Tackling the Subject

by Jon Keys

  Sam looked at the huge animals, then at the narrow pens Gordy seemed to think they would go into. “Just put a little in each one?”

  “Yup, they know what’s going on. They’ll go in without trouble.”

  Sam shrugged and started down the row of constrictive stalls. There was a clang as a bar slid in place behind each animal. By the time he reached the last stall, Gordy was sliding its closure shut. He disappeared into the room at the end of the shed, came out with a stack of cups and a smile Sam didn’t like at all. He stood watching as Gordy put on one glove that came to his shoulder. Why do I think I should have asked what AI meant?

  “Okay, so today I’m taking fecal samples, and I’ll show you how to—”

  “We’re doing what?”

  “Samples. To check how they are digesting the wheat pasture.”

  “Poop? We’re picking up shit?” The manure smell overwhelmed him, and he gagged.

  Gordy chuckled. “Not picking it up so much as catching it.”

  “Oh God.”

  The smile on Gordy’s face was demonic as he motioned Sam over. Sam gritted his teeth, determined to do what he’d agreed to do. He listened as Gordy explained how to capture the manure fresh from its source, transfer it to one of the sample containers then write the ear tag number across the top. He set the finished product in a box he’d brought from the pickup before turning to Sam.

  “Easy, huh? You do the next one, and I’ll make sure you don’t hurt the steer.”

  Sam pulled the glove to his shoulder and stepped within reach of the next animal. Gordy moved its tail to one side and Sam swallowed hard, trying to keep from losing his lunch. But he would not lose his tutor because he couldn’t stand touching the animal’s butt.

  He reached forward, fighting to keep from puking, his arm shaking.

  Gordy gripped Sam’s wrist. “That’s enough. I think it’s gross, too. You must need help bad if you’d help collect samples.”

  A sense of relief washed over Sam, but he also would fulfil his part of the bargain. “Hey, I can still help. I mean, this is a real thing you need to do, right?”

  Gordy cocked an eyebrow and studied him for a minute. From the expression on his face, Sam hoped Gordy was impressed by what he’d said. Sam believed Gordy was a man who valued honesty and the willingness to work.

  With a nod, he explained, “Yeah, it’s a real thing. How about if you mark the sample? That would help keep everything clean.”

  Sam nodded, determined to carry out his end of the bargain. Gordy handed him the first sealed sample. He felt the hot container, and hurled.

  * * * *

  They rolled to a stop in front of Gordy’s trailer and sat quietly for a minute. Sam was still a little queasy, but he was proud that after puking, he’d helped finish. The first thing he would do when he got to his room was shower until he’d scrubbed off the funky smell. But for now, he’d earned his tutoring session, even if he had been a jerk the first time.

  “Sorry about that. I’ve never had someone throw up before,” Gordy said.

  “I probably should have told you that I had a weak stomach.”

  Gordy chuckled as he climbed out of the truck. “Let’s get going. We can get some studying finished before I have to check on the animals.”

  Sam trotted to his car, pulled out his book bag then raced to catch up with Gordy, who’d paused at the door and glanced back. But he opened the trailer and motioned Sam inside. “The table is on the right. Spread out there. Just push my stuff to the side.”

  Sam moved through the tiny space and found where Gordy had sent him. He gazed around in awe at the immaculate home—no piles of clothes or dirty dishes. It looked like a staged living area at one of those garden shows they held at the fairgrounds each year. The counters were spotless, and the bathroom was just as orderly. As he checked out the room, he realized Gordy was staring at him.

  “It’s not much. But like I said, it’s cheap.”

  “No, not at all. I was thinking what a mess my room was in comparison.”

  Gordy shrugged and his face flushed, but ignored the direction the conversation had taken. “You said you have Hawthorne?”

  “Yeah, we had a lab test, and I didn’t do so well.”

  “How bad is ‘not so well’?”

  “Fucked up beyond belief?”

  Gordy chuckled but didn’t comment any further. He flipped through Sam’s textbook until he reached the pages he’d been searching for. “Okay, so you should be covering the heredity section?”

  Sam gave him a nod.

  “Good. Let’s start with simple genetics, just a single gene. Like eye color in people”—he grinned at Sam—“which isn’t that simple. But for the sake of the assignment…”

  Gordy started through the basic concepts. Sam realized Gordy needed to find out how much he knew. He was surprised he remembered as much as he did.

  The next few hours were spent coaxing Sam through the more complex lessons. Sam hated to admit it, but Gordy was an outstanding tutor. They worked through another section until Sam had it down. Almost giddy, he jumped to his feet and did a victory dance. When Gordy laughed, Sam turned and gave him a double high-five.

  “Damn! You are the master tutor.” He remembered that Gordy had his own long to-do list and glanced outside to see the sun disappearing. He turned back to Gordy. “It’s late. Let me help you. I can check your computer later.”

  “It’s okay. It won’t take me too long.”

  “No, honest. What can I do to help?” Sam paused for a minute. “Nothing needs sampled, does it?”

  Gordy laughed and shook his head. “No, nothing else needs sampled. Besides, the animals here are more Steve’s pets. But I guess you would help me finish quicker. I have a couple of baby goats that need a bottle.”

  “The goats are how big?” Sam asked.

  “You know, babies. Really little.” Gordy held out his hands separated by about ten inches.

  “Oh yeah. I can do that.”

  “Cool! Their bottles are in the fridge. Just run hot water over them for a few minutes to warm up the formula. They’re in a horse stall. It’s just the two of them.”

  Sam nodded. This sounded more up his alley. He waited for Gordy to leave then started to warm up the bottles. It took longer than he expected, but several minutes later, they had warmed and Sam headed off in search of his assignment. He knew where the goats were when he flipped on the lights, and they began complaining. It must have been past their mealtime. They were voicing their displeasure at the lack of service. Sam headed toward the din, opened the door and two tiny four-legged creatures with the ferocity of a piranha attacked him.

  “Hey, hey. Calm down. I’m here.”

  Sam swung a bottle to each one. They both immediately began nursing like fiends, making sucking noises that filled the building. Sam slipped to his knees to make feeding the two eating machines easier. Their tails were wagging like signal flags and their long ears swung with their vigorous nursing.

  It didn’t take long for them to drain their bottles. As soon as they did, they climbed over him, trying to see if he had anything else edible. One had his front hooves on Sam’s shoulder nibbling at his ear while the other was nursing a fold in his T-shirt. He chuckled when the low-ranging truant found something very interesting on Sam—a nipple.

  “Hey! No biting the nipples. Only hot boyfriends get those.”

  “He seems to like doing that. I wear a jacket when I feed them.”

  Heat flashed across Sam’s skin and a knot formed in his stomach. But Gordy said nothing about his comment. He squatted down and gave the two a few minutes’ attention before carrying them back into the stall and turning to Sam.

  “Hey, thanks. That saved me a lot of time. Those two are high maintenance.”

  Sam still felt the heat of his embarrassment as he followed Gordy out the door. They went into the trailer. Sam gathered his stuff and shoved it into his bag. He didn’t want to leave. He wasn’t sure why, beca
use he had no interest in a relationship with anyone. But he wanted to spend more time with Gordy. He had to try.

  “Hey, it’s late and I’m starving. You interested in grabbing a bite? We could go to Joe’s. My treat.”

  Gordy gave him a look he couldn’t interpret that shifted to a slight frown. “Sorry, but I’ll have to take a rain check. I have too much to do tonight.”

  The walls that Sam had lowered shot back up. “Yeah. Sure. Some other time.” He tossed the bag over one shoulder and started out the door. “Oh crap, I didn’t fix your computer.”

  “Don’t sweat it. You can check it next time.”

  Sam nodded, turning before he reached the door. “I’ll probably need more help. Can I call you?”

  Sam swore Gordy’s expression brightened. “Sure. Anytime.”

  He nodded then made his way to the bug as fast as possible. His emotions were such a convoluted mess that he made no attempt to sort them from each other.

  Chapter Four

  Gordy stood in the shadowed doorway to the barn watching Sam park his bright blue beetle next to his pickup. He was still trying to figure Sam out. At their first meeting in the library, he’d been a complete ass. But a few days later he’d returned, begging for help. He knew Sam had gone back to the Help Center and asked for someone else. Connie had filled Gordy in on the details and dismissed Sam as another spoiled rich kid. The flood of emails had been annoying, but Gordy had to admire his determination. The barrage of calls asking for directions, though? If he needed help that bad, Gordy would give him a second chance.

  That he’d been willing to help Gordy with sample collection… Well, no one had ever helped him with that chore before. He’d grown on Gordy. When he saw Sam making his way to the trailer, Gordy couldn’t resist a little teasing. He ran back, opened the gate to the goats’ stall and raced back to the door with the pair. They glanced at Gordy for a moment before doing what he’d hoped. They bounced across the yard and headed straight for Sam.

  “Hey, guys!”

  I’ll explain the gender of the two at some point.

  Sam sat on the ground and let them climb over him while he scratched behind their floppy ears. Gordy found the sight endearing and let them continue for a few minutes before stepping closer. As happened more frequently with Sam, Gordy felt a flutter in his stomach as he watched.

  “They seem to like you.”

  Sam looked up and grinned. “They came running out to meet me.” He cocked an eye toward Gordy. “You let them out.”

  Gordy plastered an innocent expression on his face. “Me? I’d never do something like that.”

  Sam hesitated as if he took Gordy’s comment as fact. “Yeah, okay.” Gordy winked at him, and Sam burst into a grin. He stood, scooped up the animals and headed toward the barn with Gordy at his side. Once they had the two troublemakers secure in their stall, he turned to Gordy.

  “You sure you don’t mind helping me again? I’ve got a quiz tomorrow, and I’d really appreciate whatever you have time to do.”

  Gordy gave a shrug as they made their way to his home, “Sure. I’ve got biochem homework, too. We’re going through neurotoxins. Mostly it’s memorizing things. But I might get you to quiz me. I use notecards when I study, so it shouldn’t be that bad.”

  Sam’s smile got even larger. “Sure! I’d be happy to help.”

  “Cool. Give me a few minutes to shower. I’ve got pop in the fridge.” Gordy swung open the door and motioned Sam inside. Sam grabbed a can from the refrigerator, sat at the table and spread out his classwork.

  Unconcerned, Gordy pulled his sweaty T-shirt over his head and wiped off his torso with it. When he glanced up, Sam’s gaze was locked on him. A flash of embarrassment washed over Gordy. “Sorry. I didn’t even think about stripping in front of you. No one else is ever here, and I guess I’ve gotten comfortable undressing and knowing no one will care. Sorry.”

  Sam gave a dismissive wave. “Don’t sweat it. It’s not a big deal. It’s your place. Do whatever you feel comfortable.”

  “Cool. I’m used to locker rooms, so I’ll try to at least use a towel to cover the goods.”

  Sam found something fascinating in his textbook. “Sure. Whatever. It’s cool. I’ll reread the last chapter.”

  Gordy nodded and worked at stripping off the rest of his clothes. As he stepped out of his underwear, he scratched his balls before wrapping a huge, thick towel around his waist. He glanced up and found Sam still absorbed in his textbook. He tossed his dirty clothes into the hamper. “It won’t take me long. I’ve learned to shower fast.”

  “That’s fine. Take your time,” Sam said.

  Gordy slid the door shut behind him, hung his towel on the side and lathered up. He couldn’t help but remember Sam’s first tirade about how he smelled, and he attempted to wash every square inch of his body. The water was cooling when he finished. He turned off the shower and tried to dry himself in the microscopic bathroom but kept banging his elbows against the walls.

  This is ridiculous. If he’s going to hang around, I don’t want to be self-conscious.

  Gordy stepped out and ran the towel over himself. He lifted one leg to dry his junk then wrapped the towel back around his waist before looking at Sam.

  Sam stared at Gordy and his pale cheeks were as red as the circles they painted on the Christmas nutcrackers. Gordy considered for a minute but decided he was finished apologizing for what he did in his own home.

  He made his way to the bedroom, and didn’t bother to close the door as he dropped his damp towel into the hamper. He slipped on a pair of briefs, workout shorts and a jersey. Gordy pulled the tail of the shirt down as he walked back toward Sam.

  “Okay, I’m clean and we both need to study.” Gordy opened his book and started through the biochem on next week’s test. Sam’s flushed cheeks had disappeared and he seemed focused on the bio chapter.

  Several hours later, he realized Sam had only asked a few questions but he’d read the same section multiple times. He waited for a few minutes before he asked. “You confused over something?”

  “These single nucleotide polymorphism things. I’m just not getting their purpose.”

  “Oh yeah. That’s where they found the gay gene,” Gordy said.

  “The gay what?”

  Gordy felt his stomach knot. How do I answer his question and not out myself?

  “Ah, yeah. Not really a single gene. More like a location on the X and number eight chromosomes. A band in the genome.” Gordy said, stumbling on the last few words as he saw Sam’s expression harden. He tried to continue, “You know, to show being gay isn’t a choice.”

  Gordy wanted to escape, hide from this mess he had created. He’d only shared this hidden part of his life with a few people. From the hard, disgusted expression on Sam’s face, he was afraid he’d given away his secret to the wrong person. He didn’t need difficulties right now.

  He was still trying to find something to say when he realized Sam was speaking. “It’s not a choice. Just ask anyone who’s gay.”

  There was silence for a few minutes as Gordy’s thoughts raced in a dozen different directions. He was about to change the conversation when Sam began. “You might as well know that I’m gay. It’s no secret. I’m out to everyone. My family has known for years.”

  Gordy struggled to connect everything Sam had just said. What should I do? What do I say? I don’t know when I’ll come out, but I need to be past college, especially beyond the coach’s reach.

  When he changed his focus from himself, he realized Sam had just shared a personal bit of information and Gordy had left him waiting for an answer. Even worse, Sam was furious and on his way out the door.

  “Sam. Wait. Hey, hang on. You caught me by surprise. I mean—”

  Sam yanked open the door of his car, tossed his bag in then dropped into the seat. Gordy stepped closer, blocking the door from closing. Sam yanked on the handle, bouncing the door off his hip.

  “Come on. Give me a minut
e. I think it’s great you’re gay. It’s just…”

  “I get it. I’ve seen the look before. Get out of my way or I swear to God I’ll run over your ass.”

  “Come on, man. Give me a—”

  Sam slipped the bug into drive and floored it. Gordy held on for a few lurching steps before Sam shot past him. The last he saw of Sam was the blue car fishtailing through the gravel on the county road and disappearing a few seconds later.

  * * * *

  Sam paced his room, kicking each object out of his way as it crossed his path. He swung at a pair of pants and missed. “Damn it! Get out of my fucking way!”

  “That’s it. Beat the hell out of the innocent khakis. What did they ever do to you?”

  He glanced up to see Rachel with her arms crossed standing in the doorway to his room. “Not a great time, Rach. I’m pissed off.”

  “I assumed that when a pair of your favorite sexy undies came flying out the door.” She twirled a pair of aqua-colored low-rise briefs on her index finger and smirked.

  Sam grinned. “Just an FYI. I have no idea if those are clean or not.”

  Rachel threw the underwear at Sam. “Eww! Boys are so disgusting!”

  Sam chuckled for a moment then flopped onto his bed. Rachel stared at him for a minute before sitting on its side. “What happened? Weren’t you going to work with the football player tutor?”

  Sam stuck his hands behind his head and blew air through his nose. “I made the mistake of telling him I was gay.”

  “Why’d you do that?”

  “Hell, I don’t know. Somehow, we were talking about heredity and about gay being a choice, and boom, it rolled out of my mouth.”

  “Wow, and you already had problems with the guy. Sorry to hear that, Sam. At least you aren’t falling for him or anything.”

  Sam sat quietly for several minutes as he thought about seeing Gordy—naked Gordy. He ran his tongue over his lips at the memory of his tight, round butt.