My Mother's house

4

We all climbed into the truck.  His had only a front bench seat, and to my horror, it was a stick shift.  I had to spread my legs to be comfortable, but of course that didn't last long,  As soon as we got going, he was shifting, coping a feel on my thigh every chance he got.  My Dad hadn't a clue.  All he could talk about was the house and all the work that needed to be done, asking if John could help out.

"Well I would have to have someone watch the hotel for me, to free up enough time to get all that work done."

"You don't have to do it.  You're not getting anything out of this." I added. 

He shifted gears to slow down, we were almost to his hotel, and he caught my thigh.  "That's what neighbors are for."

My Dad sensed my unease.  "Let's see how bad I do today and go from there.  You might not want to let me back if I let your business go under."

We all got out of the truck and headed to the office.  "Nonsense.  The bar is what carries the hotel.  I just keep the hotel open to deduct for income tax so I don't have to pay in."

I followed them into the office.  It was all pretty new, but there were papers everywhere.  It was a mess.  John showed my Dad the computer system, which took all of two minutes and then showed him where the keys were, hanging on the back wall.  "I don't have any customer's now, so don't worry about anything.  You have my number if you need anything."

"Got it."

"There's a mini fridge under the desk, help yourself."

My dad waved to us as we walked out of the door and to the truck.  I stayed silent and kept my distance.  We headed down the road and as soon as the building was out of sight John started a conversation.

"So what's up with you Alexis?"

"What do you mean?"  I glanced over to him and immediately looked away.  I forgot how good he looked and being in a confined space alone with him was making my insides queazy. 

"Why are you back after all this time?  Your Dad said that your Mom left you the house."

"Yep.  Long story short, she died and left the house and a little bit of money to me and my brother.  We are only back long enough to fix it up and sell it."

His hand reached over to my knee and I just let him.  I couldn't bring myself to swat him away.  "That's a shame.  I really missed you."

"I. I don't know you."  I sounded unsure.  I heard it in my own voice.

"You used to come to that house in the summers when you were younger.  We used to play together, go swimming in the creek.  You were young then, it doesn't surprise me that you don't remember."

Okaaayyy, so maybe this was a crush or something that he had had on me.  Something he just never got rid of and that's why he was acting like he was.  But why was I letting him?  Did my body remember something my mind didn't?  Dad never mentioned us making trips out here for the summer.  I had seen pictures of the house from my Mom's old stuff, but none of them had me in it.  Something weird was going on.  Something weirder than his hand moving slowly up my leg.

"Why would you play with me if I was so young.  You're what, like 12 years older than me?"

He squeezed my thigh.  "More like 8."  He moved his hand to shift the gears and left me alone, in silence for the rest of our ride.  At the store, he was strictly business, asking what his limit was.  All I could do was shrug my shoulders.  "Get what ever you need to fix it."  Once I said that, he went back to the front and grabbed a cart.  He packed the thing full of lumber and screws, a drill and other things I didn't know the names for.  Our total came out to almost 200.  I simply signed the check and watched him load everything into the back of his truck.

I had him drive through a dairy queen to grab something to eat.  I didn't have lunch or breakfast and it was already 1.  I ate on the way back, letting him steal a few fries from me.  I had offered to pay for a meal for him, but he declined stating he had just ate before he came over.  I glanced at the hotel while we drove by.  There were two new cars.  I checked my phone and found a text from David.  They had finished the barn, cleaned up his room and were checking the fence line then he going to take the tractor back with Chuck to Joe's house.

"Is your name Joe or John?"  My mouth was running away from me again.  You think I would be more worried about being alone with this guy. 

"Both.  It's Johnathon.  You used to call my Nathy when you were younger."  I went over the word in my head.  It did seem familiar.  It still bothered me that I couldn't remember.  I must have been lost in digging at my memories, because the next thing I knew, he was opening my door for me.  He had pulled to the back of the house.  I walked right pass him and went back to my cleaning duties.  He didn't say a word to me, but I could feel his eyes on my back as I walked into the house.  Not soon after, I heard him cutting away at the wood and doing other manly things.

I plugged my ear buds back in and went to work on the office and study.  Like the dining room, they didn't take near as much time.  Just a quick dust, sweep, mop, and windows.  The living room was a little worse off.  The boys had tracked in dirt so it took me a little longer to sweep.  I went and swept the kitchen again and didn't bother with the hallway, not until the door could be fixed.  I glanced at the sunlight pouring in from the gap and didn't catch sight of him as I went up the stairs careful of the hole I put there this morning. 

I cleaned out the main bathroom. Scrubbed the toilet, bathtub, and sink.  The water still did that rust to clear thing it did.  I would have to ask Nathy about that.  That thought sent shivers up my spine.  It felt easier to call him Nathy than it did Joe or John.  I looked at the toilet and realized we hadn't gotten any toilet paper.  I didn't have to go now, but we needed to get some soon. 

I checked my little brother's room, and he had cleaned it up, mostly.  It looked similar to what his did back home.  I cleaned the windows and caught a glimpse of Nathy with his shirt off.  God he looked good from up here.  I shook my head and went back to work. 

It was afternoon and I wanted to get my room cleaned before we left.  My phone beeped at me, David had sent a message saying his friends would drop him off at the hotel tonight.  I shoved the phone back into my pocket and went into my room.  I took extra pride in making it clean and ready for me, same with the bathroom.  I didn't bother with the closet, because it was too dark to see all the way to the end.  The only thing left was to get a mattress from one of the other rooms and slide it in here.  My dad hadn't picked out a room, but I don't think he really cared to stay here.  It must be weird for him to live in his dead ex wife's house.  Hell it was weird for me. 

I managed to get a mattress pushed and dragged into my new room, and onto the bed frame.  I collapsed down on it and dust came up around me.  This was only for now I told myself.  We would get new beds later, and it was better than sleeping on the floor.  I hadn't realized how tired I was until I had laid down for five minutes.  I had been running around all day, cleaning and making decisions that impacted our futures.  I fell asleep.