Housesitter Pt. 03

Housesitter

Part Three

by The Preve

Inspired, in part, by "Shower", by A-L-E-X-X

note: some M/M action here, just to give a head's up.

So now Finn was at the door, preparing to go in. He'd taken off his shoes and put them in the trunk as instructed.

The walk down the stone trail was almost like a park. He'd seen some goats, but they'd ignored him, more interested in the blackberry bushes near a small rise on his left.

Past the rise, and through a copse of red alder and maple, he came to the end. A wall lay before him, leading away from either side of the path, into the woods.

The wall's height was roughly nine feet. Five feet, from the ground to near shoulder height, was made of polished gray granite blocks.

The rest of the wall was composed of glass bricks, rounded at the top.

A gate, also made of glass and steel, stood before him. He'd been told the wall was there to keep the goats out.

The house and grounds were programmed to your bio signature, per the measurements and blood taken at the exam. Just put your hand on it, and it'll let you in.

Finn did as instructed. The gate swung inward. Finn entered, into a near immaculate yard, almost too good to be one.

A well-trimmed emerald green lawn, bordered by a rainbow-colored flower garden, followed by trees: big leaf maples, Douglas firs, and red alders, forming a natural wall.

Sprawled before him, the house. "The Peters/Johnson Glass House," Finn recited, from the info Gavin gave him.

Glass was an understatement. The entire geometrically cubed construction seemed made of windows. Big and clear, almost like they weren't there.

Finn could see all the rooms, another view of the Salish, and islands, plus Mt. Baker, on the other side.

"Wow," Finn was impressed.

The walkway led straight to the door. Next to it, on Finn's left, rested the white trunk to keep his shoes. It was square, and looked more like a freezer than a trunk.

Finn took off his shoes, opened the container, and put them in. The interior was cushioned at the base, with purple, florescent lights on the sides.

Ultraviolet (for killing germs)? Gavin Peters is pretty strict on disinfecting.

Finn stood, barefoot, on the mat. The door was sliding glass, Transparent metal, but which one. Aluminum? Iron? Titanium?

It had no handle, but a handhold indented in the side.

Finn grasped the handhold. The door slid aside easily. Finn stepped in.

"Welcome to the Peters/Johnson Experimental Glass House Finn Aiden Duffy." The voice startled him.

"What...?!"

"Do not worry about the voice. You are listening to an AI generated message specifically programmed for you. The purpose is to reiterate your duties and responsibilities, during your stay in this domicile, as an employee of Craftlove Development Group, founded by Gavin Peters. Now, to summarize: the Peters/Johnson Experimental Glass House was created as a joint project between the late architect, Philip Johnson, and Gavin Peters..."

Finn listened as he walked through the house. There wasn't much new which he hadn't heard earlier.

"Your duties will be basic maintenance and cleaning, particularly in areas not covered by the automated cleaners, and maintenance modules.

Lawn and garden care are covered by the automated mowers and weed control. Pest control is handled through use of natural predators to reduce the need for chemicals. You will, however, be required to inspect the garden regularly.

It is advised to exercise caution regarding the mowers, given your state of undress. The mowers are programmed to avoid objects, but some caution is required.

"Makes sense."

"The first three weeks are designed to acclimate you to the house and island. Further instructions will be presented to you on or after midnight, June 21."

"That's kind of odd. Why that date?"

"A laptop has been provided for you in the study. The instructions are programmed into the laptop. Access to the internet is provided on Gavin Peters' orders, but email will be unavailable, nor communication through forums.

Food stocks are in the pantry and refrigerator. The bathroom is stocked with the best in personal body care. A specialized electric shaver is provided to allow you to maintain your hair to the required standard.

You have been informed of the recreational exercise room, swimming pool, and library. Everything is designed to meet your personal needs for the duration of your employment. Any further questions can be addressed through the FAQ app provided on the laptop.

This concludes the introduction to the Peters/Johnson Experimental Glass House. Thank you for volunteering to assist in the development of, what is sure to be, a revolution in domestic living, Finn Aiden Duffy.

Craftlove wishes you a pleasant experience.

Message Ends."

Finn had found it difficult, listening while taking in the house's aesthetics.

This house is so... geometric.

It was like everything was designed from building blocks. The furniture, chairs, sofas, ottomans, coffee tables, were all polished wood, shaped like they came out of FAO Schwarz. Almost like Lego or Fisher Price. He didn't know what wood they were built from. Teak?

The floor looked built of the same type: a closer look revealed barely noticeable seams in the floor. Panels? Shaped in large squares.

Finn examined the walls. They were a combination of polished and stained wood panels, followed by tall, wide mirrors, and then thick, glass brick, walls.

I'm probably going to have to dust, and make sure the mirrors and glass stay spotless. Finn made a mental note to be sure plenty of glass cleaner was available. This house might not be as low maintenance as they said.

He went to a mirror to touch it. How well do the fingerprints stand out?

The mirror was smooth, cool; the reflection so clear, he could almost enter it. Finn saw himself in every detail. Yeah, that salon did a good job.

No blemishes on his skin. His body a pale flesh pink, head to toe. The only other colors, his dark blue eyes, short black hair, and eyebrows. Not an idealized Hollywood look, as would be common among the elite in southern California.

"More like hypernormal," he thought. A sort of idealized geek, or nerdy look, cute but not supermodel, or movie star.

"Cute geek," he thought, not from self-admiration. Some classmates in high school and college mentioned it to him. Finn never took advantage of that look. His focus was on grades and graduations. To get as far away from Mom, Dad, and Bro as possible.

The girls could wait, maybe the boys; he'd never fully explored that.

Friends and colleagues, who had similar family problems, understood.

He took his fingers away from the mirror. No prints. He breathed against it. The mirror misted for a second. No sign that he'd ever touched it. Are the other mirrors like this?

Something, a shadow perhaps, behind him, next to the chair, moved, Huh? Wuzzat?!

He turned, nothing. He wasn't sure he'd actually seen it. A bird flew past the window. Probably that.

Finn decided to explore upstairs. The stair itself, was designed in the cantilever style, an ascending series of polished wooden steps on a chrome grid, as if the steps floated on air, with glass and chrome handrails.

He went up the stairs, leaving the living room silent and empty. A few seconds later, in the mirror, someone walked in.

Finn's reflection, eyes black as sin, wearing a smile of malevolent mischief.

His doppelganger gazed out into the living room. Not yet. Plans needed to be put in place. Things needed to be prepared, but come midsummer, Oooo the fun.

The doppelganger turned and strode out of view. The mirror reflected an empty living room as before.

****

The upstairs displayed the same wood/mirror/glass interior design as below. Large panel floors, wood block style furniture, minimalist style.

The bedroom had a writing desk, a California king-size bed, and a walk-in closet. There were no mirrors.

The head of the bed rested against a glass brick wall, next to the entrance, which had no door. Glass windows were opposite and to the sides of the bed, presenting views of the surrounding property.

No view of the sea from this room. Which means no one sailing by can see in.

Finn examined the bed. Largest bed I've ever seen. He'd heard of California kings, but never thought he'd see one.

My old man and mom could certainly afford one, but that'd be ostentatious, even for them.

The bed was simple. Just a large mattress set in a wooden frame. No covers or bed sheets; just a large pillow.

Guess covers and sheets would qualify as clothing in some circumstances.

He touched the mattress to test its firmness. It rippled.

What the...? A waterbed?

Certainly unexpected. Not many people use waterbeds these days. What if this thing springs a leak? Finn thought further, Nah, if the tech is sensitive like Gavin says, they'd make sure this bed was watertight.

The bathroom was next. Right next to the bedroom, as with the latter, the entrance had no door.

Pretty sizable room.

The bathroom had the same glass and mirror design. The fixtures were chrome. The shower looked too large for one person.

Geez! You could fit ten, maybe more, in here!

The floor was stone tile, polished and white, with a deep, wide bathtub, and Jacuzzi, set in it.

The cabinet and walk-in closet were stocked with wide varieties of soap, shampoo, body wash, all high end, plus electric shavers designed for use in the shower.

No razors or shaving cream. Why would there be, considering?

Of peculiar note were numerous bottles of baby, and other body oils, of different varieties.

Huh?! And then he thought, Oh, uh, well, I'm here for three months, with nothing else to do. Maybe this stuff's for, um, recreation?

The upstairs had other walk-ins containing pillows and futons. For the furniture, obviously, and no blankets or covers.

The study took up the rest of the upper level, opposite the bedroom. Finn was happy, and impressed, to see Gavin wasn't fibbing about the volume.

More books than could be read over the summer, many sci-fi, fantasy, and horror. Enough DVDs and blue-rays to fill a video store. Enough CDs to encompass almost forty years of music. Finally flash drives containing even more, Wow!

A large, simple, polished mahogany table sat in the middle. A closed laptop was on it. Next to it was a wireless modem, and a logbook.

So here it is.

One of Craftlove's YG laptops with a Portal operating system. The modem was Craftlove's as well.

Nothing was written in the logbook. Waiting for me, I guess.

He opened the laptop. The screen lit up with the Craftlove logo displayed on the background.

An icon, a note, displayed in the lower left corner. Message? He clicked on it.

The puckish face of Gavin Peters popped up. He looked to be on a tropical beach.

"Hello Finn," he smiled. "If you're viewing this, you're probably in the study. I hope you had a good trip. I like to think the house impresses you. I prefer things to be minimalist and, as you've seen, the tech is pretty well-hidden. It's there, but the house is designed to not wear it on its sleeve.

You will note the absence of bed sheets, blankets, even towels. No covering up whatsoever, heh! Don't worry. If you haven't noticed, the house is carefully climate controlled to make sure you're comfortable. You won't shiver from poorly configured air conditioning, I swear.

Now, you won't have to worry about passwords or other issues with your laptop. It's specifically programmed for you. Just click on whatever you wish, and it'll take you there. The best antivirus, anti-spyware, and tech security is on it. Believe me, I should know. So should you really, heh!"

Finn smiled at that. Craftlove antivirus was considered the world's best.

"So! That's it. I'll leave another message in a few weeks, June 21, after midnight. Meanwhile, enjoy the summer, keep the log, and keep an eye on the tech. Oh! The laptop's yours at the end of summer. Part of the bonus," Gavin winked, "Laters."

Gavin blinked out. Finn noticed several other icons. He clicked on a clock icon. Twenty days, 8:25:32 seconds to Midsummer?

Between Gavin's parting message and this countdown, Something's up for midsummer, maybe?

Another icon, shaped like a key, labeled caretakers. He clicked on it.

Three faces appeared, against a background displaying the living room. The title stated simply, "Craftlove wishes to extend deep felt thanks to these former employees for their assistance in testing out the Peters/Johnson Experimental Glass House. Building a better home for the modern family."

The names beneath the faces were: Callie Hall, Ryan Burns, and Christine Ashwood.

Finn was somewhat shocked. Gavin didn't mention three people before me. It certainly looked sketchy. Under their respective names were the times of their employment.

Seven, fourteen, twenty-one years ago?!

Each one house sat for Gavin at seven year intervals. No one told me about these three. I didn't know the house was this old. Why didn't Gavin tell me? Who are these people?

He clicked on the most recent, Christine Ashwood. There wasn't much information, other than a few pictures, her age, 33, and employment, outside of house sitting. She worked for Craftlove? They recruited in house?

Christine Ashwood was beautiful. Wow! Very milf! Tall and long-limbed, with a slender, curvy body, jet black, shoulder length hair, pale olive skin, long, narrow bell-shaped nose, high cheek bones, and dark amber eyes.

Maybe she's part Greek or Italian? I don't know.

The was a regal look about her. Maybe she was higher ranked in the Craftlove corporate hierarchy? I wonder if Gavin can arrange a meeting? We can compare notes, maybe? She's probably forty by now.

Ryan Burns had also worked for Craftlove, as an intern. His age was listed as 22. He was slender and athletic, with short, light brown hair, and hazel eyes. Finn liked his face. Bright, friendly, with a narrow chin, round cheeks, snub nose. His looks were more cute than handsome. I could like this guy.

Callie Hall was an IT worker, age 25. Probably mid-forties now. She had a short, slender body, what his mother would describe as lithesome. Her eyes were blue. What stood her out was her short, pixie-cut, ash blonde hair. Her looks were pretty enough, with a round face, and button nose. She looked no nonsense, down-to-business meets girl next door. Finn did not know if he could like her, but certainly didn't hate her.

Finn sat back thinking. Three house sitters over the past twenty-one years. Why seven year intervals? Why did Gavin not tell me? Non-disclosure agreements maybe?

He thought some more. If they had to do the same thing as me, maybe they'd rather no one knew. Make's sense, kind of.

Yes, it would be awkward explaining you spent the summer, naked, watching over an isolated house. Still, there was the question of the house's age.

I thought the tech was new. I think Gavin did mention remodeling. Maybe they upgrade every seven years.

It seemed a good explanation, but it also felt like something to calm a disquieting chill on the back of his neck.

As it stood, he still had the kitchen, gym, and pool to explore, And then I'll settle in.

The design of the kitchen was slightly different from the rest of the house. The counters were gray marble, as was the sink basin. The faucets were polished chrome, like the bathroom.

The stove was small and electric, and made of stone and glass, with the exception of the electric components. Plus, a microwave, made of the same material.

The table, chairs, and floors were made of teak like the other furniture. The cabinets were empty, except for one plate, and one bowl. There were no other utensils.

No forks, spoons, or knives? Odd.

The walk-in cabinets contained a large amount of dried goods, breakfast cereals, ramen, and other microwaveables.

Well, here are the forks and spoons.

The utensils were on the shelves, packaged, and edible. Finn had heard of these. Replacement for plastics, and all in compostable packaging.

The walk-in refrigerator contained the rest of the food stuffs described by Gavin. It wasn't merely a refrigerator but a room, sealed by an airtight door that could be rolled back from within.

The shelves were similar to what one would find in an archive, packed tight, to be rolled out to select the packaged food.

Innovative, also a good way to keep people from locking themselves in.

The exercise and pool area led directly from the kitchen. It had no weight training equipment, just handholds for pull ups, push ups, and sit ups, along with yoga mats, and a treadmill. Finn didn't mind; weightlifting was more his brother's thing. Most of the minimal equipment seemed more for stamina and flexibility training.

The pool's pretty big. I can do a morning swim routine.

The area's walls were windows and mirrors, with the ceiling allowing sunlight into the room. Eliminates the need for artificial lights.

So, now the tour was over. So what do I do now? A rumble in his stomach provided the answer. Oh yeah, it's been awhile.

Two bowls of honey granola later, Finn sat at the table. Okay, what's next?

It was at that moment, Finn realized, There isn't much of a next, is there?

It wasn't that the task was overwhelming, but the opposite. Stuck in a house, on a private island, for three months, looking after tech he couldn't see, did just about everything for him, and probably wouldn't have to fix.

In other words, the only thing I have to do for three months is walk around naked. Even the idea bored him. I really didn't think this one through, did I?

Overall, Finn realized it was going to be a long three months. I'm going to have to figure how to keep my mind occupied, other than just with books and DVDs.

Finn spent the rest of the day with further inspections. He took the pillows out of the walk-ins and placed them on the chairs and couches.

It surprised him that the chair in the living room actually reclined. A closer look found the seams in the chair were so close as to be nearly hidden. Wow! Good manufacturing.

The lighting was synched to the daylight, so the house stayed lit the darker it grew.

Finn swam in the pool for ten minutes, waited until he dried, then went upstairs to write in the log book. He ran into a small complication. Where's the pen?

He looked about, in the drawers, and shelves. No pens or pencils, or other writing implements.

Weird, what am I going to write with?

He opened the laptop, hoping to find a Word Perfect or OpenOffice app. CraftScribe. Good enough. I'll use that.

After creating a log, he wrote what happened. Basically nothing, other than no pen. Then he went to take a shower.

The shower was the best he'd ever been in, with a variety of settings so muscle relaxing he nearly got an erection. Almost like a real masseuse.