Maya & Tarik - The Test Pt. 01

She turned and led him through the foyer and into the massive great room. As Maya walked in front of him, Victor admired her from behind. She wasn't a small woman, but everything about her was well proportioned, and she carried herself with such self-assurance that she practically glided across the polished floor. Her body was curvy yet toned, and the way she moved with a subtle sway of her hips accentuated her shape even more.

The sensuality that emitted from Maya excited Victor immensely. He felt a pleasurable sensation move to his legs, with an erection threatening to form. He quickly diverted his eyes towards the walls and living room furniture and desperately tried to think of something to distract his erection. Victor looked around and was awed by how much work they had done on the house. The Marcuses clearly built from the foundation up in order to create such a unique floor plan. It was easy to stay distracted, as there was much to take in. Soon his loins were no longer ablaze.

Almost everything was white, from the floor to the walls to the ceilings, but different shades played off each other and softened the tones to prevent a sterile feeling. Pops of green from plants and other pieces, along with dark wood running through much of the furniture and walls covered in mirrors and shelves lined with decorative items, art, and photos, gave the room a cozy and welcoming feeling. Two massive dark green velvet sectionals sat on either side of the foyer's arches to form two separate sitting areas. Victor immediately felt warm and invited into this space.

Victor stopped as they reached the back of the house. The sight was breathtaking. The entire back of the house opened up and looked out over the deck and pool area, and what would soon be the garden with mountain views in the distance. The kitchen and dining areas were at the back of the room and, with the windows open, created an incredible al fresco sensation.

The kitchen was stunning, with a curved white marble island that contained the sink, cooktop, and prep space. The way it was set-up, you could be in the kitchen space but still see the rest of the room and also the views outside. A large, wood dining table with chairs and benches scattered around it was opposite the kitchen area. The room seemed much larger than it actually was, and Victor was awed by how they had created the space.

Victor whistled and said to Maya, "Mrs. Marcus, this house is magnificent. I have never seen anything like it."

Maya stopped and turned towards him. "Oh please, call me Maya. There is definitely no need for those formalities here," she replied, looking at him with a big smile. "I'm glad you like our home. We worked really hard on it. Now it's time for the outside to catch up."

She gestured for him to step outside and gave him a big grin. "I can't wait to see how much better we can make it!"

Victor suddenly felt hot and fought to regain his composure. Something about Maya just oozed raw sensuality, and it was gripping him. He became flushed all of a sudden and struggled to keep his focus.

"What the hell is going on with you, dude? Chill out!" he admonished himself, shaking his head. He looked out at the spectacular view, trying to steady his mind to concentrate on the task at hand.

"Tarik," Maya called out, her warm voice softly piercing the air. "Victor is here!"

The sound of her voice saying his name sent a strange sensation running down Victor's spine. His skin became prickly as if he had a massive chill, yet his whole face felt flushed with warmth. Maya turned to look at him and saw that he looked a bit sickly.

"Are you okay?" she asked, peering up at him, her brow furrowed in concern.

"Oh uh, no, I'm fine," Victor stammered, embarrassed that he was feeling overtaken this way. "I guess maybe I should have brought some water with me," he said a bit shyly, trying to think of a good cover.

Maya rested her hand on Victor's forearm, in a caring and tender way.

"Oh gosh, of course, let me get you some. Tarik should be over by the pool, just over there on the side of the house. I'll be right back."

She walked back into the house, and Victor felt prickly again from her touch. He walked around the house and found Tarik sitting under the pergola in their outdoor office. Tarik saw Victor approaching and stood to greet him. Victor appraised Tarik's appearance more thoughtfully than he had at the market, and right away started comparing himself to him. Tarik was shorter than him, well built, incredibly good-looking, and carried himself in such an easy and comfortable way. Victor, who was somewhat confident himself, suddenly felt a bit self-conscious.

"Ah, Victor, so good to see you again! Welcome to our home. It is wonderful of you to come!" Tarik shook Victor's hand with gusto as if they were old friends.

Tarik had lightly tanned skin and a broad smile, and though his eyes were incredibly dark, they were still soft and friendly. His friendly expression and demeanor were something you didn't see too often from people that weren't native to the area. Most people that visited the area were aloof and standoffish, especially if you weren't as wealthy as them. Victor also noticed for the first time Tarik's accent, which for some reason made him seem even friendlier.

Victor returned the firm handshake with equal enthusiasm.

"Mr. Marcus, the honor is mine. Thank you for inviting me. Your home is beautiful."

Tarik beamed with pride.

"Please, call me Tarik. There really is no need for such formalities here," echoing what Maya had said already.

Tarik grinned, spreading his arms wide, and lifting his face up to the sun as he sat back onto the bench.

"Please sit. So, what do you think of our outdoor office? Not too bad, huh on a beautiful day like this? Maya and I both like to work out here, shaded when we need to be, but able to enjoy being outside."

Victor settled into a chair across from Tarik and looked around.

"Yeah, this is really impressive. I love what you've done with the house. It's breathtaking."

Maya joined them and arrived with a tray of water and some hot tea. She offered the water to Victor, smiling at him gently as she set a glass in front of him before pouring tea for herself and Tarik. She settled onto the sofa next to Tarik, and he draped his arm over her shoulders. Victor was struck by how differently they were dressed.

Tarik was very casual in a pair of knit pants and ratty cardigan with a t-shirt underneath and barefoot. A stark contrast compared to Maya's smart business wear. As they made small talk, Tarik told Victor that he was a yoga instructor with a small studio nearby and also offered online classes. Maya chimed in that she was a professor and researcher at the university.

As if Tarik read Victor's mind, he joked, "Yeah, so that's why I dress like a scrub, and she dresses like a real person."

Both Maya and Tarik laughed while Tarik leaned over and kissed Maya on the cheek. She leaned into him and smiled, clearly enjoying his affection.

Victor asked how they came to own the property that no one else seemed to want. Maya explained that it was in such bad shape, and since it had been on the market for years, the realtor was eager to dump it, so they got it for practically nothing. Of course, they've had to put in a lot of the work on the house's interior and exterior, plus now the rest of the property, but to them, it's been worth it. Maya looked at Tarik and gently squeezed his knee.

"For us, this was an opportunity to create exactly what we wanted. There are some great bones and foundations on this property. They just need some love, which we're happy to give."

Her eyes still fixed on Tarik, Maya gazed up into his eyes as he smiled down at her, resting his forehead against her temple.

Victor couldn't help but feel something about how Maya and Tarik were so easy and comfortable with each other and not shy about their affection. It made him happy to see two people, so in love, but also jealous because that's what he wanted so much. And he definitely wanted that with a woman like Maya. As they talked more, Victor noticed more about their constant affection for each other. The way Tarik rested his hand on Maya's thigh, lightly stroking it, as Maya's hand also rested on his thigh, her fingers absentmindedly brushing against his crotch.

Maya's cleavage was enticing underneath her blouse, the space between her breasts peeking out from the plunging v-neck. Victor was pretty sure he saw a tattoo above her left breast, discreet and elusive. Victor kept finding himself staring at her; his attention focused on her and not divided equally between her and Tarik. He felt strange, turned on like a teenager drooling over his friend's hot mom, instead of a 30-year-old businessman on a sales call. He drank more and more water to try and help clear his mind.

After some more chit-chat, Tarik pulled out the plans he had drawn up for what he and Maya wanted to do with the property. Victor was impressed; they were excellent.

"Wow, Tarik. I must say, these plans look like they were drawn by a professional. And what you have laid out here is really well thought through."

"Oh, thank you. Most of the credit goes to Maya, though. She has the good ideas, and I just draw them on paper. We make a good team like that."

He turned and winked at Maya, who reached up and ruffled his hair, running her fingers through his salt and pepper strands, then letting her hand trail down, lightly rubbing his back.

Tarik paused for a moment, in thoughtful reflection.

"The house remodel and inside, all her ideas, her vision you know. She's brilliant."

Tarik sat back and looked at Maya, his eyes locked on her while she blushed, tilting her head down, trying to deflect the attention. She smiled at him, and he kissed her forehead before turning back to Victor.

"So," Tarik said, slapping his hands on his knees. "Let's go see what this big beautiful brain wants us to get up to out in the wild of the rest of the property."

Tarik stood up, grinning down at Maya as he held her hand and helped her up from the bench, kissing the back of her hand as she rose. Tarik could be such a cheeseball sometimes, but Maya loved it. Victor felt his heart tighten, and as he continued to watch them together, a feeling of longing flowed through his body. They began to walk the property a little bit. When asked for suggestions by Tarik and Maya, Victor took notes in his notebook and produced some additional ideas on his own sketchpad. He also stopped to take some measurements to help plan for the type of equipment he'd possibly need.

As they walked, Maya and Tarik explained more about the details of the house. Each building was essentially a giant room for different purposes, with a massive glass wall on each end, like the main house. On one side of the main house were Maya and Tarik's offices, then an exercise room of sorts, where Tarik sometimes taught online yoga classes.

On the other side, tucked into the hill that led into the forest, was the library, then Maya and Tarik's master suite and bathroom. Each building had a glass hallway running between them and was entirely surrounded by decking, which could be accessed from either side of the house. Tarik did most of the talking, gushing about Maya's vision for the house while she walked silently behind, listening shyly. Tarik stopped and turned around, grabbing Maya's hand excitedly.

"Tell him about the windows and the little brick building off of the property. Those were your best ideas, and you explain it so much better than me."

"Oh gosh," Maya laughed, giving Tarik a smirk and a wink. She turned to Victor, and they looked at the back of the house as she began to explain.

Maya spelled out to Victor how the glass walls retracted on the back of the house, leaving each room's back wall completely open to look out onto the gardens, pool, and the property beyond. The windows overlooking the driveway and front of the house had the same glass wall. A more permanent wood screen helped provide a little privacy, but the glass panels still opened behind it to bring air in.

There were similar carved shutters on the other side of each building but these retracted along with the glass and closed to offer privacy when needed and kept warm air in during the colder months. As Maya described everything to Victor, he couldn't help but feel impressed by how precise it all was. He loved the way Maya explained it and how excited she got talking about it. It was clear she had a hand in designing it.

"Oh my God," Victor whispered under his breath. "I have never heard of or seen anything like that. I mean, I've definitely seen some interesting homes before while traveling, or on TV, but never something so specific and detailed."

"Yes, I guess it is very detailed," Maya said, laughing, and turning to look at Victor. "I think that's just reflective of my personality. Very detailed and very specific. Though I will say, if I wasn't so passionate about teaching, I would have been an architect instead!

I love having natural light and unobstructed views while also maintaining privacy, so we had to come up with a way to accomplish that and have both," she added. "And Tarik just loves being open and unconfined, so the windows being able to open all the way satisfies that for him as well. As much as he tries to give me all of the credit, he had plenty of input and ideas on the design."

Maya walked over to Tarik and wrapped her arm around his waist. He draped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close, kissing the top of her head.

"This house is as much my brainchild as it is his. It's our dream space that honestly fills all of our needs and fantasies about what a home could be."

Maya looked up at Tarik, and he blushed, turning back to Victor.

"Tell him about your writing retreat now!" Tarik exclaimed, still giddy at hearing Maya speak about her vision.

Maya stepped back over to Victor and gestured toward the back of the house.

"Ah yeah, the shed. So, you likely saw that old rundown brick building on your way up to the house, across the road on the other side of the wall, sort of nestled into the hill in the trees?"

"Oh yeah, I did see that. I assumed it wasn't part of your property," Victor replied, curious.

"It is, we just didn't enclose it with the rest of the house. It used to be an old farm building, mostly for storage and equipment, and it was pretty rundown, missing some of the roof and chunks out of the walls. Rather than build those back up, we reinforced the remaining walls and roof and had the same thick glass on the house cut to fit the spaces that had fallen away, creating natural skylights and windows.

The building only had a couple of tiny windows, which added more light without cutting into the walls and potentially weakening the structure. I wanted to leave the structure as unaltered as possible while still making it functional. We had a massive desk built into the main area, and we added a living area in the existing loft."

Maya finished, looking again at Victor's impressed expression.

"Wow," Victor whispered, once again speechless.

Maya finished speaking and looked over at Tarik, who was gazing out over the back of the property and to the mountains in the distance, nodding as he listened to Maya explain the details of the shed. He turned back to the conversation and smiled warmly at Maya, their eyes lingering on each other.

They walked back to the house, Victor quietly absorbing everything he had learned about the structure and Maya's brilliance, hardly registering that Tarik and Maya were walking beside him. Maya checked her watch and realized that she needed to head to campus to meet with one of her students. She shook Victor's hand, and they exchanged pleasantries. She kissed Tarik, and they shared soft smiles with each other before she walked along the deck and around the house to the driveway.

As she departed, Victor kept a long gaze on her, perhaps too long, and hoped that Tarik hadn't noticed his lingering stares. But as he looked back to him, he saw Tarik looking at him with a wry smile. Victor tried to play it cool, and nothing about Tarik's demeanor changed, so he stayed professional. They sat back down and discussed the potential cost of the project. Tarik was pleased with Victor's initial offer and hired him on the spot. They decided that Victor woul start work the following Monday and Victor would bring a final contract. Both men were excited, albeit for different reasons...

----Stay tuned for part two----