Ladies' Man - 2. Chapter 2

“Fuck it, pass another up.”

“One more on!” Clem called up to his boyfriend. All he saw of Nathan over the edge of the huge stack of hay was his bare forearms, tanned, lean and scratched all to hell.

Nathan had driven over after an early dinner to help them with the third cut of hay, and while Cruz drove the first tractor dragging the baler behind it, Malik followed with the second tractor and the long hay trailer, and it was Clem’s job to throw the fifty pound bales up to his boyfriend who stacked them like stickle-bricks along the thirty foot length of the wooden bed. It was easier in the cooler evening air to get the last of the field finished before it got fully dark.

“Is that all of ‘em?” Nathan shouted down, unseen from the top of the eight bale high stack.

Clem jumped up onto the last step and grabbed one of the support rails to lean out around the side of the trailer. Up ahead, Cruz and the baler were just dumping the last eight bales onto the short stubble, and Clem sighed in a combination of irritation and relief. The end was in sight, and all Clem could think about was getting back to the house, getting out of his clothes and getting all the bits of hay and chaff out of his hair and off his skin. The stuff stuck wherever he sweated, and somehow the hay always managed to find its way into his shirt, boots, jeans, gloves. It was always during hay hauling weeks that Clem wished he’d had the foresight or the desire to shave. Hay seeds in his happy trail were so deeply unattractive.

“Eight more!”

“Fuck me…”

“Yes please,” Clem glanced up at his unseen boyfriend and sighed, knowing Nathan hadn’t heard him. “Nearly there!”

They left the trailer sitting in the centre of hay barn six, and walked back towards the house, all four of them brushing bits of hay out of their hair. Nathan grabbed Clem’s collar and brushed the back of his neck. Clem leant into the touch, and for a second Nathan’s arm was around his shoulder, the kind of soft hug Clem longed for. But even though everyone knew Nathan was gay, and that they were seeing each other, Nathan wasn’t keen on public displays of affection, and the hug turned into a knuckle dusting, and when Clem ducked out of the hard embrace, Nathan just smirked.

“See you guys…” Clem smiled at Cruz and Malik as he followed Nathan along the main corridor to his own rooms. Both half nodded, but Clem wasn’t really concentrating on them. When Nathan had driven over he’d brought a fifth of Southern Comfort with him, and while Clem’s boyfriend would happily drive the six miles home on two beers, he loved his Chevy way too much to get behind the wheel when he’d had liquor. Clem locked his front door, something he almost never did, and left the key in it.

“I am so fuckin’ ready for a shower.” Nathan stripped off his shirt and kicked his boots across the room. Clem could no longer count the number of times he’d asked Nathan to take them off at the door, so he simply gathered Nathan’s western boots and placed them next to his own. He liked seeing them there, side by side: Nathan’s boots, no longer able to stand upright on their own, leant against his yellow-tan thick soled work boots. Clem thought they looked like lovers.

He stripped off his clothes and dumped them all in the hamper as he heard Nathan stepping into the shower; he would need to do laundry in the morning, but for now all he could think about was that Nathan was naked in the shower, and soaping down his deeply tanned and salt-sweat soaked skin. The bathroom door was open, and Clem twitched aside the shower curtain and leant against the cool tile wall to watch Nathan spreading white lather over his chest. His eyes flashed up to see Clem watching him.

“You wanna get in here?” Nathan turned as he spoke, and Clem couldn’t help but glance down at the hard mounds of his ass, and licked his lips. “Fuck’s sake Clem, you’re letting all the warm air out.”

Clem stepped into the shower and let the curtain drop behind him. He sighed as Nathan moved aside to let him stand directly under the big shower nozzle, and Clem closed his eyes in a moment of bliss, forgetting how good it was not to be breathing hay dust, and felt his spine beginning to melt as Nathan wrapped big work rough hands over the top of his shoulders. Clem groaned gently as Nathan’s hard chest pushed against his back.

“You know you look hot as hell with nothing on but jeans and work gloves,” Nathan purred, “you’re like a fuckin’ wet dream, Clem.”

“Mmm…” Clem shivered happily.

He hadn’t been there when Nathan had arrived, and his boyfriend had met them in the hayfield where Clem had been sweating on the back of the trailer, his shirt tied to a side beam, nothing on but boots, gloves and low slung jeans with a thick belt. Clem had hoped the heated desire he had seen in Nathan’s eyes wasn’t imaginary, and now he chuckled with satisfaction. Just as his boyfriend was grinding his own hard on against his back side, Clem turned around in Nathan’s arms and kissed him full on the mouth. Nathan kissed him back, hot and hungry and full of fire, and they both closed their eyes as the water splashed down around them. Clem fought Nathan’s tongue with his own, then pushed his hands between their bodies and wrapped his fingers around Nathan’s erection. The big cowboy groaned loudly into his open mouth, and Clem pressed his advantage and made Nathan groan some more as he stroked him. Just as Clem thought he might be getting his way, Nathan pushed back against him and Clem ended up with his shoulders against the tile wall. Nathan felt him up hurriedly, and the farm hand gasped and grunted at the forceful manipulation. He fisted his fingers in the back of Nathan’s wet hair and pulled his boyfriend’s attention back for another kiss.

“Turn around,” Nathan growled, thrusting against his crotch.

“No,” Clem tried to kiss him again, but Nathan’s jaw was set firm, “babe… I want to…” Clem let his voice falter as his hands drifted lower, fingertips skimming down Nathan’s ribs. As soon as he reached the top of his boyfriend’s ass, Nathan stepped back suddenly.

“No!”

“But-!”

“I got a rock hard cock and I’ve been working all evening so as I can watch your fine ass,” Nathan’s voice was right on the borderline of friendly and vicious, “you gonna say ‘no’ to me now?”

Clem bit his lip, blinking hard through the water dripping into his eyes, and considered his options; only one of them didn’t involve the possibility of Nathan walking out and driving off the farm. He inhaled shakily.

“No…”

“Atta boy,” Nathan’s smile was full of hot lust and renewed vigour, “I’ve been looking forwards to this all day.”

The water made things easier as Clem turned around, bracing his forearms against the tile wall. Nathan grabbed his hips, spread his legs, and ploughed on in. Clem snarled in pain and Nathan growled pleasure in his ear, and before long they were both panting and moaning. Nathan jerked his lover in time with his thrusts, and Clem cried out his name as he came between his boyfriend’s fingers. It was worth it, because afterwards Nathan sagged against him, both of them supported by the wall as the water rained down on them, kissing open mouthed and sated until their heartbeats returned to something approaching normal. Clem shut off the shower and they shared a couple of towels to dry off, and Clem smiled when Nathan threw a towel over his head and rubbed his hair down. He pulled it back to find his boyfriend six inches away, smiling at him like they were in love.

“Hey you,” Nathan pushed Clem’s hair back over his scalp, “come on. There’s NASCAR on, and I got some Southern Comfort with our names on it.”

“Yeah?” Clem smiled, not really trusting himself to say anything else.

When Nathan took his wrist and tugged him back into the main room, Clem grabbed a couple of short tumblers, and they ended up on the sofa with nothing between them but skin. For a few hours while they half-watched the TV and drank liquor, Clem was in complete heaven.

*

Clem pulled the truck up next to the sidewalk and looked across the hood at Nathan’s big bright white Chevy. His cream cowboy hat was sitting on the dash, and Clem removed his own ball cap before jumping down onto the pavement. Looking at the two trucks sitting nose to nose, shining in the midday sun, Clem grinned possessively. He grabbed his phone and snapped the picture before turning to go inside.

“Well hey you!” Madison beamed at him as he came through the door, her green eyes lighting up along with her pretty pink smile. “How you been doin’ baby?”

“I’m good,” Clem hugged her quickly. Even as he did it he couldn’t help but notice the way she squeezed him, just for a second. They were nothing more than friends, would never be more than friends, but Clem sensed she needed something from the hug that Nathan just never looked for. “You look stunning, as always.”

Madison swished her hips, made curvier by the cut of her lace trimmed apron and wound a curl of dark hair around one finger.

“You always say such lovely things Clem.” She stroked his bicep appreciatively, “Nate’s waitin’ on you.”

“Hey babe,” Clem slid himself into the red vinyl booth and was pleased as punch when Nathan leant over to kiss him quickly, “good morning?”

“Hell no,” Nate scowled, flexing his shoulder with a grimace. “Pa wanted me to start training the new crop of two year olds. We rounded them up and one of the bastards tried to make an escape, freaked Cayman out and he threw me.” The big cowboy rolled the joint, pressing his hand over the muscle between shoulder blade and spine. “Hurts like shit.”

“I’ll sort you out,” Clem smiled warmly, “hot shower, nice comfy bed. Put out some scented candles and some massage oil…”

Nathan thumped him with his good arm.

“Like you would even know where to buy scented candles! You only have that damn Air Wick thing because Mrs riley installed them in all your rooms to cover the smell of socks.”

Clem nodded and rolled his eyes in agreement with his boyfriend: it would probably not do to tell Nathan there was a box of various delicious smelling things from Bath and Body Works stashed in the bottom of his under sink cabinet.

“Hey boys, you know what you wanna order?” Madison flicked down her pad and bit the end of her pen softly. “I always forget how damn cute you are together.”

“Hey, we’re not cute,” Nathan objected, “we’re handsome. Damn girl, we’re the straightest gay guys you’ll ever meet. I’ll have a cheeseburger and a sweet tea please, doll.”

“Pancakes and bacon?”

“You want eggs with that too, Clem?”

“Yes please.”

“No worries. I’ll be back in a sec with your drinks guys.”

When Madison returned a few minutes later, Clem was listening raptly to Nathan describing the promising colts from the new crop of green horses. The one thing Nathan always talked about with passion was his animals, both his own stunning Appaloosa stallion, Cayman, and the other horses who he trained up to sell. The Coles sold some of their horses green, some backed but not trained, and others were taken on by Nathan and his sisters to be trained up into rodeo show horses. Even though guys weren’t allowed to race the barrels, Clem had watched his boyfriend whip around the course in fifteen seconds.

“Here you go boys,” she smiled directly at Clem, “Sugar, can I ask you a favour? Can you come over sometime and bring those big muscles o’ yours?”

Clem grinned, loving the sweet way she smiled at him and batted her eyelashes.

“Why, miss Madison! I do believe you are trying to flirt with me.” Clem dropped his voice conspiratorially. “You do know that I am gay?”

“Yes sir,” Madison’s grin turned cheeky, “and I am not above flirting with the nicest man in town in front’a his boyfriend if it’ll stop my kitchen window from rattling like a freight train every time there’s a gust o’ wind.” She pouted softly, “Please Clem?”

“I’ll come by tomorrow.”

“Aww baby, thank you!” Madison smiled at Nathan, “you ain’t never gonna find a sweeter man than him Nate. Hold on tight.”

Clem glanced across the Formica table at his boyfriend, and Nate rolled his eyes in mock despair.

“You’re too nice, you know that? I’m surprised you haven’t adopted half the stray dogs in Texas by now.” Nate sipped his sweet tea and frowned. “So are you gonna fix her shutters or are you gonna come over and screw around with me instead?”

“I can do both,” Clem grinned, “I won’t be late.”

They both demolished their lunch within ten minutes, and Nathan paid the bill whilst Clem left a pretty heavy tip for Madison and her happy smile. Nathan kissed him in front of the trucks, full on and hot enough to leave Clem panting hard.

“I gotta get back: there’s horses need schoolin’.”

“Bye, Nate.” Clem watched him go with a smile before he climbed into his truck.

His excursion off the farm hadn’t purely been for pleasure, and Clem cruised slowly through the outskirts of town. It was a good clear day, not to hot, and with a very faint breeze coming from the south east: even though Clem had never seen it, he always liked to think he could taste the sea on that wind. He had half a dozen errands to run in that part of town, from picking up paint and brushes for the fence around the outside of the formal and private house garden, to getting more fly spray for the sheep, oil for the shears, and a new battery and set of connectors for the little paddock the rams were kept in. They were pretty friendly beasts, for rams, but that didn’t stop them trying to knock boards out of their fence unless the damn thing was electrified.

Last thing on his list was to stop by the feed and tack store to pick up some bits for the two ponies. Penny had got hers, a lovely palomino creature, for her ninth birthday, and though she was growing up, she’d probably never grow out of him: he was still a little big for her. Until recently he had lived with a few of the sheep, but since Penny’s little sister – christened Rosaline but always lovingly nicknamed Dime – had turned nine, both the small horses had been living in their very own paddock near the main house. Penny and Dime had sent Clem with strict instructions for the brand of feed and treats they wanted, and Dime had demanded a new head collar that absolutely had to be blue. Mister Riley had peeled Clem off a bunch of green and told him to spoil the little girls rotten. Clem liked his boss, and respected him for the way he treated his workers, his wife, his father and his children. When Penny and Dime were good, got their grades at school and did their chores, he rewarded them as any good father should, but even Clem remembered a week the previous year when Penny had been called to see the head teacher of her school, and Riley’s punishment had been to take her pony away for the week until she had apologised and meant it.

In the feed store, Clem walked up and down the aisles with the flat bed cart, hauling heavy sacks of feed around like they weighed nothing.

“Oh my god,” Clem turned to see a skinny young lady struggling under what comparatively seemed like an enormous bag of oats and barley. “Oh, damn!”

Just as the bag slipped, Clem stooped and caught it in one big hand, hefting it onto his shoulder.

“Oh!” The young woman stared up at him, and then grinned, “thank you so much!”

“My pleasure. You alright there miss?”

“I am,” the blonde dusted off her fitted cream jodhpurs, “I don’t know why I tried it.” Her slightly Louisiana tinted drawl was endearingly cute to Clem. “I know I’m not strong enough. Thanks, cher,” she beamed at him and held out one hand, “my boyfriend should be around her somewhere getting a cart. I should’a jus’ waited for him.”

“Sukie?”

“Here, Sugar!” she turned to wave to the broad shouldered young man pushing the empty cart, “this nice young man was just rescuing me.”

Clem shook his hand and smiled.

“She was tryin’ ter lift tha’ sack all by herself?” The boyfriend’s accent was much stronger. “Well thank you sir. You couldn’t lift ‘em back in Shreveport, wha’ makes you think ye magically stronger in Texas?”

“Babe…”

As if to demonstrate his point, the broad young man from Louisiana picked up his girlfriend in one arm and swung her over his shoulder. She squealed happily, giggling uncontrollably as he hugged her hard.

“Forgive Sukie, please friend: she don’t weigh more than a bale of alfalfa.”

Clem shook his hand again and smiled, making his way back to his own cart of horse related goodies. As he retreated he heard the unmistakable soft noise of a kiss.

“Well isn’t it a good job I’ve got a big strong man like you around to protect me, hey Grayson?”

“Mmm hmmm…”

Clem took his purchases to the counter and chatted happily to a girl he knew from high school but who hadn’t been in his class, and remembered to get an itemised tax receipt when he paid. All the way back to the farm, all he could think about was the way the young lady from Louisiana had held onto her boyfriend, and the way that Madison had hugged him back at the diner. He wasn’t attracted to either one, and not for a second could Clem even imagine either of them being in his late night fantasies, but it had felt good to be needed. Madison had embraced him like he was a mountain, strong and unmoveable, and Clem had felt the force, the way she had relaxed against him like somehow holding onto him made her safe. Whenever he and Nathan hugged, Clem always had to press back just as hard as his boyfriend did for fear of being overwhelmed.

It was an awful kind of wishful thinking, but Clem wished someone needed him like that.