The Window Washer - 2. Chapter 2

I left the hospital feeling like I was on a cloud. So happy that my visit had gone well. And I was hopeful that Rob and I could develop a deeper relationship.

As I walked home my thoughts turned to Sven, and I thought I’d better tell him the truth. Sooner rather than later. I didn’t have any guarantees with Rob but I knew unequivocally now that Sven wasn’t the right person for me. I dreaded phoning him with the news and decided to take easier course of sending him a “Dear John” email. So in my head I began to compose a letter to him, and that occupied my thoughts for the rest of the way home.

I grabbed a beer and prepared myself a decent meal. Part of me happy about the Rob situation, and part of me sick and guilty about the Sven situation. So immediately after I’d eaten I sat down and composed what I thought was a carefully worded, sensitive email. I told Sven that we needed to move on and see other people. I added as tactfully as I could that I didn’t think we had the basis for a future together. I read it over at least five times, made numerous small changes until I was satisfied, then hit the send button. I felt relieved but worried about Sven’s reaction. I knew I’d be waiting on tenterhooks for my phone to chime its message tone, and I prayed Sven wouldn’t take too long to answer, or God forbid, decide not to answer at all.

About half an hour later my phone chimed, and I saw I had a message from Sven. I had butterflies in my stomach as I opened it. What I read came as a real shock. Apparently Sven had been about to email me to tell me he’d met a guy in Asia and was getting serious about him. He said my email came as a great relief because he was very worried about telling me. My first thought was, “THAT TWO-TIMING BASTARD.”

Then I laughed at the irony and let myself be grateful that it had all ended so amicably. I replied to Sven telling him I was happy for him and wishing him well.

It’s hard to describe how good I felt at that moment. I was happy about the Rob situation and the Sven situation, but I also felt a sense of freedom and a renewed optimism about my future. My life was undergoing a radical change. I knew that whatever the outcome I would be better off for it.

At about 10pm my phone rang. I checked the caller ID and saw that it was Rob’s number; I felt a little thrill run through me. The call was all the more delightful because it was unexpected.

“Hey, how are you?” I asked.

“Good. Mom left a couple of hours ago. I had a pain pill and slept for a while, but now I’m awake and I wanted to hear your voice.”

“I’m so glad you called. I’ve been missing you already.”

“Yeah, me too. Hey, I’ve got some good news. The doctor came by just before dinner and said I’d be out of here sooner than I expected. My IV is out now. I’ll be in traction for a few more days, then they’ll take the big cast off and replace it with some sort of rigid strap-on thing, and I’m outa here.”

“Rob, that’s great news! Is there anything I can do to help?”

“Well, actually there is....”

“Okay, what can I do?”

He lowered his voice and said, “Well, you can start by telling me what you’re wearing.”

Holy shit! Phone sex! Fantastic! This guy was turning out to be full of surprises.

“Only a pair of boxers,” I answered. “Calvin Klein, black satin. And, Rob, I’m getting hard. Fast.”

“Me too, Jerome, I’m stroking my cock, and it’s getting rock hard.”

Sweet Jesus! “I’m going to kiss you now, Rob, real intense. Stick my tongue in your mouth. You like that?”

“Oh fuck, Jerome that feels so good. Put your hand on the back of my head and pull me in real tight. You’re a great kisser!”

“I’m rubbing your chest. Is your chest hairy, Rob? Do you like it having it rubbed?”

“Yes, hairy. Your hand feels good. Kiss me there.”

“Okay, I’m kissing your nipples now, and giving them a good lick.”

“Stop. Let me kiss your chest now. Oh man, your nipples feel so good on my lips and tongue. I’m kissing your belly now. Your hairy belly button. Are you sensitive there, Jerome?”

“God yes, Rob, you really know what to do to turn me on. I’m so fucking hard and stroking my cock like crazy. I’m not gonna last long.”

“Me neither, Big Guy. I’ve got my fist around my cock and I’m stroking it real slow. Can you picture me doing that, Jerome?”

“That’s a beautiful sight, Rob. I’m doing the same. Long slow strokes. I’m leaking pre-cum like crazy, and I’m rubbing it on my shaft making it shiny and slippery.”

“This is so fucking erotic, man. Even though I’m going slow, I’m getting really close to the edge. How about you?”

“Kiss me again, Rob. Kiss me deep and hard while I cum.”

“Yes! Yes! I’m gonna cum any second now. Are you ready? Let’s cum together.”

Both together, “Ugh, fuck, ohhhh, fuck, uh, uh, uh, (breathing hard, panting), FUCK!”

“Jesus Rob. That was so intense. I’ve shot all over my belly and chest,” I said as I laughed in joy.

“Man, you’re good in the sack, Jerome. That was the best orgasm I’ve had for a long time. I’ve made a bit of a mess myself. Luckily I’ve got a box of Kleenex on my bedside table.” He was laughing too.

“Shit, man, that was risky. What if a nurse came in?”

“Yeah, things needed to go a bit faster than I would have liked, just in case someone did come in, but I was ready to pull the blanket back up over myself real fast.”

I asked, “How did you manage to hold the phone?”

“My phone came with ear buds that have a little mic on them.”

“Clever,” I said.

I was aching with longing to have Rob with me right then, and I wanted to get to know this incredible man a little more, so I said, “Let’s just talk for a while, okay? I don’t want to let you go yet, and I’d like to get to know you, now that we’ve had a roll in the hay.”

His tone got serious as he said, “Jerome, my life is a mess right now. I’m not sure it’s fair to burden you with the details.”

My stomach did a flip when I heard that; his words had a definite chilling effect. But I thought, “In for a penny, in for a pound,” so I said, “Rob, now that I’ve found you, I want to take this as far as we can. It seems like the start of something good. If there’s a problem I’d like to help you.”

“Jerome, I came to Vancouver to get away from someone....”

“A relationship gone bad?”

“Very bad. I can’t go into the details right now. I’d fall apart. Can you just stay on the line with me and keep me company? Tell me about yourself.”

I realized it had been difficult for him to share that, so I didn’t ask him to elaborate. Instead, I told him about my relatively boring life. Where I grew up. Where I went to university. My profession. I added that I’d recently broken up with my boyfriend (and thank God that was the truth—timing is everything).

“What about you?” I asked vaguely.

He told me he’d grown up in Santa Barbara. That he had an arts degree from USC, and that he had been living and working in Seattle for the last five years. He had come to Vancouver because he had Canadian citizenship through his father. He had only arrived a few days before and took the first job he could find. He’d done some rock climbing as a teenager and that seemed to be all the qualification he needed to become a window washer.

“Do you know anyone in Vancouver? Do you have any friends here?” I asked.

“No,” he said, “Only you.”

“You’re going to need some help, Rob. What can I do to help you? And don’t be shy. I would really like to help you.”

“God, I’m so sorry to drag you into all of this!” he said. But after a moment’s thought he added, “Well, I’m a little worried about my stuff. It’s at an inexpensive hotel. I’ve only paid for the week, and I need to retrieve it. I’m kinda worried about my laptop and passport and some other stuff I’ve left in there. And, my car is there too. I don’t know what to do with that.”

“Consider it done, Rob. I’m the ultimate problem solver. I’ll swing by the hospital first thing in the morning and get your keys and directions from you and take care of everything. We can park the car in the basement of my office building. I have an assigned spot that I rarely use because I walk to work most days. And I can put your stuff in my office for safekeeping.”

I heard him sniffling on the line, and I knew he was crying when he said, “Oh, Jerome, I can’t thank you enough. You don’t know how grateful I am. I’ve been worried all day about what to do, and I can’t ask mom to help—there’s really not much she could do about that stuff anyway. I don’t think the hospital wants my luggage in the room.”

“Rob, you just concentrate on getting well and trust me to take care of it. I’m good at this sort of thing.”

Then I thought I should provide him some assurance that I wasn’t expecting any favours in return, so I said, “I want you to know that this doesn’t put you under any obligation to me. I’m interested in you, sure, but only if you’re interested in me. I’m not a stalker or anything.”

“Jerome, I’m definitely interested in you. I’m just not sure you’ll want the baggage I’m carrying.”

“We’ll work something out. Now, I’d better let you get some sleep. I’ll see you tomorrow early. I’ll come by on my way to work.”

“Okay, bye, until tomorrow then.”

“Until tomorrow...” I said as I reluctantly pressed the end button on my phone.

The next morning I dressed in my usual casual attire for work. Dark blue slacks and a blue striped shirt. I purposely chose a more “form fitting” pair of slacks. I wanted to look my best for Rob.

When I arrived at Rob’s room he was awake and gave me a big smile. I noticed he took a lingering glance at my package and was extra glad I had worn those pants. I walked over to him and gave him a warm kiss.

I said, “Good morning, hot stuff. You look good today.” I wasn’t exaggerating. His bruises were still pretty bad but his eyes didn’t look as hollow and tired as they had the day before. He’d shaved and his hair was combed and neat. He looked as hot as hell.

“So do you. I got some help getting cleaned up. I wanted to impress you.”

“You did. Man, you are one good looking guy.” I sat in the chair by his bed and took his hand. We were silent for a few moments, just enjoying each other’s company. I was so infatuated with him I was scaring myself. I didn’t understand what was happening but nonetheless was enjoying the feeling immensely.

“Last night, on the phone, was fun,” I said. “Dare I hope for the real thing one day?”

“Jerome, I hope so. Although I’m a little disconcerted right now. This is like love at first sight on steroids, and I’m not usually impulsive like this. You have to believe me when I say I’ve never been this forward with anyone ever before.”

Did he just use the word love?

I dreaded bringing up the subject of what he was going to do when he left the hospital. I assumed that his mom would probably take him home to Santa Barbara to recuperate. What I really wanted was for him to come to my place after he left the hospital, but that seemed like going way too fast. It was a dilemma that needed to be rectified in very short order or he’d be gone. For once I decided to follow my heart and spill my guts.

“Rob, you’ll be out of here in a few days. What are you going to do?”

“Mom wants to take me home. I don’t know what to do. I’m going to need some help. Because both my left arm and leg are broken I can’t even use crutches. I’ll be in a wheelchair. I need help just going to the washroom.”

“Why don’t you come and stay at my place? I’ve got a spare room. You can have your own bedroom, and I can get help from a home care agency to come in and help out while I’m at work. I know that’s probably too much to ask, but I’d really like that.”

“Mom will throw a fit if I do that. Besides, as much as I like you I don’t want this to become a patient-nurse sort of relationship. Do you know what I mean?”

“Yeah, I know what you mean. You’re very sensible. Usually I am too, but right now the way I feel is making me irrational as hell. For once I’m following my heart and not my head. I’ve always heard that communication can solve a lot of problems, so let’s think about this subject for a couple of days and maybe we’ll come up with a solution.”

“Okay, deal. And, Jerome, I can’t thank you enough for the offer. It just confirms what a great guy you are. It makes me like you all that much more.”

I got the keys to his hotel room and car. He gave me instructions on where to look for his personal effects and car, and I assured him I would look carefully to make sure nothing got left behind. He looked a little embarrassed when he told me that the room was a bit messy, that he’d gotten up early for work and hadn’t bothered to make the bed and tidy things up. I assured him that would be no problem for me and that I was just glad I could help. I said I would attend to the room and car at lunch, and I would be around to see him again after work. I promised I’d call him on his cell to tell him how it went.

We kissed goodbye and I headed for work grabbing a coffee and muffin from Lana on the way in. I particularly enjoyed bantering with her that day. Her cheerfulness and humour made a good day even better. At the office, I confided some of the story to Janice. She was relieved to hear that Rob was going to make a good recovery.

It was another busy morning, and I didn’t get out of the office to go over to Rob’s hotel until about one o’clock. I took a taxi over knowing I’d be driving his car back. The hotel was a bit of a dump, but that made sense if Rob had just arrived and taken work as a window washer. I didn’t need to check with the desk clerk and went straight to his room. What I saw there surprised the hell out of me, and it wasn’t the state of the room.

As Rob had said, the room was a bit of a mess. The bed was unmade and there were a few dirty clothes in a pile on the floor. His toiletries were scattered here and there in the bathroom. But what came as a shock were the “CREW” tags on his luggage. WTF? He worked for an airline? I didn’t understand. I pulled out my phone and called him.

After the greetings I got right to the point. “Rob, you work for an airline?”

“Yes, Alkasa Airlines, I’m a flight attendant.”

“But, but..... You didn’t tell me! Why are you working as a window washer? I don’t understand.”

“Okay, Jerome, calm down. I’ll explain everything when you come and see me after work. It’s a long story. But I promise I won’t leave anything out. It’s not going to be easy telling you this stuff, but I owe it to you if we’re going to start with a clean slate.”

I was mystified and a little concerned. Rob’s tone indicated that he had some serious telling to do. I was hoping that we could both survive the tale.

After we ended the call I took a look around the room. I felt vaguely eroticized by being in his personal space. The unmade bed—so suggestive. The soiled underwear on the floor. I simply couldn’t resist. I put his pillow to my face and smelled it. I picked up his underwear and looked at it. Oh what the hell, I might as well admit I smelled that too. It made me want to jerk off right then and there. God! What a love sick pervert I was! But I managed to control myself and get his things packed up. He didn’t have much. Just one large rolling case and a couple of smaller bags—real flight attendant gear. I took one last careful look around and left. I dropped the key off at the desk explaining Rob had been hurt and he wouldn’t be returning.

I found his car in a small parking lot at the rear of the hotel. He had a nice little cross-over that really suited him. I drove it back to the office, parked and took the elevator up. Janice noticed the bags and asked, “Are you moonlighting as a flight attendant now?”

“Very funny, Janice. These are Rob’s. I said I’d take them for safekeeping while he was in the hospital.”

“He’s a window washer and a flight attendant?”

“Evidently,” I said.

After work I headed straight for the hospital. Rob’s mom was there when I arrived, but she politely excused herself and said she’d go out for a something to eat.

After I kissed Rob hello, I stood away from his bed with my hands on my hips and a mock annoyed look on my face. I said, “Okay, Mister, spill. What’s the story?” Then I sat and held his hand.

His face showed real anguish as he filled me in on how he had come to Vancouver. He’d been with Alkasa Airlines as a flight attendant for just over eight years. After three years of working out of their Los Angeles base he had transferred to Seattle. He thought a change of scene from southern California would be beneficial for him. At first, it was. He made new friends and was enjoying life in Seattle’s coffee culture. He dated on and off, but nothing serious. Then about a year ago he had met what he thought was a great guy. Handsome, charming, funny. After a short period of dating Rob moved in with him. It wasn’t long until Rob found out that the guy was a drug user. Nothing heavy at first, a line of coke occasionally, but then it gradually escalated to regular use of crystal meth. It got so bad that the guy managed to get into Rob’s bank account and pretty much drained it. When Rob confronted him he became verbally threatening. Rob knew he had to leave immediately but was concerned about the guy’s threats to cause problems with Rob’s job. He was naturally concerned that the guy could cause a lot of trouble at his workplace. He loved his flight attendant job, but knew that Alkasa Air had little tolerance for domestic problems that spilled into work.

Rob decided that he needed to get away to rationally deal with the problem. He left one day as if going to work but headed to Vancouver to hide for a while. He chose Vancouver because he was a Canadian citizen through his father and could legally stay here. He could also commute easily to work from the Vancouver airport. He was short of money so, as many flight attendants do, he took a part time job to augment his income. Unfortunately, although the money was good, it turned out to be a little more dangerous than he’d expected.

So here he was. Injured, in the hospital, no place to go, and scared of having to deal with a drug addict boyfriend. By the time he had finished his story there were tears streaming down his face as he said, “I can’t pull you into this mess, Jerome!”

What had I gotten myself into? I was close to tears myself. I wanted to reach out and hold him in my arms and tell him everything was going to be okay. But was it? Not only were my impulses pushing Rob and I into a nurse-patient relationship, but I was suddenly wanting to take of the role of rescuer. Logic told me to run the other way—that I would be doing neither of us any good in the long run. On the other hand, my heart and instincts were telling me to jump in and do what I could for this incredibly handsome and beguiling man.

What Rob didn’t need at this point was me equivocating about what to do. He was as helpless as a child at the moment, but I knew he’d have to solve his own problems eventually. As much as I wanted to care for him, he’d need to feel he had some control of his life. So I said, “Well, first things first, you need to get out of the hospital, keep safe, and get settled in the best place for you. That may be at Santa Barbara with your folks or here in Vancouver with me. Think about your needs. Your mom and I are both offering help. It’s your decision.”

At that his whole demeanour changed. His face cleared and took on a confident look. He took a deep breath and squared his shoulders. He said, “You’re right, of course, it is my decision. Only I can get myself out of this mess. Mom knows my story. Maybe the three of us could kick this around and come up with a solution.”

I was delighted at his sudden recovery of confidence and relieved that the ball was no longer in my court. I agreed to a three-way conference with his mom, and we scheduled it for the next day after I finished work. That would give us time to do some thinking. And even better for me, a chance to talk things over with my buddy, Jennifer, at our lunch date tomorrow.

Rob’s mom returned at that point and agreed to participate in our discussion. She too, looked relieved that the situation had taken a sensible turn.

I said my goodbyes at that point, leaning over and kissing Rob on the lips. Rob’s mother took that in and before I left she gave me a hug and whispered, “I think you’re a good person, Jerome. I hope things work out for you and Rob.”

Again, I left the hospital feeling like I was on a cloud. Apparently I had come through “meet the parents” with flying colours.

********

I showed up at Gino’s the next day at lunch time to meet Jennifer. I was bursting with my news, and I could tell that she was like a cat with a mouse and was ready to pounce. We accepted our bread and bottle of water (they do a cool thing there where they bring cold water in an old wine bottle) and got right to it.

“I think I’m in love,” I said.

“Jesus, Jerry, you don’t even know this guy!”

At that point the waiter appeared, and we both ordered our favourite dish: tortellini with Gorgonzola sauce. And, of course, a bottle of wine.

As we sipped our wine and ate our delicious lunches I told her pretty much the whole story, including the Sven breakup sidebar. She didn’t interrupt except to ask the odd question. Mostly she made encouraging noises to keep me talking. She was paying rapt attention.

When I finished she didn’t say anything for a while, then surprised me by saying, “I wanna meet this Lothario. Do you mind if I pop over to the hospital a little later? I could give you a report—my two cents worth—before your meeting with his mom.”

I thought that was the dumbest idea I’d ever heard, but when Jennifer was in hunter/tracker mode there was no stopping her, so I agreed as long as Rob was okay with it. I called his cell—I could tell he was as delighted to hear my voice as I was his—and told him that Jennifer would like to meet him, and would it be okay if she came around a little later?

“You mean I have to pass the girlfriend test?” he asked.

“That’s pretty much it. I’m afraid there’s no stopping Jennifer when she’s set her mind on something,” I replied.

“Listen, Jerome, if she’s a friend of yours then I want to meet her. I’ll be on my best behaviour. Good first impressions and all that.”

“Thanks, Rob, you’re a champ!”

With lunch finished I set off back for work, and Jennifer headed in the direction of the hospital.

About an hour later she called me and told me she was completely charmed by Rob. She said that if she hadn’t already been married to the perfect man she’d go after him herself. I laughed and said he wasn’t her type. She laughed and said, “You never know!”

A few moments later Rob called and asked, “Did I pass?”

I said, “Yes, you got an A-plus. Did she tell you anything embarrassing about my past?”

“No,” he said, “But she told me that if I hurt you she’d find me and break my other arm and leg.”

We hung up laughing, and I promised I’d be there later for the big conference.

Mary was with Rob when I got to the there. I could tell by the serious looks on their faces that they were not in agreement about something. I wanted to do what I could to help, but I needed more facts before I could make any suggestions or offers.

I pretty much stayed out of the discussion and just reiterated my offer to help in any way I could. The offer for Rob to stay with me was still on the table. The two main choices were that Rob spend his convalescent time in Vancouver or Santa Barbara. Seattle was out of the question. Mary argued for Santa Barbara mainly on the strength of Rob’s medical insurance coverage. Both she and I worked full time so Rob would need some sort of daytime care. And he’d need physio. Both a home nurse and physio were covered under his medical plan, or HMO as they called it. It was clear that Rob would rather stay in Vancouver; he wasn’t comfortable about going “home” and taking on the role of “little kid” again. Mary assured him the she and his father would respect his needs and his privacy. In the end, the medical coverage argument won the day, with one major compromise.

When Rob was discharged from the hospital he would come over to my place for a couple of days before heading to Santa Barbara. Mary was fine with that arrangement. With the situation under control there was no real need for her to stay in Vancouver until Rob was discharged. She said she trusted me to take care of Rob. It was agreed that she would fly home the next day to get his room ready and arrange for a home care nurse.

I said I would take the week off and care for Rob. He, in turn, would arrange for me to accompany him on the flight to Santa Barbara. He lapsed into airline speak. Something about a “guest” and “non-rev.” I didn’t understand the words, but it sounded like fun. Apparently all this would be at no cost to me.

Rob and I were delighted that we’d managed to arrange a little time to ourselves. The sexual energy was flying between us, and I knew that the moment I had him alone in my apartment the sparks would ignite into a wildfire.

That left the problem of the drug addict boyfriend (well, ex-boyfriend now). Mary said she had been talking to her husband and that he had a lawyer friend in Seattle who could help. Rob was to call him and ask what could be done. So we left it at that for the time being.

Rob tactfully thanked his mother for her help and told her that he and I needed some time to ourselves. She accepted this gracefully and left for her hotel. She said she would drop by and see Rob briefly before heading to the airport in the morning.

As soon as she cleared the room Rob and I had a good smooch session. It got me pretty worked up and wanting more. A lot more. But we had to break it off and behave ourselves.

After that we were quiet again, both lost in our own thoughts. I was the first to break the silence, and said, “I understand that the best decision is for you to convalesce at your parent’s house, but damn, I’m going to miss you. After I drop you off it might be several weeks before we see each other again.”

He looked surprised and asked, “Would you be free on weekends, I mean to fly down to see me?”

It was my turn to look surprised, and I said, “I’d love to but....”

“Oh, you mean the cost! No, no, I can give you guest passes so you can get there and back quite cheaply. Perhaps I’m making too many assumptions. First, would you be willing to give up your weekends here to spend them with me?”

“You know I would.”

“Okay, let me explain. I would give you guest passes for the trip. You’d have to fly standby, but that’s not usually a problem—as long as you prepare for the unexpected. Listing for the flights is pretty simple, really.”

So, the itinerary for the next few weeks was decided. Suddenly I was going to be a jet-setter, traveling back and forth to California on weekends. Wow. This relationship was only four days old, and already it had more twists and turns than a mountain road. But I felt good about what was happening and ready to embark on what was turning out to be a real adventure.

******

The next day (Friday) Rob’s doctor told him he would get his big leg cast off on Monday, and it would be replaced by a strap-on, rigid cast that looked like a big ski boot. Unfortunately, his broken wrist was fairly serious. He would need to keep a full elbow-to-hand plaster cast on for several more weeks. His left arm and hand would be all but useless until the cast came off. But the good news was that he could go home Monday afternoon. We were ecstatic and passed our remaining hospital visits chatting, getting to know each other better, and making tentative plans for the near future.

The other good news was that Rob talked to the lawyer in Seattle. Based on the Seattle Guy’s behaviour and threats the lawyer was initiating a restraining order against him. Also, because of the threats to cause problems at Rob’s work, the restraining order would include Rob’s workplace. It was a great relief to both of us. We had hopes that Rob would now be able to put this unpleasant business behind him and move on.

I arranged to take the next week off work. I brought his luggage to my apartment. When Monday rolled around I put good sheets on my guest bed and put fresh flowers in the living room. My freezer and fridge were stocked with food. After lunch I drove to the hospital and rented a wheelchair. I was waiting at the exit doors with my car, and soon a nurse wheeled Rob down to meet me. He was dressed in a loose t-shirt and tear-away pants that his mother had bought for him. And sure enough, he had a giant ski boot on his left foot. His left cast-covered arm was in a sling. But the bruising on his face was mostly gone and he looked terrific. I was almost beside myself with excitement and wondering what would happen when Rob arrived at my apartment....