The Cowboy and The Pencil-pusher

"But your dad is the one who pays me." Benjie handed me a cup of coffee timidly. "I definitely have to listen to him."

"Are you serious?" I shook my head. "I ought to have been reminded of his visit, you know that as well as I do." I took a sip of my coffee, feeling very bad.

He sat on the edge of my table. "Are you mad at me?"

I glanced at him irritably. "You're not important enough to be worthy of my anger."

He said happily, "You know you love me."

I scroll down the pages on my laptop with a scroll of my mouse. "I don't love anyone, especially a traitor like you."

He put his hands on his chest, grimacing. "It hurts."

"Don't sit at my table, go to work."

He sighed. "Paul, he doesn't want you to object to his trip. It doesn't look like he's out to pick on you. I don't think it would be wrong to keep it a secret for him."

Of course Benjy wouldn't understand, because he didn't understand the confrontation between me and my dad in the past. "I sort of see where your allegiance lies. I think it's a good thing to find out."

He slid off the table grunting. "My God. Your resentment is heavier than that of an abandoned wife."

My cheeks are hot. "I gave you a lot of accommodation, okay, and I did that because I felt that we had a very pleasant cooperation and a tacit understanding."

"We have a tacit understanding." He sighed and raised his hand. "I swear I will never hide anything from you again." Before I could speak, he continued. "Come on, Paul. I've got a bad conscience for you. I didn't steal your wallet, I just kept a harmless little secret."

"I don't like to hide things."

"Yes. Your attitude is very clear."

I put down my pen and glared at him. "In the past, my dad might have come here specially to humiliate me. And you might be the accomplice who framed me. I don't think it's a trivial matter. "

His shoulders slumped. "Okay. I get what you're saying. But now that your dad's upgraded, he won't be like that anymore, will he?"

I pursed my lips. "He looks like he's not the same as before."

"Well, I don't think he's what he used to be. We had breakfast together this morning, and he kept praising you for how well you handled the project. He's not here to criticize you, he's here to support you. He wants to stay around you."

I felt Benjie's sincerity. "Maybe." I have to admit that until now my dad has said nothing but support and praise. "But if you dare to do this next time, I will fire you."

"Success." He seemed to be relieved, his jaw was no longer tense.

"Bring me the proposal for the public hot tub," I said sternly, not wanting him to be relieved so quickly. "Have you ordered mahogany for the patio and fire pit?"

He nods. "One yes, two yes."

"Very good." I pushed the glasses I wore for work on the bridge of my nose.

He cleared his throat and handed me the rolled-up plan. "Did Mardy and Kurt know about self-heating tubs?"

I raise one eyebrow. "They looked at the drawings. They should know."

He frowned. "You mean you didn't specifically explain this to Kurt?"

I leaned against the back of the chair. "No. Why should I say, he has eyes."

Benji shrugged. "Paul, if someone doesn't read blueprints often, it will be difficult for them to understand." He bit his lip. "Damn it. I have a feeling Kurt might not like adding that stuff."

I shrug. "Guests will love it."

"That's right." He sat down at his desk and frowned.

"In addition, the bathtub is installed on the side of the guest room, far away from the staff dormitory. I also added a cover to help reduce noise."

"I don't know, man. I think Kurt would hate some outdoor spa."

"He's going to love it once he's in it." The hot tub was my dad's idea, and I didn't think I'd be against him.Now I kind of regret this decision.Kurt doesn't like anything that makes the ranch look like it's having a party, much less a self-heating tub that says "Party Only" in big letters.

"If one day I see Kurt sitting in a sauna with a group of city people, then I must have received a marriage proposal from Charlize Theron." Benjie laughed.

"I think he's just going to have to adapt."

The trailer door opened and my dad strode in. "Good morning, both of you. Today is a good day, isn't it?" He smiled and took off his baseball cap and hung it on the coat hook. "Cloudless."

"Morning." I glanced over the computer screen and replied.

My dad looked around. "Which of you saw Kurt today?"

I didn't see him early in the morning, which was unusual.The first thing he usually does when he comes to the trailer is to see what is scheduled for the day.I try not to think about what Kurt hasn't shown up for today.It's hard not to wonder, though, what happened between him and Riley when he got home last night.

"No," Benjy replied to my dad, writing on a piece of paper.

"That's it." My dad rubbed his bald head. "We made an appointment to go to the construction site together today."

"I'm sure he'll come," I said cheerfully.The image of him sharing the bed with Riley makes my stomach churn.Maybe his old friend was so attractive that he decided to have sex with him for a whole day.

"I don't have his number or I'll call." My dad gestured.

Benjie took out his phone. "Shall I fight for you?"

My dad pretended to be surprised. "Oh, yes, it's a good feeling. No trouble, will I?"

"Not at all." After dialing, Benjie put the phone to his ear. "To voicemail."

It didn't make me any better.Where the hell has Kurt gone?Why don't you answer the phone?I know it's none of my business, but my curiosity has exploded.

"Is his place behind the main house?" My dad raised an eyebrow. "I can go over and see if he's there."

He did remind me.Kurt lived on the ranch, which meant that Riley—if he was still here—could be somewhere a few feet from where I was sitting.At the thought of Riley, an uncomfortable chill rose in my heart.Before last night, he was just a vague concept.But I've seen firsthand how painful it is for Kurt to reject or hurt Riley.Did Kurt spend the night comforting Riley?Is it because he comforted him until now, so people didn't come here?

"Though maybe it wasn't right for me to knock on his door?" My dad bit his lip. "That's his personal space."

"Oh, I've been over there several times to ask Kurt questions," Benjie volunteered. "He's always welcome."

"Have you been to Kurt's place?" I asked.I never thought of going to him.I'm not the kind of person who likes to drop by.Of course, usually no one came to my door.

"Of course." Benjie laughed. "I had a beer with him a few days ago. He's a nice guy."

"Fine," I said, resisting the urge to show that Kurt and I had been alone too.We're not five-year-olds, and it's not a competition.

"Well, if he doesn't show up in a while, maybe—" Then the door swung open, and my dad stopped talking as Kurt entered the trailer.

His cheeks were flushed and he looked flustered.He buttoned his denim jacket all the way to his chin, avoiding my sight. "Sorry I'm late, Greg," he said to my dad. "I'm delayed by something."

"Oh, it's all right. I was going to find you."

Kurt turned his back on me, and I tried not to take it personally. "I have something to do," Kurt said gruffly.

Was he "fucking" Riley?That's why he doesn't look at me?I studied his broad back, wondering why he was so nonchalant. "Morning," I said calmly.

Kurt hesitated, then turned to me.He met my eyes, but he looked visibly uncomfortable. "morning."

It was hard not to ask him why he was late.But I would never do or say anything to make my dad and Benjy know that Kurt and I were having an affair. "Did you sleep well last night?" I asked.

He looks away. "not so good."

This sentence can be interpreted in any way.Maybe he couldn't sleep well from guilt after he threw Riley out of his room.Or maybe he didn't sleep at all because he was busy with his old best friend.My stomach sinks just thinking about the latter.The fact that he's with Riley pissed me off.

"I slept super well," I said with a forced smile.

"I didn't sleep well," Benjie put in. "I think it's because of the full moon. I keep waking up at night."

Kurt turned his back on my dad again. "Ready to go?"

"Okay." My dad put on his baseball cap. "See you guys." He opened the door and they both left the trailer.

After they left, Benjie gave a strange laugh. "It can't be my illusion, why do you feel that Kurt is haggard?"

I stare at the closed door. "He's really eccentric."

"He doesn't look like he's sleeping at all, and he's acting weird. He's usually very sweet."

I shrugged. "I guess everyone has a bad day every once in a while." I tried to focus on my computer, but couldn't seem to do it.He barely looked at me just now.Why?We were still in harmony when we parted last night.Or at least, I think we are in harmony.

"I was wondering if it had something to do with what Lucy was talking about this morning, when I was having breakfast with your dad," said Benjie, chewing on the end of his pencil.

My ears perked up. "What did she say?"

"She said that one of Kurt's ex-boyfriends suddenly came to town, and there must be nothing good about that person."

My stomach clenched in order not to overreact. "real?"

He nods. "Yeah. Looks like Kurt is madly in love with that guy."

I was so angry that the hairs on my neck stood on end. "I doubt it."

"You doubt?" Benjie laughed. "Why?"

I shrugged, holding back my anger. "Kurt doesn't look like the type to fall in love with a scumbag."

"As long as the partner is hot enough, we are all of the same type." Benjie continued to write on his paper. "Well, maybe you won't, because you'll never fall in love with anyone."

I keep a poker face. "Too damn right."

He shook his head. "It's nothing to be proud of."

"Okay—" My words were interrupted with the shock of the trailer, and there was a loud commotion outside.I got up and hurried to the exit, Benjie following me closely.When I opened the door, I saw a herd of black cattle surrounding the trailer. "What the hell is going on?"

"Why is there a cow by our steps?" Benjie asked, staring blankly at the big buttocks of the cow whose hind legs were on the steps of our trailer.The animal seemed agitated by sweeping its tail back and forth.

"It's a bull," I muttered. "It has horns." Very sharp horns.

"I don't care if it's a hippo, but why does it look like it wants to get in the trailer?"

"I'm sure it'll be gone in a minute." I bit my lip and looked around for help.There were two ranchers right next to the herd. "Hey," I yelled. "What are these animals doing here?"

One of them raised his hand. "One of your goddamn tractors broke the guardrail, so they all got out."

"It's not my drag—" I was about to say. "Oh, forget it." I took out my mobile phone from my trouser pocket and called Lawrence.He's overseeing the work this morning, and I'm praying he's still here so he can get some redneck to get the cows off right away.

"Hey Paul," Lawrence's elegant voice came from the phone. "What's wrong?"

"Your men broke the fence, and some bulls got out." My stomach churned as the bull turned his head and stared at him with all those feral brown eyes. "One of them was on the steps of our trailer and it didn't look too happy."

"Oh my God," Lawrence muttered. "I just left the ranch 5 minutes ago. My mother, if I don't teach these rednecks a hand in hand, they will make a mess."

"If someone gets bullied, you're legally responsible," Benjy yelled into my phone.

"Is that Benji?" Lawrence asked. "Say hi to him for me."

I think Lawrence may not fully grasp the seriousness of the situation here. "We have to get the bulls back in the pen."

"Well, no cowboys around to get this done?" he asked impatiently.

"They don't have the ability to drive the cows into the pen that your men broke down." I said, holding back my anger.Then the bull backed up a few more steps, approaching where Benjy and I were standing.I pressed the phone to my chest and waved my arms at the beast. "Go away. Go over there. Go."

The cow just grunted and stayed where it was.

I fanned my nose as hard as I could because the beast stinks so badly.There were also a few flies flying around in front of me, and I picked up the phone again. "Lawrence, do you care about this?" Only a blind voice answered me.My jaw almost dropped to the floor, but I shut my mouth quickly to keep myself from eating the fly. "He hung up on me."

"What?" Benjie's eyes widened. "What a jerk."

"Agreed." I sighed. "By the way, he said hi to you."

Benjie frowned and shook his head. "This guy is definitely a first-class scum."

I'm starting to agree with this statement.A few more ranch hands emerged on the scene, and they began working to move the cattle away from the trailers and the construction site.Most of the bulls seemed happy to get out of there right away, but for some reason this bull on our steps was so stubborn.

"Now that you are free, don't you want to go and see the heifer you like?" I said to the bull.As a result, it responded by raising its tail and pooping on the stairs.I jumped back and hit Benjy. "Oh my God!" I put my hand to my nose.

Benji sighed. "I think we'd better go in and go inside and wait for them to get the cow away."

I nod. "Okay. Let's go." I grabbed the doorknob and it wouldn't turn at all. "Oh shit."

"Locked?" Benjie couldn't believe it. "Why is it locked?"

"It's going to die." I hammered the gate angrily, which made the bull even more restless. "It's one of those silly automatic locks. I usually turn it off to avoid that. But I must have forgotten it in the morning."

"Okay, let's get the key and open it."

I sighed and looked in through the small window in the door. "Well, I would, but they're on my desk now."

"What?" Benjie's eyes almost popped out.

I frown. "I was wearing a pair of pencil pants today so I didn't put them in my pocket because they were too tight."

"What special day do you have to wear pencil pants today?"

I scowled and pointed at the bull. "Where did I expect this to happen?"

Benjy's hair was about to explode. "You mean we're now stuck on the steps with a one-ton animal?"

I swallowed heavily. "Oh, it's not that heavy. About nine hundred kilograms."

"awesome."

"Yes." I wailed.

Benjie glanced over the railing. "Maybe we can flip over and land in the pasture."

I followed his gaze. "It's all mud under there."

"Yeah, and let me tell you that there's more than mud in it."

"Oh, my God!" I shuddered.

One of the ranch hands approached the bull. "Don't worry, guys. I'll take it away."

"Thanks," Benjy called.

"You're welcome." The man held the noose in his hand. "Come on, brother, let's get out of there and spare those two good gentlemen."

The bull took a long breath from his nostrils and backed up to me and Benji.

"Shit," Benjy yelled, leaning against the trailer door. "We have to dance, Paul."

"What?" I glanced at the muddy pond below. "I don't want to jump."

"If it gets any closer, I'm going to climb over the railing, man." Benjie said out of breath.

"It's crazy to do that," I muttered. "I'm going to break my leg."

The worker swung the lasso around one of its horns, but the move apparently startled the animal, which began to back away straight up the steps. "Going to die." Benjie climbed up the railing, and before I knew it, he yelled and jumped down.

I grabbed the railing, worried he'd hurt himself. "Are you all right?" I yelled, almost throwing up from the nerves.

He somehow manages to land on both feet and seems to be fine. "I'm fine." He waved to me and rubbed his knees.

"God." I licked my lips and looked back at the bull, which was still fighting the worker.It snorted and stomped back toward me, so close that I could smell its stench, its tail flicking back and forth, sweeping my legs.

The ranch hand meets my eye. "Sorry. It's a stubborn kid."

"Yeah," I said weakly.

"Be careful it doesn't kick you." The worker grimaced and continued to pull the cow but it didn't work. "It likes to kick people."

My stomach churns and I grab the railing, feeling like I'm panicking.

"Jump, Paul," Benjy yelled at me. "bring it on!"

My heart was beating wildly, and I put my feet on the bottom of the railing. "What the hell am I doing on this ranch, and there's a disgusting brute here wanting my life?" I murmured to myself. "Where did my peaceful life of sandy beaches and martini bars go?"

"Be careful!" the worker yelled.

The bull let out a roar, and the huge butt sat down towards me.Its body hit my hip and I flew over the rail with my own unmanly scream.In this way, it is impossible for me to fall to the ground with my feet down.I tensed my muscles and prepared to fall into the mud below.But the imagined impact didn't happen.Someone hummed loudly and caught me in the middle.Unfortunately, inertia still sent me and my hero falling sprawled into the mud.

The air was squeezed out of my lungs, and I lay there gasping like a trout caught out of the water, with a pain in my shoulder.The man who caught me sat up next to me.I turned to look into Kurt's clear blue eyes.

The black mud covered his face, making his clenched teeth twice as bright as usual. "My dear, Paul. You eat so little and you weigh as much as a moose!"