Page 57 of Leading the Blind
“You can sit and talk to me, if’n you want.” He wasn’t going to have to do much. Momma had buzzed his hair for him yesterday.
“Cool. Let me hit send.” Bax tapped at the laptop, then came back to him to help him get undressed and to wrap his arm.
“So, when do we get to start being excited? Soon?” The house was empty, so they’d asked for closing in fourteen days, leasing for the time in between. That way they would have a house before they headed to the next event.
“Shit, babe, I already am. Monica seemed pretty happy, and they’ve been using the place as an Airbnb. Unsuccessfully, apparently. Why the hell wouldn’t they take an offer?” Bax got the shower going again for him.
“Right? I’m tickled, and I can’t wait to sleep there. Once we know, we buy a bed first, right?” He stepped into the tub, letting Bax balance him on the slick.
“We do. We’ll get it delivered and set up and all, get sheets at the same time. They’ll be more expensive there, but they’ll also make us a deal.” Bax got him steady, the steam feeling like it was melting the salt on his skin.
“Oh, this is good. You gonna have to paint the walls?” It occurred to him, all of a sudden, that he didn’t know what color the walls were, and he never would. Never again. He’d never know colors again. He didn’t know what his house looked like. He didn’t know what it looked like from the windows.
His knees tried to buckle, but he kept them firm. No. No, he was not fucking ruining this with that sort of bullshit. This was a good thing. He was going to fucking be grateful and thank God that they could buy a house, him and Bax. Together.
“You okay, Mini?” Bax couldn’t see him, but his lover always knew, didn’t he?
“I was having a mo. I’m fine.”
“Well, God forbid you have them mos,” Bax teased. “The walls are pretty good. We might need to go from fake wood to tile in some high traffic areas. Them boards is warping.”
“Works for me. I like tile. It stays cool.”
“Yeah. There’s a lot of sand out there. Like a lot, a lot. I think we should put in an outside shower, to keep you from going crazy crunching sand under your feet.”
He laughed out loud. “You saying I’m picky?”
“I’m saying you can’t sweep as well as you used to could.”
“Good point. We’ll get one of them Roomba things that does carpet and tile.” That was a compromise, right?
“Oh, I’ll put that on the list.” Bax had a list?Rock on.
“Yeah. I figure we—well, it’s on my phone, but I’ve started a list of some things I thought of. I figure we’ll hit up the Walmart for some pots and pans and dishes, just to get us started.” Man, Bax had been putting thought into this.
“Towels. Peanut butter. Forks and spatulas.”
“Bread to go with the peanut butter. I figure your momma can help with that list too.” Bax cackled. “Look at us, setting up house.”
“Lord, I bet Momma comes with a truckload. She set up the travel trailer, didn’t she?” She was good to him.
“She did. That woman has more shit in her storage room than I’ve ever owned in my whole life.” Bax’s chuckle was warm and fond. Yeah, he was family.
He soaped up his short hair, just using the Ivory soap bar. “Was there a security system deal?”
They weren’t going to be home all the time.
“There was one of them doorbell cameras, and one at the gate, but nothing in the house.” Bax hmmed. “I’ll add that, too. Expensive man,” Bax teased.
“Yeah, but we ain’t home for a while sometimes.” Gramps had folks to watch his place when he was gone.
“True. And we ain’t gonna have anyone real close.” Bax paused. “You know I was just teasin’, right?”
“Well, shit yeah. We got this. I’m nervous, though. I want to know it’s ours.” He didn’t want it up in the air and all. He was ready to put down roots.
“The waiting sucks.” When he turned the water off, Bax was right there to help him dry off. That broken wrist was shit for anything but, well…anything.
“You know what you want to eat tonight?” Jason asked, turning in the towel. “You want to order room service then go walk?”
