Jordy Mills stared at the diamond in the display case and fancied he could see his reflection in the facets there.
The ring would sit in style on Mandy's finger if she said yes. It was by far the most elegant stone anywhere near his price range. That was the problem though. It was not close enough really. It was about two hundred bucks more than he had in his pocket, the savings of nearly a year. Now that his employer was struggling to keep clients in the current economy, he was cut back to shorter hours and the job market in town had dried up. He still had to make car, rent and utility payments and pay for food like everyone else and everything was going up. Making up those two hundred bucks would call for sacrifices.
"Hi there! I'm Del. See something you like?"
It was the salesperson on the other side of the counter. Del was lean and tall, a couple of inches taller than Jordy and he was black. His hair was very short. His eyes were bright and expressive. His voice was smooth and deep. He wore a tie and a nicely cut two-piece suit.
"I'm Jordy. Yes, I've found exactly what I want." Jordy pointed at the ring he'd chosen.
"Good choice! She'll love it! It is for a woman, I take it? Never safe to assume these days."
Jordy nodded. "I wondered if maybe we could do something with the price."
"Oh, the sales just ended."
"Damn."
"What's your budget? Maybe we can find something that suits it better?"
"I really have my heart set on this one."
"Hmm. Well, two hundred dollars would be a significant discount. My boss would never go for it."
Jordy was crestfallen. Mandy deserved that ring.
Del sounded sympathetic. "What do you do, Jordy?"
"I'm a factory worker now, but I have a groundskeeping and maintenance background."
"Hmm. That's interesting. I'll make you a deal. You come and do some work for me at my place tonight and I'll pay the two hundred dollars difference on the ring. You could walk out with the rock tomorrow morning."
Jordy was more than interested. He was never afraid of work and Mandy wasn't off shift until ten p.m. and wouldn't be home until ten-thirty, so he wouldn't need to explain his absence at home. He didn't want her guessing he'd bought a ring until he sprung the surprise on her.
"That'd be great, Del! When can I start?"
"Do you have time tonight? The store closes in ten minutes and you could follow me straight over. You have a car, right?"
Jordy confirmed.
"Perfect. A few hours should see you through the work I want done."
"That's incredible! So, do you want me to put my money down now to hold the ring?"
"Exactly. Then I'll pay you for the work and you come back tomorrow, drop the two-hundred, and I give you the ring."
"Oh, you're a life-saver, Del!"
"Well, wait until you see the work before you say that."
Del accepted Jordy's cash and gave him a deposit receipt. He reassured Jordy by removing the cherished ring from the display cabinet and putting it in a case behind the counter.
Jordy waited in his car the last few minutes while Del closed up the shop. The jewellery salesman came out of the store and locked up. He was parked on the street near the store and he waved at Jordy to make sure he saw him. Jordy waved back with a smile.
They drove to a quiet side street and a large house with curb appeal and an impeccable lawn. There was a white picket fence and a rose garden.
When they parked up and got out of their vehicles, Del explained the house used to be his father's but it was left to him recently. Jordy expressed condolences and complimented the house. He had assumed he was coming over to trim hedges, rake or mow a lawn, but this place looked great. For the first time, he wondered what sort of work Del had for him.
"Come on in," Del said.
Jordy nodded and followed the salesman into his house.
It was a manly house, with an earth tone painting scheme and leather furniture. A sixty-inch television was mounted above the mantle of the fireplace.
Del said he liked a beer after work and offered Jordy one too. Jordy had been penny-pinching so long, he hadn't even seen a beer in months. He'd normally have saved the drink for after the job, but he couldn't resist.
"You're probably wondering what I want you to do for me," Del said. "I didn't really set any expectations, but you may have inferred that I wanted some yard work done. I don't."
"Oh. Well, I'm a bit of a handyman. Good with tools. Maybe you need something like that done?"
"No. Well, there's some tools involved, but not the way you're thinking."
Jordy wasn't thick. It dawned on him instantly. He wasn't gay, hadn't thought of Del or other men that way generally, but Del's statement was leading.
"You... you want me to suck your cock, don't you?"
"Yes. And I want to suck yours. And maybe more." Del waited a moment before adding to that. "If you're into it. Ever tried it?"
"No."
A long silence hung between them.
"You're still here," Del said. "I kind of thought you might get up and leave, or try to knock my block off."
"I'm thinking about it."
He was. Del was handsome, but could Jordy see himself touching and sucking another man's dick? Oddly enough, the vision was appearing in his mind and it wasn't a turn-off.
"Look, man," Del said. "I appreciate it. You haven't lost it on me. The deal still stands. I can find work around the house for you to do that I can't do. I'd still pay the two hundred bucks for the owing on the ring."
"Have you ever done anything like this before?" Jordy asked.
Del shook his head and took a sip of his beer. "Never saw anybody I wanted to take home as much as you."
Jordy was not a bigot. He believed same-sex rights were civil rights. He didn't have negative pre-conceptions of gay men and Del wasn't changing that. Despite his subterfuge in bringing him here, he'd been open about his desires since they arrived and didn't try to blackmail or force him in anyway. He made a deal and he was standing by it. He was even flexible about it.
On the other hand, Del was opening a course to him that would be adulterous. He'd never cheated on Mandy ever. Was it different with a man? Maybe. What about the ring? In a way, he would be doing it for her.
And there was one more consideration. He had a stiffy in his pants. How could he explain that away?