Chapter 2 Need help with anything?
The steady drip of the kitchen faucet was driving Sarah crazy.
“Why do small things stress me out?”
She asked aloud in her frustration.
She pushed hard on a wrench, grunting. Water splashed all over her face and hair.
Then, a knock at the front door. It made her jump. The wrench fell, hitting the sink loudly, splashing more water.
"Just a minute!" she yelled, wiping her wet hands on her jeans. She rushed to the door.
She opened it. Alex stood there. He held a basketball easily under one arm. His dark hair looked a little messy.
"Hey, Mrs. Hayes," he said. A slow smile grew on his face.
Sarah felt her face get hot. It was a strange feeling.
"Alex, hi. Oh, I'm a mess. Trying to fix a leaky faucet. Is Mark ready?"
Alex looked at her. He took his time.
"He said he'd be down soon. Looks like you're having trouble."
"Trouble is exactly right," Sarah said. She felt a strange flutter in her stomach. "It just won't work."
He walked past her, into the house. He moved with so much confidence. Sarah stepped back without even thinking.
"Let me look. I'm pretty good with things."
Sarah wasn't sure. She felt a little warning bell ring in her head.
"Oh, you don't have to. You're here for Mark. Don't be late for him." But deep down, she wanted him to stay. To fix this. Maybe to fix a little of her loneliness too and do to her those things he did to her in her dreams last night.
“It'll be quick. Plus, it's not right, a lady like you fighting with a leak." He walked into the kitchen.
He moved so easily. Sarah followed. Her mind spun. A lady like you? What did he mean by that?
He knelt by the sink. The muscles in his arms moved as he looked under the sink. He was very focused. Sarah watched him. She noticed his strong hands. Her body, quiet for so long, felt a sudden buzz.
“Just because I haven't been touched in a long time,” she told herself. “I'm just starved for affection.”
Alex was just a kid. Her son's friend.
"Looks like a simple ring needs changing," he said. His voice was muffled. "Do you have tools?"
"There's a toolbox under the sink, on your left,"
Sarah said. Her voice sounded a little fast. As he reached, his hand touched hers.
A strong electric shock went through her arm. Sarah pulled her hand away fast, like it burned.
Her face got hot again.
Alex didn't seem to notice. Or maybe he pretended not to. He took out a small wrench. He started working. It took him only a few minutes. Sarah couldn't stop looking at his hands.
"So, big game tonight?" Sarah asked. She tried to sound normal. To break the quiet between them.
He grunted. He tightened something. "Yeah. We've practiced a lot. Mark's been really good."
"He loves basketball," Sarah said, a small smile appearing. "He always has."
Alex turned his head slightly. His eyes met hers. "He's a good kid, Mark. Lucky to have a mom who cares." His eyes moved from her eyes to her mouth. Then lower.
They rested on her breasts, perfectly outlined under her wet shirt. He didn't say it, but his dark eyes held a promise. He knew what he was doing.
Sarah felt her stomach tighten. Her ears felt hot. That raw, hot feeling inside her came back. Stronger this time. It wasn't just wanting affection, she realized with a shock.
It was him.
His calm way. His open looking. His strong man-presence. It was exciting. And scary. She quickly looked away. She stared at a spot on the wall. "I try," she said. Her voice was too high.
Alex finished. He tested the faucet. No more drip. He stood up. He was very tall next to her.
"There you go. Good as new."
"Thank you, Alex. Really, thank you. You saved me calling someone." Sarah felt happy. And scared. He was so close.
"No problem, Mrs. Hayes," he said. His voice dropped to almost a whisper.
"Glad to help." His eyes, dark and knowing, held hers. He didn't move. Sarah felt stuck. His strong stare held her.
Just then, Mark's feet pounded down the stairs.
"Ready, Alex?" he yelled, bursting into the kitchen. He didn't see the strange feeling in the room. "Mom, did you finally fix that leak?"
"Alex fixed it, Mark," Sarah said. Her voice was still a little shaky. She tried to act normal. To push down the wild feelings Alex had started.
"Awesome, dude!" Mark slapped Alex on the back. "Told you he was good with his hands, Mom."
Alex just smiled. A normal, innocent smile. It hid the burning stare she'd just seen in his eyes.
He turned to leave. But as he walked past Sarah, his hand brushed her arm. It was done on purpose. It stayed there a moment too long. Her skin tingled where he touched her. She felt his heat still there.
After they left, Sarah leaned against the counter. Her legs felt weak.
“What just happened?”
Her body felt alive. Buzzing with energy she hadn't felt in years. Alex. His look. His touch. It all spun in her mind.
This was her son's friend. A boy. But he didn't look at her like a boy. He looked at her like a man. A hungry man. She felt ashamed. What kind of mother was she?
She tried to push the thoughts away. To clean the kitchen. But a clear excitement bubbled under her fear.
That night, alone in her bed, Sarah couldn't sleep. Every time she closed her eyes, Alex's confident smile, his hand touching her, his deep stare, filled her mind.
When Sarah finally fell asleep, it was images of Alex tormenting her body in wicked lovemaking that haunted her sleep.
“I'm going to possess every bit of you, mama,” he whispered in her ears.
She woke up fast. Her heart beat hard. Her body felt hot and heavy. A wet feeling between her legs told her the dream was real. A wet dream. About Alex.
Sarah gasped. She sat straight up in bed.
"No!" she whispered in the dark. She put her face in her hands. "This is crazy. He's a kid. Mark's friend. What is wrong with me?"
She yelled at herself silently. She tried to make the images go away. To control the dangerous wanting that had started inside her.
As she tried to calm down, her phone buzzed softly on her nightstand. She grabbed it. Her heart jumped when she saw who sent the message. It was Alex.
The message said: "Need help with anything else, Mrs. Hayes? I'm good with my hands and you'd be surprised at what I can do with them on you."