Clean Slate

by Heidi Champa

  I knew I shouldn’t say anything, but I couldn’t resist a little dig.

  “You’re only boring to cool people like me and Kelsey. You know, us young and irresponsible types,” I said, hitting certain words a little harder than I probably needed to.

  I wasn’t expecting silence from Daniel, but that’s exactly what I got. Things were quiet. Too quiet. I stood up and tried to get things back to normal.

  “Hey, Kels, is it time for another break? We’re out of chips, after all,” I asked.

  She nodded, stretching her arms above her head before reaching for her phone.

  “Definitely. And I’m way behind on my texting. Maya is starting to freak out on me for not responding. But hey, don’t let me stop you if you want to keep cleaning while I’m on break, U Dub,” she said as she headed out the door, her eyes on her phone.

  I put a bag of trash out in the hall and avoided looking at Daniel.

  “Wow. You guys have done a lot this morning.”

  “Yeah, we’ve done okay,” I said, taking another trash bag out of the box.

  Daniel moved into the room, sitting on the edge of the messy bed.

  “I, for one, was surprised to see you up at a normal hour today.”

  I looked at him, his smile back. The moment of awkwardness seemed to have passed and I realized why. He was fishing for information, so he was playing nice.

  “Why?”

  He laughed, pushing around a pile of clothes before answering me.

  “Dude, I heard the front door close after one this morning. I know you got in late. Must have been some date with that guy Jocelyn knows.”

  I bit my lip, thinking about Sam. I’d nearly forgotten about the guy at the bar. Daniel must have missed me coming in the first time. There was no way I was going to tell him the truth, so I decided to go with his illusion.

  “It was okay.”

  “Just okay?” he asked, his face full of expectation.

  “Yup. Just okay. Some people stay out late on Friday nights. I know, it’s crazy to old married types like you, but for the rest of us irresponsible people, it’s normal.”

  I moved to pick up another pile of clothes Kelsey had sorted through, but Daniel stopped me.

  “Dude, I don’t know what Kelsey said to you, but all that stuff about you being irresponsible… you have to know, I don’t really think that anymore.”

  “Sure you do. And that’s cool. You’re not entirely wrong, you know,” I said, trying to let him off the hook.

  “Furthermore, I’m not that boring and old. And you don’t have to be a smartass. I’m trying to play the part of the interested brother here.”

  “Who says things like furthermore?”

  “Screw you.”

  “That’s more like it. Anyway, I appreciate you taking an interest and all that, but trust me, the date was nothing to write home about.”

  “So you won’t be seeing him again?”

  I shook my head, folding a sweater and setting it aside.

  “Dude, you’re hopeless,” he said with a chuckle.

  “Seems so.”

  Kelsey returned, her phone pinging and her eyes and thumbs darting all over the screen. Daniel put his arm around her and kissed the top of her head.

  “Things look great, sweetie. Keep it up,” he said.

  She mumbled something incoherent and sat down at her desk, her phone stealing all her attention. I looked at Daniel and smiled.

  “She forgot the snacks.” My stomach growled at the mere mention of food.

  Daniel ushered me out into the hall.

  “Come on down. It’s almost time for lunch anyway,” he said.

  As I hit the bottom of the steps, Tina came through the front door, the plastic bins for Kelsey’s room in her hands.

  “Hey guys. How’s it going?” she asked.

  Before I could answer, Daniel jumped in.

  “Great. And the best part is, we don’t have to pay him.”

  I shoved Daniel toward the kitchen, and he returned the favor by hip checking me into the wall.

  “That’s what you think, man. This is all going on my bill.”

  Daniel spun around and laughed.

  “You really wanna open that door, man? Because if so, we can start discussing your rent. And the utilities,” he said with sarcasm.

  I put up my hands in mock surrender, taking his point.

  “You do drive a hard bargain, Daniel.”

  I’D JUST thrown another pile of old papers into a trash bag when my cell phone buzzed. The better part of my Wednesday morning had been spent in Sam’s basement, following the instructions he’d left me on the latest part of the cleanup. The bins at my feet were filling quickly, the minutia of Sam’s life categorized exactly as he wanted. Pulling my phone out, I saw the little envelope on the screen that signaled a new text. Opening it, I saw it was from Sam.

  He was asking how things were going. I typed a brief reply and then snapped a pic of the progress I’d made. After sending it, I put my phone aside and went back to work. A few minutes later, another text came through from Sam, but this one had a decidedly unprofessional tone. Smiling, I headed up the stairs and opened the door to find Sam standing in the kitchen. He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the counter. His smile was huge, and I couldn’t help but return it.

  “Hi. I wasn’t expecting to see you today,” I said, putting my hands in my pockets.

  He shifted his weight forward and walked the short distance between us.

  “I wasn’t really expecting to be here. But something made me want to come home for lunch today,” he said, his arms going around my back.

  I let him pull me close, not resisting at all when he kissed me. I knew I should be professional, protest and go back to work, saving our dalliance for another time. But there was no way that was going to happen.

  “I’m not sure the guy who hired me would approve of me wasting his time like this,” I joked.

  Sam started to laugh, his chest vibrating against mine.

  “Sounds like a hardass.” He moved his lips down to my neck.

  He’d given me the opening, and I had to take it. Reaching down, I squeezed his butt, grinding against him.

  “He’s got a great ass,” I said, right into his ear.

  Sam pulled back just a bit, looking right into my eyes.

  “What can I say? I’ve always wanted to come home at lunch for sex. Thought I’d take a chance that you might be willing to help a guy out.”

  The look of anticipation on his face was adorable. My cock stirred as he kissed me again, all thoughts of professionalism now out the window.

  “I’m happy to oblige,” I said in a low voice.

  I headed toward the stairs, but he pulled me into the living room instead. We got a few steps from the couch when his cell phone rang. He rolled his eyes and reached into his pocket.

  “Sorry, I have to take this.”

  “It’s cool. I’ll be right back,” I said, heading quickly toward the bathroom.

  I heard Sam talking as I closed the door, his voice chipper and businesslike. Leaning against the door, I took a deep breath. It was such a pleasant surprise, Sam coming home to have sex in the middle of the day. Sometimes, it was hard to believe he was the same straightlaced guy I’d met just a few weeks ago. Looking in the mirror, I grimaced when I saw the dirt on my cheek. Switching on the faucet, I tried to clean up and make myself look presentable. By the time I came out, Sam was just finishing his call, his eyes focused on the floor. When he met my eyes, I could tell the mood had changed.

  “Sorry, man. I have to get back to work. Rain check?”

  I walked to him, letting him wrap his arms around me. He kissed me gently on the lips before sighing.

  “Sure. No problem. I mean, I’m pretty sure we’re going to see each other again soon, Sam.”

  Sam smiled, retreating to the kitchen for a moment, and returned with a takeout box. “It’s a shame. I was really looking forward to a
little fun this afternoon.”

  “Probably just as well. I mean, not exactly what you’re paying me for, is it?” I joked, trying to lighten the mood.

  Sam smiled, but there was something off about his expression. He was across the room, his hand jammed in his pocket. I couldn’t tell what was on his mind, but my brain immediately started spinning. I took a deep breath, trying to keep calm. All I could do was hope that he wasn’t going to say something we’d both end up regretting. Like where this “relationship” was going.

  “Wes, can I ask you something?”

  “Um, sure.”

  He shifted his weight from foot to foot, his eyes on the floor.

  “I need some advice,” he said finally, a sigh at the end of his short sentence.

  I raised my eyebrows in shock. The thought of me giving Sam counsel in any way made me grin.

  “You want advice from me? Are you sure that’s a good idea? I mean, I’m not exactly the kind of person you want to pattern your life after,” I said with a chuckle.

  He smiled, some of the tension leaving his shoulders.

  “You’re the only person I could think to ask. This may come as a shock to you, but I don’t have a lot of people in my life I can talk to about, well, anything, really.”

  His eyes were back on the floor, and the implication of what he was saying hit me.

  “You mean like friends?” I asked.

  He sighed again, shaking his head before he looked at me.

  “Yes, fine. I’ll say it. I don’t have any friends,” he said with a smile.

  I sat down on the couch and motioned for him to join me.

  “Okay, well, when you put it like that, I’ll see what I can do,” I said, hoping my fear didn’t show in my voice.

  Sam eased onto the cushion next to me and ran his hands up and down his thighs.

  “Well, I’m trying to decide if I should say yes to a blind date,” he said, his face unreadable.

  I felt the air leave my lungs. Relief flooded through me. Smiling, I put a hand on his leg for a moment, happy to have dodged the “where is this going?” bullet.

  “Okay. Why don’t you want to go?”

  “I don’t know. Mostly because I’m so used to saying no to dates—it’s my default. Then, I remembered what you said about Jocelyn trying to fix you up with that guy. Did you ever go on the date?”

  I thought back to Jerry and nodded.

  “Yeah,” I said quickly.

  “And how was it?”

  I recalled the night in the bar and tried to think of a diplomatic way to say what I was thinking.

  “It sucked. Much as I suspected, the only thing we had in common was being gay,” I admitted.

  “See, that’s what I mean. Do I really want to subject myself to Jocelyn’s attempt at matchmaking if it’s going to be a waste of time?” he said.

  I took in his words and couldn’t help but laugh.

  “Wait, Jocelyn’s trying to fix you up now?”

  Sam nodded, his eyes full of concern.

  “She’s been trying for years. I guess I’m finally relenting. So you see my dilemma?”

  I was ready with a glib answer, ready to tell him to say no. But something made me stop. Sam said he wanted more experiences, more out of his life than just his work and Maya. For the first time in my life, I was actually in a position to help someone. It was unfamiliar territory, and I was suddenly aware of the weird power I had.

  “I think you should go,” I said firmly.

  “You do?” he asked, clearly not believing me.

  “Sure. Why not?”

  “Because it seems pointless,” he said, crossing his arms over his chest.

  “But what if it isn’t,” I countered.

  “What do you mean? You think this guy could really be someone I would like?”

  I considered the possibility for a moment, but again, choked back my initial reaction.

  “Maybe. Maybe not. I mean, does it really matter, though?”

  “Wes, you’re not making any sense.”

  I tried again, my thoughts finally coming together.

  “I’m just saying, whether it turns into something or not isn’t really the point right now, is it? I mean, if you want to get out there and meet more guys, you need to get out there and meet more guys. I say take a chance. If it turns out to be nothing, so be it. But there’s always a possibility it could be more. If you say no, you’ll never find out. Plus, it’s one date. Even if it’s bad, you’ll get a couple free drinks or dinner out of it,” I said, hoping to God what I’d come up with made sense.

  Sam looked at me for a long time before he sighed again.

  “Well, I guess I didn’t think of it that way. I mean, I’m never going to get anywhere just hanging out around here. That’s no reflection on present company, by the way.”

  I smiled, ignoring his comment and focusing on the task at hand.

  “And who knows? Maybe Jocelyn’s gotten better at fixing people up. At the very least, she probably knows you better than she knows me,” I said with a chuckle.

  Sam smiled, his face relaxing.

  “Maybe.”

  “So, does that mean you’re going to go?” I asked, hoping I’d gotten through to him. I didn’t want my first attempt at friendly advice to be wasted.

  “You know what? I think I’m going to say yes. You made a very compelling case, Wes,” he said with a shrug.

  I tried not to let his words go to my head. He was actually going to listen to me. I realized I was far too excited by the prospect.

  “Cool.”

  The clock in the other room chimed, and I stood up. Sam rose slowly, rubbing his hand over the back of his neck. I was about to head back to the basement when he stopped me, pulling me close.

  “Thanks again, Wes. For everything.”

  “My pleasure.”

  Giving me one last hug, he seemed reluctant to let me go. He got to the front door when I stopped him, another pearl of wisdom just occurring to me.

  “Oh, one more thing about the blind date, Sam.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Always have an escape plan,” I said.

  He looked confused, the crease between his eyebrows deepening.

  “What’s that?”

  “Well, my friends and I had a system. If the date was going bad, I’d text a friend and get them to call, so I could fake an emergency and bail. Just as a precaution.”

  Sam smiled and shook his head.

  “Do you and your friends still do this?” he asked.

  I gave a small laugh, the last texts from my so-called buddies running through my head. It was my turn to confess.

  “Well, if I still had any, maybe. I’m a bit lacking on the friend front myself these days.”

  Sam smiled, putting on his sunglasses before opening the door.

  “Then I guess it’s a good thing we have each other, huh, Wes?”

  He walked back out into fresh air, not waiting for me to answer.

  CHAPTER 11

  “HOW CAN one girl have so many articles of clothing? I mean, seriously,” I said, throwing another pink shirt on the pile.

  “What can I say? Mom and I like to shop. A lot.”

  “Clearly. But Kels, some of these things haven’t fit you in years. Why do you still have them?”

  I looked at her and she shrugged, looking for a moment like the adorable little girl I remembered. Until she spoke and unleashed the snarky teenager she’d become.

  “I don’t know. Because. I mean, it’s whatever anyway,” she said, turning back to her overstuffed closet.

  She grabbed a handful of hangers and threw the stuff at her feet. We’d been working on her room for a couple hours, but it somehow felt like we’d made very little progress. It was like her closet was magic; each item we removed somehow got replaced by a duplicate. Two weeks ago, when I first started to help her clean, I had no idea what I was really in for. I’d learned that the visible mess on the floor was only hal
f the battle.

  “It’s whatever? What does that even mean?” I asked, knowing full well there was no answer.

  “It means what it means. Don’t analyze it, U Dub.”

  “Oh, don’t worry. I won’t. Understanding you and your kind is beyond me. I know that.”

  “My kind? You mean girls or kids? Or normal people in general?” she asked with a smirk.

  She threw an ugly yellow sweater at me, which I cringed at before adding it to the donate pile.

  “Are you implying that your dear uncle isn’t normal? Because I feel like I should be offended by that. Or at the very least, mildly upset. And as far as girls are concerned, I think I know all I need to know.”

  Two more shirts came my way, thankfully to be sent packing.

  “Well, you’ve made real progress since you’ve been here. I mean, most people would think you’re totally normal even though you’re still a complete freak,” she said with a laugh.

  “Must be spending so much time with you. You’re turning me into a suburbanite. A boring, old guy who fits in at soccer games and car pool lanes.”

  “That’s right. It’s all part of our master plan to convert the masses.”

  “And here I thought that’s what I was supposed to be doing.” I laughed at my own joke.

  Her face went flat for a moment as she looked out the window. I sat down on the edge of the bed as she sighed.

  “What’s the matter, kid? I know I’m boring, but I didn’t think I was that bad. You have something better to do on a sunny Thursday afternoon than hang with me?”

  Kelsey looked at me, her smile returning quickly.

  “Nothing. I’m fine.” Her answer came a little too fast.

  I raised my eyebrow, staying silent. I was trying Daniel’s technique to see if it worked. The longer I sat there, the more she started squirming.

  “Okay, fine. I’m waiting for a guy to text me back, but he’s taking forever.”

  I smiled at my small victory. Maybe there was something to this whole “normal” thing after all.

  “A guy, huh? I take it this isn’t Jonah?”

  Kelsey looked at her phone screen, then back to me.

  “Nope. His name’s Darren. He’s a senior and he’s super cute.”