Steamboat Springs New Start Pt 04

Part Four, Work and The Barn

The past 10 hours with Sandy had been magic. I had no idea that the 10 hours would even happen that way. They were a complete surprise for me. For some reason Sandy and I had a special connection. And that connection brought me some of the happiest moments in my life. I think I fell in love. I'm not totally sure, but I may have. But I also knew she would be leaving today. And I didn't know how I would take this inevitable loss. Whatever the day may bring, it was time to get it started...

The alarm went off at 5 AM. It was still dark but you could see the sky getting light over the mountains to the east. We woke up in each other's arms. I could feel her exhaling into my face. Her warm breath was intoxicating. I pulled her tits tight into my chest and gently brought my lips into contact with her soft lips. We kissed softly and passionately. We gently shared our tongues. My dick got hard and Sandy pressed her crotch down on top of me. We spent several minutes sharing our last moments of intimacy before the world tore us apart forever. It was a sad and tender moment. We finally pulled our lips apart and untangled our arms and legs.

We sat on the edge of the bed and brushed tears from our cheeks. Sandy and I got up and got dressed. I was sad that we were parting ways. We went to the bath house, cleaned up a little and brushed our teeth. We walked quietly back down to my room. We sat on the bed and hugged. I told her I loved her and wished she wasn't going. She said we hadn't even known each other for 24 hours and it was too soon to make such declarations. But she said she loved me too. We walked out to my truck and kissed one last time. We both had tears in our eyes. I left at her 5:45. As I drove away, I watched her, standing in the dawn light, watching me until she was out of site in my mirrors. My heart had a hole in it that I knew I could never fill. I already missed Sandy so much.

The past 24 hours had been such a chaotic mixture of loneliness, raw sex, drama, facing the unknown, new beginnings and new endings. Leaving Denver felt like an event from weeks ago. Loneliness had been eradicated from my mind and body by a beautiful woman from San Francisco. I had a job on which to base my new life. My new life started with the heartbreaking loss of the first woman I loved with both my heart and soul. The last 10 hours had been the best hours of my life and, now, they were becoming just a memory. Their ending was the start of the worst time in my life. In the span of one day, I had experienced every emotion a person could possibly feel in a lifetime. I started out, frustrated at home in Denver. I found everything in life I could possibly want with a stranger on the road. I experienced perfect love with Sandy. And by 5:45 this morning, I was alone, lonely, heartbroken, and lost in Western Colorado with no home. I cried and the tears rolled down my cheeks and dripped onto my work shirt. I missed being held in Sandy's arms. Life in Steamboat Springs sucks.

This tumultuous part of my life was over.

I was onsite at 6 AM.

Workers were already there and drinking hot coffee from thermoses. Shit, how did I miss that? No coffee. And I hadn't filled out my paperwork and turned it in at the trailer. This day was starting out badly. I was going to get fired by Brenda. Maybe I should go to the Bay with Sandy...

Paul found me filling out my employment papers. I had to get those done. I didn't want to get fired by Brenda. I couldn't face that woman. She seemed evil. Paul just stood there with a steaming cup of coffee and shaking his head.

"You didn't turn that shit in to Brenda yet? You're playin' with fire boy. You don't wanna piss off Brenda. Finish that shit up and put it in the mailbox by the door of the trailer. Meet me in stock in ten." Paul walked off with his coffee in hand. I finished my paperwork and stuffed it, along with my driver's license, in the mailbox on the side of the trailer by the door. The trailer was still locked and the lights were off. Brenda wasn't there yet, so maybe I dodged that bullet.

I met Paul in stock. He looked like he had been waiting for me for a long time. Hopefully not for too long to get him going. I didn't want to piss him off first thing in the morning. I had all my stuff from the COOP and thought I was ready for anything.

"Nice hat. New gloves. You never did this shit before, did ya?"

"No sir. Tell me what you want done and I will do it."

"When a delivery comes in, put it away...immediately. When a work order comes in, drop everything, fill it and get it to whoever requested it... immediately. Take breaks and lunch when you are caught up and have time. If the guys don't have materials, this place don't get built and it will be your fault. You don't want it to be your fault! You don't want that..." Paul was full of good news and encouragement.

This was turning into the job from hell and I didn't figure I'd last too long before I got fired. The day started under a black cloud. I'd just lost Sandy. I wondered where Sandy was. I wondered if she found a ride west with a good person. I hoped she was safe.

The job started getting a little better as the hours went by. No thoughts of Sandy. Didn't have time. I was so overwhelmed, my mind focused on just the job. I was able to get everything in the racks and bins and start cleaning up the area. I saw Paul walking by. He stopped, looked through the fence, nodded to himself and walked on.

Then, at 10:00, a roach coach pulled up by the main gate and blew its air horn. Silence hit the work area and everyone headed out to the coach for food and fluids. Christ, we get food service here. I got in line with the rest of the crew. I was starved. Hard to imagine I was getting food from a roach coach and thinking of it as real food.

"Hi, I'm Wendy. You are?"

"Jim."

"Nice hat. You're new. Just grab what you want." She started with another crew member. Most of the money went into her apron pocket. A ten went into her bra. Then she got back to me.

"That's 4 bucks. Need anything for after work?" She winked. Shit. Is she selling drugs, too? That's all I needed...

"No, mam. Just this." I took my food and drink and started to leave. She grabbed my arm.

"If you need anything, anything at all, you let me know." She winked again and went to the next guy in line.

Wendy was pretty unremarkable. She dressed plain and simple. Nice tits under her t-shirt. But I got the feeling she didn't take shit from anyone. No one was going to give her shit and not regret it later. She had a busy schedule and didn't waste any time. She was quick and competent. When the line was gone, she was gone.

The break was over in fifteen minutes and everyone was back at work. I was in the pen when a flatbed pulled up by my gate. The driver got out with a clipboard and flagged me over.

"What's up?" I asked.

"Your load. Get it off. I gotta get back to Salt Lake before dark."

"I never done this before. Little help?"

"Shit, you new guys. Here's your paperwork. Here's the load. Get your shit off my truck, now. You get the Loed. I'll get the straps."

"Loed?"

"The big ass forklift over there!" He pointed at a huge grey forklift parked in the corner.

Fuck, this shit show is never going to end. How the hell do you drive a forklift? I went to the Loed and looked at it. There was a hardhat in the seat. Keys were in the ignition. The truck driver was pulling off straps. I had to do something, quick. I grabbed the hard hat and put it on. I climbed up the ladder and flopped in the seat. Brake and gas pedal, one on either side of the steering column. Two levers on the left side of the column, one knob with F above N above R another with H above L. Had to be for the transmission. I had forward, neutral and reverse. And low and high speed. On the dash to the right were three more levers, knobs with arrows, left-right, up-down, forward-back. All for the forks?

I tried turning the key, but nothing happened. I pressed the brake and tried again and it started. Put the drive knob in F and pressed on the gas. The engine died. I Looked at the dash and there was a big red B lit up. Shit, there's a hand brake hidden somewhere. I looked around and found a lever with a button on the end. I pushed the button, lowered the lever and the Loed rocked back and forth a little. I put the tranny back in N, pressed the foot brake and started the engine again. The Loed came back to life. There is a God.

I pulled back on the up down lever and the forks came off the ground. I pulled back on the tilt lever and the mast pulled back. I tried the left-right lever and the forks moved left and right. This was easy. I can do this. Just don't "fuck up" was my thought. I pushed the shift lever to the forward position and stepped on the gas. I turned the steering wheel and the Loed began to move and turn to the right. It was weird because the back wheels steered and the front pivoted around the mast. Interesting. That quirk could take some getting used to.

I drove very slowly over to the flatbed trailer with two six foot long battering rams sticking out front. I found the end pallet with no loading straps. Make or break time. I raised the forks and saw that they did not line up with the gaps under the pallet. I tried to shift the forks to line them up, but there wasn't enough travel. I re-centered the forks to the mast, backed up and re-positioned the Loed until the forks lined up with the pallet. The forks were pointed to high into the air so I tilted the mast forward until they were level with the trailer. I pulled forward and the forks actually touched the flat bed and slid under the pallet. I pulled back on the up-down lever and the pallet raised up off the flatbed into the air.

I pulled the shift lever into reverse and added a little gas. The Loed backed up until the pallet was clear of the trailer. I put the Loed into forward and couldn't see a thing in front because the pallet was blocking my forward view. I lowered the pallet until I could see what was in front of me. I slowly drove to an empty part of the stock yard and put the pallet down. Shit, this is easy. I'm killing it... I went back to the trailer to get another pallet.

The driver tapped his watch and told me he had to pick up a load before heading west.

"Pick up the pace" he yelled.

I brought the new pallet back and set it in front of the first pallet. Hey. This really is easy. So, I kept on doing what I was doing and unloaded the trailer.

"Thank God you're finally done. Now I can get outta here." The truck driver was pissed because I took so long. I thought I did okay for never having seen a Loed before and operating a fork lift. I had plenty of practice driving tanks in my war game videos, so I had a little help from there. I spent a few extra minutes looking at labels and warning tags stuck here and there on the Loed. Might be some information that will come in handy in the future.

Paul came over and he was pissed too. I think that is his normal emotional self. So, I braced for whatever was coming.

"What the fuck was that? Grass grows faster! You think we and the truck driver have all day?" Paul expected that trailer to be empty in 10 minutes or less.

"This is a construction site, not a tree nursery! Fuck me."

"Sorry Boss. Never drove a Loed before. Took a minute to figure it out. I'll get better."

"Shit, you don't know how to drive a forklift?"

"Well...I do now...kinda."

"Well learn better!" Paul walked away and that was it. Okay. I'm a forklift driver AND a stock boy now.

The rest of the day was busy. I had to stock all the stuff from the trailer and I had to get building materials out to the crews. I got my exercise and learned how to drive pallets of supplies around the worksite.

Around 2:00 in the afternoon, a plumber came into the yard for some fittings. He saw me and spoke up.

"Brenda wants you in the trailer... "right fucking now". Her words, not mine."

"Shit, that doesn't sound good."

"Nope. Say, can I have your gloves...in ten minutes you won't be needin' 'em anymore, eh?"

I just lowered my head and started towards the trailer. This was my least favorite place on the whole work site. Brenda scared me. I climbed noisily up the stairs so she would hear me coming. I opened the door and braced myself.

"Hi sweetie, hope you're having a nice day. Are you?" She asked pleasantly. If I had never met Brenda before, I would have thought a hot woman was flirting with me. Her hair was nicely put up and she had really nice eye make up to accent her beautiful green eyes. She wore a tight, smooth textured tube top covered by a short waistcoat with long sleeves. Her tits had the high beams turned on. She showed bare skin from the middle of her rib cage down to the top of the short skirt hugging her hips. Her abs and tummy were tight and she was shapely. Brenda looked good.

"I've got something for you, dear." She turned from the counter and walked back to her desk. As she leaned over her desk to get some papers, she stopped, raised her hips and flashed her ass covered by blue satin panties. I barely had time to pick my jaw off the counter before she turned and walked back.

"Like the view, you fucking pervert? Never seen blue panties before? Why you even lookin?" Yeah, this is the Brenda I was expecting originally.

"Here's your license. You got a hell of a commute."

"I..." I started to speak, but she cut me off.

"...DON'T CARE!" She finished up.

My eyes drifted down to her nipples after a few seconds of silence. I reached my hand out for my driver's license.

"Hey asshole. My eyes are up here." She reached her hand out, hooked a finger under my chin and raised my head.

"Sorry..." I stammered.

"Yes, you are. Now get back to work."

I grabbed my license and pulled back an empty hand. She still held my license tightly in her hand.

"C'mon sweetie, you're stronger than that..."

I reached for the license again and she dropped it to the counter just as my hand got close.

I shot a flustered look at her and reached down for the license.

"Oh, honey, don't be mad. I'm just fuckin with ya..." She baited me.

I picked my license up off the counter and made my exit. I hated that trailer and Brenda scared the shit out of me. I went back to my work area and finished straightening up for the day.

It was getting on to evening and Paul found me in the stock yard.

"See you in the morning. Get outta here." And he left. It was nice not getting chewed out.

I went back to the truck and drove downtown to get food for dinner and work tomorrow. Got the same old stuff. I didn't have a creative thought in my mind. That was my problem, I did the same thing over and over, day after day after day. No wonder I was so bored and lonely. Then it was back to The Barn.

Sandy and Gail were nowhere to be seen. God, I really missed Sandy. Gail was okay, but I'd never connect with her the way I connected with Sandy. I wished Sandy was in my room and waiting for me. Like a dream, that part of my life was over.

I decided I would clean up first, then get ready for tomorrow. I was even more filthy and disgusting than yesterday. I needed a shower and deodorant. As I walked to the bathhouse I got hailed by the nerdy girl from the front desk. I stopped and waited for her to catch up.

"You got a minute?" she asked.

"Yeah. What's your name, anyway?"

"Call me Steph. I don't like the longer version."

"What 'cha need?"

"I need something moved up to the office. I can pay you."

"Okay." I took my kit and towel and followed Steph back to the office. I put my stuff down and asked what needed to be done.

"I need some fuel brought over from the store room. Coal, gas and wood." Steph led me over to the store room and showed me the coal bin.

"I need two ten-gallon buckets of crushed coal for the furnace. I need three ten-gallon propane tanks for the stove and four bundles of wood for the fire places." She listed what she needed delivered to the office. Shit, this was just like being at the Ptarmigan site.

"I been doin' this all day. Thought I was done. What d'ya want first". Felt like this day was never gonna end.

"Propane tanks."

I searched the store room and grabbed a propane tank. That thing weighed over fifty pounds. I looked around and there was a dolly with big pneumatic tires on it. I strapped on a tank and followed Steph to the utility room at the back of the office building. She showed me where the tank went and asked If I would hook it into the manifold. I took the empty bottle back to the store room. I did the same thing for the other two bottles.

I went to the coal bin and it was full of crushed coal. I got two ten-gallon buckets and filled each one with coal. Those ended up weighing about 80 pounds all together. I lugged them back up to the office and asked where she wanted them. She showed me the bin for the coal furnace. I opened the door to the bin and dumped in the coal. There was room for two more buckets, so I went back to the store room and got another load. Those last buckets filled the hopper on the furnace.

Then I went to the firewood stacked on the side of the storage shed. She didn't tell me what she needed, and where, so I filled as much onto the dolly as I could and headed back to the office. She met me at the door and showed me where the fire wood was stacked for the fireplace. Then she asked for another load out by the fire pit behind the office. There was a picnic table, a couple of Adirondack chairs, a fire pit and a hammock. I stacked the wood between the two trees where the wood appeared to go. I brought out several more loads to make a good stack.

"Anything else you need done?"

"No, that's it. You don't owe me any rent next week. Oh, and take a shower. Phew!" I was working off my rent. I could do that.

"Okay, I do gotta go take a shower and turn in. Later Steph."

"Thanks Jim. Oh, and Sandy told me to tell you goodbye for her. She was pretty sad..."

"Oh, thanks Steph. I appreciate that, really...a lot." I picked up my stuff and left. Tears were rolling down my cheeks when I got to the showers. Everything about Sandy came flooding back to me. It had been fourteen hours but it felt like I had been broken for days. How long was I going to feel like this? These feelings made it hard to keep going. God, I missed her. I wondered where she was.

I got to the shower and washed off sweat, stink, sawdust, dirt and coal. I couldn't wash off the sunburn or the sore muscles and blisters. I soaped up my hands and went to work on my dick. I thought of Sandy and what we had done the night before. But they were sad thoughts now, and no matter how much I tried, I couldn't get an erection. Soapy friction on my shaft and dick head generated no good feelings. Fuck, I couldn't even beat off to the thoughts of being naked in the shower with Sandy and having sex. I finally gave up on the thoughts of masturbating and ejaculating to visions of a naked Sandy in the shower with me. Thinking of her beautiful tits did nothing for me. Fuck this town.

I put on my last set of clean underwear and jeans and headed back to my room for dinner. I had a day-old sandwich from the grocery store deli, a bag of chips and a can of Sprite. I added a second day old sandwich and an apple to the cooler for my lunch tomorrow. I got out my Thermos. The coffee inside was luke cold. But I imagined the caffeine was still there. Maybe Wendy had hot coffee on the roach coach. A full thermos would be nice, hot or cold. Tonight's dinner sucked.

I set the alarm and went to bed. The bed seemed empty and lonely, but I could still smell Sandy on the sheets and pillow. I reached under the pillow to hold it to my face. I wanted to smother in Sandy's scent. I felt something foreign on the sheet under the pillow. I turned the light back on and picked up the pillow. There on the sheet was a note and a pair of dirty panties. The note was from Sandy.