More Than A Manny: Gay Romance Read online

  More Than A Manny: Gay Romance

  By Trina Solet

  Copyright © 2014 by Trina Solet

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this publication may be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, locales or actual events is entirely coincidental.

  More Than A Manny

  Gay Romance

  By Trina Solet

  Chapter 1

  At the age of eighteen, Brent Leighton was living the life of a spoiled, rich boy. In reality, he was a poor boy. He just didn't know it yet. It was only after his parents died that he found out the state of his family's finances. Mr. and Mrs. Leighton had been better at spending money than making it. A few disastrous investments and it was all gone, like water down the drain.

  For their twentieth anniversary, Brent's parents had gone on a luxury, Mediterranean cruise to relive their glory days. It had been planned for and paid for long ago. They were hiding the truth of their financial situation from everyone, including Brent. As long as they could, his parents wanted to live the high life, pretend that it was their honeymoon cruise all over again, and that they didn't have a care in the world. They died during this last hurrah. While they were taking a side trip to Cyprus, the small boat they were in capsized. Until their bodies were recovered, Brent held out hope that his mom and dad might have made their way to shore somehow.

  The bad news he received about the empty bank accounts and depleted credit lines didn't have much sting to it. In his grief, he couldn't even understand why the lawyer and the accountant kept bothering him about money. But when he was told he would have to leave school and find his own place to live, start working to support himself, Brent woke up to reality slapping him in the face.

  At first there were things he could sell to keep himself going. Some of his friends helped him out for a while. But as his money ran out, his friends started to avoid him. The jobs he managed to get paid little and didn't last. And every job he failed to keep was another bad reference. As his resources dwindled, he panicked. He was starting to consider offers that couldn't be called honest work. Brent was tall, blond and muscular. His good looks combined with his desperation attracted those kinds of unsavory offers from men who couldn't have him any other way. He had been tempted to say yes more than once, but he had only recently started having sex with guys. It seemed wrong to turn that into something sordid. One day as he was walking by familiar stores he could no longer afford, he came upon the answer to his problems.

  Brent had known Greta casually and liked her. To her and many other people, Brent was still bi. He certainly wasn't going to tell her otherwise when they ran into each other, and she offered to take him to lunch. Brent had already skipped a few meals. This was the first decent food he had eaten for weeks. It was the kind of thing he used to take for granted. An expensive lunch was something he could only appreciate now that he couldn't afford to eat more than once a day. While he scarfed down his food like a wolf, he wasn't shy about telling Greta how afraid he was of what life had in store for him. Greta wasn't like most of his friends. She was older and a serious businesswoman. He was hoping she would help him find a real job.

  "I might have something for you," she said and invited him to dinner that night and then several times during the next month. She didn't discuss any kind of job with him though. They had a nice time together, and then one day, she proposed to him. Brent was shocked. But on thinking about it, he had to admit that it was the most decent offer he had received.

  Greta was always busy and very serious about her work. Brent could tell that she was looking for a certain kind of marriage. She wanted a compliant husband who would make for a pleasant atmosphere at home and not challenge her. A husband with no money of his own was likely to be more agreeable. And Brent was gorgeous as well as good in bed. He knew many men chose their wives using those same criteria. So why shouldn't Greta choose a husband the same way?

  Brent couldn't face an uncertain future and a life without money. He agreed to marry Greta, who was fifteen years older than him and independently wealthy. She had no family to call him a gold digger though everyone else did. Her two-year-old son from a previous marriage was part of the deal. Ricky wasn't a bad kid, but he didn't exactly take to Brent.

  Greta was attractive, thin, severe and stylish, but that didn't matter to Brent one way or the other. What mattered was that she was generous and not difficult to please either in bed or out of it. She did want to give Ricky a little brother or sister right away. It turned out to be a sister, Georgie, the most beautiful baby in the world.

  Unfortunately, Greta didn't get to enjoy their daughter for long. Soon after she had Georgie, Greta became ill. That's when Brent found out what that "in sickness and in health" part of their wedding vows meant.

  Greta fought her cancer for almost two years. During that time, all sorts of new responsibilities fell to Brent. The hard decisions he had to make weighed on him. But when Greta was gone, Brent was even more terrified. He had been left with two young children. Thank God for Pamela who took care of the kids. She had been with them since Georgie was born. She stuck around for two years after Greta died though Brent didn't always make it easy on her. Then Pam went back to Costa Rica when she got married.

  Brent had been making up for lost time, living the gay life. Now without Pam, he once again felt the serious responsibility he had inherited. That's why he needed a new nanny as soon as possible. Not that he was alone. Brent had hired John to act as his assistant and deal with everything Brent didn't want to deal with. That included bills, paperwork, and all communication not likely to lead to sex. Then there was Quin, whom Brent hired because he looked so good in his dark sunglasses, standing next to a sports car. Brent's immediate offer of a job was answered with, "You see a black man next to a car, and the first thing you think is chauffeur?"

  "Actually the first thing I think is sex," Brent told him.

  Quin took the job when he found out how much it paid and the kinds of cars he would get to drive. Greta was seriously into cars. Though Brent didn't share her enthusiasm, she had bought him every car he so much as looked at. Most of them just sat in the garage now. With Quin there, they were finally going to see some action.

  John and Quin had always been willing to look after the kids in a pinch. After Pam left, they insisted that he hire a full time nanny or take care of the kids himself. Brent didn't consider that a choice.

  John arranged for a parade of would be nannies to show up at the house. Brent knew the interviews were going to be a chore, but a chore now meant freedom later. When the potential nannies showed up, John insisted on being present so Brent wouldn't screw up the interviews. Brent offered to leave him to it. John just gave him one of those withering looks he had perfected just for him. John was an uptight beauty with dark hair and eyes, tall and slim. He was a treat for the eyes only. His heart belonged to Quin. He took his duties seriously so Brent didn't have to.

  The nanny interviews were excruciatingly dull and repetitive, just like Brent knew they would be. But then they turned into the manny interviews when a hot, young guy walked in and took his breath away. His name was Nate Ralha. His eyes were brown and magnetic. His direct stare mesmerized Brent. While Brent couldn't look away, Nate looked from Brent to John like he was trying to figure out who was really in charge. Nate had the body of Brent's dreams, a full mouth and close cropped, brown hair. His
smile was warm and confident. Brent never wanted to take his eyes off him, but even more, he wanted his hands all over that beautiful man. Now the question was why a guy who looked like that would want to work as a manny. Brent wasn't sure he cared. He was ready to hire him on the spot. But John nudged Brent in warning, or more like kicked him. That was his way of telling Brent that he had to stop drooling and conduct an actual interview. Then he made Brent interview the last three nanny candidates instead of just sending them away. There was a further delay as John had a thorough background check done on Nate Ralha. Like his angelic smile, honest and gorgeous brown eyes, and perfect body, didn't tell him everything he needed to know.

  Even with the delay, Brent was pleased with how things worked out. But later that day, he overheard John complaining about him to his boyfriend. Quin had just brought the kids back to the house, and he and John were in the kitchen. The kids had run off somewhere to play so Quin and John were left alone, almost. When he heard them talking about him, Brent stopped just behind the corner to listen.

  "That man thinks with his dick. He has no sense of responsibility," John grumbled to Quin.

  "That's why he has you, baby," Quin tried to soothe him.

  "Don't call me baby when we are at work."

  "We're always at work, baby."

  This time his words made John smile.

  Then Quin added, "We'll be out of here by the end of the month, We'll start our new life, and you'll never have to deal with him ever again."

  "What new life? What are you talking about?" Brent asked, coming out from behind the corner. He was feeling a little panicked. Then he saw that Quin was grinning at him with a gotcha look in his eyes while John's look was more reproachful.

  "Damn you, Quin," Brent said realizing that he'd been had.

  "Damn you, Brent," John said. A man couldn't say one thing to Quin without John jumping down his throat.

  "Blame your shiny appliances," Quin told him. He pointed to the refrigerator door and then to the window in the small dining room. That's where he saw Brent's reflection when John opened the door to get a bottle of water.

  "Damn my appliances then. But you are not going anywhere, right?" That's all Brent cared about.

  John sighed.

  "No, you big baby," John said, then he added, "Not that you deserve us. The hiring of a nanny shouldn't make me feel like a pimp."

  That's when Ricky came into the kitchen. He had just turned seven and looked a little bit like Greta and a lot like her late husband, who was blond like Brent. Ricky's eyes were blue and very serious. Brent was surprised that Georgie wasn't trailing after him.

  "Where's Georgie?"

  "She's looking under all the beds," Ricky said.

  "Why?"

  "Quin told her to."

  Georgie ran into the kitchen, breathless. She was four years old. She had Greta's dark eyes but her hair was a light brown.

  "I didn't find them," she said to Quin.

  Quin only smiled.

  "Find what?" Brent asked Georgie.

  "The nannies," she told him.

  "You were looking for nannies under the beds?" John asked. He looked over at Quin accusingly.

  Ricky explained what was going on.

  "Georgie said that maybe the nannies were still here. And Quin told her, 'Sure. They might be hiding under the beds.' So Georgie went to look under all the beds."

  "I couldn't find any," Georgie said.

  "Are you sure you looked under all the beds?" Brent asked her.

  "All of them!"

  "The nannies are gone," John told her before Quin or Brent could send her on another wild goose chase. He stayed serious and disapproving while Quin and Brent cracked up. Ricky wanted to stay serious too, but he couldn't hide his smile. Georgie didn't know what was going on. She was just disappointed she missed all the nannies.

  Brent gave the kids the good news.

  "One of them is coming back as soon as John says it's OK."

  "When? When? When?" Georgie pestered John.

  "Soon."

  Though Ricky was obviously just as curious about the new nanny, he still grumbled, "She isn't going to be as nice as Pam." He wasn't trying to dampen Georgie's spirits. He was just very loyal to Pam.

  "It's not going to be a she at all. It's a man," Brent told him.

  Ricky tilted his head. Brent could tell that the idea intrigued him. While Georgie jumped up and down with impatience, Ricky went away with a thoughtful look on his face.

  A little later, Brent watched through the kitchen windows as Quin and John went to the guesthouse, where they made their home. They walked with their arms around each other, bumping each other slightly. As they stopped at their door, John leaned his head on Quin's muscular shoulder.

  Quin had built up his body beautifully. Soon after they met, he showed Brent pictures of himself as a skinny teenager who got picked on one too many times. No one in their right mind would mess with him now.

  While he watched them, Brent tried not to envy Quin and John. After all he wasn't that kind of guy. He wasn't pining for that one, perfect man. In fact, when Brent hired the two of them, he was hoping he would get some extra benefits from having two hot guys close at hand. But instead of getting some privileges, Brent had to watch them shack up with each other in his guesthouse while they cut him out completely. That's why he needed that manny hired pronto. He refused to be the third wheel in his own house. He must have said this aloud because from behind him Ricky said, "It's Mommy's house."

  Brent turned to look at him.

  "Yes, it is," Brent said. Then he thought about it and corrected himself. "Actually, it's not. It's our house."

  Ricky met Brent's eyes with a frown. That was a claim he couldn't deny.

  "Hey, make us some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches," Brent told him. "Make one for Georgie too."

  Ricky sighed and started gathering what he needed. Brent helped by handing him the jars of peanut butter and jelly. Then he folded his arms and watched Ricky assemble them sloppily.

  Ricky carried off the two sandwiches for him and Georgie. While Brent ate his, he looked around. Brent had never loved the house, but now he was used to it. The house wasn't the kind of place where he wanted to live. If it wasn't for the kids, he would have sold the house and moved to a penthouse. But he couldn't do that to Ricky and Georgie. He couldn't displace them. They loved it here. It was their home. Though it wasn't ideal for Brent, it did have a certain comfort to it, a familiar warmth. After a hard day's partying, it wasn't a bad place to return to. If John ever gave his approval, it would be even better with Nate in residence.

  John took his sweet time checking him out, or at least that's how it seemed to Brent. It took days. Brent was even starting to wonder if he had imagined the way looking into Nate's eyes had made his whole body tense with pleasure, not just his dick. Maybe Nate was just another attractive guy who only interested him for the moment before the next one caught his eye. There was no way to know until he saw him again. If Brent's impatience was anything to go by, Nate had some kind of power over him already.

  The happy day arrived eventually. The manny stood on their doorstep, with his bags, ready to move in.

  Chapter 2

  Nate first heard about the nanny job because he asked about live-in positions in the Bridgegrove area. Considering what an upscale neighborhood it was, he expected some domestic positions might let him live there. He certainly couldn't afford rent anywhere near the place. He found out about some personal assistant jobs, but none of those positions were live-in. He interviewed for a job helping out an elderly couple, one of whom had Alzheimer's, but he didn't get that job. Since nothing more suitable came up, he took a chance and interviewed for the job as a nanny.

  Nate was seated in a large airy foyer, which was turned into a makeshift waiting room with the addition of assorted chairs. Seeing how many other candidates he was up against worried Nate. He was the only man, and he had minimal experience. As he fought to keep
up his confidence, he tried to imagine living in a place like this. The part of the interior he could see was stark and spacious, meant to impress not put one at ease. What really awed him was the view he saw as he drove up. The house was elegant with a gray and white exterior and tall, narrow windows. It wasn't the most imposing house in Bridgegrove, but the grounds were something else. Every other mansion had artfully trimmed hedges, meticulous landscaping and a perfect lawn, like every blade of grass was arranged with tweezers. This place was almost like a park or even a forest. A closer look revealed the signs of careful maintenance, but otherwise it looked natural, almost wild in places. It made Nate want to get hired for the job just so he could spend time out there.

  The next pleasant surprise was the children's father. He was unexpectedly young and stunningly attractive. His assistant was hot too. But while the assistant, John, was dark and slender, Brent Leighton was blond with brown eyes and had a more muscular physique. He was sitting behind a magnificent desk, and he started grinning as soon as Nate walked into his office. If this wasn't a job interview, Nate would have started flirting with him already. Instead, he admired the much more welcoming decor of this room compared to the foyer. The windows let in plenty of light making caramel colored wood glow where the sun hit it. Shelves of books and binders lined one wall. On another wall, paneling and shelves for display were done in some sort of exotic, patterned wood. But Brent Leighton couldn't be ignored in favor of furniture for very long. Getting up, he came to greet Nate and shake hands with him for longer than was necessary. Now that Brent was standing, Nate could tell that he was tall with a beautifully muscled body. It would be a treat to work for someone like that. But Nate wasn't sure he even had the basic qualifications for being a nanny. He only took care of his cousins when his aunt worked long hours.

  The interview was a little strange with Brent and his assistant talking over each other. Brent was asking personal questions more appropriate for a date while John was more interested in Nate's qualifications and references. In the confusion, Nate wasn't sure what kind of impression he made, but somehow he still got the job. He suspected that it had something to do with the way his future employer looked at him. It was like Brent was a big, beautiful shark and Nate was his dinner. Nate wasn't worried about that. He knew he could handle himself. Plus anyone who made his intentions so obvious couldn't be all bad.