Green's Thumb (Men of Retail) Read online

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  Friday turned out to be a busy day. I walked the dogs through Suzanne’s neighborhood, on the off chance we would meet again. I was in luck! As we approached the house, she waved and joined us on the sidewalk. After getting reacquainted, I explained about hiring Mitch to do some freelance work for me. She was thrilled with the idea and I invited her to come by and see the progress for herself. We got to talking about Mitch’s work situation and she was dismayed things deteriorated so quickly. It was then I shared my idea with her, and asked if she would be willing to help me. She was practically giddy with enthusiasm, and we hashed out a basic plan of attack. After exchanging phone numbers, we promised to keep it quiet until the time was right. If things worked out the way I hoped, Mitch wouldn’t have to worry about what happened at the store for much longer.

  I sent him a text on the way back to the house, with wishes for a wonderful day. When I got settled in the office, I logged in to find my in-box was full. It wasn’t difficult, just time consuming, and I jumped right in. When I stopped for lunch, I noticed a text from Mitch. Apparently, his boss was in a meeting most of the morning and pretty much left everyone alone. For now, he was busy unloading a truck full of merchandise, but still expected to get out on time. I told him I would be there by 5:00, and then got back to work. With no other distractions, I emptied my in-box with an hour to spare. I let the dogs out while I got a quick shower and put on something nicer to wear. On the way over, I stopped at the store to get some things I thought Alyssa would like, and pulled up to the apartment building right on time.

  Mitch greeted me at the door with a sweet kiss, and I let my hands caress his back and shoulders. He pulled back a little and said, “Miss me?” I rested my forehead against his. “Of course. You don’t even have to ask.” I followed him into the kitchen, where he had already made a good start on a spaghetti dinner. “May I help you with anything?” He shook his head, “No, I got it. What’s in the bag?” His eyes started to bulge when I began lifting item after item out of the sack. Nuts, fudge sauce, sprinkles, coconut, bananas, chocolate chips, caramel, maraschino cherries, and whipped topping. “I wasn’t sure what she liked, so I got a bunch of different things. Please tell me you already have the ice cream.” He laughed at me. “You didn’t need to buy so much! There’s enough stuff there for the next six months, but it was very thoughtful of you. She’s going to love it , and yes, I have plenty of ice cream. Thank you.”

  I slipped in behind while he was stirring the sauce and carefully pressed into him. He stopped stirring for a moment and rested the back of his head against my chest, eyes closed. I slid my hands into his front pockets and pulled him in closer, nibbling on his ear. He lifted his face up to be kissed, and I leaned down to taste him. We both groaned, and I released him so he could finish what he was doing. He asked me to set the table, and by the time I was finished the doorbell rang. Mitch turned off the burners and I followed him to the door. As it opened, an adorable curly headed blond jumped into Mitch’s arms. In the doorway, stood Grant with a lovely woman who I assumed was his wife. Mitch introduced me to Katie and I greeted them both before looking down into Alyssa’s face. She was now standing next to Mitch, holding his hand.

  I stooped down to her level, “Hello there. My name is Karl. Is it all right if I have supper with you and your Grandpa?” She looked up at Mitch, who nodded, and then turned to face me again. “OK. Daddy said you were going to be here, and were Papa’s boyfriend. We’re going to have sundaes and watch a movie. Do you like movies?” I smiled at her. “Yes, I do. Would you like me to help you pick one out?” She shook her head. “No. We have to finish Wizard of Oz. I fell asleep last time.” We all laughed and she scampered off into the kitchen to see what Grandpa was cooking for supper. As her parents turned to leave, Katie winked at me and mouthed “have fun” and then it was just the three of us.

  Dinner was a hoot, with Alyssa chattering almost non stop about all kinds of things. It turned out she loves dogs, so I told her all about Nike and Blaze, whom she wanted to meet this very minute. Much to Mitch’s chagrin, she and I had a contest to see who could slurp up a spaghetti noodle the fastest. Though I was prepared to let her win, the little stinker beat me fair and square anyway. When the meal was over, Alyssa helped us clear the table and get the kitchen back in order. When I showed her the bag full of goodies, she got all excited and gave me a hug and declared we were going to make the best sundaes EVER. First came the movie, though, and she plunked herself between us on the couch. I put my arm on the cushion above her head to rest my hand on the back of Mitch’s neck, stroking his hair and skin. He said nothing, but I could tell he enjoyed the contact as much as I did.

  Just after the wicked witch was melted into a puddle of goo, we paused the film to make up our sundaes. Alyssa did a very good imitation of the witch’s final moments, sliding dramatically down to the floor. “Well, Mitch, since she’s dead there’s more ice cream for us. Come on.” Alyssa shrieked, jumped up, and ran into the kitchen. We let her pick out the toppings she wanted to try, and Mitch put them in little bowls, each with their own spoon. I dished up the ice cream while he helped her add all the extras to it. In no time, we were enjoying our sundaes while watching the end of the movie.

  Alyssa clapped at the end, repeating the line “there’s no place like home” and tried to click her heels together. Suddenly she stopped and asked me if I was going to be living with her Papa now. I looked up at Mitch who just shrugged and smiled. “Well, maybe some day, honey. Meanwhile, I’ll just come visit when I want to see your Grandpa.” She seemed satisfied and settled down to watch an animal program on TV. Before long Alyssa was asleep in Mitch’s lap, and within five minutes, Grant and Katie arrived to take her home. They asked me if she behaved and if I had a good time. “She was great, and we had a lot of fun! You should join us next time – you missed a great sundae.” As they were leaving, Katie gave us an open ended invitation to dinner at their place sometime, and we agreed to get it on the calendar soon.

  After they left, I helped Mitch clean up the kitchen before we sat down to snuggle for a few minutes. I couldn’t stay long, still needing to pack for my trip tomorrow. Wanting to try something different, I lay back on the couch and pulled Mitch down on top of me. He squawked in surprise, but then wiggled into a comfortable position with his head resting on my shoulder. My hands automatically began a slow massage of his back, ass and outer thighs. Mitch was a warm, welcome weight against me, and I inhaled his scent and savored just being able to touch him. Our erections grew, pressing into each other, becoming part of the low simmer we were enjoying.

  Eventually, Mitch raised himself up far enough to kiss me, turning up the level of heat just a little bit further. My hands moved up to cradle his head, as he nibbled on my lower lip. He seemed to have his own agenda tonight, and I let him do what he wanted. He sat up and looked down at me with a strange expression on his face. I said nothing, only nodded at him in encouragement. He took a deep breath and began to unbutton my shirt, making my cock jump and harden even further. “I want to see” he explained. I was incredibly turned on, but I didn’t want to do anything to scare him, so I simply lay there quietly. “It’s OK, babe. You can touch too, if you want.” He finished unbuttoning my shirt, and then pulled the tails out of my pants. For a moment he just looked at my very hairy chest, and then lifted both hands to rest them on my pecs. The touch of his hands on my skin was like a brand, and it was almost enough to make me cum then and there. He curled his fingers through the thick hair, tracing the pelt down to my waist. He wiggled a finger in my belly button, causing me to tense up, braced for whatever he was going to do.

  He quickly removed his finger and I relaxed as he continued to massage me. When he reached my nipples, which had a direct connection to my cock, he gently squeezed and plucked at them until they were raised and sensitive. In a surprising move, he lowered his face and began licking and sucking on them, driving me crazy with lust. Just when I didn’t thi
nk I could stand it any longer, he placed a kiss on the patch of gray hair at the center of my chest and worked his way up to my neck, chin, jaw and forehead. Then he closed his eyes and kissed me very gently on the mouth. With a sigh, he pulled back and then lay his head on my still exposed chest. “You are incredible. I love touching you, babe. Going to miss you an awful lot while you’re gone.” I wanted to say the feeling was mutual, but I was sure we were already on the same page. What he had done just now was one of the most erotic things I ever experienced, and I was going to enjoy replaying the memories over the next two days. When I got back, though, all bets were off.

  We lay together comfortably for a couple more minutes until Mitch finally sat up and re-buttoned my shirt. “I hate to cover up the artwork, but you might get cold going home otherwise.” He gave me a shy smile and then rolled off of me and got up. I extended my hand, and he pulled me up to stand next to him. “Thank you for a great evening. There is only going to be one thing on my mind while I’m gone, so I’m going to be missing you just as much.” He saw me to the door and I remembered to give him a set of keys for the house. “If you need to reach me, just call my cell or the number I left on the fridge. If the dogs should need a visit to the vet for any reason, their information is on the fridge also. The seminar agenda is pretty full, so I will text you during breaks, OK?” He nodded, then pulled me into a final kiss and hug. “Drive safe, babe. I’ll see you Sunday.”

  CHAPTER SEVEN – MITCH

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  SHORTLY BEFORE THE ALARM WENT off, my phone dinged with an incoming text. It was Karl.

  “Good morning! Just getting ready to leave the house. I changed the sheets and left goodies in the fridge. Help yourself to whatever! Have a great day – missing you already. XOXO”

  It warmed my heart Karl was so thoughtful and hearing from him was a wonderful way to start the day. Too bad it didn’t stay that way.

  As soon as I walked in the door, Roger started shaking a bunch of papers in my face. My two co-workers scampered out of the blast zone as quickly as possible, but I couldn’t blame them. His fat face was flushed and sweaty. “Look at these figures! Our sales are down 30 % from this same time last year. You’re going to have to do better than this, Graham, or you’ll be in the unemployment line! I’m not running a charity here you know. Well, what have you got to say for yourself?”

  I took a deep breath to calm down before responding. “Your method of running the business is quite different from your father. The customers have noticed, and they aren’t very happy about it. Our prices are significantly higher than the new store which just opened up, and since you cut our hours, we no longer have enough time to get everything done. We are doing the best we can under the circumstances, Roger, but if things remain the same I believe our sales are going to continue going down. Now, if you will excuse me, there are customers waiting for me to help them.” He looked fit to be tied, but I had things to do and was quite content to let him stew in his own juices for a while. Through the morning he accosted each of us again, demanding better performance and higher sales, mixed with threats of termination for employees who didn’t improve.

  Unfortunately, poor Grace had been pushed too far this time. She was basically retired, only working a few hours a day for something to do, having been with the company for many years. Being treated like a lazy moron by the new owner was the last straw. When Roger finally stepped out for a few moments, Grace told the rest of us she was “through with his bullshit” – which is precisely what our esteemed employer found when he returned. While we were busy, Grace emptied several bags of manure on top of his desk and chair, placing her neatly folded letter of resignation on top of the fragrant pile. On her way out of the store, she gave all of us a hug and said, “You didn’t see anything…” Roger returned to lock up just as we were leaving for the day, and I could hear him screaming all the way out in the parking lot as I pulled away.

  I needed to purchase supplies and plants to continue the project at Karl’s home, and decided to try our new competitor, The Garden Mart. It was located about a mile down the street, so it didn’t take long to get there. It was a clean, bright, modern store with a huge selection and great prices. In the first five minutes I spotted more than one customer who used to shop at Green’s Thumb. Our days really were numbered, but there was nothing I could do about it. Out in the “yard” area of the store I found the department manager. When I explained the project I was working on, he went with me and created an order as we walked. It was plain they would have to deliver it all, since I didn’t own a vehicle large enough to carry everything. After I paid them and provided the address, they promised to have it there by 3:00.

  I drove back to the apartment to pick up my clothes and toiletries, and then went directly over to Karl’s home. The key fob he left me included a button for the garage door, so I pulled in on the side he didn’t use. I could hear Nike making a fuss out in the back yard, but I took a few moments to bring my overnight things to the bedroom first. The truck wouldn’t be here for another 90 minutes or so, which left me plenty of time to have lunch and change clothes. I grabbed a treat for the dogs and went out to play with them for a few minutes. Blaze stuck to me like glue while I played fetch with Nike. That dog had way too much energy, and I wished I could have taken them to the bark park, but there just wasn’t time. I freshened up their water bowls and went back inside to make lunch.

  Karl had indeed left me the phone number and vet information on the fridge door as promised. Inside I found the makings for a club sandwich, a fruit salad, and some unsweetened tea. It felt kind of strange eating a meal in his home without him being there, and it was certainly more quiet than I was used to. Still, I felt comfortable here, as though I belonged. The only thing missing was my man, who happened to interrupt my musings with a text.

  “Just finished lunch with my boss. Great to see her again! Learning a few things, but am distracted. Want to be with you! Later, babe. XOXO.”

  Karl sent a selfie of himself and his boss. She was a pretty redhead with an expressive face, and they were both smiling from ear to ear.

  I cleaned up my lunch mess and went to the bedroom to change my clothes. I decided to wear the shirt Karl allowed me to borrow, and I shivered as I remembered those few moments outside the bathroom door. He wound up so tight I was ready to do anything he wanted. I was hoping he would ask me to stay the night with him on Sunday, as I wasn’t sure I had the balls to suggest it myself. Oh well, I would just have to wait and see how things went. Meanwhile, I needed to get the tools out of the garage and resume the transformation of Karl’s yard.

  By the time I dug up the new flowerbed, the truck from Garden Mart arrived. Since the forecast was still calling for thunderstorms tomorrow, I instructed them to put all the potted plants under one of the large trees which hung over the side fence. The bags of mulch and topsoil went next to the house, under the eaves, in neat stacks. The landscaping fabric, wheelbarrow, garden tools, hoses, and other gear went into the garage for now. I also ordered a couple of ornamental trees which the store would deliver and plant on Monday. As it was my day off, I planned to be here working, so it was the perfect time to get it done.

  Before the delivery guys took off, I asked them if they were interested in earning some money on the side helping me with the project. It was my good fortune they were both available on Monday afternoon, so we made arrangements and I sent them on their way. With two more people to help, I would be able to make real progress with the time consuming tasks. Digging up sod and putting in borders was a boring and thankless job which would be much more bearable with additional help. By suppertime, I finished preparing the larger of the two flower beds at the front of the house. I went back inside to feed the dogs and myself, and then returned to transfer the plants from pot to ground. The sun was setting, and I was getting really tired by the time I finished for the day. Things were looking good and I snapped a few pics on my phone to send to Karl later. It took a wh
ile to get everything put away for the night, and I was more than ready to relax.

  I let the dogs in and then went to take a long soak in the tub. They followed me into the bathroom, curling up on the rugs while I relaxed in the hot water. Whenever I moved or made a noise Blaze would lift up her head and lay it on the edge of the tub, checking to make sure I was all right. I thumped her gently on the nose with a wet finger, making her sneeze. I just laughed and told her what a good girl she was. Nike was passed out right next to her having one of those doggie dreams; legs, lips and ears twitching at irregular intervals. He woke up when I opened the drain and stood up in the tub, yawning wide and stretching a hind leg. I stepped over them gingerly and finished drying off in front of the sink. A glance in the mirror made me stop and look critically at what I saw.

  I was still in decent shape, but could see the evidence of my 53 years. Wrinkles on my face, graying hair, thicker at the waistline, pecs starting to droop – oh, how I hated getting old! I really couldn’t understand what Karl thought was so attractive when he saw me without a shirt the other day. I was grateful he wasn’t turned off, certainly, but I wondered what it was which set him off. He, on the other hand, was my ideal man – big, muscular, hairy chested, blue-eyed. The very definition of masculine in my book, and I so enjoyed playing with him last night. His self control was astonishing, and though I wasn’t testing him by any means, I was still very impressed he hadn’t ripped off my clothes and taken me right there on the couch. I shivered at the very thought, cock growing to full mast, nipples contracting into firm nubs.