrowing of Drew’s eyes told him that he’d hit the nail on the head with that one.
“Would I happen to know who this mysterious man is?”
Max chewed on the back of the pen slightly, smiling. “Maybe. What if you did know him?”
“I’d probably tell you that he’s just as interested in you,” Drew said. He pushed himself up from the table and rounded it until he was just out of Max’s line of sight. Max kept his eyes forward, unsure of where Drew was going with this. He didn’t protest, though. A moment later, Drew lowered his head to the crook of Max’s neck. He let out a slow breath against the younger man’s skin. The hair on Max’s neck stood at attention, and he gave the slightest of shivers.
Drew chuckled and leaned in, pressing his lips to the warm skin. Without thinking, Max tilted his head and encouraged more. Drew pecked along the curve of his neck and then up to Max’s lips. He deepened his kiss there, and turned Max to face him.
Max moaned with neediness. He couldn’t believe this was actually happening. Drew tasted sweet on his tongue, and the light beard scratched his chin in a way that already had him hooked. It wasn’t until he remembered where he was that he pulled away and looked up at Drew.
“Your wife,” he said quietly.
“We’ll talk about it later. But I promise, it’s okay.”
Max was skeptical for a moment, but Drew’s eyes were sincere. He wasn’t just saying this to get in his pants and sleep around on his wife. Max wanted to show more restraint, but at the moment, the only thing restraining about him was the tightness of his pants.
He stood and backed Drew into the island in the middle of the kitchen. Max placed a hand on either side of the man and took the initiative to get back to kissing. Their tongues worked together fluidly, slow and longing. Max caught Drew’s bottom lip between his teeth and tugged gently, eliciting a deep grumble from Drew. His fingers worked their way down each button on the man’s shirt until the fabric slid down Drew’s shoulders and revealed his toned, hairy body. Max began working his tongue lower and lower, flicking each of Drew’s hard nipples before reaching his toned abs.
Drew looked down at the boy as he lowered himself down to his knees. He ran a finger through Max’s thick hair, tugging slightly so that Max looked up and their eyes connected. He strained against the restrictive pants he wore, only inches away from Max’s mouth. The proximity was torturous, but he loved every second of it.
Max gripped the zipper between his fingers and began tugging down, his breath rattling in his throat. When the fly was open, he reached up to unbutton Drew’s pants next. He slipped them halfway down his thighs then paused.
Max was no stranger to sex, but something about this made him harder than he’d ever been before. Maybe it was the taboo nature. Maybe it was the familiarity he had with Drew, unlike the past flings he had. Whatever it was, it drove him to leaned in and run his tongue over the taut fabric of Drew’s boxer briefs. He licked and mouthed over the outline of Drew’s cock, much to Drew’s pleasure.
The man shuddered and leaned back against the counter. “Fuck,” he whispered, his head falling back as Max continued. Max took hold of the elastic and began peeling it back until Drew’s length sprang up from the confines.
It was even more beautiful than Max had imagined. He gripped the base and gave him a squeeze, a mischievous smirk on his face. For a moment, he made no move to take Drew into his mouth. He enjoyed the squirming of the older man. The impatient need for release. Just when he was sure Drew was about to plead for attention, Max dragged his tongue over the bulbous head. Drew went rigid, then melted completely.
Max took more of his cock into his mouth, his eyes lighting up when he heard the steady stream of curse words escaping Drew’s mouth. He bobbed his head at a steady pace, his tongue stroking the underside of Drew’s length as he worked. A deep moan escaped Max’s throat and vibrated all the way to the base of the older man’s erection.
“Jesus,” he groaned, his grip on Max’s hair tightening. “Don’t stop.”
Max didn’t stop. He added more suction as Drew neared his orgasm. He was relentless, torturing the man in the best way possible. It didn’t take long for the man to grip the counter and let himself fall apart completely. He rocked back and forth, inching deeper and deeper in Max’s throat. Soon he pushed deep enough to illicit a small, sudden noise of surprise from the boy. Looking down to see Max’s nose pressed against his body was all he needed.
Drew’s head fell back and his filled Max’s mouth with abandon. His knees buckled, and he squeezed his eyes tight. Max pulled away with a small pop once Drew had fin
ished. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and sat on his haunches. Drew was speechless for a moment. All he could do was stare down at Max while he caught his breath. Finally, he swiped a strand of hair from his face and said,
“Where did you learn to do that?”
“That’s a secret,” Max winked.
“What’s not a secret is what I want to do with you.” Drew lifted Max up from the floor and situated him on the counter. It took no time for them to pick up where they’d left off. Max spent an hour in the kitchen with Drew before they tired themselves out.
He finally collapsed in bed, breathless and humming with ecstasy. He’d have to take Louisa’s advice more often.
Six
“I can’t believe you!” Louisa exclaimed, covering her mouth with her hand. She lowered her voice and stepped closer to Max so that none of the other nannies or children could hear them. “You gave him a blowjob right there in the middle of the kitchen?”
Max tried his hardest not to break out into a huge grin like he really wanted to. Instead, he managed to keep calm and collected, shrugging with one arm nonchalantly. “That’s not even the half of it. I had to spend a good twenty minutes cleaning off the counter early that morning.”
Louisa shook her head and stared at him, wonder in her eyes. “I’m like a proud mother,” she laughed. “So, like, what’s the situation now? Are the rumors about the Nobles and extramarital partners true?”
“I actually haven’t talked to him much about that,” Max said. He’d wanted to have a conversation with both of the Nobles, but he hadn’t had a chance to speak with them at the same time. When Gabby was moving around the house cleaning up, Drew was taking a nap, and vice versa. He knew eventually he’d have to sit them down and ask just what the deal was. He wasn’t going to let himself end up on an episode of Cheaters.