Chapter 82

Ivan and Giovanni were in the kitchen. They looked fuckable together. Giovanni was still wearing his tight pants, but he had borrowed one of Yann's open-chested shirts. If he knew it was see-thru, he wasn't worried about me staring at his dark - and surprisingly large - nipples.

"Ivan. You have Yeuhan's remote?"

"Yeah." He handed it to me.

"What's the range on this thing?"

"Whole property."

I did an actual double-take. "What?"

"Sean, Ian and Yeuhan figured out how to run the signal through the house's network. We tested it with Yann." He shrugged. "System's better inside the house than outside and closer is better than farther."

"So if I do this..." I turned it on and moved it straight up to '5', " ... he'll get the message?"

Ivan laughed. "Loud and clear, boss, loud and clear."

"What is that?" Giovanni asked.

"A new pager." I said. "I haven't decided for sure, but I think it's how I'm going to contact everyone instead of the intercom."

Ivan nodded. "Some of us will respond faster than others." He remarked.

"No doubt." I agreed. I tapped the remote; the display flipped to '6'.

"So, what do you do?" Giovanni asked. "If you don't mind me asking."

I grinned. "I'm retired."

"Retired! But you're, like, thirty!"

I laughed. "Not even close!"

Ivan snorted. "Yeah, he acts twenty."

"Nah, I'm an old guy."

"Then I hope I look as good as you when I'm an old guy." He leaned back on his elbows, against the kitchen counter. The position made his chest almost prone and thrust his crotch toward me. His bulging crotch. "So what did you retire from?"

"Real estate, mostly." I tapped Yeuhan's remote to '7'.

"Wow! You must have done well; I'll bet your wife loves this place."

I glanced at Ivan who hid a smile. I figured I could play this game for a while. "She might, if I had one."

"No wife?" I shook my head. "Ex wife? Girlfriend?" I kept shaking. "You can't live here alone!"

"I don't. I have a whole staff. Ivan, Yann, the Twins. A few others."

"Just you and your staff? Don't you get, you know, lonely?"

"Why? Are you volunteering?" I grinned.

"Well actually," he blushed, which was lovely. "I was thinking of my friend. She's always telling me how all the good, black men are either taken or gay."

"She's got a point." Ivan agreed.

"Aw, come on!" Giovanni gestured to me. "He's right here - rich, intelligent, handsome, and not taken."

I had to agree. "I guess she does have a point."

Giovanni looked at me, wide-eyed, then blushed deeply. Then he hit a laughing Ivan in the shoulder. "You vodka-soaked rat! Why didn't you say something?"

"I figured you'd get to it!" He laughed.

Giovanni looked at me again. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to offend you or anything. I hope you didn't think I was coming on to you or something."

"Would have been the high point of my day if you were." I shrugged. "But I didn't think you were attracted to me. Being straight and all."

"Well, actually," he said with a slow smile, "I am gay. And if you have all this and no one to share it with, I would be happy to volunteer."

"Ah, I bet you say that to all the rich, single men you meet." I saw the Twins come into the kitchen with a pair of trays and hoped I hadn't created a problem for myself. I turned Yeuhan's vib down to '3'. "Guys!" I waved the remote at them. "You know what this is?"

"Ja." "Yes, Boss."

"Here. Catch." I tossed it to them. "Have fun. Ivan, I need you for a couple minutes. Giovanni, hang out. You can use the room you changed in if you want to stay for breakfast."