Ladies' Man - 7. Chapter 7

Clem dreamt in hay fields.

His father had always said that a farmer’s life was too busy and too full to waste energy dreaming at night, and since he’d first started putting in serious hours of manual labour when he was fifteen, Clem had dreamt less and less whilst he slept. By the time he was twenty-one, the only thing he saw when he closed his eyes in the dark, was more dark. But even though the work on the ranch was never really ever done, there were always moments in the day to stand back and breathe.

He’d caught hell from the guys about his incredibly shiny truck, and even Riley had teased him gently about whoever his new crush was, but Clem didn’t mind, because he was too happy to be brought down by good-natured joshing. He sat in his truck at the top of the long hayfield, and looked down towards the narrow end, the little lake, and the green field beyond where Penny was skipping about, followed by her pony. Whenever she stopped, the animal nuzzled her pockets, searching for mints and treats. The grass in the hay field was eighteen inches tall, and Clem knew he’d be spending the next day cutting it for the fourth time. After that the fields would be left to do nothing for the rest of fall and the first part of the winter, and the sheep would move onto them after Christmas. By the end of March, all the sheep would have been either sent to slaughter or would be back up at the lambing fields nearer the main farm buildings, and the process of growing hay would begin all over again. For the first time in three years, Clem was excited to think that perhaps the next year wasn’t going to be the same as the previous one.

It was chilly, but not actually cold, and Clem sat back in his truck with his sheepskin collar turned up, and tucked his hands into the front pockets. His phone was there, and he pulled it out, and scrolled through the text conversation he’d been having with Ashlee. It had taken him until the morning after their date to finally text the young man back, and Ashlee had teased him for being so gentlemanly on their date. Clem had been able to read the pretty smile even through the digital signal.

Ashlee: So what are you doing with your day? xxx

Clem: The usual. Check on the sheep, haul the water bowser around and fill the troughs. Can take two hours to get them all fed.

Ashlee: How many sheep are we talking about?

Clem: We’ll have about three hundred sheep giving birth in the spring.

Ashlee: Holy cow!

Clem: Well sheep… what about your day?

Clem had received a smiley face and whole row of kisses for his lame joke before his phone had vibrated again.

Ashlee: I’m working my other job. Replying to tweets is so much fun… I’d rather be out there with you at Four Acres x

Clem: Four Corners Farm. Clem had smiled as he corrected the young man. I think you’d like it out here.

Ashlee: I have been to Lockhart before, yknow xxx

Clem: Ever seen a hay field? xxx

Ashlee hadn’t replied to his last message, but Clem didn’t worry. Whatever it was Ashlee did in his other job, it had obviously gotten suddenly busy and pulled his attention away: Clem would still be there when he got back. With a glance out of the window to check that the long hay field and the green pasture were both now empty, Clem flicked to the gallery on his phone, and pulled up the picture Ashlee had sent.

Clem couldn’t ever remember being so turned on in his whole life, and before he’d fallen asleep he’d jerked off twice to the image and several more times since. There was something exotically sexy about the idea of Ashlee in silk and lace underwear, the tightness of it over the soft bulge of his cock and balls. Along with the way his skirt had fallen, that temptation and ease of access, Clem didn’t think there was anything sexier in the entire universe. The memory of the beautiful young man in the truck, straddling his crotch and inviting Clem to touch him had kept him awake and hard even when his body was exhausted. It was having the same effect in the hayfield, and knowing he was alone for a mile or more in any direction Clem stared at the picture again, and let his imagination wander along with his hands.

In his head, he was back on that dark street with all the windows rolled up; Ashlee sitting in his lap, the pleats of his skirt rucked up around the top of his firm and shapely thighs. Clem’s lips were wet from their kisses, and Ashlee watched him bright-eyed as the big farm hand pushed the fabric aside and stroked his panties. Clem replayed the little gasping moan over and over again as the Ashlee in his imagination panted and grew hard under his touch. He pulled his own cock out of his fly and stroked himself, imagining Ashlee’s happy purr at the length and girth of his erection. It didn’t take too long from there, because in his head, Clem pulled the young man against his chest and kissed him hard, and the heat of Ashlee’s silk panty constricted crotch bumped against his cock, and Clem bit his lip and groaned as he came in his own hand.

A heartbeat later, his phone rang.

“Fuck!” Clem scrabbled on the console for his phone, unable to focus on the screen with his dick out of his pants and his other hand covered in his come. He pushed the device to his ear. “What?”

“Alright, Clem; don’t take my head off. I ain’t said anything yet.”

“Malik…” Clem panted, trying to draw breath. He leant over and grabbed a tissue from the glove box to clean up. “What’s up?”

“Are you still in the long hayfield?”

“Sure. But I’m done, I can drive down.” Clem tucked his softening cock back into his clothes quickly.

“Nah,” Malik was laughing about something. “Stay there an’ I’ll drive ‘im up.”

“Drive who-?” Clem began, but his co-worker had hung up. He finished sorting himself out, hid the tissue in the trash bag he kept under the main seat, wiped his hands another couple of times before getting out of the truck. He stood leaning against the back of the pick-up, staring in the direction of the field gate Malik would have to come through if he was coming from the front of the property.

It didn’t take three minutes for him to make out the rumble and whine of the petrol engine just before the green and yellow gator came into view. Malik was driving, in the same go-karting style he normally did, and there was someone sitting next to him on the passenger seat. It wasn’t until they were less than ten yards away that Clem realised his brain and eyes were not playing a trick on him, and he really was watching Ashlee speeding towards him through a Texas hay field.

“You got a visitor,” Malik said, stating the obvious. As Ashlee climbed off the gator and Malik realised neither of them were looking at him, he shrugged. “See ya at dinner.” Clem did not watch him drive away.

Ashlee stood six feet away in straight leg blue jeans and a pair of calf-high brown boots that managed to look girlish despite not having a heel and a thick knitted brown jumper with a zig-zag pattern in the same blue colour as the necklace he’d worn. His hair was loose, but clipped back on one side, and he smiled at Clem, wiggling his hips in the same way Penny did when she wanted a favour. Clem could barely believe what he was seeing.

“You’re here.”

“Yes,” Ashlee bit his lower lip, plump and pink against his white teeth, “is that OK?”

“Oh god,” Clem tore himself from the truck, crossed the space between them, and gathered Ashlee up in his arms. The young man weighed practically nothing, and shrieked happily as Clem lifted him into the air. Ashlee’s slim strong fingers clung to his shoulders. “I been missin’ you real bad…”

“I can tell,” Ashlee didn’t let go as Clem put him down, but placed a warm kiss directly on his lips, “I missed you too, Sugar.”

“So you found us all the way out here did you?” Clem took Ashlee’s hand in his and turned him towards the view of the long field. “And your cute little car survived?”

“Yes!” Ashlee slapped his arm playfully. Clem barely felt it. “But she’s got dust on her now. That’s never happened before.”

“I’ll clean it for you.”

“Ha! Clean your own!” Ashlee pointed at the big Ford truck, “it’s been four days since it was so shiny I could do my make-up in it. How did you get it so muddy so fast?”

Clem regarded his prized F250 with a frown; to him, it didn’t seem that muddy, but Ashlee was certainly correct to think the black bodywork could no longer be used as a mirror. It hadn’t taken long: two trips out to the sheep fields with hay and feed, and having to drive along dirt roads for three miles for a delivery to another small farm, and the truck once again looked as though it had never seen a black top road, let alone a car wash. Clem was about to apologise, but Ashlee bypassed him an walked his slender fingers along the edge of the raised tailgate.

“I suppose if you come and pick me up for a date, it’ll give you the excuse to wash it again?” He craned on tiptoes to peer into the bed. “It’s enormous.”

“Big enough to lie down in,” Clem grinned to himself, tracking the lovely curvy shape of Ashlee’s body. His jeans were well fitted, and framed his butt perfectly; Clem couldn’t help but step towards him, placing his big hands either side of Ashlee’s own.

“I’ll have to check that sometime,” Ashlee moved back and collided gently with his chest. The young man didn’t come up past Clem’s sternum, but he was warm and hard against Clem’s front, and the big farm hand found it suddenly hard to breathe. “I was hoping I’d got the name of your farm wrong so you’d have to correct me.” Ashlee’s voice was whisper soft, and Clem ducked his head slightly to hear better, and inhaled the rich vanilla scent of his silky hair. The motion brought them closer together, until Ashlee was happily trapped in a cage made by the tailgate of Clem’s truck and the rest of his body, vibrating with need. “I couldn’t wait until tomorrow to see you again, especially after you were such a gentleman.” Ashlee pressed back against him, and Clem felt his erection stir from its lazy post-orgasmic slumber. “Lunch counts as a date, right?”

“Uh-huh…” Clem was suddenly half-regretting his self-imposed three date rule.

“I really like you, Clem.” Ashlee turned in the tight space, and they kissed, just the simple press of lips that was somehow still full of fire and tingling excitement. “You wanna show me around this land of yours, Sugar?”

Clem inhaled and stepped back, because otherwise he was going to strip Ashlee from his clothes and try to screw him in a hay field in the middle of the afternoon.

“It’d be my pleasure.”

For an hour, Clem toured Ashlee around Four Corners Farm, and watched as the young man absorbed everything he said. Clem had spoken to enough people to know when interest was being faked, and there was nothing about Ashlee which wasn’t genuine. He climbed the fence to meet the sheep standing in the green grass amongst spilled sheep nuts, with the ewes snuffling at his legs and boots as though he might be some new and interesting toy. They waved to the two rams, and Ashlee showed a healthy level of respect and fear for their big curly horns and dark, hard eyes. There was something lovely about watching Ashlee trailing his fine fingers through the long grass that would soon be hay; plucking a leaf from a tree and swirling it between his digits like it was an exotic jewel. He moved like a dream, and in between conversations where Clem laughed hard enough to be unable to breathe and found himself talking excitedly and animatedly about his favourite bands and country music artists, he committed the lines and shapes of Ashlee’s figure to his memory as best he could. Everything about Ashlee was beautiful and bold, and Clem knew it wasn’t only the way he talked, or dressed, or looked, but some magical combination of everything about him. After all, no one else he knew would have the balls to walk up to a stranger and choose their clothes, and yet still be able to look that sexy in a short skirt and ankle boots.

Ashlee kissed him in the main yard, arms around his neck and tongue down his throat, and Clem didn’t care if anyone saw them. For the whole afternoon, he had wandered around with a beautiful young man whose company he adored, and felt needed.

*

Clem found Ashlee’s office building easily enough, and pulled the truck right up to the curb just outside. Technically, he probably wasn’t allowed to park there, but Clem didn’t even have time to get out of the newly shined Ford before the big glass door swung open and Ashlee emerged with a smile as bright and welcoming as the autumn sun. The boy climbed into the truck and instantly leant over to kiss Clem as hard as he could.

“You washed your truck.”

“You’re wearin’ a suit,” Clem glanced up and down Ashlee’s figure as the young man loosened his tie quickly. It was surprising to see him in a steel grey suit with a fitted navy shirt, shiny shoes, and a tan leather belt: he still made the look his own, and as Clem put the truck back into gear Ashlee flashed him a trademark pink and shiny smile.

“Daniel and Emily, she’s the wine expert, had a new supplier come in for a big meeting, and I had to do the minutes. I hate wearing a full suit.”

“I you look good though.”

“Awww, Sugar.”

“Who’s Daniel?”

“He’s the editor-in-chief; he’s sweet and sort of adorably hopeless, which is why he needs me.” Ashley pulled down the visor to check his hair and grinned as he flipped it up again, “I spend most of my work day liaising with his wife so we can shuffle him around and make sure that he gets all his big business work done, and still have time for the kids.” Clem tried to keep his eyes on the road as Ashlee loosened the top two buttons of his shirt: the skin of his clavicle was soft and smooth, and Clem wanted to kiss him again. “So where are you taking me?”

“Surprise,” Clem smiled at him, “but only for like, three minutes.”

The diner was Clem’s favourite in the city, and it was family owned by a couple whose oldest daughter had grown up to play roller derby. The wait staff used roller skates when they wanted, and the walls were covered in posters from both Austin and National League team bouts. They were shown to a booth in the window and left to peruse the menu for a while, and Clem, who knew it backwards anyway, took the opportunity to watch Ashlee. The only time they had eaten together was at a fancy fine dining restaurant, and Clem was curious to see how the well-dressed young man would react to the cheap melamine and vinyl of the diner; but he seemed right at home.

“Have you both decided what you’d like?” The waitress, who was the youngest daughter of the owning couple, spun on her skates as she settled at their table. She flicked her pen at Clem with a smile, “let me guess: sweet tea, blueberry pancakes?” she wiggled her nose to one side in thought, “sausage, and an egg over easy?”

“Good memory!” Clem grinned.

“Well, you’re easy to notice; what with that enormous sparkly truck out there. What would you like ma’am? Oh-!” The waitress slapped her hand over her mouth so quickly she sounded like a drum, “Sir! Oh my god, I am so sorry!”

Ashlee just giggled, and his honey brown eyes glimmered with mirth.

“The French toast stack and bacon, please: and coffee.”

“Coming right up!” The waitress covered her deep blush with an overly bright tone, and skated away. As soon as she was out of ear shot, Ashlee laughed so hard Clem couldn’t help but chuckle with him.

“That was new – no one’s ever made that mistake when I was wearing a suit before.”

“It happens a lot?”

Ashlee arched a perfectly maintained eyebrow and gave him a slightly disbelieving look.

“Can you blame them?”

Clem wasn’t sure what to say, because his heart was trying to jump up through his throat. If anyone had ever been blind enough to mistake him for a woman, he would have been angry, but Ashlee took it all in his stride. Clem could tell the pretty young man had even enjoyed their waitresses slip up; but when Clem looked at Ashlee, he didn’t see a girl, but a sort of man he’d never met before. Ashlee Charles was equal parts strong and bold, soft and sweet, and Clem had never seen anyone ever look better in lip gloss and mascara. He found himself grinning back at his date as their food arrived.

“You’re somethin’ special, you know that?”

Ashlee glanced up at him with a mouthful of French toast, and wiggled his hips in the happy action Clem was coming to look forwards to immensely.

“’Cause I look good in a suit and skirt, or ‘cause I can eat my own weight in fried baked products and bacon?”

Clem knew the answer to that question right away.

“Both.”