CH 10

On Monday, after seeing the kids off to school, Phillip took his memory stick to a printers and had a pile of flyers made. They looked fairly professional, so he took a deep breath and started on his way to a new life. Heck, last time he'd advertised it hadn't worked out too bad. The Lewises had been with him for a few weeks already, and it was mostly good. Sure they'd had a few issues, but for the most part Phillip was okay, even enjoying the change. It had showed him that the rut he'd been in for so long wasn't healthy. He was surprised at how much he liked the company and how lonely he'd truly been before. Coming home was actually inviting, interesting; there was always some story from the kids or Gareth, and they always asked him how he was, too. Maybe he was finally participating in life, rather than watching it go by, and maybe he was ready to plunge ahead.

Working at Bentman's had been safe. Predictable. And in many ways, completely stifling. As much as Brian was a complete jerk, Phillip could thank him for forcing him to get out there and try something new—actually put his knowledge and degree to use rather than be a glorified stock boy. It was terrifying, but also incredibly exciting. Gareth had made him such a great web page and flyer that Phillip wanted to prove to him it was actually worth his time. That maybe Phillip was worth his time...

Although the city they lived in wasn't particularly large, there were at least four seniors' centres that he could target. Maybe a few of the community centres, too, and the upscale food stores where wealthier people with little time but big wallets might want impressive gardens. In addition, Mrs. Bentman had also been true to her word, and Phillip already had three of her friends calling as prospective clients. Things were looking up.

.....................................................................

"Ah, Phillip?" Gareth got the attention of the man who was sitting across from him as Phillip's eyes flicked upwards, off the garden catalogue he'd been perusing. "I was wondering if you could watch the kids for me on Thursday evening."

Gareth felt like a complete jerk for asking. Surely it was overstepping his boundaries as tenant, although he really did feel that maybe they were more like friends now. "I have to attend the arts evening at my school and it's not required but I kind of feel like I should go since my class-"

"It's fine, Gareth, of course I can. Thank you for asking me," Phillip responded quickly, waving off Gareth's explanation. He was actually quite pleased to be asked, made him feel more like someone important—and he'd never really had that feeling before. "Maybe I could take them to the McDonald's with the playplace for dinner and the library for Daisy first?" That had to be easier than cooking for them.

"Really, Phillip, it's not necessary. You spoil them." Gareth smiled to show he meant no insult.

"I never got to do things like this as a child. I never even had fast food until I went to university," Phillip admitted. "My father wouldn't permit it when I was young, therefore, even when he was gone, my mother still stuck to the steadfast rule of a home cooked meal."

"Huh." Gareth couldn't really understand the idea of taking kids to McDonald's as a novelty, but if Phillip wanted to try it, then more power to him. "Well, if you want to take the little monsters there, you're welcome to it. You'll have to take my van though, because of the child seats. Is it okay if I use your car?"

It was settled, and for the first time ever Phillip was very definitely, possibly completely, in over his head.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

The library had been fine. It had been quiet, controlled, manageable. Daisy and Phillip bonded over a A Wrinkle in Time while the younger two chose some picture books, played games on the children's section computers, and completed some book themed colouring sheets.

McDonald's however, was a whole other can of worms. It was one with a large indoor playground, complete with climbing structure, air hockey table, and games station.

It was incredibly busy. It was insanely loud. And it was frightfully scary for someone who had never babysat a day in his life. The Lewis children, normally reserved and mostly well behaved, seemed to transmogrify into a single man's biggest nightmare. They ran, yelled, fussed, whined, argued, and actually behaved pretty much like every other child in the joint. There might have even been some screeching. It wasn't wholly bad per say, just not within Phillip's realm of experience. At. All.

They'd managed to finagle a table right by the edge of the play structure, the best location, according to Franny. And while Phillip had to agree that it was a good place to ensure he could keep his eyes on them, it was also probably the loudest and most revolting table there. Every single little beast that dashed by coughing or sneezing or just breathing heavily (as excited children were prone to doing) ran right past their exposed food. Every single parent who was trying to wrangle their child/children stood by their table and yelled (they had to in order to be heard over the frightfully loud din), sometimes shooting Phillip a sheepish smile. It was not a relaxing meal, nor was it particularly palatable, but it was an experience, and that's what Phillip had said he wanted. Just goes to show that 'be careful what you wish for' was an old adage for a very important reason.

After two hours, half eaten meals, and soft serve cones for all, Phillip managed to get thevery sweaty little Lewises back into the van with minimal tears and, surprisingly, no lost footwear. The cheap plastic toys clasped in hands along with library books all made it in the house unscathed and Phillip even survived bed time, too.

By the time Gareth returned from the school arts night activity, it was Phillip who was passed out crookedly on the couch, looking thoroughly exhausted and uncharacteristically rumpled. One arm was thrown above his head resting on the arm of the couch and his shirt was wrinkled and untucked, showing an expanse of pale flesh just above his hip.

"Amateur," Gareth scoffed to himself, as it was now his turn to lay a blanket over Phillip's prone figure. Gareth stole away to Phillip's room, took the familiar duvet from the bed and very gently tucked the sleeping man in. Tempted, but resisting the urge to run his finger along Phillip's lightly stubbled cheek, Gareth took one last longing look before turning out the light and retiring to his shared room where Gabe was peacefully snoring. 

.......................................................

Mother's Day came. Phillip had an impossibly long shift at Bentman's, one of only five days he was scheduled for all month. Each a weekend shift, and each scheduled for heavily interacting with customers, Phillip's weakest skill because there was very little work actually involving plants. It was a schedule set for Phillip to fail; he was sure that was Brian's plan. What Brian hadn't realized was that Phillip didn't really care any longer. He now had secured several clients, enough that he was gardening around the city for a few hours on a daily basis with the possibility of several more due to the aging population's want for soothing landscapes. The tying of bows onto pots of plants that would surely perish in old age homes across the city, although disheartening to Phillip, wasn't the insult Brian intended. Phillip knew he could just walk away. When he wanted. On his own terms. And it was extremely freeing. If it wasn't for Mel and fond memories he might already be gone.

Affixing yet another lavender bow to a potted plant, Phillip could feel eyes on him. He had a whole table filled with large pots of brightly coloured hydrangeas and the smaller purple bell flowers of the campanulas. Both plants could survive and thrive outdoors in gardens in a few weeks when it was warmer, but more likely than not the plants would be forgotten and die soon enough.

"Kind of a waste, eh?" Mel rightly pointed out as she approached Phillip, her double meaning not lost on him. She was decked out in white Doc Marten's, a purple polka-dotted dress, and lime green leggings all topped off with a bright blue Bentman's staff vest.

Phillip shrugged in response. "Doesn't matter. He's the boss."

"You're made for so much more than this, Phil."

Phillip fumbled in his pocket for a second before pulling out a folded piece of paper that he handed over. "I know."

Mel's face brightened considerably as she scanned the printed page of Phillip's flyer. "Oh, Phillip! This is fantastic! Completely amazing!" She grabbed his arm, and he didn't stiffen like usual. "I'll have to tell everyone..."

"No, you can't. I'm not stealing a client base from the store, and I'm certainly not purchasing goods here, but I could be accused of using my employee discount and connections for personal profit. Those would both be wrong."

Mel could appreciate Phillip's strong sense of morals. "I wouldn't have expected any different from you. Now who's helping you with all of this?"

This is where Phillip stiffened. And his face reddened while he chewed his cheek. And he shifted uneasily. All classic signs that Mel was just devouring. "Uh, Gareth, I suppose."

"Your tenant? The guy with the kids?" Mel cocked an eyebrow, surprised. She now had an understanding of maybe what team Phillip played for. It had been a topic of great debate between she and her husband. She was certain he was asexual, but Vernon hadn't been totally convinced.

"Yeah, uh, he helped with the flyers, webpage and Facebook page." Phillip ducked his head back down to the table, keeping his blushing face from Mel's prying eyes even though it was too late.

"Interesting...I might have to stop by and check out your...garden this year." She gave him a wicked grin and wandered back towards the greenhouse area. Phillip tried not to groan too loudly and went back to his bows.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>

The children clutched the 'gifts' they'd made at school, macaroni picture frames and all. Gareth tried Leeann's number again, but there was still no answer. Not that he was expecting her to pick up.

"I'm sorry, kids. She doesn't seem to be answering. Maybe her phone's not on?" he offered, trying really hard to be generous to the bitch that was nominally their mother. Thankfully they'd spoken to Gareth's mother before trying Leeann. Grandma had been thrilled with their call.

"No." Tears were streaming down Daisy's face, hurt etched on her damp cheeks. "She wasn't lying before and her phone isn't off, Daddy. She just doesn't want us. And you know what? I don't want her either!" Daisy flung her present, a rather insincere poem about Mommy's loving smiles, to the table then stormed out of the room, pigtails flying behind her until she slammed the bedroom door. Images of her upcoming adolescent years flashed uneasily in front of Gareth's eyes before he decided what to do. Glitter bits winked up at him from the discarded page.

He pinched his nose and closed his eyes for a second to gather his thoughts. "Okay, shoes and spring jackets you two. We're going out." He looked down the hall at the closed door. "You guys get ready, I'll go get your sister."

..................................................

Although it wasn't really in the budget, a trip to the movie theatre was the perfect distraction. And really, his budget was much better now that he didn't have Leeann's mysterious expenses draining his account. Gareth felt they needed a bit of a treat after the disappointment of the day, so this was a good option. There were more fathers there with kids than moms, so it was something he could do to take their mind off just how terrible Leeann actually was. And fortunately the storyline was involving animated robots in space, so again, no mothers. Each child got their own drink, popcorn, and candy combo, munching happily throughout the film. There was minimal spillage and, thankfully, no tears.

When it was done, they all blinked and stepped out under the sunny, late-afternoon May sky. Making their way over to the van, Franny noticed something that Gareth hadn't.

"Isn't that where Phillip works?" She pointed at the familiar Bentman's logo from Phillip's shirt on the sign across the parking lot.

"Can we go? I've got leftover candy he can have!" Gabe happily offered.

"I don't know, guys, I mean, he's working..." Gareth's speech fell on deaf ears, however, as the three children dashed across the mostly empty lot.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

"Phillip, Phillip, Phillip!" Little voices were calling his name as he finished tying which must have been his thousandth ribbon. This time they were pink and surrounding pots of mini-roses, probably the most insidious of all potted flowers as far as Phillip was concerned. He'd already been pricked five or six times in the past half hour with tiny little thorns and couldn't think that there'd be many more plant sales seeing as the store closed in less than thirty minutes.

He looked up to see the three Lewis children running up to him, smiles on their faces. "Hi, what are you doing here?"

"Daddy took us to see a movie because Mommy hates us," Franny proclaimed as she happily grabbed him around his legs.

"I brought you the rest of my gummy peaches!" Gabe thrust a mostly empty candy bag in his face.

"Oh, uh, thanks." Phillip took the candy before the bag hit him. It was obvious they had a bit of sugar today. He was still trying to think of how to respond to Franny's comment when Mel happened upon them.

"Who do we have here?" She knelt down and got to Franny's height, even though Mel wasn't particularly tall.

"Uh, these are the children I told you about, Daisy, Gabe, and Franny." He pointed to each in turn.

"And I'm Gareth," Phillip turned when he heard the familiar voice, sounding a bit laboured. "Sorry Phillip, they saw the sign across the parking lot and got away from me." Gareth held out his hand to whomever Phillip was talking to, and Phillip noticed Gareth's ruddy cheeks and heaving chest from chasing his children. He bit his lip hesitantly, feeling that the situation might be a little awkward.

"Mel." She rose to her feet and shook the proffered hand. "Pleased to meet you, Gareth, Phillip's told me a lot about you," and Mel gave Gareth a winning smile as she checked him out, while Phillip choked back a surprised cough. What was Mel playing at? Phillip purposely barely spoke of Gareth at all, really, because he knew Mel too well and he didn't want to be pestered. She turned slightly and winked at Phillip, causing him to feel like a giant tool.

The pleasantries continued between Mel and Gareth while Phillip just watched. He was slightly jealous of her easy way of conversing with Gareth. He wanted to be the one to make the man chuckle. Phillip swallowed his bitter feelings down, trying to focus back on the conversation, and before he knew it they were all invited over to Mel's for dinner.

......................................

"It's nothing special really, but I can grill some burgers for us," Mel's husband, Vernon, said as he welcomed everyone into their tall, but narrow, townhouse with a grin. "I didn't have a lot of notice, but that's Mel for you." His booming voice carried out the door and over the threshold as his burly figure held back two large dogs.

He grinned as Mel stood on tippy toes to peck his cheek. "Put the dogs downstairs, hon, then I'll introduce everyone."

The dinner went well. The kids were in awe of the couple hosting them; Mel with her frenetic energy and petite figure, and Vern with his huge stature and completely bald head. They had all sorts of conversations about the dogs and school and the nursery, and then more so about Phillip's new business venture.

"I have to thank you, Gareth, for being the motivation Phillip needed to actually do something," Mel offered as she dished out ice cream.

Gareth looked confused. "I really didn't do anything. Just helped him make a flyer and a bit of a web presence. Everything else is all Phillip."

Phillip didn't want Mel to start anything that could be potentially embarrassing or expose his crush on his tenant so he deftly changed the subject, "So, Gabe, what are you going to do for your birthday? It's coming up in a week or two, isn't it?" It was a lot for him to say in one go, and Mel gave him a suspicious look that was lost on the others.

"Yep, I'm turning seven, but I don't think we'll do anything. A cake, I guess."

"No party?" Mel questioned.

"Mommy didn't let us have parties. Too much mess," Franny informed the table.

"Well, I don't mind if you want to have a party," Phillip offered. Then he realized he'd totally overstepped his bounds and stumbled over his next words, face red. "I mean if your father thinks it's okay and all." That was it, he was never opening his mouth again.

Phillip felt badly, but he remembered when he grew up how his parents weren't fond of having people over. He'd wanted a party terribly when he was little, but never had one. Perhaps if he had one when he was younger, he might have had more friends. Mostly he felt bad about putting Gareth on the spot, but he really sympathized with Gabe; such a quiet young boy and to be facing a learning disability on top of everything, he must be hurting.

"Are you sure, Phillip? We wouldn't want to impose...it could just be something small," Gareth smiled kindly at Phillip, and his heart skipped a beat.

Mel observed the exchange with a grin. She had never seen her coworker, in all her years working with him so....animated. At least animated for Phillip. To willingly converse was something he didn't do often, and to invite children, of all things, into his house was unheard of. She wanted to encourage him as much as possible, "We'll help!" she quickly added. "Vern's a great baker. He can make a cake or cupcakes if you want, and I can come up with some sort of activity to keep the boys busy." Vernon nodded in agreement.

"Really?" Gabe's eyes were wide with possibilities. "Please Daddy?"

Gareth was happy he could allow his son this small measure of happiness. "You don't have to help, Mel, Vernon, although I'll gladly accept your offer."

"It's settled then." Phillip felt a surge of happiness that he felt he managed to hide, but Mel was pretty sure she saw his grin from behind his napkin. She was certain he was smitten with Gareth, and the children, really, and it made her happy. Phillip's solitary life had always bothered her.

The rest of dessert was spent talking about plans for a party in two weeks' time, and everyone was pleased with the outcome. The kids had forgotten their terrible Mother's Day, and were exhausted by the time they left to go home for bed.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Gareth made the tea that evening and as he offered Phillip the steaming mug, he said, "I just want to thank you, Phillip, for everything today."

The gardener looked at his hands, talking through the steam as it furled around his head, "It was no trouble, really. Mostly Mel just being Mel. She and Vernon haven't been able to have children, but they love them."

"You helped though; offering your house, being so welcoming at the store. Leeann didn't even bother answering the phone today and the kids were so upset. Thank you." Gareth reached his hand across the space and let it rest, just for a moment, on Phillip's knee. He wished his touch could convey everything he was feeling, his attraction, his gratitude, his longing for something more, but he wasn't particularly forward and had never been the instigator in any relationship, so for now, he had to be thankful for whatever touches he could manage and hope that Phillip might reciprocate.

Phillip just kept his eyes lowered and sipped his tea, willing the burning heat in his leg--far hotter than his beverage--to stay for longer.

A/N: Okay, so maybe glaciers move faster, but they do go somewhere. :) I hope everyone is having a nice weekend. Everyone here is a little ill with a cold, which is funny seeing how we're having very summery weather. I'm considering updating three times a week instead of two, but am unsure. Let me know what you think. Thanks so much for reading! 

<3 JJ