David was at the end of the rope. Surely, it was a nightmare and he would get up, safe in his twin bed, at the motel, or even better, in the family mansion, in his large bedroom...
It was all Jocelyn's fault really. She was so pregnant and Rolland so busy for once that their garden was getting wild. So she had asked David because she knew he could use the money and it was not like mowing the lawn was something that required any qualifications.
Which was wrong. It required nerves of steel, patience and calm, all qualities that David did not possess.
First, there were the beasts. Worms, insects, a random cat passing through. David was besieged. A cloud of black, indistinct things was following him around and the more he moved his arms in despair, the worse it got. He also realized quickly that he was cutting some of the bugs in half with his blades and it offended his delicate temperament immensely.
Second there was the dirt. He was innocently wearing an Armani ensemble, with shiny silk and fashionable white cotton and after the surprise flash storm in the middle of the afternoon, he was covered in mud, freezing and close to tears at the sight of the dark strains everywhere.
Finally, the task was an obstacle course, with roots tripping him or getting stuck under the mower, the ground being way too soft, because of the rain, and each step was like being sucked in quicksand. Also, he met plastic shards, no doubt belonging to ancient outdoor furniture, that threatened to injure him and meant that he had to collect each and everyone, making him horribly regret not having worn gloves.
In the middle of all this, he tried texting Stevie, whose friendship knew no bounds and who would certainly yield to his whining for help and come rescue him.
She did not answer. His plea was on read, so either she was busy at the motel for some reason, or, possibly, did not feel like coming, which was disloyal and would place her in his enemy list soon.
He grit his teeth, thought about the eye cream he could buy later on, thanks to his hard work, and ploughed on. He could not admit defeat, he was a full functioning adult who...
The noise died.
It took him a second to realize that the relief he felt at the sudden silence was due to the hand-mower engine not working anymore. He paused, turned it around and gasped.
He had cut the electric cable in half.
He could now clearly see a rainbow of plastic from which protruded sad twisted copper wires. The disaster was complete. He sat down where he was, tears flowing, ready to be eaten by the murderous vermin, his will to live now extinguished.
"Oh my sweet child! What a doleful sight for a mother but to see her son in such a stricken condition."
He looked up at the words, the shame he felt now tripled by the public nature of his mother loudly proclaiming his incompetence. He also knew as a solid fact that she would not be of any help, nor would she approach him.
He tried, nevertheless:
"Can you fetch Dad? I fucked up and I don't think I'll get paid."
"Sadly, your father has fled to the greener pasture of Elmdale, along with Stevie, leaving me in solitude at the motel, and thus, I resolved to stride along the town street and enjoy the sun but I had to go take refuge at the cafe tropical when a sudden rain made it too slippery."
This was a predictable answer but did not change David's sad situation so he ignored it and focused on finding another solution to his miserable state.
"Can you ask Bobby to come help? He works with cars or something, doesn't he? Maybe he can..."
"Oh, what a sterling idea, I will go fetch him immediately my dear, sweet boy."
Back to his solitary state, David contemplated his feelings and found himself slightly hopeful. Cars used electrical wires, didn't they? Or was it pipes? He had always considered Bob to be a badly-dressed fool but the man certainly knew more about mechanics than David did, which was almost nothing.
Moira was back but either Bob had lost a lot of weight and found a rejuvenating fountain in his backyard, or the man wearing a garish blue and red Bob's Garage shirt was someone David had never met before.
David quickly jumped on his feet, trying to discreetly brush the wet grass clippings on his back rear and blushed when the man's gaze followed his gesture with laser-like precision.
So, he waited, wallowing in self-pity, for the man to extend a hand and introduce himself:
"Hi, I'm Patrick. Your mother was telling me you needed help?"
He was smirking. Here was David, lost and alone, and the man's very beautiful eyes were filled with glee at his expense. David held his head up high and shoved the hand-mower in front of him. Patrick crouched down, revealing a very attractive butt that threw David's imagination in flames. He barely heard anything the man said and watched him leave for the garage with an immense regret, even though he reappeared a few minutes afterwards, with spare cables, and various equipment in hand.
It would have been bearable if at some point, Patrick hadn't lifted his shirt to reveal a tool-belt. David almost fainted. He looked in his mother's direction but she had disappeared like she was wont to do and he decided it was for the best.
The cable looked as good as new and David's mood was changing fast. Patrick had smiled at him and that was a win. He also asked him if they could meet for dinner at the cafe the next day and... well...
David did wake up in a comfortable bed. Not because he had had a nightmare but because he was tightly held in Patrick's arms, in his apartment, and while the sex had been incredibly exhausting the night before, he felt very interested in a round two.