Page 30 of Fibre and Ink

The herd didn’t like this one bit. They all moved, rather hurriedly towards me gathering behind me, keeping watchful eyes on the strangers.

The workers weren’t technically on my land. They were staying a good few yards from my fence, but as I approached I realized they were demarcating something.

I didn’t like that one bit.

I couldn’t yell at them to leave, or they’d be back in the dead of night, or something.

Was it them that had been around in the night? That was a creepy thought. Had they been working on this undercover?

I went to the herd, walking amongst them and soothing them.

“It’s all right, babies. You’re safe, you’re safe with me.”

Aladdin blinked up at me, his eyelashes so long it reminded me of the drag kings and queens at Aster’s show.

God, Aster was so hot. Just thinking of his face as we touched each other the night before threatened to give me a boner.

But I had to focus.

First, I had to soothe my charges, then I had to interfere with these workers in some way. I didn’t like what they were doing. I didn’t like that the suits were being secretive about it, and I didn’t like that they seemed to be planning to build so close to my field.

The herd was already relaxing. I pulled out a plastic baggie of carrot sticks and started handing them out, reassuring them all they were safe and cared for.

Gus Gus nosed into my side and I petted his shoulder. He was a pleasant brown color and one of my favorites, although I never admitted to having favorites.

My mind wandered back to June when one of the alpacas had escaped onto the highway and had to be rescued...

The crew were working close to the fence... If I opened the gate, the alpacas would be naturally curious. Although I’d need to give it a bit of time for them to truly relax enough to interfere.

I could wait a couple hours.

Wait until the work crew was gone and then loose the alpacas. They’d mess up all the stakes and strings and markings they’d put in the soil...

Grinning to myself, I handed Gus Gus the last carrot stick, petted Mulan’s flank and extricated myself form the herd. I could make some lunch for me and Aster and then we could have some fun this afternoon.

But not civil disobedience fun, not like... making out. Even though I wanted to. I couldn’t do that to Aster. I couldn’t start something that I knew would end in heartbreak. I had to protect him, not put him in a situation where only misery would follow.

I swallowed down the flood of emotions that threatened to overwhelm me, and kicked a piece of sod out of the grass. I bent to fix it, shaking my head at myself. I was behaving like an idiot. I knew the right course of action. I had to be brave enough to take it, that was all.

Aster looked up from his laptop was I walked in. “Want a grilled cheese?” I asked.

“Yeah, that sounds awesome.” Aster’s smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. I wasn’t sure mine did either.

I hated the tension between us so I cleared my throat. “So, um, you planning another show?” Aster’s Pride show had been the first drag event I’d ever seen, and I couldn’t wait to see another. Aster was also the first drag king I’d ever met, and damn but he was hot like that.

“Hmm? Oh, maybe. I do miss regular gigs,” Aster said. “There was basically one every week back in Sacramento.”

“I reckon a lot of the town would be keen for another,” I said. “Myself included.”

“I’d need to get back into regular practice.” Aster got up from the table and wandered over to help me with the lunch preparations. “I’ve been a bit sedentary since I moved back.”

I nodded some. “Must be hard coming up with all the choreo and stuff.”

“It’s a challenge, sometimes. I usually start with a character and a song and then just kinda see what works. Then I practice it as much as humanly possible.”

“That’s cool. I really only have knitting to occupy me outside of the farm.” I heated the pan with a generous amount of butter.

“And board games,” Aster said.