Totally Modern Jim is back. Hope to get this resolved and finished this month and up on AO3.

Photo by Roland Dumke on Pexels.com

Jim bent down and grabbed himself a bottled beer from his fridge.

“How’s Dad doing?” he asked his brother. He had Sam on speaker phone, his cell phone lying on the counter.

“Pretty good. Getting his strength back. He’s been out to the vineyard once even. Has to take it pretty slow but I think he’s going to be okay.”

Jim smiled. “I’m so glad. I was really worried. Wish I could see him more often.”

“You could move up here. There’s enough bedrooms and bathrooms for you to have your own ensuite. I might even be persuaded to get some constructions guys out to put in your own direct access door straight to your rooms.”

He rolled his eyes, well aware Sam couldn’t see him. But this was a constant with his family. Always trying to talk him into moving to Napa.

“That would be far too much of a commute from the University,” he said dryly.

“The winery’s doing well enough these days you could give up teaching. Dad and I can give you pointers on what you’d need to know about the wine business. You’ve said before you’re getting a little tired of teaching.” Sam paused. “Unless you’re getting along really good with that neighbor of yours.”

“Spock.”

“Strange name. Spock what?”

“I don’t know. It’s just Spock.”

“Hmm. So are you?”

“As a matter of fact he’s coming over here when he gets home from work.”

“Aha, so you are. When are you going to be bringing him up to meet the family?”

Jim laughed, twisted off the cap from his beer and took a long swig. “Never.”

“Never? You guys aren’t getting close?”

“Define close.”

“Sleeping together?”

“Sure.”

“Then why not bring him? Are you embarrassed by us?”

He sighed. “Nope. I mean, yeah, who wouldn’t be, but that’s not it.”

Sam snorted. “What is then? Why don’t you want us to meet your boyfriend?”

“Because he isn’t.”

“Isn’t?”

“That’s right. Not my boyfriend. We’re dating or seeing other, sleeping together, I guess, but the truth is it’s really temporary, so we aren’t getting serious.”

“It’s not really like you to sleep with someone casually though.”

“I know. But this time that’s what’s going on. I would have liked something else, but Spock’s not sticking around. His life here in San Francisco is temporary. He’s going back to where he came from soon.”

“I see. And where is that?”

“Some place called Vulcan. I think it’s back east. Like Massachusetts or something. So there’s no point in bringing him to meet the folks under those circumstances.”

No matter how much he was falling for Spock. Idiot that he was.

“Yeah I get you. Well, when he is gone, you should give serious consideration to my offer, Jim. We all want you here in Napa. If you don’t want to work on the vineyard, there are colleges up here for you to consider teaching at.”

“I’ll think about it,” Jim finally conceded.

“Good. I gotta go. I’ll talk to you again in a few days. Bye.” Jim disconnected the call and sighed. He was expecting Spock in about an hour, so he had work to do on grading papers in the meantime.