A New Life? When you're a 30-year-old workaholic juggling two jobs, you don't have much time to think about a companion who should be there for you, but isn't. A gorgeous young man can make you think about companionship. He can make you wonder if you have any kind of a life at all. Such a young man was at my backdoor recently asking if I needed someone to clean my pool. "I can also take care of your lawns for you," he said. I had been paying someone(I couldn't remember who) to take care of my lawns, but not the pool. I hadn't even thought about the pool in months. "It could use a good cleaning," the young man said. And the backyard patio and driveway needed to be swept, he pointed out. "I don't even know if I have a broom you can use," I said, and started for the garage to check on what equipment I did have. I found a push broom and off went his T-shirt over his head. The sight of him half naked was enough for me. "Okay, the job is yours," I told him. The possibility of seeing him naked in the pool was more than I could stand. My work could wait, I couldn't leave the kitchen window. When he finished sweeping the driveway, I had a sandwich and a cold drink for him in the kitchen. He swung a leg over the back of a chair and I saw a bulge in his jeans. We took our time there to get acquainted. I heard enough to ask him to take on the maintenance of the pool and backyard full time. That got him excited, so we negotiated a salary and then I went after a key to the backdoor. "You don't have to give me a key to your house," he said. "Well, after all this work, I don't want you going home filthy. Come in, take a shower, grab a cold beer from the fridge, if you want. Go for a swim." He went through the house looking for the bathroom and when he returned told me how nicely furnished it was. "Make yourself comfortable," I told him. "I have the feeling you're going to be doing a lot more work." The next day, I came home and found him in a pair of trunks half-asleep on a chaise lounge. The pool was absolutely beautiful. There wasn't a single leaf floating on the water. "I had some time, so I cleaned your cupboards, mopped the floor, and vacuumed your bedroom." And he moved the bed around. "I thought you'd find it easier to read if you had the window behind you," he said. "Wow," was all I could say. "You only have this one bedroom? You converted the other one into an office?" "Yeah, why?" "Well, nothing." I saw an opening and reached for it: "Well, if you ever want to sleep over, you can share my bed. I don't snore." "If you don't mind me saying so, you need somebody here all the time. You don't take very good care of your place. I thought it was just your pool that was neglected, but there are cabinets that have never been cleaned, a bathroom that's never been scrubbed down, and . . ." "Okay, okay," I interrupted. "Ease up on me, I've been busy." "And I'll bet you need somebody taking care of you," he said. "You want that job, too? "I wouldn't mind it. You've been very good to me." "There's an opening," I thought, and I put both arms around him and hugged him. "So, you want to move in, do you?" "I already have." "What?" "An hour ago. My clothes are in the closet with yours." "And the rest of your things?" "I'll get them when I need them." "Okay," I said. "It's worked out well so far and I know I can trust you." Now he took me in his arms for a hug. It was the first time I ever shared my space with anyone and found it exciting. I fell back into my routine of work looking at this hunky young man and wondering if we both hadn't moved a little too fast "Well, let's take it one day at a time and see how it works out," I thought.
