Tiny House Nation

Troy looked in the rearview mirror and said, "That would be my dad."

"Hey, move that piece of shit out of the way!" they heard a loud voice call out.

"I didn't mean for you to meet him this way but... Do you mind?"

She looked behind her and saw an overweight man with gray hair smiling at them and said, "No, of course not."

"Sorry if I scared you," his father said roughly as they went inside. "I just couldn't help myself when I saw my boy lean over to kiss you. You kids want a beer?"

"Um, no thanks, Dad," Troy said. "We can't stay long. I just stopped by to show her the house."

"Oh, okay," he said with resignation. "Figures you didn't come over to visit. It ain't much to look at, but it's home," he said to Chanile. "I don't keep up much with the cleanin' since Jean...Troy's mom...passed away."

"It's just fine, Mr. Andrews," she assured him.

"That's kind of you honey, but I know it's a mess. Just one more reason why my boy don't come around much anymore." He grabbed a can of beer from the fridge as soon as he walked in and chugged.

"Dad, please," Troy began.

"Nah, it ain't no secret you're ashamed of this place. And me. And your brother." He crushed the entire first can in two big gulps and then grabbed another beer before sitting down.

"Listen, Dad. We've got some blueprints to take a look at so we need run along, okay?"

"Yeah, sure. Run along. Nice to meet you there, young lady. Don't see many of your kind out here."

"My kind? You mean black people?"

"Nope. Beautiful people," he said exposing a chipped front tooth as he smiled and slammed the second beer.

Chanile smiled and said, "It was nice to meet you too, sir."

"Hey," he said as she got up to leave. Bring me another beer, would ya?" He belched loudly and crushed the aluminum can in his hand before tossing it a pile near his feet.

Outside Troy told her, "My dad quit drinking when my mom made him move out here when my brother and I were little. He was an alcoholic and she threatened to divorce him if he didn't quit. He sold our little house in town and moved out here. He worked all day at the mill then all night here on the house and never took another drink until my mom died."

"It's so sad, Troy," she said sincerely. "I lost my mom, as well, but somehow my dad held it together. I always worried the stress would kill him, too, but he's a tough old guy."

"Mine, too," Troy said. "Just not that tough. Losing a son and then your wife in a three-year period could do most anyone in."

She reached out for his hand and said, "I admire you, too. You talk about not having much education but you did very well in high school and now you're a general contractor and a foreman. That's pretty amazing in my book."

Troy held her hand and said, "It's funny. I was valedictorian. Never had anything but all As from 1st grade through graduation. Everyone knew I was going to college. Everyone but me, that is. We didn't have any money, and...unlike you...I had no desire to work full-time and study full-time so I went to work for a friend's dad who owned a construction company. I started my senior year and within five years I had my GC license and that's when the Bennetts hired me. Salt of the earth folks, as you now know."

"They really are like family, aren't they?"

Troy sighed and said, "The way my dad is now, Paul often seems more like a dad to me than my own father." He turned to her and said, "Speaking of fathers, I'd like to meet yours sometime." He quickly added, "We kind of just met so I'm not making this a 'meet your parents' moment. He just seems like a really good man."

"He is and no worries on meeting him. I have a feeling that'll happen in the not-too-distant future," she said with a coy smile.

Back inside her 'palace' Chanile offered him a cup of tea and as she boiled the water, spread out the blueprints on the table he'd put in the little trailer.

"Doesn't leave much room for anything else, does it?" he said noting how when the table was flipped out and extended it took up more than half the width of the 10 x 30 foot trailer.

He scanned the plans making mental notes and asked, "What kind of materials are you wanting to use once it's framed out?"

She sat down and sipped tea with him as she outlined the details from siding to flooring to all of the amenities she wanted to have.

"Hmmm. If you want a washer-dryer inside and a full shower, you're either gonna have to add another four feet or give something else up."

"I was wondering about that after I finished these. I was thinking maybe I'd live with a smaller loft since I only need to be able to fit one person in there."

He smiled at her. "What? What is it this time?" she asked already knowing what that look meant.

"So you're planning on living in your tiny house...alone...for how long? It's not like you have a guest room or anything so unless your plans include celibacy..."

"Troy Andrews. You are terrible!"

"Me? Terrible? I prefer to think of myself as...pragmatic. I mean, a beautiful young woman like yourself who's basically lived alone her whole life can't possibly expect to live alone for..."

She threw up her hands and said, "Okay. Fine. Point taken. We can add on the four feet." She gave him a look of her own then said, "What's that going to set me back?"

"Well, labor is the biggest expense. In terms of materials, you're not talking about a whole lot more. I'd say maybe $3,000 or so give or take." He folded up the plans and put the table away and asked, "So when are you planning on starting on this project of yours?"

She sighed and said, "As you saw, I desperately need a new car so that's my first priority. I don't have much of a professional wardrobe so that's right up there with a new vehicle. Once those two things are covered, I can get started on this. I've put some money away to get it going, but it's probably only enough to cover the materials and then only if I stick to lower-end stuff. As you said, labor is the bigger expense so let's say in six months to a year from now?"

"Okay. Good to know," he said as they finished their tea.

"I should get going," he told her as he took the last sip from his cup.

"I had a really nice time, Troy. Thank you for dinner and for showing me where you grew up. I know you said I don't need to apologize, but I am sorry for some of the things I assumed."

"It's not a big deal. Honestly," he told her.

"It is to me," she told him. "There was a man in my life that I really liked. He just has all of these preconceived notions about certain people and that's not something I can live with. So any time I see that in myself I put an end to it immediately. I try to live by the Golden Rule and what Dr. King said about judging people by the content of their character. Words matter. So do attitudes and actions."

He stood up and she walked the five feet to the door with him. He turned around and said, "When I said you were classy...and elegant..." He emphasized the word to let her know he hadn't forgotten it this time. "I was so right. Every time I learn something new about you, it just makes me admire you even more. You have such a great perspective on things. To be perfectly honest with you, I'd like the opportunity to get to know you better."

"I'd like that," she said shyly. "I'm not just saying this to return the compliment, but I can tell you're a man of character and each time I find out something new about you, it impresses me even more."

He reached out for her hands and she gave them to him. "We're just a couple of poor kids trying to make our way in the world. Both of us are goal-oriented and not afraid of hard work. So...who knows, right?" he said with a smile as he looked into her eyes.

"Right," she said quietly. "Who knows?"

Troy could tell by the way she was looking at him that she wanted to be kissed as much as he wanted to kiss her so he leaned down and did just that. The kiss was long and soft and slow and...very nice.

"So...good night, then," she said as their lips parted.

He opened the door then swung open the old screen door which went flying all the way to the side of the trailer. They both laughed and Troy told her, "I'm gonna fix this thing for you. It doesn't even latch anymore."

As he got to the bottom step she said, "Troy?"

He turned around and looked up at her and waited.

"If you're not busy tomorrow I'm thinking about going into Seattle to see my dad. If you'd like to come, it would..."

"I'd love to!" he told her. "Just let me know when. Oh, and I'll be happy to drive if you'd like."

"Actually, I was thinking maybe we could do a little bit of looking for a new car, too. If you wouldn't mind riding with me in my car, of course."

"Of course I don't mind. We'll make a day of it then, okay?"

"That sounds really nice. See you tomorrow around noon maybe?"

"I'll be here. Goodnight, Chanile," he said with a smile as he headed to his truck.

As she watched him drive away Chanile couldn't shake the feeling that whatever was going on between them might have legs and that thought stayed with her until she went to bed. For the first time in a very long time, she found herself unable to fall to asleep because of...thoughts about a man. Pleasant, lustful thoughts.

She thought back to the way he'd kissed her and the way he looked at her and...that smile of his as her hand moved slowly toward a small tuft of hair between her legs. She lay there thinking about spending the day with him and possibly even the night as she realized how wet she was. She let her mind wander along with her fingers until she shuddered with pleasure before falling into a very deep and peaceful sleep.

Troy arrived right on time and they got into her rusty old wreck and headed toward the city. "So does your father know I'm coming with you?" he asked as they drov northwest toward Seattle.

"I told him I was bringing a friend," she said with a smile.

"A friend. Oh, I see," is all Troy said in reply.

"It'll be fine. I promise," she told him.

The old car got them there just fine and Chanile managed to find a parking spot within a block which wasn't bad considering it was a Saturday afternoon. They walked upstairs to the second floor apartment and Chanile opened the door and walked in. "Hi, Daddy!" she said as soon as she saw him. She ran to him and threw her arms around him.

At the same time, she was aware of the presence of someone else in the room. She could tell without looking who it was and as she lowered her arms Chanile said, "Daekwon."

"Chanile," he said pronouncing her name tersely.

"I invited Daekwon, baby. He's been asking about you a lot and I thought...I didn't know your friend was gonna be..."

"A man?" she said filling in the blanks before any other word could be used.

Daekwon glared at Troy then at Chanile. "I don't know why I bothered," he said shaking his head with disgust. He looked at Chanile and said, "I don't even know who you are anymore." He looked over at Troy again then back at Chanile and said, "And it looks like you have no idea who you are anymore, either."

"Daekwon," she said as he pushed right by her.

Daekwon raised his hand in a 'don't say another word kind of way' and walked out the door not even looking at Troy.

"I'm so sorry," Chanile said to him.

"No, this is my fault," her father offered. "Please come in and sit down, young man. Any friend of my daughter's is a friend of mine."

Troy thanked him and accepted Walter's handshake as he sat next to Chanile. "Daekwon's never gonna change, Chanile. I thought maybe he might, but he's the same kid he's always been."

"He's not a bad guy, Daddy," she said. "He just has that old-school take on things and I understand. I don't agree with it, but I do understand it."

For the next two hours, they talked, ate lunch, and in spite of the obvious differences, both men parted company with a feeling of mutual respect.

"I like your dad. He's a really great guy," Troy offered on the way out to her car.

"Thank you for saying that," Chanile said. "I kind of think so, too."

"He's been through so much and has stayed so strong. I wish my dad had..."

She took his hand and said, "Don't do that to yourself, Troy. Like us, our parents make choices and they're not our choices. But they're still our parents."

"It's just not fair," he said as he opened her door.

"What's not fair?" she asked.

"How you can be so smart, so insightful, and so beautiful at the same time."

"So am I enough of things to deserve a kiss?" she teased.

"If you keep making me feel like I do about you, I'm not gonna want to do anything but kiss you," he said as he pressed his lips to hers.

"I could live with that," she told him as their lips parted.

When they got inside she said, "But I don't think I can live with this car much longer."

"I know just the place," he told her.

They headed back to Enumclaw and he asked to pull into the Chevrolet dealership. "I went to school with the owner's son and I just did some work for him on his home. Let's see if he'll repay me by offering you a good deal."

An hour later and Chanile was sitting behind the wheel of a brand new, 2015-closeout model of a Chevy Malibu. It didn't have all the bells and whistles, but it did have a great-sounding Bose stereo system in it and Troy's friend got the price down to a point where the monthly payments were very affordable on her budget.

"I LOVE it!" she told him when she sat behind the wheel for the first time as its owner. "Troy, it's beautiful."

He saw her eyes filling with tears and said, "Hey, you won't be able to drive if you start that."

She grabbed a tissue from her purse and dabbed her eyes. "I'm just so happy. I feel like my dream is coming true and everything in my life just feels so right." She sniffed, made sure her mascara hadn't run then looked over at Troy and said, "Thank you for this. I never dreamed I could afford a brand new car. All I wanted was something new-er and now I have...this."

"You deserve it," he told her. "You should have everything you want in life and more."

They drove the six miles to her house in silence just enjoying the new-car smell and letting her get used to the new controls. Troy saw a couple of classical music CDs in her old car but its stereo system didn't work. He wasn't a fan of Chopin but he got an earful of it on the ride back. As she pulled up next to the trailer she sat there listening to the music at a very loud volume.

"It's so clear!" she hollered over the sound. "I just love it!" she said as she happy danced in her seat. When the piece ended she reluctantly turned the car off and silence filled the air.

"I hope you come inside," she said. "I'll make dinner for us. It won't be fancy, but it'll be home cooked."

"I'd like that," he said accepting her offer.

She was right. It wasn't fancy. She boiled some pasta and set a jar of Ragu on the table along with some bread and butter and a glass of iced tea.

"It might not have been fancy, but it was delicious," he told her as he wiped the last bit of sauce off his plate the last piece of bread.

"It wasn't delicious," she said honestly, "but it was filling and I very much enjoyed the company."

They moved several feet over to the little 'couch' that was built in to the wall and Chanile said, "Can I get you some more iced tea or maybe a glass of wine?"

"If you're having some, I'll take a glass of wine," he told her.

"Coming right up," she said.

Troy tried not to stare as he watched her step into the tiny kitchen area but her ass was just so tight and so perfect. "Just like the rest of her," he thought to himself as she pulled the chilled bottle from the refrigerator.

She handed him a glass and sat next to him. "What shall we drink to?" he asked.

"Well, I have a new car and a new...friend..." she paused and looked into his eyes before continuing, "so how about 'to new things'?"

Troy nodded and said, "That sounds about right. To new things!"

They touched glasses and took a first sip before Chanile sat her glass down and slid over closer to him. "So what do you dream about, Troy?" she asked as she laid her head on his shoulder.

"Other than you?" he said seriously.

She hit him playfully and said, "That's not what I meant and you know it." She took his hand and said, "But I'm still happy you said that. No, what do you want out of life? What's most important to you?"

He put his arm around her and said, "You really are goal-oriented, aren't you?"

"Troy! Be serious," she said in rare moment of poutiness.

"I'd like to own my own construction company someday," he said.

"Okay. Keep going."

"I'd like to eventually have a family."

She looked up at his face and said, "How many kids?"

"One or two, I guess. A boy and a girl."

"Are you planning on adopting them?" she asked trying to get him to state the obvious.

"What other way is there to get kids? Don't you just order them?"

"Tro-oy!" she said again.

"Yes, I'd like to get married."

"Have you been close yet?" she asked him.

"Kind of. Once. I got pretty serious with a girl about three years ago, but it didn't work out."

"Did you love her?" she asked with accusation.

"Maybe. I guess I thought I did. At the time, at least. How about you?"

"Oh, wow. I guess Daekwon is about as close as I've gotten to loving someone so I guess I've never been in love before."

"Yeah, but you hadn't met me before so..."

"Oh, you are just so full of yourself, aren't you!" she teased punching him playfully.

"Yeah, but you know you like me," he said as he fended her off.

Her facial expression changed from laughter to serious as she sat very still and looked into his eyes. "Yes, I do. I like you...a lot." Her eyes raced back and forth as the tension grew between them. She lifted herself up and kissed him then said very softly, "I like you very much, Troy."

"And yet another thing we have in common," he told her as he brushed her long, black hair back from her face and kissed her back. "I like you very much, too."

"Enough to stay with me tonight?" she asked her eyebrows raised in hopeful anticipation.

"Having slept on that poor excuse of a mattress many a night, I have to tell you it would take something very special to get me to spend another night on it." He looked into her eyes and said, "So...yes...I'd love to stay with you."

It was just getting starting to get dark as their bodies entwined with one another on the tiny little couch. Chanile began unbuttoning his shirt as they kissed and stared into each other's eyes. "You are truly a beautiful woman," he said as she pulled his shirt off and over his broad shoulders.

"And you are so handsome my knees go weak every time you smile at me," she said as she pulled his tee-shirt off. She ran her hand over his thick, muscled chest and said, "Mmm. I knew you'd looked good in a shirt, but I could only hope you'd look this good without one."

Her smile was killing him as was the touch of her hand. He put his arms underneath her and picked her up causing her to laugh as he carried her to the bed which meant turning around and laying her down.

She undid her pants and he pulled them off of her revealing her very shapely, milk-chocolate colored legs. He bent over and kissed her as she helped him remove the pair of white panties which she kicked off not caring where they landed.

There wasn't a lot of room to maneuver in, but Troy managed to lay on top of her and as they kissed, Chanile reached for his belt buckle and moments later had his pants and underwear off.

"Oh, thank you, Jesus!" she said as she held his very large, very thick dick in her hand.

Troy laughed quietly at her choice of words then lifted her up enough to get her top off leaving her in a lacy white bra providing an amazingly beautiful contrast with her body. He unhooked it and dropped it on the floor and without hesitation, took one of them in his hand and gently squeezed as his mouth covered the other.