The Cockney Canuck - 133. Chapter 133 One-Trick-Pony

When Conner’s mom dropped me outside my house late on Boxing Day evening, Mr Andrews was just leaving. I wasn’t in the mood for chatting with the principal, so my boyfriend got a longer than expected kiss goodbye as I waited for him to drive away.

‘What’s he doing there’?

It was odd. Mr Andrews wasn’t exactly flavour of the month. Don blamed him for bringing in Jo and refusing Mr Symmonds’ request to use the school for his religious counselling sessions. Then there was the small matter of Nathan’s school play, endorsed by the principal but slated by Don for its sexual innuendos. Don was as stubborn as a mule, but I couldn’t see Mr Andrews curtailing to his bigoted ideology, so it seemed unlikely they had agreed on a truce.

“Okay, boys, that’s enough. I wanna get back before midnight. You can see each other again in the week.” His mom sounded weary, and I wasn’t surprised. The number of times she must have done that run she probably could have driven home with her eyes closed.

Conner wanted me to go back there in the week and again on New Year's Eve, but I had my reasons for being cautious. I didn’t want to antagonise Don and Sue, and I knew if I started spending too much time with Conner, they would suspect me of having fun.

The second reason was entirely personal. I needed some space and my new boyfriend was smothering me. At the farm there was nowhere I could go where he wouldn’t follow, and nothing I could do on my own.

He was overly touchy, which wound me up, and I got the impression I was only there for his entertainment. He could touch me as much as he wanted, and wherever he wanted when we were intimate, but there were times when I wanted some separation. A little space between us wouldn’t hurt. He was almost too loving. Showering me with kisses and cute names suitable for pets. I didn’t really care to be his honeysuckle, although I wouldn’t have minded sucking, his honey if he ever allowed me.

He was very persuasive, and in the end, I agreed to go back there on Wednesday supposedly to help out on the farm, providing my new parents didn’t object.

I grabbed my bag and jumped out of the truck to freedom. Then waved goodbye to his mom.

“Thanks for the ride.”

‘You too, Conner’.

It made me chuckle as I ran up the pathway, and I was still laughing as I opened the door and startled Sue. She was hanging up her coat and nearly jumped out of her skin.

“What are you doing here?”

“Er, I live here, remember?”

“I know that, but you're supposed to be at Conner’s house?”

“I was, and I’m home again. Where is everyone?” The house was unusually quiet, and only the kitchen light was on.

“I thought you were staying over for two nights.”

I shook my head. My memory wasn’t the best since my accident, but I knew for certain I only asked them for one night.

“Did you just come in?”

“Yes, dear. I was at a friend’s house this evening. Any more questions?”

I had plenty of questions starting with Mr Andrews, but I didn’t believe I would get a straight answer. Sue was tired, so I decided to leave it until the morning. I stared at her for a few seconds and then turned and headed downstairs to bed.

“Goodnight.”

“Goodnight dear.”

I was pissed off. I could have stayed another night with Conner, instead of panicking to get home and worrying because I was late. I was expecting a lecture from Sue, but she seemed more put out by the fact that I had come back. I couldn’t win.

I assumed Daniel was asleep, so I crept around and undressed in the dark. It was only when I climbed into bed that I realised I was on my own. I couldn’t hear Daniel’s usual heavy breathing, and when I sat up and took a closer look, he wasn’t in his bed. I switched on my bedside light to be sure before slumping back to my pillow and covering myself with the duvet.

‘Where is everyone’?

As much as I complained, I could have done with Conner’s arms around me. That bit I enjoyed but being poked in the butt was proving a little uncomfortable. We did it again before I left, and I was starting to regret it.

I didn’t mind being his bottom boy, but I was hoping for a little more variety. Maybe I was expecting too much—spoilt by Nathan’s ambitious sexual agenda—but in truth, I suspected my new boyfriend was a bit of a one-trick-pony.

‘I guess I’ll just have to teach him some new ones’.

I lie awake for ages, tired but unable to sleep. Something was bugging me about Sue. She was acting very strange when I came in.

A few minutes later, I was wide awake and sitting upright in bed. The curiosity was too much; I simply had to find out, or I wouldn’t be able to sleep.

It was dark as I crept up the stairs in my underwear. Sue was in bed, and the only noise was the distant roar of the furnace below. I appreciated the heating so much more now after surviving near artic temperatures at that old farmhouse.

The living room was a little lighter thanks to the skylights in the ceiling, but I still managed to hit my shin on the coffee table. I muffled some choice words before navigating my way along the hall without further incident. My objective was the garage, reachable via a small mudroom and a couple of steps that I nearly fell down. I opened the door just enough to peek inside and then closed it quickly as I was hit by a blast of cold air.

Don’s car wasn’t there, and it wasn’t on the driveway either.

‘If Don’s not here, then Mr Andrews must have come to see Sue’.

My math was improving in leaps and bounds, but it didn’t take a genius to work out that he was probably dropping her home when I arrived. She told me she was at a friend’s house.

‘Why didn’t she say it was Mr Andrews’?

I started to worry, convinced it had something to do with me. I was so used to being the topic of their conversations; it seemed ridiculous that they should want to meet for any other reason.

Whatever they were up to, one thing was clear. Don wasn’t invited.

*     *    *

Rory and Rebecca made fun of me for it, and Conner even offered to go in with me, but I steadfastly refused to take a shower at the farmhouse. It was so cold in their bathroom. I needed a coat just to pee. I was surprised it didn’t freeze before hitting the bowl. Smelling of Conner wasn’t all that bad and infinity preferable to dying from hypothermia, so I stayed dirty.

The following morning was a different story. Day-old Conner wasn’t nice. I needed to wash off my boyfriend’s sweaty residue and check to make sure he hadn’t done any lasting damage.

Looking at your own asshole was a lot more complicated than I thought but a job I simply had to do myself. I needed to be a contortionist, and if I was that flexible, I wouldn’t have needed Conner in the first place. Finally, with the benefit of a handheld mirror and a few careful prods with my finger, I passed myself fit.

My ring piece—for so long a single-task, once a day anatomic feature—was a little sore from all the extra attention, but I would live to fight another day. I decided I would speak with Conner in the week and insist on some diversity.

‘It was probably a good thing I didn’t stay for two nights’.

Upstairs, I rechecked the driveway and garage. Don’s car was still absent.

Sue was in the kitchen, but I was surprised to see Nicola and Stephanie sitting at the dining room table. They both smiled at me as I took a seat opposite and managed not to react to a sharp pain in my backside.

My sister laughed at my grogginess and exchanged glances with her friend. “He looks like he had a good time.”

I growled at them as Sue placed a breakfast bowl in front of me.

“Don’t let them get to you, dear,” she quipped and then vanished into the kitchen. She was in a good mood, so I decided to make the most of it, waiting until she returned with the milk jug.

“Conner wants to know if I can go back to his house on Wednesday to help out on the farm, is that…?”

“Yes, dear.”

I stared hard and suspiciously at her after she cut me off.

“Help out on the farm?” teased Nicola. When I looked at her, she giggled and made a rude gesture with her hand, mimicking a blowjob. Stephanie laughed, but I found it distasteful.

I was on a roll. “What about New Year, can I stay over then too?”

“I thought you were going to a party,” said Sue. “But if you prefer to stay at Conner’s house then you can.”

I looked at Nicola who had stopped giggling to drop her jaw in astonishment. You could have parked a bus in her mouth.

It was unlike Sue to be so accommodating, and I wondered if she was even listening to me.

“Is it okay if Conner moves in? He can share with Daniel and me.”

Sue laughed. “I thought you would’ve learnt your lesson after Alex.”

“It was just a joke.”

“I know, dear. Conner can stay the night if you go to the party, providing he sleeps in the spare room upstairs. On his own.”

I smiled sheepishly. She didn’t need to put so much emphasis on the last three words, the way my butt was feeling, those arrangements suited me just fine.

I couldn’t complain. The rules were gradually changing in my favour, and I didn’t want to upset the apple cart at such a crucial time by asking too many questions. A few weeks ago, Conner wouldn’t have been allowed within a mile of the house, and I wondered if Don knew his wife was abandoning his principles, or if he was still alive.

‘Maybe that was the reason for Mr Andrews visit last night. Sue murdered Don, and they buried him in the garden’.

It was a nice thought if a tad unrealistic, but it didn’t stop me from looking for a snowless patch in the garden, big enough to bury an elephant.

Sue’s overly cheerful mood was disturbing everyone. It was unnatural behaviour for a parent with three and a half teenagers, and I wondered if Mr Andrews had anything to do with it. Either that or she was the mystery cocaine user.

*     *     *

I decided not to jump to conclusions over Sue’s affair with my school principal, and to keep my discovery to myself. I didn’t want to be blamed for letting the cat out of the bag, but Nicola had a sixth sense when it came to gossip, and she seemed to know I was hiding something.

I was watching sport in the basement when I was joined by Nicola and Stephanie. They sat Gestapo-like on either side of me, making me nervous.

My sister was after information. “What’s wrong with mom? And before you jump down my throat. I know she’s not your real mom. But that’s what we call her, so for reasons of clarity, it would be easier if you started to do the same.”

I stared at her, wondering if it was safe to be sitting so close.

“Are you feeling okay?”

“Yes, I wanted to know what’s wrong with mom. She’s way too happy.”

‘She’s having an affair’.

“How do I know. Why don’t you ask her?” I aimed the control at the TV and turned up the volume hoping she would take the hint. Instead, she tried to snatch it from me. It initiated a tug-of-war, which very quickly developed into a fight.

Stephanie wisely moved out of the way as Nicola pushed me back onto the couch and jumped on top of me. I was clutching the remote control to my chest, and she was trying to prise it from my fingers.

“Give it to me!”

“No, go away!” I attempted to kick her off, but she held onto my t-shirt and ripped it. Then she began slapping me on the face. Gently at first but getting progressively harder until I was forced to release the remote control and fight back. I grabbed her wrists, and it was a stalemate. The remote control was wedged between me and the back of the couch, and neither of us could retrieve it.

I looked to Stephanie for help, forcing her to choose between her best friend and a forgettable fuck-buddy, but my dick obviously counted for very little. She remained neutral as Nicola pursed her lips and dribbled a glob of saliva onto my face.

“Ah, you're disgusting.”

I was forced into submission, letting go of her wrists and relinquishing the remote control before she could squeeze another putrid spit from her mouth. She stood up with a smug grin and brushed her hands, leaving me sprawled on the couch.

“That wasn’t so bad was it,” she said in a sing-songy voice like she was talking to a baby. “Next time, do as I say.”

I sat up and wiped my face with my ripped t-shirt. “Fuck you! Look what you did.”

“Robbie!”

Sue’s hearing was second to none when it came to swearing, and I shook my head in disbelief as I heard her coming downstairs rattling the swear box. It was already accumulating a tidy sum after Alex’s heist, and most of it came from my pocket.

“She ripped my shirt and spat on my face,” I said, but Nicola scoffed, and Sue was unimpressed with my snitching.

“This is illegal, you know. Demanding money from children. You're stealing my inheritance.”

I was more annoyed about the shirt, but Stephanie must have felt sorry for me. She grabbed a dollar from her purse and offered to pay my fine.

“It wasn’t his fault,” she said. “He was provoked.”

Under the circumstances, Sue opted for leniency and decided not to enforce the fine. I returned Nicola’s smug grin with interest.

My sister wasn’t overly pleased by her best friend’s duplicity, and I knew what she was thinking. Stephanie had kept a respectful distance from me since that fateful night, but Nicola was always suspicious of her friend. She thought we were hooking up behind her back, and now she was starting to get paranoid. It was almost too funny, so I decided to keep the joke going.

I waited for Sue to leave before taking off my ripped shirt and throwing it at Nicola. Then I grabbed two clean ones from my room and asked Stephanie to pick which one I should wear.

She was hesitant at first but chose a bright orange number that Nathan bought me for my birthday.

“That would have been my choice too,” I said. “Great minds think alike.”

Nicola rolled her eyes at me as she flicked through a magazine.

Unlike Daniel, I was rarely shirtless outside of my room without reason, and Nicola knew this, but that day, I was prepared to squeeze my modesty, just a tad for a chance to wind up my sister.

I could feel Nicola’s eyes burning holes in me as I sat down with them to watch a movie I had no interest in.

Eventually, she cracked. “Can you put a shirt on, please?”

“No, I’m too hot.”

“Robbie, it’s the middle of winter, it’s not hot in here. Put a shirt on.”

“Why? I’m not hurting anyone. What’s your problem?” I turned towards Stephanie. “Does it bother you that I’m not wearing a shirt, Stephanie.”

“It doesn’t bother me. I have a brother.”

“See, it doesn’t bother her. She has a brother.”

“Well it bothers me,” said Nicola and to prove her point she got up and chased me around the room. I slowed her down by grabbing and throwing cushions at her, but it did little to help, and soon I was cornered by the stairs. As she closed in on me, I braced myself for another confrontation, wary of the fact that I had way too much bare skin for her to aim at.

Then a familiar voice behind me made me laugh.

“Oh, my God. Tell me he’s not doing a striptease.”

“Nathan, what are you doing here?” As I turned to face him, Nicola slapped me hard on the back and ran off laughing as I winced in pain.

“Ouch,” said Daniel. “I bet that hurt.” My brother passed Nathan on the stairs and ran past me to the bedroom. I knew now why Nathan was here and why Daniel was missing last night.

“You're damaged goods, honey,” quipped Nathan. “She’s left a big red hand mark on your back. How are you gonna explain it to your boyfriend?”

“I won’t have to he never looks under my shirt.”

“Never mind, the show must go on,” he said, pointing to my jeans. “Come on, get them off!”

“The shows over,” I said, picking my t-shirt off the floor. “They don’t pay me enough.”

“I offered him a dollar,” said Stephanie.

I was surprised she could even hear us from across the room.

“You're too generous,” said Nathan. “He’s not worth that much.” He winked at me and put his hand on my shoulder.

It was his first visit to the house since we broke up, and he came bearing a Christmas gift for Amy. I thought it was sweet of him; he always doted on my little sister.

“That’s nice of you, Nathan,” said Nicola. I flinched as she walked past me to give my ex-boyfriend a hug. “Amy’s not here, though. She stayed over at her friend’s house last night.”

I wondered where Amy was, but it made sense if Sue was out on the razzle or whatever she was doing with Mr Andrews. I wanted to tell Nathan but thought better of it.

“Tell him to put a shirt on, Nathan,” said Nicola.

“Oh, Nicola, please. As if I’m gonna tell any man to cover up. Even Robbie and I’ve had him more times than you’ve had hot dinners.” He winked at me and ran his red-painted nails through his jet black hair. It was shoulder-length again, and he looked quite emo in skin-tight black pants and chequered hoodie. It rode up when he hugged my sister, and he caught me checking out his butt.

‘Why did I do that? I’ve seen everything he has to offer a million times’.

He may have been thinking the same thing as he eyed my chest and smiled. It was always his favourite part of my anatomy, and it felt good to know it still tickled his fancy. It was the reason I stayed shirtless.

“Are you staying for a while?” I asked. I was hoping he was going to spend the afternoon at our house, but he was only waiting for Daniel to change before heading back to his house.

“What’s taking that boy so long,” he said. “I bet his jerking off again.” He strolled over to the bedroom and peeked around the door. “Oh my God, he is too. That’s all he does when he’s at my house, you know. There’s no stopping him.”

Stephanie thought Nathan was hilarious and laughed at everything he said. Her reward was a friendly hug and a kiss on the cheek as he toured the room.

My ex-boyfriend was always generous with his hugs, giving them out like candy, but I was the last one to receive a quick and very formal squeeze. I breathed in his familiar scent before he pulled away, admonishing me with his eyes for being overly clingy.

I couldn’t help it. Even after three months, my fascination with this boy showed no signs of diminishing. The problem was, he knew it and played it to the max as only Nathan could do.

“What happened to your face, it’s even redder than usual.”

“She attacked me.” I pointed at my sister and Nathan pulled a face.

“He asked for it,” said Nicola. “He’s been an asshole today.”

“There’s nothing wrong with assholes,” said Nathan. “I find them quite accommodating.”

“And she spat on my face,” I added.

Nathan licked his lips seductively. It was only an act, but I had to squeeze my legs together.

“Ooh, sounds naughty,” he said. “Incestuous even. I’d forgotten how much fun you guys have here. I should come here more often.”

“I wish you would come here more often.” Those words escaped before I had a chance to think about what I was saying, and I blushed when Nathan turned it into a joke.

“I bet you say that to all the boys.” He winked at me, and I laughed. “How was your Christmas anyway? Daniel told me you were with your boyfriend. Sorry, I forgot his name.”

For a moment so did I. “I was only there for a day,” I said, although I wasn’t sure why I felt the need to play it down or justify spending time with my boyfriend.

“It doesn’t bother me,” he said, but somehow I knew it did. “I thought he would be here actually.”

“Why would you think that?”

Nathan drilled me with his eyes. “He’s your boyfriend, Robbie. It’s common practice for boyfriends to spend time together.”

“That’s probably where I’ve been going wrong then.” We both chuckled, but I wasn’t comfortable talking about Conner, and I was glad he wasn’t with us.

There was an awkward silence before Nathan’s face lit up as he remembered something he wanted to tell me. He grabbed my arm and whispered in my ear. It was a move he knew always turned me on, but what he said nearly floored me.

“I’m getting my nipples pierced.”

“You're getting your nipples pierced?” My voice was a little loud, attracting unwanted attention from Nicola, Stephanie, and even Sue, who was halfway down the stairs. Nathan smiled meekly at them as I apologised.

“It’s okay, they’re only jealous. I’m gonna get two gold rings as soon as I turn sixteen.”

I couldn’t imagine Sue being jealous of nipple rings, but Nathan had a fervent imagination, which I dearly missed.

“That’s so cool. You’ll have to show me.” So he did, lifting the front of his hoodie to reveal a familiar flat and featureless chest. I was attracted nevertheless. “I meant after you get it done, dickhead.” I laughed, but Nathan wasn’t stupid. We had talked in the past about it. He knew exactly what he was doing, and it put me in a spin.

“Are you're going to Ginny’s New Years party? I know she asked you. You can bring whatshisname.”

“I’m not sure, Conner doesn’t like parties.”

“Well, don’t bring him then. You might have a better time on your own.”

‘What’s that supposed to mean’?

“I’ll see.”

“I’m only kidding. If you prefer a cosy night in with Conner, that’s your prerogative. I’m just saying, it’s gonna be fun.”

Whichever way I dressed it up, the thought of a cosy night in with Conner wasn’t exactly inspiring. I wanted to go to the party, and Nathan knew it.

He could read me like a book in the same way as I could read him. I’m not sure what it was, or how we did it, but I knew it was real, and there was no point trying to deceive him. We didn’t need to talk. The amount of information that flowed between us each time we made eye contact was overwhelming. It was too much to decipher.

Maybe I was exaggerating, but I knew I couldn’t communicate like that with Conner. It was never that intense, even when we were screwing.

Our conversation was ended when Daniel left the bedroom spic and span and smelling of deodorant.

“I’m gonna sleep over at Nathan’s house again tonight,” he said to Sue, and she waved him off.

It was nice to know they were close again after I destroyed their friendship, but I couldn’t help feeling jealous.

I followed them to the front door, where Nathan turned and gave me a quick peck on the cheek.

“Come to the party, and I’ll kiss the other one,” he said as he ran to catch up Daniel. I didn’t need any more incentives, nothing was going to keep me from that party.

*     *     *

The next day, my dreams were shattered by the reappearance of Don. He was there when I got up, chatting to Sue in the kitchen, almost as if he hadn’t been missing for two days. He told me he had been working on a new project in town, but I wasn’t interested. Then he mentioned something about his church, and I still wasn’t interested. Finally, he asked me about going to Conner’s house on Wednesday, and I snapped to attention, expecting him to overrule Sue’s decision.

“I think it’s a good idea,” he said. “The fresh air and physical exercise will do you good.”

I was confused until he offered to drive me there in the morning.

‘I should have known what he was up to’.

Sue was concerned about me working at the farm because of my head injury, something Don always played down.

“Nonsense, he seems fine to me. Hard work is just what the boy needs. It won't hurt him to get a little dirty.”

I had to check to make sure I hadn’t turned invisible. Don had this strange habit of talking about me as if I weren’t there.

I knew him well enough to realise he would never offer to drive all that way without an ulterior motive, and rarely had he shown any interest in my physical well-being. It was more of a reconnaissance mission than an attempt to nurture some kind of parental bond. He wanted to meet Conner’s family and satisfy himself that everything was above board, and I was acting appropriately, which, of course, I was.

His definition of acting appropriately was, of course, completely different from Conner’s parents. As far as they were concerned, it meant being discreet and of legal age, but that was about it. There didn’t seem to be any other rules and sex between consenting adults, whether gay, straight, or both were considered a healthy activity, even with their own offspring.

Such a brazen outlook would go down like a lead balloon with Don and Sue whose views on same-sex relationships were probably closer to the middle ages than the twenty-first century. If Don was going to show up at their door, I needed to warn Conner and hope his parents were prepared to cover for me.

*     *     *

Don was upbeat on Wednesday morning as he ferried me at supersonic speed to Conner’s farm. I got the impression he had to go somewhere else afterwards, and judging by his speed, he was on a tight schedule. I saw it as a good thing. If we got there without being killed, he probably wouldn’t want to stay any longer than a cup of tea.

Despite Conner’s reassurances, I wasn’t convinced his parents were prepared for my adopted father. They were too laid back for my liking and far too honest for a fast-talking spiv like Don. As far as I was concerned, the least amount of time he spent in their company the better.

I probably looked a little windswept as I got out of the car and kissed the ground, pontiff style, but it amused Conner. Don shook his head at my antics and waited for me to introduce him to the boy I described simply as my friend.

Once inside, Conner introduced him to his parents and Don surprised me by accepting their offer of lunch.

“Don’t worry,” said Conner. “It’ll be fine.” His words helped me to relax as he grabbed my hand and dragged me upstairs.

“I hope you're right or don’t expect to see me around here before my eighteenth birthday.”

His room was directly above the kitchen, and while I wasn’t privy to their conversation, I could hear Don laughing as Conner tried to remove my clothes.

“Wait, what are you doing? We can’t do this now. Not with him downstairs.”

“Why not? He won't know.”

I liked his thinking, it was audacious and bold, but I didn’t really fancy what he had in mind, and I was too worried about Don to relax.

“We can have fun later when he’s gone, and I’m not so uptight. Is that okay?”

Conner’s reaction wasn’t what I was expecting. He treated it as a rebuke, which it wasn’t, and started to get moody.

“It’s okay. I thought you liked it, that’s all.”

“Geez, Conner. I do like it; you know that. But the person who thinks he’s my dad is downstairs trying to find an excuse to send me back to conversion therapy. And it’s a bit fucking off-putting!”

I knew I upset him with my outburst, but I also thought it was inconsiderate to expect me to lie there and let him fuck me, just because he was in the mood. He could go someplace and jerk off if he was so desperate. I wouldn’t have minded.

I don’t know how he expected me to enjoy sex when I could hear Don talking downstairs. It was a sure-fire passion killer, but it was never about me. I got the feeling I was only there for his benefit. A place for him to shove his dick whenever the mood took him.

*     *     *

When Don said goodbye to Conner’s family, we were already outside dressed in our snowsuits. Conner had apologised to me for earlier, and we made up with a snowball fight. There were other ways for us to expel energy other than screwing, and sometimes it felt good just being a kid.

Don patted me on the back of the head as he passed by. He was smiling, and I assumed it meant he was satisfied. I wasn’t entirely sure why he felt the need to meet Conner’s parents at such an early stage in our relationship, but I knew he wouldn’t waste his time without good reason and it usually worked in his favour.

‘Maybe he was trying to sign them up for some advertising’.

“If you wanna stay over tonight, it’s okay with me,” he said. “It’ll save me having to come and pick you up later.”

“That’s cool,” said Conner, excitedly. “We can get a lot done.”

“That’s the spirit, Conner. Keep him busy. He needs to get fit.”

“Thanks.” I watched Don trying to squeeze his portly frame into the reasonably large opening of his car and shook my head in dismay.

‘He has the cheek to say I need to get fit’.

I was sure Conner would think of a few ways to keep me busy, and I knew what was going to be top of his list. First, though he took me for a detailed tour of the farm. I was looking forward to seeing how things worked and getting up close to some of the machinery.

It was mostly arable land, used to grow corn and grain, so January was off-season, but they also had a small dairy operation, which they were hoping to expand over the coming years. It was the reason why they moved to Ontario, and his dad had big plans. Conner explained it to me while he showed me around a small, damp building where the cows were milked. There was another facility being built in the spring which would double the capacity. Conner’s future was all mapped out, and it looked rosy, but he would have to work for it.

I found the whole thing fascinating if a little smelly, noisy, and mucky. At least I had something to tell Sue if she asked about my day.

“You didn’t think we still did this by hand, did you?”

Having witnessed Conner’s milking technique first hand, I was sure he had the ability, but his talents were criminally underused, and later that day, I surrendered to his wishes. I agreed because I felt guilty for upsetting him earlier. I knew he meant well, and I liked him enough not to want to lose him.

I made a mistake with Nathan, and I didn’t want to do it again.