Ding Dong!
"
Steven?
" Cyan calls from the bedroom. "
Are we expecting anybody?
"
"
Not that I know of!
" he shouts back from his office.
"
Can you get it? I'm not dressed!
"
"
I'm not, either. How is that a problem
now
?
"
"
I'm not Emily!
"
"
You always answered the door naked before she was here, you know!
"
"
Oh, all right!
"
Cyan stomps to the foyer in a huff, checks the door monitor, and finds a smiling face and flowing ponytail wearing a trade uniform.
"
It's Ashley!
" Cy calls back to the office. Opening the door, "Come on in! What brings you by today? Steven wasn't expecting you, or at least he said he wasn't. Here!"
Ash sets her toolbox down and reaches back to Cyan for the offered hug and kiss.
Ashley sighs in appreciation, "I'm here on business today. Don't have time to play, unfortunately."
Steve steps into the foyer from the living room. "I heard that. So I have to put this away, I guess."
Ashley laughs as she watches Steven's erection shrink in disappointment, but leans into him anyway for a big hug, sustained kiss, and affectionate butt grab.
Backing away, "I'm sorry I didn't give you my own heads-up. Alex has been messing with the monthly maintenance schedules, and this is your new day. She was supposed to have called you."
"Oh. Okay. Not a problem. Give me a moment to corral the dogs. You know the gate code, right?"
"Got it here."
"Let yourself in with your stuff and I'll meet you on the patio."
"Be right there."
Ashley returns to her truck, Cyan closing the door behind her.
She glares at Steven, "You were expecting she was here for a fuck, weren't you?"
"I was."
Cy just shakes her head. "Go put on some shorts, at least. Let her do her job."
Duly chastised, Steve slinks off to deal with the puppies. Now secured in the office and obediently finding their doggie beds, Steve grabs a pair of shorts and a tee, and heads out to the patio to catch up with Ashley. She already has the equipment cabinet open and is starting the filter flush.
"New schedule?" he asks.
"Yeah. With Logan gone she's cutting an hour from each service call. I have to do three a day instead of two like he used to do."
"You know why, don't you?"
"Of course I do. He had padded the per-call time allotment so he could screw clients."
"There have got to be a bunch of disappointed housewives out there."
"Oh, gawd, Stevie. There sure are. You should see the looks I get from some of 'em, especially when I show up and they've answered the door in a negligee."
"Subtle."
Ash
laughs
. "Now I fully anticipate Cy or Em answering the door naked. But that's you guys. That's how you live."
Steve chuckles, "And the work uniform is a perfect statement of professionalism for you. Why Alex was letting Logan get away with those surfer shorts and muscle shirt was beyond me. She had to know."
"She did. I suspect she was getting some business because she was pimping him out."
"But..."
"Yeah, but. I've been cleaning up after a bunch of his mistakes. Was he...?"
"As dumb as you've heard? Yes, he was. Cyan didn't mind fucking stupid 'cause he had a big one and knew how to use it, but Emily wouldn't touch 'im."
"
Em's
sure got some brains. Hell, Steve. Ellie and Deb blow me away.
All your women
could form their own Mensa chapter.
"I like it that way."
"Clearly. Why?"
"Beautiful minds completing the whole package. Like you."
"Thank you, Steven. You know it sort of complicates dating, don't you?"
"Of course I do. Too many men are intimidated by smarts, and smarts in an already intimidating beauty like you? Double whammy. Since it's just you and me here, and you went to school in California, what were your SATs?"
"1480 combined."
"Probably 95th percentile. Really good."
"Okay, smart boy. What were
yours?
"
"You ready for this?"
"Uh oh. Bracing myself."
"1600."
"
Fuckin' A, Steven!
I've never met anybody with perfect SATs!
No wonder
you were accepted at Mudd! Why not Caltech?"
"I applied, but they didn't like my extracurriculars. If you had a social life and weren't totally geeked-out on hard sciences in your spare time, they weren't interested."
"Hang on. Dammit. This flange bolt is rusted frozen. It probably hasn't been touched since installation."
"I'd guess not. Not something I thought I needed to mess with back when I was doing most of the maintenance."
"Normally, no. But this gasket is starting to flake apart and I was hoping to replace it today."
"Not that I'd mind a return visit."
"You can be so bad. The girls have warned me about your wily ways," she chuckles.
"Guilty. What's your plan?"
"Squirt some Liquid Wrench on it and work on other stuff while it soaks. If it doesn't loosen, it's time to start sawing on things. If that's the case, I'll need to have a replacement fitting I don't normally keep in the truck. I certainly know firsthand how important this tub is to you guys, so I'll not risk the downtime."
Cyan has cracked open the patio door. "
Steven? Your phone! Nate's work number!
"
"
Answer it! I'll be right there!
Ashley, I have to get this. I'll be in my office. Check in when you're done if you would."
"No service visit here is complete without a goodbye kiss, Stevie. Good luck with your call."
"Thanks!"
=====
Cyan is in the office conversing with Nate Singleton, their personal lawyer. He and his wife Doris are also long-time swinger friends with Cy and Steve.
"More than happy to, Nate. I really hope I have been of some comfort to her."
...
"I appreciate your saying that. Here's Steven. Wish her my best."
"Hi, Nate. I am gathering by your calling that you and Rich had the talk."
"We did. He is a little exasperated by it all. I passed your suggestion of taking a look at Humphreys' GPS logs. He just called me back, probably more aggravated by it than you are. '
That's not his job!
' he almost shouted."
"What's the plan, then?"
"Well, I did express your empathy in not wanting him to lose his paycheck, but to be sure that changes were made. His plan is to put Jeremy on indefinite probation. 'Sit his ass behind a desk!' were his exact words. However..."
"Here it comes."
"He reiterated your discussion proximate to the original event that you and your gang were going to cool it. I didn't tip him off, of course, about that incident last week, but I'll echo his sentiment of keeping a lid on the sexy stuff in public. Obviously I know you guys play loose and play hard, but even Jeremy has a point. Rich also mentioned that Davenport neighbor continuing to be a pain in his backside. She had threatened going to the state with her complaints."
"I thought we had settled that down with the soundwall I put up last year. The hoops I had to jump through with the zoning commission to get permission... I almost had to get you in on that."
"Evidently you did quiet things down with her, no pun intended. But she's still complaining about all the cars on the street with your bigger parties."
"Not much we can do about that."
"No, there isn't, and you shouldn't have to. Rich sympathized, but still has to assuage her."
"We do what we can, though."
"You do. Just keep on keeping your noses clean and we'll be okay. I asked Rich to let me know when and if he puts Jeremy back out on the street so all of us know and can be vigilant to any return to old habits."
"All I can ask. You take care, Nate. Wish Doris my best."
"Thanks, Steve. You, too."
