Caleb mouthed slowly, “That is okay.” He gestured for Wendell to follow him to the office where the interview would be conducted.
As they walked through the shop toward the office, Wendell inhaled deeply. The place smelled so good, the scent of rich chocolate heavy in the air. He was lost in his thoughts, imagining himself working behind the counter or in the backroom making chocolate candies. He came back to reality when Caleb tapped his shoulder.
“Sorry. The place smells so good.” Wendell chuckled nervously, hoping Caleb understood what he was saying. He had no confidence in his speaking ability.
Caleb laughed and nodded showing he agreed with Wendell.
They sat down and proceeded with the interview. Caleb mouthed, ‘Resume?’
Wendell took his resume out of his bag and handed it to Caleb.
While Caleb was reading the resume, Wendell wrote, “Would it be easier if we communicate via Google Chat on my iPad?”
Caleb grinned as he pulled out his iPad and gave a thumb up. They exchanged user names and started the conversation.
With that settled, Caleb asked many of the questions Wendell expected, which Wendell answered as best he could. He even explained what he knew about chocolate. Caleb seemed very impressed with Wendell’s answers.
Caleb smiled as he typed, ‘I’ve a last question to ask. When can you start?’
Wendell’s eyes were wide open when he read the question. He stuttered, “I’m h—hired?” He couldn’t move his fingers to type what he just said, hoping Caleb would understand him.
Caleb nodded and mouthed, “When?”
Wendell tried to get his mind moving. His fingers were frozen on the keyboard. He was hired, just like that. At last, he typed, ‘Wow, sorry, how about tomorrow? If that’s okay with you?’
‘Absolutely! I need help badly and I think you’ll do just fine. I start at six in the morning. Will that be a problem for you?’
‘I’ll be here,’ he typed with excitement ready to burst out of his body. He stood up and shook Caleb’s hand and quickly spoke, “Thank you so much.” He gathered his stuff, putting it in his bag as he left Luscious Love.
As soon as Wendell was away from the shop, he shouted at top of his lungs, “I got the job!” It had been a year since he actually worked. Being so excited, he ran the entire way to his small studio apartment. To make it all even better, his was only a couple miles away.
****
It was five o’clock when Wendell woke up. Unbelievable, I’m working for real. He was thrilled as he got ready and rode his bike to Luscious Love.
Caleb was already there. Wendell let himself in and greeted him.
Caleb mouthed, “You’re here.” He gestured for Wendell to come into his office.
There was a stack of papers on his desk for him. Apparently, Caleb spent time the night before writing the general information about Luscious Love, and the duties Wendell was expected to perform.
Caleb wanted Wendell to start his day in the backroom where they could make the various chocolate candies. Wendell tried his best to follow the directions Caleb wrote for him. Caleb remained patient throughout the process, offering encouragement.
The backroom was an organized flurry of machines and equipment, ranging from a huge machine that melted the chocolate, to a vast number of chocolate molds organized by category.
‘So, I put the chocolate in the glass and press the start button?’ He typed on his iPhone, turning it to show Caleb.
Caleb pressed the touch screen button, ‘Yes, let me show you first, then you can do the next one.’ Caleb was careful to show Wendell each step before allowing him to try it on his own.
Once Wendell understood what he was supposed to do, Caleb went back into his office. A huge knot in his stomach made Wendell cringe. He worried that the shiny machines would cost a fortune if he broke one. Get a grip, he scolded himself.
When he finally calmed down, Wendell surveyed the table that contained the chocolate types: dark, sweet, semisweet, milk, and white. The directions told Wendell to mix the dark and white chocolate in the melting machine.
He put the chocolate in a big pitcher that was connected to the machine. When he saw how many buttons were on the machine, he became confused. He read the directions again, trying to find the one that explained which button to press. It didn’t mention that step in the directions, so he guessed a button and pushed one.
Wendell had forgotten to put on the cap that closed the pitcher to prevent chocolate from splashing out as it melted. He realized this as the chocolate melted, splattering all over his face and clothes. He cursed without thinking, but was relieved that the chocolate wasn’t as hot as he thought, or he’d been burnt.
Apparently, Caleb heard Wendell cursing. He rushed from his office to the backroom. Wendell was wiping the chocolate off of himself. He apologized to Caleb for making a mess, but kept his eyes on the floor, afraid of Caleb’s reaction.
After a moment, he felt a hand on his chin and looked up. He expected Caleb to be upset, but instead he just looked amused. He mouthed, “You missed a spot.” He reached to Wendell’s cheek to brush off the smudge of chocolate, and licked it from tip of his finger. The act went right to Wendell’s cock, making him hard in an instant.
Caleb’s smile was mischievous. “I’ve been watching you down at the beach for weeks.”
Wendell understood each word Caleb was saying, but it took him a while to process what the words meant. His eyes were wide open by the time he got what Caleb was saying. He stuttered, “Wh—what? You’ve been wat—watching me?”
Caleb took out his cell and typed, ‘I’ve always noticed you. I liked your eyes, very sexy.’ Wendell looked up and Caleb smiled hesitantly.
Wendell was at a loss for words. He searched the room waiting for a camera man to jump out, everyone laughing at a joke on the poor Deaf guy. Caleb stopped his panicked thoughts with a tender kiss on the lips. Wendell’s eyes were still open, and he slowly closed them as he kissed his fantasy man back.
Wendell opened his mouth, inviting Caleb's tongue. As their tongues wrestled, he enjoyed the taste of chocolate in Caleb's mouth. The combined aroma of chocolate permeating the shop, together with the chocolate on Caleb’s tongue filled Wendell with thoughts of throwing Caleb to the floor and covering him in the rich brown batter.
As much as Wendell wanted to continue the kissing, he had to stop Caleb. The job was new, and he wanted to keep it. Getting involved with the boss probably wasn’t the best idea, no matter how tempting.
The light above the door leading to the main counter area blinked, letting them know a customer had entered the shop. “Chocolate. Customers.” The two words were enough to stop Caleb and get him back to reality.
“Right.” Caleb chuckled as he adjusted his cock in his pants, trying to make it less obvious.
Wendell couldn’t help but stare. He wanted to get rid of Caleb’s boner right there but…he wanted to get to know Caleb better before moving things too fast.
*****
As days went by, Wendell managed to quickly pick up how all the machines worked. He also worked the front, taking orders from customers. It wasn’t as difficult as he thought it’d be. A dry erase board was placed in front of the cash register, informing the customers that Wendell was Deaf. If customers had any questions, they would write them on it.
So far, not one customer was upset by any miscommunication with Wendell. If there was a problem with an order, he’d call for Caleb to solve the situation. Having to call for help when facing a tough situation with a customer was what Wendell loathed the most. He wanted to prove to Caleb that he could handle it and so far he had.
One customer refused to buy anything from Wendell, insisting on being served by Caleb instead. Wendell knew not to take it personally. She claimed to be Caleb’s best buyer, Colleen, and she demanded the owner. As the candies were Caleb’s creations, and Wendell was a new employee, he called Caleb over.
As soon as Caleb came in, he imme
diately rolled his eyes and mouthed, “I’ll take care of it.” The conversation between them was too fast for Wendell to understand. Whatever Caleb said had pissed Colleen off. She was screaming something, including several curses. She stormed out a few seconds later.
“Everything okay?” Wendell asked, looking concerned.
Caleb finger-spelled, ‘E-X’
“Oh…” Wait a minute, did Caleb just finger-spelled to me? “You know some sign language?”
Caleb shook his head and gestured that he knew little of finger spelling and then he signaled Wendell to come over to his office to see something on his computer.
Caleb clicked on a video and it showed a person signing words. That video signed ‘handsome.’ Caleb glanced up at Wendell, looking bashful and endearing. Wendell smiled and noticed that Caleb was looking at one of the well-known websites for people who were interested in learning sign language.
- I wanted to talk to you better. - Caleb attempted to sign to Wendell, and got it almost all right. It warmed Wendell’s heart that Caleb was trying.
“I’ll help you.” It came out of Wendell’s mouth before he could think. It didn’t matter though, Wendell wanted to get closer to Caleb and teaching him sign language would do for a start.
In return, Caleb was willing to turn his shop into a deaf-friendly place. Wendell was in charge of that part. He added a touch-screen computer in front of the register where people could place their orders. A television had the captions on so the sounds from the TV weren’t necessary. On every table, there was a notepad and several pencils in a cup. That way, everyone could communicate. Wendell even got a video phone in the office so he could take orders over the phone.
*****
“No.” Wendell tried to show him how to sign May I take your order. “ASL doesn’t follow English rules.”
- It’s too confusing! - Caleb signed in frustration.
“I know it’s confusing. I told you it’d not be easy. Sign this: Eat What.”
- Eat What? - Caleb’s eyebrows arched showing that he was asking a question.
“Yes! That’s right. You’ve got it.” Wendell hugged Caleb with excitement.
Caleb’s lips met Wendell’s in a soft kiss. Wendell’s heart was beating as fast as a hummingbird’s wings. He didn’t want to stop, but a customer rang at the counter and the light flashed in the backroom.
*****
Weeks passed as Caleb finally began to master sign language. Every time Caleb raised his arms to sign, his shirt lifted high enough to show his hairy belly. It made Wendell want to rip Caleb’s clothes off and make love to him. Wendell was falling harder for him every single day.
-What’re you looking at? - Caleb asked, seeing he had caught Wendell staring at him.
- Oh, nothing. Just admiring the view. - Wendell chuckled and kept staring at Caleb.
- Let’s close up early. - Caleb suggested with a sneaky grin.
- Sounds good. I’ll clean in the shop. - Wendell went straight to the front, cleaning everything in record time. He was grateful there weren’t any customers in the shop. He locked the door, while changing the sign from open to closed. He had no idea what Caleb was doing in the backroom. Probably cleaning.
Wendell went to the back and saw that Caleb wasn’t there. He found Caleb in the office, finishing up some work on his computer.
- I’m almost done. Had to turn in the balance before tomorrow. - Caleb said before Wendell had his chance to say anything.
- Sure, take your time. Front’s cleaned and door’s locked. -
He didn’t have to wait long before Caleb shut the computer off and stood up.
- I’m done. Wanna ride with me? - His expression clearly said he wasn’t just offering a ride.
Wendell had been ready for the next step in their relationship for weeks. No longer did he fear getting fired, and he really adored spending time with Caleb. - Sure, will my bike fit in your car? -
Caleb laughed and trailed his fingers down Wendell’s cheek. - I drive a truck, so yeah it will fit in the back. -
“Right, I knew that.” He chuckled nervously and went out to load his bike in the back of Caleb’s truck.
****
The drive was pretty long, through the forest that led the way to Caleb’s home. Wendell, who had watched way too many horror movies, started to get an odd feeling about the whole thing. He chuckled quietly, hoping Caleb wouldn’t hear him, and tried to shake off the nerves.
Caleb heard him. He kept one hand on the steering wheel and signed with the other, - What’s so funny? -
“Nothing.”
- I heard you chuckling. Is it my driving? - Caleb looked at Wendell and then back to the road.
“Nothing, really.”
Caleb concentrated on the road. Wendell was relieved. He didn’t want make Caleb uncomfortable. They’d been dancing around this for weeks, so what if he had a case of butterflies? He’d get over it.
As soon as they were clear of the forest, Wendell’s jaw dropped when he saw the most adorable small house.
- Is this your place? -
- Yes, it’s my place. You like? - Caleb was smiling as he parked the truck.
Wendell nodded and got out of the truck to inhale the sea air as he approached the honey brown fence. Beneath the gate was a path leading to the beach. Caleb’s arms circled around Wendell from behind as he stared at a dream come true. Wendell would love to live here for the rest of his life. He hoped Caleb felt the same and would welcome Wendell into his life.
Wendell shifted around to face Caleb. - The beach is so beautiful. - He rested his head on Caleb’s chest, feeling all warm in his arms. Caleb rubbed Wendell’s back up and down and squeezed him tightly. His hugs were comforting.
Caleb tapped his shoulder and signed, - Let’s go inside. It’s getting breezy now. -
Wendell agreed as he was shivering a little. Even though it did get hot in July, it got much cooler at night, especially this close to the ocean. They walked together to Caleb’s home. The front porch was supported by narrow white columns. The house was blue as the sky and it reminded Wendell of his childhood.
When Wendell was little, his mom would make him his favorite blueberry pie. He couldn’t help thinking of her and how she had passed away after a long battle against cancer. A tear crawled down his cheek.
Caleb seemed to notice his teary eyes as he asked, - Are you okay? -
- Yes, blue reminds me of my mother. She passed away two years ago. -
- Oh, I’m sorry. - Caleb reached over Wendell’s shoulder and held him tightly, trying to comfort him.
Wendell accepted the comfort, walking inside with Caleb’s arm around him.
Caleb’s place had one bedroom and a nice size kitchen that opened to the family room. It was just big enough for one or two people, comfortable and cozy. The family room contained shelves packed with books in alphabetical order. Wendell loved to read. The more he learned about Caleb, the more he was falling for him. He wanted Caleb to be his.
- I love your place. - Wendell said.
- Thanks. Would you like a drink? -
- Sure. Water. - Wendell sat on the couch, waiting for Caleb to come back with a glass. He took a big gulp and prayed it would cure his parched throat.
As Wendell got comfortable on the couch, he shifted around to watch Caleb, mesmerized.
Caleb seemed to feel Wendell staring at him because he turned to rest his back on the counter. His smile was sly and teasing as he signed, - Come here. -
“Okay.” Wendell was confused by the way Caleb looked at him. “What’s wrong?”
- Do you remember your first day in the backroom? -
Wendell nodded.
- You stopped me…I didn’t want to stop. I really did enjoy watching you at the beach. I learned sign language so I could be closer to you. I want you to be mine. - Caleb moved to kiss Wendell on the lips.
As they got deeper into the kiss, Caleb removed Wendell's shirt. Caleb stepped back a little, crossed his
wrists, and grabbed the hem of his shirt. He pulled up slowly, giving Wendell a chance to drool at Caleb’s flat stomach. Wendell could see nicely defined muscle, covered with sandy brown hair. The shirt line went higher as Caleb’s chest showed off two tasty-looking pink nipples. Then the shirt was off and Caleb smiled and tossed it on the dining table.
Wendell continued staring, his gaze moving from Caleb's shoulders, to the treasure trail leading to Caleb's covered crotch. It was too beautiful to tear his eyes away.
Wendell aimed for Caleb's tight peaked nipple and sucked on it. The hair on Caleb’s chest tickled his tongue.
He spoke quietly, "Fuck. You taste good." He didn't care if it didn’t sound right, just that he got to keep his mouth on Caleb’s chest.
Caleb stopped Wendell and signed…
- I mean it. I want you. -
Wendell smiled wide and kissed Caleb with hungry passion.
They got on their knees and continued kissing, tongues playing, wrestling for control. The kiss went on and on, sucking and nipping. It was as if they owed each other an everlasting kiss.
Finally, they had to pause to catch their breath. Wendell badly wanted to unbuckle Caleb's jeans. He absently reached for Caleb's belt and undid it. Caleb didn't stop him.
As soon as Wendell got rid of Caleb's pants, he saw the man wore a dark orange jock that had the words I HEART CHOCOLATE. Wendell giggled a little. "Cute."
- We’re in a chocolate heaven. - He winked and that made Wendell laugh.
- You really did want me the entire time? - Wendell asked, struggling to grasp the fact that his dream was coming true.
A kiss was the answer to Wendell's question, and he took that as a yes. His hand cupped Caleb’s cock, rock hard behind the jock. Feeling the squeeze on his erection made Caleb groan with pleasure, and the vibrations rumbled through Wendell from their close contact.
Caleb went for Wendell's zipper, lowering it to find Wendell didn’t wear anything under his jeans.
Don't Read in the Closet volume one Page 54