Page 21 of Butter You Up
Alex waves away the help, finally swallowing and turning away to cough properly. The side of his neck and his ears are red.
Finally, he gets control of himself and gulps some water. He wipes his face on a cloth napkin from his lap and looks up at us. “Why onearthwould we talk about sperm?”
Kit raises a long leg and climbs over the bench, settling in at an empty seat next to Alex. “You talk about spermall the time.”
Alex sputters, eyes glancing to me and back to Kit. “Do not.”
Jesús moves slightly on the bench and gestures for me to sit next to him, across from Alex.
Over the noise of the aluminum foil coming off our plates, Kit rebuts, “Just this morning, you and Jesús were talking about how many straws you wanted to order next.”
“Straws?” I ask.
“Tube of sperm,” Kit explains. “You should see these catalogs, Molly. They tout the teat size for the heifers, the scrotal circumference for bullies?—”
“I thought you didn’t want to talk about sperm?” Alex interrupts.
“Right. So, what were you talking about?”
Perry snorts.
Alex mumbles something.
Holding a hand up to his ear, Kit says, “What was that now?”
“The next AI round for the Nigerians.”
Kit grins and then translates for me. “The next round of artificial insemination for the Nigerian Dwarf goats.”
I chuckle and then take a bite of my lunch—an enchilada-looking thing smothered in a thick, dark sauce. I close my eyes and moan. Fuck, Anna’s meals are so good.
When I open them, Alex is staring at me. No—staring atmy lips.
The heat in his gaze sends a shiver down my spine.
Kit, Jesús, and Perry are discussing something, but I’m not paying attention. I’m too busy savoring this delicious meal and stealing glances at Alex.
He’s watching me right back, our eyes occasionally meeting and darting away again. Alex is such a big man, hunched over his plate while he eats, one forearm resting on the table with his sleeves rolled up.
I like his gaze on me. I like it a lot.
“Could you help me?” I ask quietly, just to Alex.
He lowers his fork and tilts his head slightly.
“I had this guy lined up to replace my batteries. We’d emailed and agreed on a plan and a budget, but he never sent me any type of contract. He’s stopped answering my emails, though.”
“What was his name?”
I tell Alex, and his mouth twists. “Consider yourself having dodged a bullet. His work is shit.”
My shoulders slump. “Fuuuuucccckkk. Is there anyone else who could do it?” Finding an electrician in a big city is easier, but I’d have to find a safe place to park and live in my van, and right now, my free parking at Bedd Fellows is a really good deal.
Plus, if I don’t stay, I’ll be putting both farms in a bind.
Alex grimaces. “You’re only here, what? Two more months? Short notice’ll be hard.”
“I know.” I frown down at my food and twirl my fork through my sauce.
