Thursday, January 30, 2020
Don Travis: Impotent-Chapter 7-Finale (A Serial Novella)
Don Travis: Impotent-Chapter 7-Finale (A Serial Novella): dontravis.com blog post #374 Courtesy of maxpixel.net So their experiences, their romps, their joy in one another continues. B...
Impotent-Chapter 7-Finale (A Serial Novella)
dontravis.com
blog post #374
 |
| Courtesy of maxpixel.net |
So
their experiences, their romps, their joy in one another continues. But for how
long? The stalled weather front has moved on, and the outside world will soon
be making demands on the industrialist. Let’s see what happens in this final
chapter.
*****
IMPOTENT
The next day, the world intruded on the
two men… big time. De la Roche’s phone burst the dam. Business problems began
to pile in on the industrialist. Despite the interruptions, he went out in the
field with Austin, but before noon, the call he had been dreading came. The
helicopter was ten minutes away. Austin took the phone from him and gave
instructions to the co-pilot, advising of the closest safe place to land. De la
Roche wondered if the man on the other end of the phone recognized how sexy the
voice in his ear was.
Before long, the noisy craft appeared as
they waited at the edge of a broad meadow in the middle of the forest. Austin
helped lug his bags to the chopper, where two men hopped out and relieved them
of their load. De la Roche ignored his Executive Vice President and Chief of
Security as he shook hands with the man who had been his lover for the past two
days. He was reluctant to release the grip.
“Call me,” he said, finally letting go. “You
have my direct line, my satellite phone number, and my Executive Secretary’s
phone. You’ll go to the top of her ‘put through’ list,” he added with a
chuckle. ‘I won’t forget you, Austin Andino.
“You’re kinda hard to forget too, Forrest
De la Roche. I’ll always remember finding you standing like a drowned ape in
the middle of the road that day. And other things.”
De la Roche forbade his exec from speaking
for the first thirty minutes of the trip to Albuquerque, preferring to savor
the bitter, wrenching pain of separation in silence. Then he asked for a
briefing and was soon lost in the business of business.
De la Roche quickly found himself immersed
in talks with Charles Industries, and was frankly disappointed that his
Executive Vice President for Acquisitions had not taken the negotiations farther.
Moreover, he was shocked to learn that his interest in the mega-deal had waned.
In spare moments and at night when he was alone in bed, his thoughts centered
on Austin Andino and his cozy cabin in the Jemez Mountains of northern New
Mexico. Strangely, he did not think of the young man in a lascivious way, but
as a man who had assumed an unexpectedly important role in his life. He thought
of the way the black hair fell across the broad forehead rather than the black,
curly pubic bush. He remembered their moments of easy comradeship more than
their exciting nights of hot passion.
De la Roche desperately willed the young
man to call him, but weeks passed without contact. He swallowed his pride and
dialed the rancher’s cell phone more than once, but it went unanswered. He
refrained from asking his super-efficient Executive Secretary, whom he secretly
considered the source of his power, to raise Austin on the phone.
Weeks turned into months. His daughter’s
wedding passed. Rachel looked as radiant and virginal as the first time she
married, even with two impish children participating in the ceremony. He was
proud of her. Elaine called a truce during the process and was downright
likeable. She only mentioned the Filipino houseboy once in passing.
He spent the Christmas with Rachel and her
family. New Year’s was to be Elaine’s turn with the children. After a Christmas
dinner, he retired to his son-in-law’s home office and considered the
situation. Austin would be back in Albuquerque by now. His cattle would be
sold. He’d be at loose ends. What were his plans for New Year’s Eve?
De la Roche picked up the phone and dialed
a number the rancher had given him. A woman answered.
“Is Austin in?” he asked. “This is Forrest
De la Roche calling.”
“Oh, Mr. De la Roche, this is Marina
Wells. I’m Austin’s sister. He’s out in the garage working on the Jeep. Would
you like me to get him, or would you prefer to call back?”
“I’ll wait, if you don’t mind.”
Eventually, the deep bass voice he knew so
well came on the line. “Happy Holidays, Forrest. You have a good Christmas?”
“A fine one, thank you. Spent it with my
daughter and her family. And you?”
“Great! Had a roof over my head, food, and
presents for the kids, so everything’s okay, I guess.”
“How’d you do on your cattle?”
“Got a good price. Say, I spent a little
time at New Mexico State and learned a little more about your small unit
ranching. Think I’m going to give it a try on the home place. If it works, I’ll
see if I can convince the Forest Service to let me try it on the permit. Looks
promising.”
“Great. Glad I could contribute
something.”
“By the way, I got your Christmas
present,” Austin said, referring to the twenty-year-old sipping whiskey he’d
sent. “My brother-in-law and I are going to open it New Year’s, and then it’s
going up to the cabin with me next spring. Sorry I didn’t get you something.”
“Didn’t expect it. Speaking of New Year’s,
why don’t you come out and spend it with me. I’ll send the company plane to
pick you up.”
“Aw, gee, Forrest, that would be great,
but I’ve already made plans with the family. I promised to take my nephew and
niece to dinner, and then I’m baby-sitting them while my sis and her husband go
out for the evening. The kids are already talking about it. I couldn’t
disappoint them.”
“I understand. Family comes first. But
I’ll toss one back at the stroke of midnight and think of you.”
“Same here. Guess what! I got a letter
from the President thanking me for saving your ass! He signed it and wrote a
comment across the bottom. Guess I’ve got a collector’s item.”
De la Roche laughed. “What you’ve got is
your name on a potential contributor’s list.”
“Oh, well. He’s not a bad president. Maybe
I’ll throw in a dollar or two.”
“Here’s a thought, Austin. Why don’t you
come out and spend a week with me after the holidays. My schedule’s not too bad
for the next two weeks or so.”
“Can’t. Have a couple of meetings. One’s a
Cattleman’s Association committee I’m on. Won’t be able to get away.”
“Well,” De la Roche thought quickly, “I’m
in DC most of February, you can join me there. I’d swing by and pick you up in
the jet.”
“Oh, no! You’re not going to get me mixed
up with that crowd.”
“Might do you and your Cattleman’s
Association some good.”
“Thanks. But no thanks. Well, the kids are
yelling for Uncle to come have some Christmas pie. Good of you to call me,
Forrest.”
He waited, sensing something else was
coming.
‘Uh… I guess this is really goodbye. I-I
don’t think we should see one another again. Damn! That was hard to say.”
De la Roche spoke around a large lump in
his throat. “Then why say it?”
“Think back over our conversation. We live
different lives in different worlds. It won’t work. At least, it won’t for me.”
“I love you, Austin.”
“I-I guess I feel that way too.”
“Then—”
“It’s too painful,” Austin said, putting
the nail in the coffin.
“We could meet for a week or so in the
summer at the cabin.”
Austin didn’t speak for almost a full
minute. When he did, a sob hid in his voice. “I can’t, Forrest. This puppy dog
can’t live half in and half out of the basket. Sorry.” The sob became real. “I-I
feel just like when I had to leave Selim… only worse.” With that cry the cowboy
closed the call.
De la Roche’s heart shriveled as he
dropped the telephone receiver in its cradle, snipping the tie with the most
man he had ever known. Hell, Austin Andino was
Man. Man squared. Man cubed! Man…amplified!
*****
Think about it. That’s
the way things work more often than not. Two people genuinely in love, but
neither is able to alter his lifestyle to accommodate the other. Tragic, but
both men are strong and will survive. And they have an experience against which
to measure others who come into their lives. But is that good or bad?
Those of you who are writers
will know that I cut a considerable amount from the original novella. Seven
episodes are more than enough.
The following are buy
links for the recently released The Voxlightner Scandal.
Barnes
& Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-voxlightner-scandal-don-travis/1132632844?ean=9781640809260
Now
my mantra: Keep on reading and keep on
writing. You have something to say, so say it!
My
personal links: (Note the change in the Email address because I’m still getting
remarks on the old dontravis21@gmail.com. PLEASE DON’T USE
THAT ONE.)
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/donald.travis.982
Twitter:
@dontravis3
Buy
links to Abaddon’s Locusts:
See
you next week.
Don
Thursday, January 23, 2020
Don Travis: Impotent-Chapter 6 (A Serial Novella)
Don Travis: Impotent-Chapter 6 (A Serial Novella): dontravis.com blog post #373 Courtesy of svgsilh.com It finally happened. They got together, and it was explosive. Wonderful. ...
Impotent-Chapter 6 (A Serial Novella)
dontravis.com
blog post #373
 |
| Courtesy of svgsilh.com |
It
finally happened. They got together, and it was explosive. Wonderful.
Magnificent. What comes next? Do they try it again and find the novelty wore
off? Or do they try it again and find it better than ever? Or do they try it
again at all? Read on.
*****
IMPOTENT
They repeated yesterday’s work pattern
except the count was wrong in two pastures and they spent hours patiently
hunting down the missing livestock. Once again, De la Roche was impressed by
the deliberate, unhurried, efficient way Austin went about taking care of his
animals. They found a late calf on the ground, and the rancher spent half an
hour with the mother making certain the afterbirth was passed. The young man
did not run a cow-calf operation, he bought young animals to pasture, and was
mystified over the pregnancy. Obviously, some bull got into the pasture, but
search as they might, they could find no sign of the beast nor how he might
have gotten in or out of the fenced area.
Observing carefully, it was clear to De la
Roche that the young man was capable of handling a much larger operation than
this one. He had to swallow his tongue more than once to keep from pressing
Austin with ambitious ideas.
Austin permitted his touch occasionally,
but his mind was on his work, and De la Roche knew that he would consider an
overt approach to be a distraction. The older man understood this from his own
experience. When he was at work, he was at work. When he was at play, he was at
play. He normally did not permit the two to overlap, although his near constant
longing was becoming painful today. Finally, he settled for simply observing
the handsome, graceful man’s easy masculinity. He wondered if Austin Andino
recognized how striking an image he cast. Probably not.
Austin headed for the bathroom the moment
they arrived at the cabin, emerging later freshly bathed and shaven. De la
Roche claimed the shower as soon as the young cowman was finished. Thirty
minutes later, clean and barbered, he found Austin leaning against the kitchen
table covered only by the towel around his waist. Without waiting for an
invitation, De la Roche stepped in front of the cowboy and pulled the towel
free. He took a long look at the lanky, powerful body. It was like carved
marble covered in a sheath of tight, elastic flesh. Breathtaking! Beautiful! Intimidating.
Austin submitted to the examination for a
long minute before he pulled the dressing robe from the older man and conducted
his own examination.
“Don’t,” De la Roche said.
The young man raised his eyebrows in
surprise. “Why not?”
“Because I can’t hold a candle to you. You
have it all, Austin. Handsome as all get out. Put together like everyone’s idea
of Apollo. And hung like one of your bulls,” he finished.
“Don’t own a bull,” Austin said, his ears
flaming at the praise. “Wanna know what I see?” he asked, his eyes sweeping De
la Roche’s body. “I see a hell of a man. A man who keeps in shape despite being
busier than a beaver building a dam… and they’re busy little critters. You’re
handsome in a way I never will be. You know, sleek and smooth. I have trouble
imagining you wanting me.”
“Oh, but I do. And I’m going to show you
how much,” he replied, starting to kneel. The cowboy grabbed his shoulders and
pulled him into an embrace, claiming his lips in a kiss. He stayed passive,
allowing the younger man to set the tone, do the probing.
When Austin released him, De la Roche
pushed the man across the table and took him the way he wanted… hungered to do
and was rewarded with Austin’s groans of pleasure. He took his time, teasing
Austin, nearly bringing him to climax and then easing off until the cowboy
begged him to finish what he’d started.
Panting heavily, the young man came up off
the table and seized him in a bear hug. The eager mouth found his lips. After a
moment, Austin drew back to search De la Roche’s eyes.
“Why is it so good with you?” he demanded
in his deep voice.
Without waiting for an answer, Austin exchanged
places and ministered to him so slowly, so lovingly, De la Roche was certain this
was a virginal experience. A delicious sensation of helplessness, of impotence
swirled through him. He laughed aloud at the absurdity. Being under the control
this big, strong, intimidating man should have bothered the hell out of him. Instead,
he realized with a thrill, he gloried in it!
After the orgasm, he needed help to regain
his feet. “You’re something special,” he whispered.
“Yeah, but a special what?” Austin said
gruffly.
“Do you regret what we did?”
“No. Yeah. I don’t know. It makes me
uncomfortable in a way.”
“Why? Did you do anything you didn’t want
to do? Did I do something you didn’t want me to?”
“Not at the time,” the cowboy answered,
turning away to recover his towel. The young man handed De la Roche his robe. “But
after it’s over, I feel sorta ashamed, I guess.”
De la Roche followed Austin to his bedroom
and watched as the young man dressed. “Do you feel that way with a woman?”
“No. Well, sometimes. And to tell the
truth, I don’t feel it as much with you.”
“Did you feel it with Salim?”
Austin paused for a moment to consider the
question. “No. When we were alone, I didn’t. That first time when I was with my
buddy, we both felt funny. But not when I was alone with Salim.”
“That was because you knew that he
wouldn’t look down on you. Wouldn’t consider you less of a man.” The agate eyes
speared him for a moment. “Well, neither do I. I consider you a hell of a man.”
“How could you after what I did?” he asked,
a bitter tone in his voice.
“And liked it,” De la Roche said harshly.
Austin turned to face him. “And liked it,”
he responded after a moment of indecision.
“And how do you look at me? Like a fairy? A
faggot? A queen?” the older man pushed.
The cowboy gave him an astonished look and
sat on the edge of his bed. “No, I look at you as someone who takes what he
wants. Hell, Forrest, you’re a world-famous entrepreneur. A power broker. One of
the Ten Thousand or however many there are.”
“Did I look like a power broker a few
minutes ago?”
“No,” Austin replied slowly.
“Did I look like a fairy?”
The young man frowned. “N-no, that’s not
the way I looked at you.”
“And I didn’t look at you like that. I
kept thinking how wonderful it was that this beautiful man was doing that
magnificent thing for me, after he’d honored me with the gift of his body.”
The agate eyes looked up at him shrewdly. “No
you didn’t. You thought, ‘Wow, I’m getting my way with the dude.’”
De la Roche laughed aloud. “That, too. But
I knew it was a man doing it for me.”
“Why do we do it?” Austin asked, getting
to his feet and heading for the kitchen. “We both like women.”
De la Roche considered the question while
the rancher started supper. At length, he spoke. “When I stop and think of it,
except for the Filipino houseboy, my male partners were strong men. Respected men.
I think maybe it was the strength in them that attracted me. And every time I
got with a man, it made being with a woman that much more special. Added spice.
Zest.”
Austin shook his head. “Not that way with
me. When I’m with a woman, I don’t even think about being with a man.”
“Nor do I. Not consciously, but it’s there
underneath. Somehow I feel much more of a man because I’d been with a strong
man.”
“You’re not trying to tell me you want to
go to bed with every strong man you meet?”
“No. It takes a special combination. Strength.
Looks. And what I sense inside a man is as important as anything else. You
attract me on every level, Austin. Physically, you’re a Greek god. Mentally,
you’re sharp and bright and educated. Your mind draws me to you. And inside,
spiritually, I’ll wager you’re as beautiful as you are on the outside. In
truth…” he paused, reluctant to put voice to his thought. “In truth, you
attract me more totally, more completely than any man I’ve ever known.”
Austin kept his eyes on the skillet he was
using. “I’ve never known anyone like you, either.”
Both men backed away from the brink of
something neither fully understood. De la Roche did so reluctantly, desperately
hoping Austin would pursue the thing even though he realized that the cowboy was
constitutionally unable to vent his feelings. Not quite understanding his own
reluctance, De la Roche kept his mouth shut. Neither spoke again until they
were at the table ready to eat.
Austin Andino came to him later, and they
spent the night exploring one another without restraint, without embarrassment,
without hesitation. Nirvana.
*****
They definitely tried it
again, and it was… zowie! Only stands to reason they’ll take full
advantage of the time they have together. But what happens when the outside
world comes to claim the entrepreneur. That answer comes with next week’s final
Chapter 7
The following are buy
links for the recently released The Voxlightner Scandal.
Barnes
& Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-voxlightner-scandal-don-travis/1132632844?ean=9781640809260
Now
my mantra: Keep on reading and keep on
writing. You have something to say, so say it!
My
personal links: (Note the change in the Email address because I’m still getting
remarks on the old dontravis21@gmail.com. PLEASE DON’T USE
THAT ONE.)
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/donald.travis.982
Twitter:
@dontravis3
Buy
links to Abaddon’s Locusts:
See
you next week.
Don
Thursday, January 16, 2020
Don Travis: Impotent-Chapter 5 (A Serial Novella)
Don Travis: Impotent-Chapter 5 (A Serial Novella): dontravis.com blog post #372 Courtesy of publicdomaininvectors.org The power dynamic shifted considerably in Chapter 4. Does t...
Impotent-Chapter 5 (A Serial Novella)
dontravis.com
blog post #372
 |
| Courtesy of publicdomaininvectors.org |
The
power dynamic shifted considerably in Chapter 4. Does that mean anything? Will
it encourage young Austin Andino or intimidate him? Read on.
*****
IMPOTENT
De la Roche admired the cowpoke’s masculine grace
until Austin disappeared into the bedroom. Then he rose and went into
his own, only half-closing his door to admit heat from the fireplace.
As he settled beneath the covers of the
bed, he experienced a bit of uneasiness. Had that look betrayed him? His
ex-wife used to say that he could say more with his eyes than most men could
say with words. She’d touch the lids covering his big orbs and tell him they
were his best and worst feature. They could be fiercely intimidating. Pin a
victim against the wall. Express pleasure, displeasure, joy, sadness, desire,
disdain without his moving a facial muscle. Normally, he controlled what they
said, but he wasn’t certain about tonight. Damn, he wanted that young man!
Warm beneath the thick covers, De la Roche
tried to quell his busy mind. He had almost achieved sleep when he became alert
as Austin stirred around in the cabin. The young man tossed another log on the
fire. Moments later, his door swung open. Silhouetted against the glow of the
flames, Austin Andino stood looking into the dark room, seemingly naked and
powerful. When he moved into the bedroom, it was apparent he wore briefs. De la
Roche stirred on his bed, pulling to a half sitting position against the
headboard.
For a long moment the cowboy said nothing.
Then he spoke in a throaty growl. “I’ve seen that look before.”
“What look?” De la Roche asked through dry
pipes.
“The one you gave me at the table. Men
have been looking at me that way since I was twelve.”
“I’ll bet they have,” he rasped as Austin
took a few steps forward. “You’re mighty hard not to look at.”
The young cowboy stood at the side of his
bed. “I thought a man like you took
what he wanted.”
“I do,” De la Roche responded. “But like
this big cowboy hunk I know, I do it in my own time.”
“And when is that?”
“Now,” he answered.
Grasping Austin’s hips, he twisted,
throwing the cowboy onto the bed beside him. Austin stretched across the mattress,
making no protest as De la Roche’s hands wandered his body. The firm young
flesh, the hard muscles gave him a high he hadn’t experienced before, made even
better when exclamations of pleasure escaped Austin’s lips.
As Austin’s orgasm finally died away, the
cowboy sighed contentedly. De la Roche admired the rangy body by the faint
light before covering them both with a blanket and lying beside Austin.
“You’ve done that before,” he said into
the silence.
Austin stirred. “Yeah.”
“In the army, right?”
The big cowboy started. “How’d you know?”
“Yesterday you looked uncomfortable when
you mentioned you hadn’t seen a GPU since the army.”
“Yeah, it was in the army. I got sent to
the Gulf after Desert Storm ended, and there wasn’t anything to do and nobody
to do it with. One day out in the middle of the desert, these two nomad kids
came up. They weren’t little kids, you understand. Hell, they were about as old
as I was, and I was eighteen at the time. But in a way they seemed a lot
younger.” The cowboy frowned into the darkness.
“In other ways they seemed older. Lots of
the kids tried to sell things to the GIs. Had to be careful they weren’t bad
guys, but these two were okay. We didn’t want any of their trinkets, but the
kids hung around anyway. First thing I know, my buddy’s with one kid. The other
one’s got an eyebrow cocked at me. I looked at him for the first time… you
know, really looked at him. Big bedroom eyes with the soul spilling out of
them. Shit, Forrest, he was pretty as a girl. So I just closed my eyes and let
him have at it. Salim, that was his name, Salim did it for the money, of
course, but he liked me a lot. Would rather do it for me than anybody else. So
I used to see him sort of regular. Made sure he had money for food and clothing
for his family. He made sure I stayed relaxed.”
Austin paused in his narration. “Made it
sorta hard to leave when my time came. I was fond of the little fucker. Woulda
brought him back with me if I could.” He shifted on the bed, and De la Roche
was afraid he was leaving, but he wasn’t. “What does that say about me?” he
asked harshly.
“Says you’re a caring man. Says you take
your sex seriously, not casually. Says a great deal about you, Austin.”
“Yeah, says I’m a fucking fairy.”
De la Roche laughed aloud. “I’ll bet
you’re the only guy in the world who’d say that.”
“Maybe. I’ve pounded on a guy or two who
made a move on me. But this was different. I don’t know how, but it was.”
Silence fell over the room until the
cowboy spoke again. “How about you? I wouldn’t have thought a big, important
man like you would… you know.”
De la Roche chuckled. “You’d be surprised
what a big, important man will do. Hell, Austin, I’m human like anybody else. But
for your information, mostly I stick to women… just as you do. I haven’t been
with a man since my divorce. That’s why I got it, incidentally. Elaine hired a
houseboy. She likes beautiful things, and he sure as hell was beautiful. She
was shocked out of her shoes when she found us together.”
“Be damned,” was Austin’s comment.
De la Roche woke the next morning alone in
the bed. The smell of frying bacon brought him to consciousness slowly. At
first, he wondered if last night had been a beautiful dream, but when he threw
back the covers and found that he was naked, he knew that it had actually
happened. Now came the next crisis. How would Austin react?
The big cowboy, dressed in his work
denims, gave him a shy smile when he came into the room. De la Roche realized
that the handsome young man had been worrying about his reaction. Make it as normal as possible.
“Morning,” he said.
“Morning, Forrest. Sleep well….”
De la Roche laughed aloud as the cowpoke
almost bit his tongue over his slipup. “Extremely well—” He chuckled. “—after the
night got past a certain point. Are we going to act like adults about this, or
are we going to get mentally and emotionally constipated?”
Austin returned his laugh and relaxed. “Like
adults, I guess… even if we did act like teenagers last night.”
“I never had a teenager give me anything
so meaningful as last night,” De la Roche said baldly.
Austin turned serious a moment, meeting
his steady gaze before going back to his cooking. “Neither have I.”
“How’s the weather outside?”
“Overcast. We’ll have a shower or two, but
the storm’s over.”
“Austin,” he said to get the young man’s
attention. “I’m going to tell them it’s too unsettled and to wait until
tomorrow to come for me. If that’s all right with you, that is.”
The cowpoke flipped some bacon and then
turned those agate eyes on him. “It’s fine with me.” He paused a long moment. “In
fact, I’d like that.”
De la Roche’s chest swelled with a joy he
had not experienced in years. His throat constricted, but he managed to squeeze
out a few words. “Guess we better eat and get to work.”
Maybe we better," Austin said quietly, turning back to the bacon again.
Maybe we better," Austin said quietly, turning back to the bacon again.
*****
Well, well, well! Seems
like both of them got something of value last night. Great. But will
this turn into anything other than a wonderful memory for the men? Hard to say
at this point. They come from two different world. Perhaps Chapter 6 will give
us the answer.
The following are buy
links for the recently released The Voxlightner Scandal.
Barnes
& Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-voxlightner-scandal-don-travis/1132632844?ean=9781640809260
Now
my mantra: Keep on reading and keep on
writing. You have something to say, so say it!
My
personal links: (Note the change in the Email address because I’m still getting
remarks on the old dontravis21@gmail.com. PLEASE DON’T USE
THAT ONE.)
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/donald.travis.982
Twitter:
@dontravis3
Buy
links to Abaddon’s Locusts:
See
you next week.
Don
Thursday, January 9, 2020
Don Travis: Impotent-Chapter 4 (A Serial Novella)
Don Travis: Impotent-Chapter 4 (A Serial Novella): dontravis.com blog post #371 Courtesy of publicdomaininvestors.org Chapter 4 might be a game-changer. Power denotes power, regardl...
Impotent-Chapter 4 (A Serial Novella)
dontravis.com
blog post #371
 |
| Courtesy of publicdomaininvestors.org |
Chapter 4 might be a game-changer. Power denotes power, regardless of the
circumstances, and a couple of phone calls shifts the balance considerably.
Will Austin be impressed?
*****
IMPOTENT
De la Roche issued orders for someone to take his meeting today,
arrange to have the Volvo picked up when the weather permitted, and agreed to take
another call. “No, don’t try to pick me up today,” he said before closing the call.
“Weather’s still too unsettled. Looks like it could break loose any minute.”
“That was one of my executive
vice presidents. He’ll check with the weather bureau and let me know when they
think they can pick me up.”
Austin peered out the windshield as the first of the raindrops
splattered against the glass. “Won’t be today.”
The morning was a revelation to the engineer. He always enjoyed
learning new things, and everything about the day was new. During a lull in the
rain, while nature gathered her energy for the next inundation, low, scudding
clouds ran before a wind that swept the high, mountain valley, shaking the
trees like dogs shedding water. Austin had trained his cows to respond to the
horn and a whistle, and in each pasture, the placid animals lifted their heads
and walked with bovine dignity toward a central place where the young cowman
spread a few pellets on the soaked ground.
“Don’t really need to feed,” he explained. “Grass is pretty good this
year, but it’s the pellets that train them to come to me. Saves a lot of time
hunting down a bunch of ornery critters spread out in the woods. We’re on
leased land now, but I know how many are in each pasture, and if one’s missing,
I go look for him.”
They ate thick beef sandwiches for lunch while sheltering from a steady
rain in an open-sided shed that looked out over a broad meadow as beautiful as
anything De la Roche had seen in this country. He had just finished the second
of his sandwiches when his phone rang, the call he’d agreed to accept The voice
was clear enough, although interrupted by short bursts of atmospheric
interference.
“Hello, Bob,” he said to the White House Chief of Staff. “How are you
this morning? Good. Believe it or not, I’ve been wrestling cows all morning in
the middle of the northern New Mexico mountains. This local cowman saved my
fanny in a raging storm and promptly put me to work to earn my keep.” He
laughed at the man’s response. “You received my letter, I take it. No, it’s not
subject to reconsideration. It’s hard to say no to the man, but I truthfully
feel this is best. Yes, I’ll be available for an hour or so, providing the
weather doesn’t deteriorate. But please warn him I won’t reconsider, despite
his legendary powers of persuasion.”
There was a question mark on his young companion’s face, but De la
Roche made no move to explain the call. He’d explain the next one. Provided it got through. The rain was falling harder now.
Reluctantly he joined Austin in the cab of the Jeep and they headed to the next
pasture.
An hour later, the phone burped as they were enroute to another bunch
of cattle. De la Roche answered it respectfully. “Yes, I’ll hold,” he said,
giving Austin a mute shrug. “Yes, Mr. President, this is Forrest De la Roche,”
he said. “How are you today? Oh, he told you my current occupation, did he? No,
I know nothing about cattle, but the man showing me the ropes certainly does. Austin
Andino. Yes, sir. Circle-A’s his brand. I’ll tell him.” He paused for long
minutes as the President of the United States made his pitch. Then he
responded.
“Sir, I must respectfully decline. The overriding consideration is that
we are in talks for a merger with Charles Industries. You know as well as I
that I’ll have to argue that one before the SEC, the Federal Trade Commission,
and probably Justice before it’s over, if for no other reason than it’s a fifteen-billion-dollar
acquisition. That would still subject your administration to criticism if I
were the sitting Secretary of the Interior. A pause. “No, sir. I can’t in good
conscience put it on hold. I’m caught on a hook, Mr. President. It’s best for
all concerned if I decline your offer.”
A few moment later, he he turned off the phone and noticed that they
were sitting before a gate. Austin’s door was ajar and he flushed when De la
Roche glanced over at him. The businessman eased the Jeep from the passenger’s
seat so that Austin could close the gate behind them. The cowman got back into
the cab dripping water all over everything.
Although he was obviously burning to ask questions, Austin displayed
the virtue of a true cowman and minded his own business. When they arrived at
the spot where the cattle in the pasture were congregating, De la Roche laid a
hand on Austin’s arm.
“I know that it’s unnecessary, Austin,” he began, “but I have to ask
you to keep what you heard confidential.”
The direct approach released the young man’s inhibitions. “Did I
understand you correctly? You turned down the President of the United States
when he offered to name you as Secretary of the Interior?”
“Yes,” De la Roche said.
“Jeez!” The young man exhaled. “And you told him my name?”
“He wanted to know who’d succeeded in making me do hard labor. So I
told him. Did I do wrong?”
Austin flushed again. “No, but jeez! The President of the United
States!”
“He sends his thanks for getting me out of a sticky situation.”
Late in the afternoon, they finished making the rounds of the pastures.
De la Roche was physically exhausted, but Austin appeared as fresh as when
they’d started out this morning. Thank God the electricity had come back on
sometime during the day and there was hot water. This time he sat in the tub
and soaked away the soreness in his muscles.
Austin had beef stew ready when he emerged wrapped in two soft
blankets. Too tired to dress properly, he sat at the table and ate half wrapped
in terrycloth. After they cleaned the dishes, Austin took his own bath and came
out with a big bath towel wrapped around his trim waist.
Later, the two men sat at the table and discussed the day, De la Roche
in designer sweats; Austin in clean, worn jeans and unbuttoned western shirt. The
young rancher patiently answered a myriad of questions about what they had done
and why and responded favorably to a couple of suggestions the older man made
about the routine. Frankly, De la Roche admitted, Austin worked efficiently. The
cowman could not quite hide his pleasure at the compliment.
A comfortable silence grew as they sipped good, strong coffee. At
length, Austin leaned back and threw his arm over the back of his kitchen
chair, exposing most of his chest and belly. More excited than the situation
called for, the older man took in the expanse of impressive flesh. One brown
nipple escaped from behind the open shirt causing De la Roche to react. Thank
God the table was between them. He could almost see the workings of Austin’s
mind. so he wasn’t surprised at the young man’s next words.
“Do you get calls from the White House often?”
“I knew the previous president better, so I was invited to the Oval
Office more often then.” He gave a wry grin. “After turning this one down, I
probably won’t hear from him again… until he wants a donation.”
Austin Andino studied him frankly. “I can’t begin to comprehend the
power that represents. Probably an everyday occurrence for you, but not for
me.”
“Oh, I don’t think you ever get over awe of the White House, no matter
how jaded you become.”
The cowboy leaned forward, planted his elbows on the table, and took a
sip of his coffee. “I can’t see you intimidated. Hell, you weren’t even
intimidated when you were standing dripping wet in the middle of the road
looking for a ride.”
“I can assure you I was. Slipping in the mud and falling on your ass is
a great way to knock the false pride out of a man.”
Austin laughed, tightening the muscles in his stomach. Almost as if De
la Roche willed it, the young man leaned back in his chair once more. The
engineer could not help himself. His eyes focused on the broad chest. Glancing
up, he saw that Austin had caught the look. The moment grew uncomfortable as
Austin’s agate eyes watched him speculatively across the kitchen table. Neither
said a word until the cowboy stood and announced his intention to retire.
“I’d like to go out with you again tomorrow,” De la Roche said quickly.
“Rain’s let up. Won’t they come for you?”
“They’ll call first.”
As if to remind them she wasn’t finished yet, Mother Nature unleashed
another rainstorm.
Austin raised his head and listened to the drops drum against the roof.
“Might not let up tomorrow.”
“Then they’ll come the day after. Hope you can stand me that long.” De
la Roche sat where he was, admiring the exposed torso of the young cowman. He
dropped his glance back to the table as Austin looked his way.
“However long it takes. An extra hand for room and board is a decent
deal.”
“Only if the hand contributes,” he said depreciatingly.
“A back’s a back. And for a big power broker you
take instruction pretty good.” Austin smiled and turned toward his bedroom.
*****
Wow! I’d be
impressed, and I believe Austin was too. Still nothing’s happened. Each man
went to his own bedroom. What will Chapter 5 bring?
The following are buy
links for the recently released The Voxlightner Scandal.
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