Trust is a two-way street...
I was making an ungodly racket in the barn when the overhead lights flickered on and off. At first, I thought it was Cyndi attempting to get my attention, but when I stopped and turned around, I saw him watching me.
It was Owen.
Holy fuck! He was right in front of me and so fucking good-looking, sexy, and tall. It didn't matter that he was dressed like me, in a one-piece coverall and a black knit hat covering his head and ears. His eyes shone brightly, letting me see the man I had fantasized about for days, perhaps even all my life. The attraction astounded me.
I looked up, noticing for the first time that the cameras' red lights were on, and looked at Owen.
"Thomas wanted me to surprise you." He said quietly. A smile touched his lips.
"Hi," he said as an afterthought, "I'm Owen."
"Austin," I walked over, removed my work glove, and shook his hand. He did the same but held onto mine, leaned in, and kissed me briefly. A jolt of electricity coursed through me - perhaps even both of us - because I saw the same shocked look I was feeling in his eyes when I pulled back.
"Show me around?" He half asked, almost like he was reading from a script. He let go of my hand and took a step away. I knew I had a gob-smacked, shit-eating grin on my face. This was really happening! I needed to show him I wasn't a total blithering idiot. Talking about farming helped. It centered me. I was fine as long as I didn't look into his soul-searching eyes.
"Nice operation." Owen stood leaning against one of the gates. He appeared so relaxed and at ease.
"I've been doing this for over ten years." It was the only thing I could think to say. Perhaps I
was
a total idiot, and it took someone like Owen to show me.
"If you keep things the way you have them now, you won't have any issues," he said. "Hopefully, things will work out so that we can work together. I want to show you what I've learned."
"I'd like that," I said. Could I have gotten any luckier?
We'd been standing in the same spot for five minutes. The cold was slowly permeating the ultra-warm coverall. It was close to zero outside. We didn't have heat in the barn. It couldn't have been more than ten degrees inside. The only way to ward off the cold was to keep moving. Owen, coming from a cold weather state, knew that as well.
"Come, let's go to the house and get warm. Have you met Cyndi yet?"
"No, not yet. She wasn't there when we arrived. I met some of the crew in the bunkhouse. Thomas suggested I come directly to the barn to meet you." There was a glint in his eyes. He was trying to tell me something without saying the words.
Halfway between the barn and the house, Owen leaned into me and whispered, "Do you feel it?" I pulled back and nodded to him. "This has never happened to me before," he sounded worried. "Not even with John. What John and I had was physical. You and I just met, yet I feel this connection to you like I've known you all my life."
"Yes, I feel that also," I hesitated, then added, "I hate that we have to do this for the whole world to see," We were huddled together, our bodies trying to keep us warm from the freezing winds that had kicked up but were failing miserably.
"We are being asked to perform like lab rats. I know it's supposed to be part of the process, but it feels wrong." He stopped and hugged me closer to him. "They want to see how we interact with each other. I say let's give them a show they'll never forget. We'll know when it's personal between the two of us." He lifted my chin and kissed me.
How do you describe a first kiss? He started with a brief kiss, like the one he gave me in the barn. He was so close to me, the warmth of his face against mine. He seemed to be waiting. I opened my eyes for a split second, possibly at the exact moment he did, and saw the smile in his eyes. His thumb glided lightly over my bottom lip, opening my mouth with a gentleness I'd never known. An almost inaudible moan escaped from his lips. His breathing was labored when he pressed his lips to mine. His tongue met mine and sent shivers throughout my body. I shuddered, feeling the kiss in every part of my body, some parts more than others. From my toes that seemed to curl trying to grasp onto solid ground, my stomach that was clenched tightly, my heart that was beating so hard I was sure it was going to burst, and my head, which felt lightheaded, and I prayed he'd catch me if I fell.
Owen's body was tight against mine. His comforting arms held me close to him. I could feel his heart beating even through the layers of clothing we wore. Something deep inside me told me this is where I belonged, where I always belonged.
"I could kiss you into tomorrow," he whispered, heaving a deep sigh when the kiss ended. We were breathing deeply, trying to catch our breaths.
"Will you?" I asked, leaning back into him, insistent that his lips find mine again.
"Come, the show must go on." He kissed me briefly and led the way to the house but stopped again before we went in. "By the way, Cyndi isn't here. It's going to be just you and me."
"Why?" I asked, knowing full well.
"I don't know. Thomas told me he wanted to see how we related to each other on our own."
"Yeah, and I was born yesterday!" Bullshit was bullshit.
Owen pulled me in his arms and kissed me again. "Let it go. Be with me. Please. Don't let anyone ruin our moment." I looked at him. He was right. For once, I wouldn't let anyone spoil things for me.
We were just a few steps from the back door when I stopped. "The house, barn, and cars are wired for audio and video. I told Thomas I needed a space to be totally off the grid. As stupid as it sounds, I wanted a place where I could take a crap and not have thousands of people watching me wipe my ass. He begrudgingly agreed. There is a bathroom in the spa room. There are no cameras or mics. I padlocked it before they installed all the audio/video equipment. Only I have the key. After we perform for the cameras, let's go there, where we can be alone, out of the spotlight."
"Oh, my lord, you are turning me on so much, I don't know how I'm going to be able to contain myself." He pulled me in his arms and kissed me, easing my apprehension.
It felt good entering the warm mudroom. I was shaking uncontrollably, and it wasn't all from the cold. I was used to working in the cold but always moved around. Under my coverall, I wore light sweatpants and a long-sleeve T-shirt. Owen came directly from the airport wearing jeans and a sweater, but he was shaking like me. The warmth of the room did nothing to erase the shaking. We hadn't expected that our meeting would be so impactful.
I looked up and saw the glowing red lights of the camera. '
