Date: Wed, 21 Sep 2011 16:14:15 -0700 (PDT)
From: Tchase Mcphee <survivalgame@rocketmail.com>
Subject: RancH HanDs 05

The story below is a work of fiction, set in the format of reality. Any
resemblances to real people, alive or in the hereafter, is entirely
coincidental in nature. It is not meant to accurately reflect upon persons,
of continents or islands, in countries, counties, cities, towns, villages,
neighborhoods, streets, cul-de-sacs, nor governmental or non-governmental
areas, which the story is staged. If a sexual scene involving male-to-male
relationships offends you, then why are you here? Seriously, if guy-to-guy
sex stuff makes you barf or is going to screw up your mind, you should not
read this story. Additionally, if you are under 18 years of age, in most
states and countries, you are not allowed to read this story, by law. Check
with your local laws regarding such.

% Sexual safety matters. Remember guys, this is fiction. In real life, use protection.

%

RancH HanDs 05
a continuation of `CoMPany payLoaD',
WriTten by T. Chase McPhee

%

His second day at Elemental Habitat, was the first time James saw the
outdoors, nodding to a security guard as they left the `glassed in' portion
of the complex.

Whole time they, him and his new boss, walked, Dutch did the talking,
outlining much of the surrounding `apron', "Over that way is the North
Field, over my shoulder," Dutch cast a thumb, "South Field," to his left,
"over that way, yonder, the Dairy Barn and out beyond there, he looked over
James' shoulder, "the `Verts'." However, as James turned his head to look
behind him, Dutch smiled, knowing he wasn't getting snagged with the quick
scan from the back of James' head, to around the knees.

"The Verts?" James asks.

Planing a hand, which smoothed over the tour of James' front, Dutch
explains, "Dormitories which run vertical, almost at ground level. On top
sits green grass. From an aviator's perspective you would not know they
were even there. That is, if a plane were allowed to fly over!"

Thinking vertical, James still could not grasp a picture in his
mind. However he figured sooner or later he would set foot in every niche
and cranny of the habitat.

"Here we go."

Not paying much attention, James finally keyed his mind into where they
were headed, about five hundred feet in front of them. It didn't look like
much, a circular building made of glass, no bigger than a small lobby of a
skyscraper, one floor, with a weird, kidney bean-shaped roof.

Speaking his mind, James says, "This is it? Like what is it?"

"You'll see," Dutch smiled, holding a glass door for James.

Inside, which you could see from the outside, was like an optical illusion,
an elevator planted right in the middle, to the left a circular staircase,
only visible if you were ready to hike downstairs.

"We'll take the stairs for now. Mainly we use the elevator for cargo."

A two-man stairway led downwards, at which point when they reached the
cement landing, lights came on.

"This way," Dutch led James down a hallway. Guiding him through a tour,
"Here are the showers," he tapped a disc on the wall, which provided
illumination, "which every ranch hand returning from the fields or barn is
required to use."

Whimsically, James replies, "I guess so they don't track dirt into the
house, huh?"

However, Dutch was serious, "Yeah, but it will be part of your job to make
sure everyone follows through. Some guys return from their labor so tired
all they can think of is getting back to their dorm or `Atlantis', with
`you know what' on their brains!"

Responding, James toys,"No, what?"

Walking into the part of the room housing lockers, Dutch replies, as he
shows off the showering facilities, "Use your imagination!"

They left this part of the small facility with a snacking area next in
line. Instead of vending machines, there were refrigerators with clear
glass doors.

"Additionally, making sure every guy gets in the shower, you will be
responsible to make sure nothing is taken from this room without being in a
guy's stomach!"

"Wait," James is ready for an argument, "You know I can't to be in two
places at once?"

"You'll work it out," Dutch says, patting James on the
shoulder. "C'mon. Let me show you the rest of the place."

He followed, but wasn't happy about all the responsibilities being handed
him. Suddenly the joking which consumed him five seconds ago, had left him.

Entering the next room made James feel easier, Dutch introducing James not
only to the fleet of bicycles, well not present at the time, but racks to
hold each one, plus another dude, apparently making a repair to one of the
two-wheeled vehicles.

"Rally, this is James. He'll be working with you. You can fill him in on
whatever else he has to do."

James felt he was being dumped on the other dude, Dutch making a quick
getaway.

"One second," Rally said, going back to fixing the chain on a bike.

However, James did not mind at all, standing, watching Rally stretch the
chain, clean it with a cloth and then spray it. It wasn't the only thing
keeping his attention, but sizing up the lad, another prospect figuring in
his tour of the facility.

Silence was broken, Rally asking, "You know anything about bikes?"

"A little," James replies meekly. "I know how to ride one."

Looking up at James, Rally says, "When's the last time you rode one?"

"I think I was eleven or twelve."

"After I fix this one we can take a spin," Rally says.

"Cool," James replies, intimidated over the fact he hasn't ridden one in
fourteen years!

Snapping the chain back on the bike, Rally stands, faster than James can,
as he was squatting down while watching. James is bowled over, landing on
his ass.

"Oops! Sorry about that!" Rally says, offering a hand up.

"Nice grip!" James says, accepting the favor.

No different than any other guy at the habitat, Rally replies, "I can have
that affect on guys."

The smirk told all, James telling him, "Maybe you can share your talent
with me sometime!"

A special moment occurs, the two in dead silence, till Rally asks point
blank, "You like to fuck guys, James?"

Giving Rally the runaround, James replies, "Depends if the guy can work me
up to it!"

It then occurs to James, the agreement between himself and Laurent not more
than an hour ago, the `suck'n'fuck' thing.

He amends his statement, "But it usually takes a real hot mouth to get me
to that stage." If it came to it, as per his pact with his lover, sucking
was in, fucking out, James could prolong a suck-session and skip out on the
fucking. Or if it got `really bad', he could choose the alternative to
shoot his wad on the guy's stomach. Choice number three would be the guy
sucking his load down into his stomach. He was up for waiting till it
happened and go with `the flow!'

About 5'10", average build, Rally stood there and said, "It depends on the
guy. I can either get real oral with or depending on how it goes, dig his
ass. With you, though, I think I'd like to try working towards making you
hard."

"Rally," James explains, "we're going to be working together. All kidding
aside, for what it's worth, I think we should just do the job and not mix
business and pleasure?"

"Why? What's wrong with me? Is it the glasses?"

"Nothing is wrong with you. The glasses are fine," James says, taking them
from Rally's hand and placing them back on the bridge of the twenty year
old's nose. "It's just that..." James was sorry now he had joked, Rally
probably thinking him serious, "I have a boyfriend."

"Somebody here at the habitat," he began to walk the rolling bike up the
hallway.

"Laurent. You know him?"

"Laurent? Oh cool! Is he back?" Rally says with excitement.

"Uh, yes."

"Good, because we all missed his batatas."

"Ba-what-tas?"

"Batatas. When we heard Laurent went out on assignment we all knew we were
in for it," Rally replies, using the bottom step of the stairway, up, for
brakes against the tire.

"In for what?" Picking up the handlebars and dragging the bike up the
stairs, James asks, "Need a hand?"

"Nope. I'm okay with this." Without more than a few seconds of breath,
"When Laurent left we were at the mercy of Perry Cooke's mushy food. And
forget it! He downright `murdered' Laurent's recipe for batatas!"

"Sounds like these batatas are popular?"

"More than popular. All us guys love'em. I kinda feel sorry for Laurent
though, because guys complain he never makes enough of them," Rally says,
clearing the top step.

Following Rally quicker across the tiny lobby, "Excuse me for askin', but
just what are batatas?"

"Unlike Perry Cooke, Laurent is more into natural, organic foods..."
Thinking a second, he applies a brake this time, turning to James, a smile
attached, "But you would know that already, right?"

"Your story?" James smirks.

"Wanna get the door?"

As James holds the door, the twenty year old passes through, the bike at
his side. James doesn't say anything, knowing Rally and his bike could fit
through easily, even with his own bod inside the door frame. He smiles
though. James has a quick flashback to when he was around Rally's age,
grabbing every opportunity, in a crowd, rubbing his bod up against any hot
guy!

Like nothing happened, Rally continues, "Y'see, Laurent takes sweet
potatoes, which in my own opinion are a lot nicer than regular potatoes,
slices `em up thin and fries them."

"French fries?"

"More like potato chips. Anyhow, guys love'em."

"I can't wait to try one," James replies.

"Here," Rally holds the bike steady by one handlebar, "show me what you can
do!"

This time, James was looking at this in a risque sort of way, wanting to
show Rally what he `could do!' However, being put on the spot, with the
bike between his legs and not Rally, he went about his business, taking off
and racing down a dirt road. When he hit the brakes, he could only think,
"Oh-h-h-h-h-h-h shit!"

"Oh shit!" Rally yelled, running towards where James lay with his back in
the dirt, the bike on top of him. "Are you okay James!"

More the actor, James props his bod up on his elbows and making like
something tastes terrible in his mouth, "Is this organic dirt, because it
tastes terrible?!" He spits into the dirt.

Rally jokes, "Probably has a little cow shit mixed in!"

"Ewe! You gotta be kidding!"

Smiling and reaching a hand to the frame of the bike, Rally gives a pull.

James, being `cute,' grabs the other side, hoping to get a free `lift.'

"Oh shit, James!" Rally calls out, not being able to lift both the bike and
James off the ground. Next thing, Rally is apologizing for falling onto the
bike, which is crushing James' midsection.

"Oh fuck! I think you crushed my balls!"

Uprighting his bod to a kneeling position, Rally asks, "Maybe I should
check?"

"You did that on purpose, didn't you?"

"Did not!" Rally replies, indignant.

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

James claims, "Did too!"

"Did not, but you can believe what you want," Rally says in a huff,
standing.

"Okay, so you didn't mean it. Are you going to help me get out from under
this?"

"Yeah, but keep your hands away when I do?"

Both palms up and facing Rally, James replies, "I'm not touching a thing!"

Rally pulls the bike off of James with ease.

Standing and dusting his tan khaki pants off, he mumbles, "I hope I don't
have cow shit on me!"

"Only if it gets blown out from the fields. They use it for fertilizer. By
the way..."

"What?"

"You suck at riding a bike!"

He laughed, taking off up the road, James in pursuit on foot, till he
braked, spinning the back tire to line the bike up across the road.

Catching up, James says, "How come you can do it without falling over?"

"Anyhow, you're not the only one. Guys, when they try a bike for the first
time find out they are not like the ones they have home in their garage,"
Rally says, both walking the bike up the road.

Curious about how guys wind up at `Elemental Habitat', James focuses on
Rally, "So, what's your story?"

"My story?"

"How did you wind up in this habitat?'"

"When I was seventeen I ran away from home. I come from a small town in
Missouri... you notice my southern accent?"

James smiles, because he `was' wondering, "I took notice."

"Anyhow, I was palling around with this guy who was new in town. We were
both juniors in high school. His dad was with the army and they kept moving
around. We quickly became friends, because he said he could tell I was
gay. I asked how come he knew. Denis, that's his name, said he had a gift."

"Gaydar," James well knew.

"That's what the guys around here say. Anyhow, Denis and me started playing
around with each other and it felt really cool. No fuckin' or
anything. Oral stuff, y'know?" Rally quizzed James without expecting an
answer. "Anyhow, after a half year into our junior year, Denis finds out
his father his going to be on the move again. I felt really pissed, because
before Denis leaves, he says something to one of his buds on the football
team that he's had sex with me. Me, I didn't think sucking his cock was
really that much `sex'."

James butts in, "It all falls under the say thing... suck, fuck,
whatever..."

"Well anyhow, next thing I know, I get to school Monday morning and when I
have gym class, while some of the guys keep coach busy, four of them drag
me into the jon. While two of them hold me, one acts like a referee, while
the fourth guy starts punching me in the stomach. All the time they tell me
`this is what happens to cocksuckers!'"

"Awful. Plain, awful," James says, really feeling for Rally.

"Yeah. My stomach hurt really bad. But I don't know how they could beat me
up for being gay, when each of them took a turn making me suck their cocks
until they dumped their loads down my throat. I didn't know if I was
throwing up because of getting gut punched or because I had to swallow so
much cum."

"Probably both," James assumes.

"In a small town news travels fast. After the second beating I knew I had
to go. Worst thing, I felt I should go to my pa and tell him, that he would
be understanding."

"I take it he wasn't or else you wouldn't have to run away?" James said
sympathetically.

"He took me out to the shed, ripped my shirt off, took off his belt and
gave me a thrashing. I knew right then and there I couldn't stick around."

"What about your mother?"

"Ain't got one. It's only me and my brother." Then on a sad not, "I
probably won't ever see Mark again."

"Why not?"

Shrugging his shoulders, "Because he's like my pa, he don't like us gays."

Feeling mighty sad for Rally, James reaches across the bike, places a hand
on the twenty year old's shoulder, "I feel real bad for you."

"No need to James. Y'see, in my travels, I had worn the soles of my shoes
down and happened to accidentally come too close to the perimeter of the
habitat. When a guy gets near here and is picked up, like me, they bring
you in."

"Into the habitat?"

"Almost. The building you came in at?"

"Where the plane landed. Yeah, I know it," James replies.

"It's where everybody gets processed. If they can't make up their minds to
keep ya, you stay overnight there until they do. I told them what I told
you, but then they have to `profile' a guy. Once they have all they need,
they have an interview."

James smiles, saying, "I guess you answered all the questions right?"

Rather than dwell on the interview, Rally states what he's accomplished at
the habitat, "I came here knowing almost nothing. I had to work to get my
high school diploma and by the time I was done, I knew what I wanted to
study in college. You know they have a college here, right?"

"Um," James replies, thinking on it shortly, "no, I didn't."

"It's why we have to get this bike to the North Field. I suppose you don't
know how things go here, right?"

"I had a little briefing, but they leave it up to mostly finding out for
myself," James replies, as they pick up the pace.

"Everybody works half a day."

"I like it already!"

"No, but if you go to EHC..."

"EHC?"

"Elemental Habitat College," Rally defines it, "you have to go to college
in the afternoon."

"And the others?"

"If you decided to work overtime, you can have your account credited, or
you can chill out at Atlantis or one of the other recreational places."

Right away James has already made his choice, `Atlantis'. Before he can
dream about his bare back and buns plastered on the fake, white sandy
beach, his thoughts are interrupted by chatter.

"Oh cool! You fixed my bike Rally! Thanks!"

James watches as a guy comes running over, from a bunch of apple trees, to
claim what had to be his bike with the fixed brakes. It is clear the two
are buds, embracing for a second before the bike it taken from Rally's
possession.

"No problem, Scott. What happened to your shirt?"

"Got wet. I'll tell you about it later."

James only smiled. With Scott's shirt only open down the middle, he
wondered what the rest of the bod looked like other than the dark brown
stripe down the middle.

On the same wavelength, Rally replies, "Nice looking, huh?"

"From what I can see," James replies as the two of them begin to walk back
to the bike'n'hike.

"Scott and me, we're the same age, but he's ahead of me at EHC. He also
works out and has a hot sixpack!"

It made James smile, but he was also still curious about the college and
other things which guys' lives revolve around. "What about the college?
What do you major in?"

Speaking in general, Rally replies, "Most guys choose to go into something
that has to do with the environment. They encourage you to pick it."

"They?"

"When you come here. The guy who interviewed me, sets me up with a
counselor. His name is George. Have you met him yet?"

"No," James replies, not even knowing he about to. "They didn't tell me
much other than where I was going to bunk down."

"Rumor has it you're in the Arboretum?"

"Nice place!" James retorts. "But finish your story about the college."

Rally goes on to tell about starting out with achieving his high school
diploma. It just so happens, with all the facilities geared to science and
the environment, it is the field he found an interest in. "When they handed
me my diploma, which was in an envelope... they don't have graduation
ceremonies, then it made it official. I was automatically enrolled at EHC."

"In environmental science, I take it?"

"Right, but I'm not sure in what way, so they have me working with
bikes. Too, they don't have any openings in the science fields. It's one of
the reasons they have so many ranch hands and guys like you and me who work
in support. Anyhow, we better hustle it up. It's almost quitting time and
if we don't get off the road we'll wind up part of the dust bowl!" Before
Rally turns their walk into a light jog, he asks, "Think your balls can
stand a short run?"

James tears out ahead of him!

%

When Bill Speed left the office, leaving Nolan to his thoughts, indeed he
had much to think about. However he wasn't alone.

"So, what do you think, Nolan?"

Looking up from his desk, Nolan stare at Yalin, his head sticking through
the gap in the doorway.

"About?"

"I do a bad thing."

"None of us are perfect," Nolan says, thinking how could Yalin `ever' do
anything wrong?

"I have link to this office. Before, I was checking it out and I forget to
turn it off. I hear everything you and Bill Speed say."

"Good!"

"Good?" Yalin says, allowing himself to enter, thinking he is not in hot
water with the boss!

Skipping over the bullshit, Nolan asks, "Let me ask you, what do you think
about what he's told me?"

Coming in at his own bidding, sitting in one of the chairs in front of the
big desk, at Nolan's invitation to sit, Yalin replies, "I think this is
good move."

"You do?"

Thinking of the many reasons Yalin finds Elemental Habit to be conducive to
his thinking, focusing on the ratio of gay men, plus the amenities, "I am
not all sure at this moment, but I think I would like to work and live
here."

Thinking it over, from his own thoughts, of which some matched Yalin's,
though they didn't compare notes, he found it strangely comfortable hearing
Bill Speed offer up his position to Nolan, CEO of Elemental Habitat, upon
his retirement, as opposed to returning to the Harrellsson building and
city life. "I can't say I oppose the idyllic lifestyle around here."

"When they interview me, they tell me it is nice to live here, but nobody
lives here for free. They tell me I have good record, so they put me here
with you, but tell me I can go to college if I want."

"I hope you jumped on it, Yalin?"

"Yes, but maybe another reason I will stay here."

"You and Jeff Golubovic?" Nolan guesses.

"It didn't work out."

"Oh," Nolan left the reasons to Yalin, but show concern, his outlook
changing from excitement, to sympathetic.

"Maybe I will get lucky."

"Really? You've met someone already?"

Showing indifference, Yalin responds, "No. Not exactly."

"How's that go?" Nolan asks, settling in for a lengthy explanation, leaning
back in his swivel chair, elbows propped up on the sidearms, folding hands
midway between pecs and navel.

"When they tell me the room I will be staying they also apologize, because
they wanted me to stay in the Arboretum."

"Where Hewy and I are staying. It's for executives. No reason `you'
shouldn't be put up there as well?"

"Yes," Yalin agrees, "but right now they do not have a suite
available. Instead they place me in a `Garden Cottage' with another
occupant."

Right away Nolan jumps on it, "Name? Age? Build? Um, size?" he laughs!

Smirking, Yalin replies, "I have his name, Gavin Roberts."

"Gavin Roberts?"

Immediately Yalin gets the impression, "You know him?"

"Gavin Roberts... Gavin Roberts," Nolan perks up in his chair, turning to
his right side, types away on his keyboard, "I know that name!"

Sure enough, all it takes is a Google search and he turns up about three
thousand lookups.

"Oh boy!" He says, studying several, overwhelmed by the choices. Seeing
almost every entry reading `NYT Bestseller', he turns to Yalin, while his
hands are still typing, "That's right. Roberts has a book on the New York
Times Bestseller List. It's been there for at least a year." Finding the
exact location, "Here it is; Gavin Roberts... BS in Aquatic and Marine
Biology from Stetson University, MS in Tropical Conservation Biology and
Environment, University of Hawaii at Hilo, PHD in Biological Oceanography
from Oregon State University and the name of the his book... that's right,
`Earth: Man's Greatest Fuckup!'"

"What?" Nolan replies, jumping out of his chair, running around the desk
and bending over to look at the computer monitor.

Nolan smiles, feeling Yalin's tie graze the back of his head, like it was
something of a sexual flirt! Instead, he pays more attention to the subject
in mind, "Yup, that's what it says here, but..." He hated like hell to tear
his mind away from the computer, as well as Yalin's, with a long range hope
of feeling something more, like Yalin's chest bumping him in the head,
however as fate has it, he had more of a tale to tell about Gavin Roberts,
"to have him explain it in person..."

An excited, curious look on his face, Yalin asks, "You've met my roommate?
What's he like?"

Smiling, returning to the same position as before in his upright chair,
Nolan asks, "Depends on how you mean that Yalin!"

Instead of returning to his chair, since this had stray from a business
perspective, Yalin took liberty to rest his butt on the side of the desk,
crossing his arms over his chest and with innocence, "I would appreciate
any information you can give me before meeting him?"

"It's a good policy to always be prepared," Nolan thought on it, reflecting
back to meeting Gavin Roberts for the first time.

"First tell me, what does he look like?"

"Well let's see. It was about two years ago, when his book first hit the
New York Times Bestseller List. He was still working on the tail end of his
PhD, when I was meeting with a client. There was a massive crowd at the
book store, but it was hilarious when we pulled up to the curb in our
limo.... the crowd thought we were connected to Dr. Roberts` book signing!"
Nolan laughs his ass off, because at the time, his client, "Yarmon Konnek,"
he smiles, relaxing back in his swivel chair, placing his hands behind his
head and staring out into the nothingness of the room, his face adorned by
a smile.

Yalin waits patiently for Nolan to come back to earth, but is impatient to
hear about his new roommate, "What does this Yarmon have to do with Gavin
Roberts?"

Really, it would have served no good for Nolan to share his brief `love
story` about Yarmon Konnek, meeting him by coincidence at an art show, when
Nolan was a student back in college and their rekindling sexual fun a few
years later, instead focusing on, "Well, it was because Yarmon just `had`
to have this book before he returned to New Zealand, is what led to us
happening upon the book signing by `your` Dr. Roberts!"

Yalin just sat there, same position of arms crossing his middle, straight
faced.

"What?" Nolan replies to the state of demeanor.

"What's he like for the tenth time?!"

"Oh sure... about your height, a couple of inches shorter, dark brown hair,
brown eyes, I think, nice swimmer's build, beautiful hairy chest and
stomach that's fun to touch!" Nolan gets his sexual dibs in!

It led right back to where Yalin was trying not to go, but now because it
piqued his interest, "You were personal friends, I take it?"

"Oh man was he good in bed! Had this nine-incher, which when properly
sucked, bloated up to a full ten inches! Oh man was he a hot blowjob! Too,
he had this fetish..."

"Fetish?" Yalin wasn't too sure about his prospective roommate.

"`Had a thick shag on his chest and loved to have his bottom-bud search
through the bushes with a tongue, probing to find his hot nips. Oh man... I
could have sucked on those nips all day!"

"Oh really?" Yalin said sarcastically, but perhaps a bit premature jealousy
chiming in, "More than his bloated ten inches?"

"Oh no, no, no-o-o! Hot to suck on, but not as hot as his big, juicy cock
and damn! The most juicy, succulent balls a man's tongue could ever taste!"
Dramatically said, "One sac so big it's lucky I could fit it into my
mouth!"

Now, with `determined' jealousy, "Are you sure you haven't left anything
out?"

"Did I mention his hairy ass?"

"No, you didn't."

Seeing Yalin maybe tiring of his sexual tirade, Nolan replies a simple,
"Nice. Only downside. I've tasted better."

"Well," Yalin gets up from his perch and begins to head for the door, "I
guess you and my new roommate hit it off pretty well?"

"Your roommate?" Nolan questions. "Oh! Dr. Roberts? I thought we were
talking about Yarmon?!"

Swishing his bod around, Yalin asks, "You mean all that stuff about tasty
nips and juicy balls was all about your friend Yarmon?"

"I'm sorry. I thought you knew?"

With the air clearing, Yalin felt a hugh sigh of relief. For the past few
years, life has been a hectic one. First, it was a slave to Erik
Harrellsson's whims of passion and pain, then thinking he had it in the bag
with Jeff Golubovic and after finding the mismatch more a mishap, thought,
at twenty-eight he was doomed to live a life of solitude. Though, with
being transplanted to Elemental Habitats, he looked at this as a brand new,
fresh start.

Even though Nolan was in apology, Yalin bore some of the brunt of blame,
"Maybe I wasn't paying attention and missed something?"

Suddenly there was a `beep'.

"What's that?" Nolan looks around the room.

"A beep," Yalin replies. "It tells us lunch will be served soon."

"Hmm," Nolan says, "I haven't heard a beep for lunch since high school
days!"

"It is installed in all areas of the habitat. Have you read your booklet?"

Nolan smiles, saying, as he places a hand on Yalin and they both head out,
"That's why I have you!"

%

"Oh shit! Run!"

"What?" James replies in question to Rally's command.

More joking, Rally yells, "Run for your life!"

First he turns around, at the sound of `something'. Seeing dust heaving up
from the road, he's not aware of the impending `danger', but adheres to
Rally's warning and takes up speed, the two on foot, headed back to the
bike'n'hike facility.

Rally makes it to the building in plenty of time, but a yard away, James is
caught in between a barrage of bicyclist!

Freezing in place, arms to his sides, he prepares for a crash, touching his
chin to his chest, exclaiming, "Ohh-h-h-h-h-h-hsh-h-h-h-hit!"

James `knows` he heard the phrase, `Hey! Who's the hot guy?', but missed
out on what Rally would describe later as one of the cyclers more
interested in `him` than where he was going!

All James knows is when he looked up, the bike riders waiting in line to
get back into the bike'n'hike, only two other riders reporting to this one
guy, `down.`

Uncoiling from his standing, fetal position, he didn't even bother to dust
himself off, rather his paternal instinct kicking in, "Hey, are you hurt?"

One of the dudes responds, "Jake, you okay?"

Another, "Don't move him," he tells, the victim sitting but in a daze,
"Samuele, he might have something broken."

"He's right," James replies, of which the three take more interest in him
than the accident victim!

Dirt-covered, the victim smiles, saying, "Hey, you're cute!"

It was all a minor mishap, as James suspected, but also made three friends
instantly, offering to take, who he found out, was Jake's maimed bike.

Entering the bike'n'hike facility, he wasn't sure how things went,
automatically going for the stairs.

"No, no... we take the transport," Jake says, still leaning on Dean's
shoulder, who is managing both bod and bike.

They waited a second for James to react, Samuele figuring, "Bet you don't
have your key yet?" And thinking so, says, "Dean, go downstairs and ask
Rally for his key."

"Like history!" Dean replies, James taking up the slack with both bikes.

"Where you from?" Jake asks James.

During the briefing, James was cautioned about previous life experiences
outside the Elemental Habitat facility, concerning not only how he happened
to come here, but also personal-personal. Instead of the past, he reflects
on the here and now, "I'm staying with my partner at the Arboretum."

"Arboretum!" Samuele responds, shaking a loose hand back and forth, "You
must `know' somebody!"

Zeroing in on the `personal' aspect of James' rendering, Jake asks, "Who's
your partner? Maybe we know him!"

"Laurent. He's a chef."

"Laurent?!" Samuele replies. "Oh man! You're set for life!"

"Set for life?" James seeks reason.

"Like the way to a man's heart is not only through his cock and balls?"
Jake puts it, Samuele filling in the gaps, "Laurent is like the `best' chef
we have, only he's away on assignment."

Apparently they hadn't heard he's back, Jake laboring, "Yeah, we've all
been subject to voluntarily cutting back on our meals, due to the
incompetence of our current chef... oh wait. I made a mistake... did I say
`chef?'"

"You did, you doofus!" Samuele clobbers him with criticism.

Coming up the stairs, something jingling in his hand, Dean awards Jake,
"Jake, you being a dork again?"

"Oh course," Jake replies.

James liked these guys. In retrospect, thinking over the past twenty
minutes, they got along well, cared about each other and was even drawing
himself into their web of camaraderie.

At the bottom of the glass elevator shaft, it seemed Jake had made a
miraculous recovery, James having surrendered his bike.

Exiting, James runs right into Rally, holding up a long chain, a pair of
`dog-tags' connected, "I take it these are yours?"

"Right and we've got to get you a set too."

"Very ingenious," James says of the two oval shaped pieces of metal,
numbered and lines engraved in both.

"Easier to use and keys, well they have a habit of breaking off. Too, it's
easier during sex."

Rally left James hanging on that impingement, asking, "Which means?"

Walking next to James, "Ever get poked in the chest with a key while trying
to make out?"

"No," James replies and as if Rally spoke `first person', "you?"

"When they had the old system, yes, but now... you can't get poked with an
oval shaped computer key."

However, `keys' were instantly erased from James' mind when they enter the
shower area. `Oh fuck!' his mind is shifted to `autopilot', viewing the
dusty bike dudes who just passed him on the road, either with full front
assault of their hot bods, or a towel wiping off beads of water!

In no time, the three who had dropped their bikes off at the `wait
station', had come to remove the grime from their uniforms, James viewing
each unbuttoning their already half undone khaki shirts.

"C'mon James," Samuele says in a suggestive manner, "you're as dirty as the
rest of us!"

He knew, like Rally, he was supposed to be an `overseer' of sorts, keeping
the guys showering and not loitering for any reason, which could be
anything from some `closer' shower activity or goofing off. He got himself
off the hook, because Rally wasn't around to answer for him, "Maybe later
after you guys've finished."

Then, he was subjected to his first confrontation, two guys whipping each
other with wet towels, James a little reluctant to interfere, saying, "Are
you guys supposed to be doing that?"

It really was not a wise choice, one saying to the other, right before he
whips his towel, snapping it against his adversary's obliques,
"Yes-s-s-s-s-s!" an exclamation of both, answering James and scoring a
perfect hit.

"Akk-k-k-k-k-k-oh-shit-Donny!" Stopped, lifting his towel up in the air,
Jason pulls on his stomach to peer around his own bod, looking at the red
line painted across his left ribs.

"Oh my god!" Donny replies, which anyone could tell was a fake sigh of
caring, because right after, he laughs his ass off.

It only provided ammunition for Jason, him throwing his towel, which was up
in the air, over Donny's head, then using it to reel Donny in,
suckerpunching him in the stomach.

"Ughh-h-you fuck!"

Now, James knew this wasn't innocent play, the tide turning, so he steps in
between the two and acting like a cop, breaks up the action, right hand
against Jake's chest, left hand plastered, a bit off center, against
Donny's pec, warning, "That's enough, before somebody really gets hurt!"
Looking back to the door, hoping Rally would have come, which he hasn't, he
inadvertently swipes his attention past his three new friends. Each is
giving James the thumbs up. Exercising his right for law and order, James
pushes on Jason's chest, asking, "You done showering?"

"I'm done," Jason replies, his hand rubbing up his still stingy ribs.

"Then get dressed and clear out," James orders.

"You?" he turns a nasty look to Donny.

"Um, uh, yeah, almost done."

"Then cut this shit and get moving?"

"Right away," Donny addresses James, "sir!" and hustles back into the
steamy midst.

Turning back to the three he left, James' harsh demeanor mellowed out soon
enough. How could he possibly have kept up the disciplinary act, facing
three `beauties'.

Dean jokes, "We were contemplating on hazing you James!"

"Really? And how would that go?"

Jake replies, "It was Samuele's idea."

"Samuele?"James is curious.

Smiling, the twenty-six year old replies, "It could've gone two
ways. Either I could have Jake and Dean hold you and strip you down,
or... you it could have gone along civilly?"

Returning the pleasant gesture, James says, "Either way would have worked!"

Knowing they were more than buddies, Dean says, "Maybe you should wait
here, Samuele, while Jake and me take our shower!"

Samuele replies, "Depends on what James thinks!"

Tough decision to make, Samuele totally nude and coming dangerously close
to James!

Little had James known, Samuele wanting to `taste' James in the buff, not
knowing what it was which kept him from reaching right up to James' shirt,
undoing each button, maybe passion wanting him to scatter the buttons on
the floor, lust kicking in to the point of surrender, even though he has
always claimed himself as `top' man. Thinking James turning him down,
Samuele says, "I guess I better join Dean and Jake."

"No, wait!" James calls to Samuele, watching his ass start to disappear in
the mist.

Stopping, turning around, wiping a little steamy-sweat from his face,
Samuele replies, "Maybe another time James, after we get to know each
other."

"Yeah, maybe," James replied in fading surrender.

Entering the locker room, Rally asks, "Most of the guys have cleared
out. Who do we have left here?"

Foremost on his mind, James replies, "Samuele, Dean and Jake... and oh,
Donny."

Secrets hard to keep, because guys like to talk, Rally says, "I heard what
happened with Donny and Jason?"

"Yeah. Truthfully I wasn't sure what to do. I thought it was just some
lockerroom fun, until Jason started to make it turn ugly."

Uglier, Rally was forced to lay on James, "You know you have to fill out a
report on this and submit it to Art Smith?"

`Truthfully', James didn't want to do it, only on the basis of his first
meetup with Art Smith. Regardless of any hearsay, his first impression had
been Art Smith is a `schmuck'!

Because he hesitated, it gave Rally indication, "I know you don't want to,
but..."

"I know," James remembers, "Dutch says we have to make it look good." With
question, "Like what will Art do to them?"

"Depends on their attitudes when he interviews them. Their both nineteen
years old, not too far out of high school. They are at a transition in
their lives. Donny to me seems a little more mature, whereas Jason, my
opinion? When it comes to Art Smith, he's in for it!"

"Y'know, we were all their age at one time?" James says, like he's trying
to barter Donny and Jason out of their punishments.

"I know and unfortunately it's not the way Art Smith see it. His philosophy
is more like, `you have to get them while they're young'?"

"Hmm," is all James said for now. Thinking back over his latter teen years,
if he didn't focus his energies towards helping to raise Tom, his younger
brother might have wound up in an undesirable place in life. "I've got to
think on this," he told Rally. Think he did. For him and Tom it wasn't all
`tie down and torture' fun, but as James thinks back to those years, of
helping Tom through difficult times, both socially and academically, he
smiles, thinking of the time he taught Tom how to shave. He giggles out
loud, remembering when Tom had a question about shaving his pubes. One
night in their teens they followed through after James' lecturing, James on
edge as he turned the shaving foam and double-edged razor over to his
brother.

Rally had disappeared for the moment, returning, "I've left two reports out
on Dutch's desk. All you have to do is fill them out, have Donny and Jason
sign them and..."

"Sign them?" James said, like in horror. "You mean they have to know I'm
reporting them?"

"Hey get used to being the mean ogre!" Was Rally's rational repose.

"Where are you going?" James questions him standing in the doorway, ready
to book.

"The guys take care of washing themselves down. I get to wash down the
bikes!"

After Rally left, James thought about it. He smiled, thinking logically,
bicycles didn't have handsome faces, broad shoulders, built out pecs, taut
abs and everything nice down below! Maybe he wasn't getting the raw end of
the responsibilities around here.

Leaning on a dividing, tiled wall, Samuele says, "I just thought I'd let
you know, Jake, Dean and Donny are having an orgy back there?"

"Bad enough Donny has to go on report once today," James says.

"Does that mean you're going to allow them to share their seed?"

It was tough turning away from Samuele, even though he was clothed with a
towel, two inches below the bellyhole.

Instead of playing Samuele's game, James switched off to, "Funny, I had a
strong impression you were a top man, Samuele?"

Seeing it partially as an invitation, the twenty-six year old walks over to
James, lowers a hand and reinforcing his statement with a hand to James'
crotch, "Anytime you want to get naked, we can find out where we both
stand?"

In answer to Samuele slowly massaging under Jame's balls, he says, "On the
contrary, Samuele, I would be the one `standing', you on your knees?"

Staring into James' eyes, Samuele's hand stops the sensual massage, saying,
"If I'm not mistaken, I think we're around the same age?"

"Twenty-six," James says frankly, "you?"

"-Seven. Same age, think you might like to get together sometime?"

"Did you miss my conversation about Laurent?"

Smiling, Samuele replies, "I for one totally agree with the phrase,
`three's a crowd?'"

Right away, James' thoughts were Laurent loving to have two tops, perhaps
Samuele going versatile, maybe himself. Too, his thinking was Samuele being
a `hot man', so didn't crowd out his thoughts in the negative just
yet. "Like you said Samuele, `wait till we get to know each other?'"

"Fair enough," Samuele replied.

James knew it was a direct flirt, Samuele whipping the towel off from his
hips, like unveiling a Toyota on the Price is Right. He would have liked to
have stood there and watch Samuele assemble himself back into his clothes,
but turned around at the sound of voices.

Jake is first to say, "I betcha Samuele tattled on us, didn't he?"

He did and James knew it, but covered for him, "I could probably guess
there was more than showering going on in there, you three being in there
so long?"

Donny says, "Dean make me suck him!"

"I fuckin' did not!" Dean complains.

Not ashamed to say, Jake says, "Dean's right. `I' made Donny suck him!"

"I'd really like to stick around for the details, maybe jerk off to your
story, but the lunch bell rang?" James says.

Coupled with Laurent back in the food chain and father time, the three put
a haste on it. Faster than Samuele, they had themselves dressed and out of
there in a few minutes.

"Waiting for daddy to zip you up?" James asks, seeing Samuele, sitting
there with his shirt on, but still needing to be buttoned up, pants on, but
the zipper down and belt needing to be threaded and buckled.

Without the whimsical play as before, Samuele replies, "Nah. Laurent's too
good a man and you... you're a nice guy too. I don't want to mess up what
you two have."

"Good you took your time," James says, sitting down and lacing his boots.

"Why do you say that?" even though, to Samuele, it looked like James was in
the process of undressing himself.

Taking a boot off, James replies, "Because there's one more grimy guy
around here who needs to take a shower?"

Buttoning up his shirt, Samuele says, "Well, even though I took my shower,
if you need some help, let me know!"

"Nah, but thanks. Helping me out might mean missing lunch. We wouldn't want
to upset Art Smith now, would we?"

Samuele replies, "Art Smith doesn't scare me."

Said with conviction, James feels prone to question, "Oh? How's that go?"

Sticking his head in the door, Rally announces, "Lunch guys, if you didn't
hear the bell?"

"We'll be along," James replies.

"Okay, well I'm headed over to the dining hall and there's nobody else
around. Lock up?"

"Lock up?" James asks, but Rally already gone.

"There's no lockup."

"No?" James asks.

Samuele shakes his head in the negative.

"So, about you and Art Smith?"

"It would take more than a few minutes to explain," Samuele replies.

Sucked in to hearing Samuele's story, very curious about him now, since he
was also taken in by his handsome face, stealth bod and `other' features,
he says, "Most likely my shower would take more than a few minutes."

Samuele sat there, watching James strip down. From the boots coming off,
unbuttoning and removing the shirt, he says, "I've got an extra shirt, if
you need one?"

"It's something I didn't think about this morning, getting dirty?" he
laughs.

Standing, Samuele's pants fall down to his ankles, "Oops!" Because he
hadn't put his boots on yet, he says, "I'll leave them there for now,"
meaning, stepping out of them, which put him in socks, briefs and a
half-buttoned up shirt as he went to his locker.

James smiled, seeing the way Samuele's ass clung to the white
briefs. However, his mind was also on lunch and `the chef'!

"What size waist do you take?"

"34!"

"Oh-shit-you-scared-me!" Samuele exclaims, feeling James' bod right at his
back door! Turning his head, he spots James, totally in the raw, saying,
"Quick strip!"

"More than I can say for you, Samuele!"

Samuele's cock started to pulse at the feel of James' hands engulfing his
middle, fingers busy at his buttons. "Oh-h-h-h-h!" he sighs, when James'
hand slips in the elastic of his briefs.

"Do you always get this hard looking for clothes in your locker?"

"Depends on who I'm look for... um, you going to take that shower?" he
says, helping himself out of the unbuttoned shirt.

Innocently, James replies, "Waiting for you?" He had already given hint,
his thumbs in the elastic of Samuele's briefs, depressing them.

Turning around, James thumbs acted like an electric can opener, one of
Samuele's hands going behind James' neck, pulling him in for a drag off his
lips as his other hand worked at getting his briefs down.

With two hands available, as James put them around Samuele, palms following
the contour of his shoulder blades, down his back, he `helped' by pushing
the briefs down over the two mounds. "Ready to start up a hot shower for
me?"

They traded off kissing, walking to the shower, which because of the
foreplay, it took them a good ten minutes before the shower play on their
skin!

%

"Having fun are we?"

Seeing Hewy bring out a platter of food from the kitchen, set it on a
banquet table, Nolan `had' to comment.

"Not bad. Got a nice boss," Hewy responds.

"I thought you would like peeling potatoes for a living!"

However, Hewy had it over on Nolan, "Nope. I don't peel potatoes. I don't
even wash dishes!"

"Then, what is it they are having you do?" Nolan questions.

"I work with Laurent Cointreaux." On the side, "He's a very hot man. You
would like him."

Between his conversation with Yalin, Nolan hadn't much chance to go over
Elemental Habitat stats, saying, as he scanned the huge dining area, "That
him over there?"

It `had' to be, the only chef wearing a hat which looked like the ceiling
rafters could knock it off the person wearing it!

"That's Laurent."

"Chubby little man," Nolan says with a laugh.

"Beefy, is how Laurent likes to call himself," Hewy replies.

"Oh, so you two have really gotten to know each other?"

Nolan was looking for details, but right now Hewy had a job to do, "Maybe
later we can talk about it?"

"Oh right, I forgot," Nolan says, "you're `on duty'." Though, he wondered
how much deviation from Hewy's duties was part of his morning working
hours.

"Nolan, I'd like you to meet a couple of people," Bill Speed sped up to
him, taking him by the shoulder.

Nolan was sure he would not remember the names, as Bill read them off, like
he was reading from a list, but wasn't, instead a hand conducting the
introductions, "We have here Dr. Maurice Finale, Atmospheric Chemistry,
Dr. Bruce Cannon, Biogeochemistry, Dr. David Grace, Contaminant Fate And
Transport, Dr. Charles Moffit, Global Climate Change, Dr. Lawrence Law, GIS
Applications, De. Terence Walker, who heads up not only the Meteorology and
climatology departments at Elemental Habitat College, but the habitat
weather station and there's Dr. Tom Wu, Applied Ecology, Dr. Rick Waddle,
Conservation Biology, Dr. Aaron Burr, Forest Ecology, Dr. Stone birch,
environmental chemistry, Dr. Geoff Quayle, Limnology and aquatic
ecology..."

"Aquatics?" Nolan cuts in. "Then you must know of Gavin Roberts?"

Up until now, little did Nolan guess, when Bill Speed told the concensus of
professors at Elemental Habitat College, of Nolan's impending takeover at
the helm of the habitat, they joked, unimpressed about a CEO of some
importing firm with no knowledge of environmental studies. However, ears
had just perked up.

Dr. Quayle inquires, "You've read his book?"

Suddenly, Bill Speed and the rest of the introductions were out of the
picture, the fourteen academic professionals gathering around Nolan as if
he suddenly gained star status!

"Tried," Nolan replied with humor, "but gentlemen, I'm sure all of you are
crackerjacks at science lingo, more so than I am."

The heightened excitement of the possibility of chatting with Nolan on
their terms, suddenly dissipates.

"However, upon speaking with Gavin, I think..."

Dr. Quayle, unappointed spokesperson for the group, with renewed interest
asks, "You know Dr. Roberts personally?"

He never mentioned it, after meeting Yarmon two years ago, how he and Gavin
hit it off both as professionals and friends, heading down the shore,
hooking up with some guys for some friendly beach volleyball, hitting the
Stone Pony for drinks and late night entertainment, then some sensual play
between the sheets, it going on every night for a week, until Gavin had to
head off to Wood's Hole.

"I guess you can say that," Nolan replies, a smile on his face while the
bunch observed a moment of silence. Breaking it, Nolan adds, "It was
entirely an accident I met up with Gavin at all. If it hadn't been for my
good friend, Yarmon Konnek..."

Another bell rings from the small enclave of professors, "Not Yarmon
Konnek? The sculptor, from New Zealand?" It came from the mouth of
Dr. Stone Birch.

Nolan could tell by the accent, he was from the land down under, but
wondered, by the sexy good looks and rust-colored bear, how he fared in
another world `down under'?

"I think we're speaking of the same person? He's from Hawke's Bay?"

"That's him," Stone replies, going on, "I have quite a collection of his
sculptures in my back yard and admire him greatly for his restorations."

There! Nolan had scored two points, at least, the others seeming to
wholeheartedly accept him as a newcomer, which in some places could be
tough to break in. Even though he wanted to stay in eye contact with Hewy,
Nolan accepted the invitation to join the EHC staff in their private dining
room.

%

Checking at the lunch room door, Art Smith wanted his daily tally, studying
the spitout of the computer near the door, where persons entering, dipped
their `dog tag' into the slot, telling him they were present. Checking the
laptop file, he came up `two missing', James Houten and Samuele
Beird. Thinking it over, it suddenly dawned on him, the stranger name of
the two, Houten, thinking back to hours ago, meeting him as he stepped from
his room with Laurent Cointreaux. It made him smile, thinking Houten, like
Beird, were no exceptions to the rules around here. Glancing down to his
computer file, he notices a coincidental fact, Houten employed at the
bike'n'hike facility and Beird working the North Field, which would place
him at the same facility.

Thinking of what he would find, surprising the two, instead he saved his
thoughts for later. After all, first congregational meal since the new
members of the EH community have arrived, he had to say his little
speech. Thinking of it, highlighted Houten's and Beird's infraction and
printed off a copy, which show neither of them reporting at the specified
time for lunch.

Tearing the sheet off and walking away, it still stirred up his loins,
thinking of a showdown with the hot studs. He knew he could have a problem
with Beird, but Houten was new to EH and the means by which he conducts
disciplining. It made his cock pulse, thinking of having James all bound up
and ready for a hot whipping!

%

Copyright 2011 T. Chase McPhee

`CoMPany payLoaD' - RancH HanDs may not be sold, nor made part of any
collection, without prior consent from the author.