Return of the Sun - 11. Chapter 11

Working at the Ashley Garden's retirement home was a new experience for Scott, he had expected a nursing home, maybe a workspace sandwiched between a bathroom and a lounge of something. Instead there was an entire corner of the building devoted to office space. A staff of about five people running administration and ensuring that the home ran properly, scheduling events, making arrangements for doctor visits and of course the darker side of geriatric care, deaths.

When Scott arrived in his trusty suit, standing nervously in the hallway looking about for someone to tell him where he should be, he was surprised to see all the activity. He had shifted from one foot to the other glancing about him as a pretty young woman pointed towards a large oak and glass door.

He nodded and tapped on it gingerly.

Zulee was sitting behind his desk drinking a cup of coffee and talking into a very expensive cordless phone. One of those GHz varieties that were powerful enough to be used any where in a building the size of Ashley Gardens. He looked up at Scott and nodded at him before bending back to the phone.

A few moments later he clicked off and smiled at his new employee, "I see my new gopher has arrived. What do you know about computers?"

"A bit," Scott replied a little uncertain of himself.

"Good, because nobody here knows anything about the damn machines. You've just become the computer technician." He got up and walked around his desk.

Scott stared at him uncertainly but the small man was serious. But Scott had the usual teenagers fascination with the machines, played with his own from time to time, he knew how to keep one working, but an entire office? He suddenly felt very out of his league.

"Come along," Zulee took him by the arm and led him across the hall, "This is Ben," he said introducing Scott to a very attractive man in his mid twenties, "He's my accountant you are going to be sharing his office."

Scott looked apologetically at Ben, but Ben simply shrugged and gave him a friendly smile standing up, "Shouldn't we get him a desk Zulee?" he asked looking about the large, if rather barren room with its double row of filing cabinets.

"Already arranged," Zulee said pushing Scott aside to allow the man wearing maintenance coveralls through with a broad table.

Within minutes Scott had his own workbench, stool, tools, and four computer boxes piled on the table. He stared at Zulee for a moment, but the old man was talking into his phone again wandering back to his office.

He gingerly sat down on his stool at the bench facing Ben's desk, and looked up at the other young man, "Uh hi." He said still not exactly sure what was happening.

Ben smiled; it was a friendly one filled with teeth. And Scott was instantly in love, well not love, more like in lust. Ben was an amazingly handsome man, perfect face, smart suit and a smile that could curl toes.

"Welcome to Ashley Garden's," Ben said beaming at him, "I take it you have no idea what on earth your supposed to be doing, right?"

Scott sucked in a breath, smiled tightly and nodded, "yeah..."

"Neither did I when I started, I was plopped down into this desk and told to balance his books. That was five years ago, I just had to learn it as I went." Ben's finger's flew across his keyboard inputting numbers, "I just make sure everything balances and if it doesn't I figure out why it doesn't."

"That's it?" Scott asked incredulously, it sounded easy but as his eyes looked down at the broken computers he felt his chest clench, this was going to be a lot harder than just entering numbers. He would have to try to figure out what was wrong and how to fix it.

"Coffee?" Ben said, and something about the way he said it caused Scott to start.

"You're American?" he asked incredulously.

"Canadian, Vancouver bud." Ben replied standing up, "but I get that all the time, from the sounds of it you've spent a little time across the pond yourself."

"Eight years in Brooklyn," Scott replied.

"Great, I'll be right back," He gave Scott that smile again and immediately Scott knew that working across from him would be one of the hardest things he would ever have to do in his life. Especially perched on top of a stool in a monkey suit.

Scott adjusted the stool, one of the swivel kind used by drafters, so that it was more comfortable, and he plugged in the first computer, rewarded by a whine of it booting up. It ran through its normal checks, but froze while trying to load windows. He grabbed a sheet of paper and made a note of that before unplugging it and moving onto the next one.

That one hissed at him and refused to start at all. He chewed his lip, taking off his suit jacket and draping it over the shoulders of the chair, rolling up his sleeves, he pulled out a screwdriver and had the case open. Finding the loose cable he plugged it back in, stepping back to try it again. This time it booted first time. Five minutes and one of his five was working again.

"Hey, pretty cool," Ben stated returning carrying two mugs of coffee, he set it down and walked around to his desk, returning to his numbers.

"Got lucky," Scott replied trying the next one, which actually loaded Windows this time, however the settings had been fiddled with. He knew that because his brother had pulled similar tricks on him back before he left home. A few clicks and it was back to normal.

Two down.

"Get too good at that and you might make me look bad," Ben chipped jovially watching him.

Scott shook his head, but he was smiling, he could do this, he just needed to remember that he had played with similar machines the entire time he was growing up. His Dad had been a technophile, buying one of the first computers back in the day and upgrading to the newest model each year.

The next machine was stubborn; he couldn't figure out why it wouldn't turn on, there were no lights, no sound of a fan, nothing. He poked around inside it and could see nothing physically wrong with the computer itself, but the thing remained dormant.

An hour and a half later, he had two computers completely dismantled and he was attempting to build one out of the two. Ben watched him in between inputting his figures, and each time Scott drained his mug Ben would refill it, leaving him to uninterrupted work.

He flipped the machine on for a quick test, and was rewarded by life. He crossed his arms and stepped back, happy that he had actually accomplished something. He had managed to fix three of the five, one was still sitting there for him to reload windows on to it and the last was being scavenged for parts.

"Great job!" Ben commented, those blue eyes captured Scott's as he spoke, "I spent most of my first day sitting and staring at three filing cabinets and four years worth of receipts before I worked up the courage to get started."

Scott grinned his usual dopey grin, "it seemed like a good idea to just get stuck in." he replied taking another drink.

"Zulee likes that," Ben crossed his legs in his chair and slid it back, "He's an odd one that's for sure. Sink or swim kind of guy, if he likes you you're set, if he doesn't you're out. But all things considered," he motioned to the bench full of working computers, "I think he is going to like you."

"Thanks," Scott yawned and sat down on his stool, immediately realizing how uncomfortable the thing was, he was a good foot higher than his workbench, and he felt like an idiot sitting on it looking down at the confidently smiling Ben who was staring back up at him.

"So how long have you been out?" Ben asked out of the blue.

Scott's jaw hung open, not entirely sure how to answer that, had he been staring at Ben too long? Had he just blown it? He struggled to figure it out, all the time keeping his composure; he wasn't about to let Ben know how ruffled his feathers were. Playing it cool was second nature, "a year, you?"

His heart was racing now, was he calling it right? If not he was going to be left hanging over an awfully high drop.

Ben grinned at him and rapped his ring finger on the desk. The gold wedding ring making a dull thudding as it tapped the highly polished surface. "Nice try though." He responded as Scott's eyes travelled down to it, "My Brother is gay, I figured if I got it out in the open you wouldn't feel so uncomfortable working up there," he grinned at Scott seated high above him.

Scott licked his lips, "Yeah well all the good seats were taken," He balanced his cup on his knee, "Okay then mister big shot, how'd you know I was gay?"

Ben craned his head to make sure no one was listening, satisfied the hall was empty he leaned forward, "You're eyes did this three point check thing that my brothers always used to do."

Scott broke out into a broad grin, "Eyes, belt buckle and shoes."

"That'd be the one." Ben responded, "Eyes for intelligence, belt buckle to see if he's in shape and shoes to see if he takes pride in his appearance. All gay men do it subconsciously." He stopped and frowned, "What made you think I was?"

"Cute ones are always gay," Scott shot back quoting Serena.

Ben turned red as a tomato, and Scott was pleased that he had finally turned the embarrassment tables about on him. Cocky, arrogant Canadians were all the same, too laid back for their own good, catch them off balance and they always blushed. "Gotcha," he said with a smile.

"Watch it big ears," Ben was laughing, "a pretty boy like you in a nursing home, just think of all the dirty old men."

"That why you work here?" Scott was enjoying the verbal sparring; it was a great way to pass the time.

"Funny guy," Ben stated pointing at him, "But seriously though we have a number of nurses here, mostly women but most of the male ones are... well they aren't shy about it shall we say. And I thought my office was popular before, with both of us in here they are never going to let us get any peace."

"Any cute ones?" Scott grin became predatory.

Ben laughed again, "No, they're really not, unless that's your thing though... if it is I'm sure you will be popular."

Scott shook his head, "I think I'll pass thanks."

Ben smirked at him, "Thought you might, besides you're too busy staring at me."

"Not the only one staring," Scott countered.

Ben tapped the ring on the edge of the desk again, "Sorry."

"No you're not." Scott stood up laughing as he set about repacking his tools into the toolbox.

Ben leaned forward shaking his head still smiling as he set to work, "You realize we could both be done for sexual harassment." He glanced over at Scott.

"You think I'm coming onto you?" Scott asked now thoroughly amused by the whole conversation, "And here I was thinking you were coming onto me."

Ben shrugged, "I'm a terrible flirt, my wife thinks I just like the attention."

"Married long?" Scott asked hoping to steer the conversation back to something more manageable. He was really starting to like Ben, and not just because of that odd smile of his, nor the way he tapped his wedding ring every time Scott accused him of hitting on him. There was a bond forming with someone that gave as good as he got, and knew a joke when presented with one. Besides, in the Spartan office, what else was there to look at?

"Five years this Fall," Ben gave a smile as he pulled his hand's back from the keyboard, "Five long and happy years before you get any ideas."

"Why is it," Scott stated setting the toolbox aside, "You always steer the topic of conversation back around to that? I think you have some repressed issues over there my friend."

Ben grinned as he tapped his ring again, "Sorry don't know what you mean."

Scott looked down at the ring then slowly back up at Ben, "Uh huh, well my Daddy always said not to rub another man's rhubarb, especially not when's someone's rubbing it first so it's you who can be forgetting the ideas."

Ben chuckled shaking his head, "I can see this is going to be a lot of fun."