“Mm hmm.I figure my work and the…scenery…will keep me entertained.”
“What did you think of my contrary ponyboy?”His deep brown eyes pierced me with curiosity.
I shrugged.“You mean Puck?”
“Of course, I mean Puck.”
I laughed and scratched my chin.“Hey, I’m new here.I don’t know how many cranky ones there are.”
“Fair enough.”Kamal smiled.
“He seemed…pissed off about something.Do you get a lot of ponyboys like that?”
“No, not really.Most of them are quite happy to be here, kinking it up, and it’s more of an intense game than anything else.”
“Sure.”
“Then again, it’s not uncommon for this type of role-play to trigger deeper, unaddressed issues in some men.They think they want to play pony, but they aren’t prepared for the immersive nature of the ranch.Or the demands of trainers like myself.”
“I imagine.You seem very…dedicated.”
Kamal chuckled.
“That’s one way of putting it.The ponyboys I train might use a different word.”
I laughed.“Sure.But I bet they like it.For the most part.”
He grinned and sipped his coffee.
I peeled my banana and took a bite, staring out at the sunlit grounds.
*
I DECIDED TOgrab my camera and stroll the fields in the early morning, before the trainers and ponyboys began their official duties, to capture the beauty and innocence of the area.
There was dew on the grass and birdsong pervading the cool air, and the heat from the rising sun forecast a steamy day ahead.I spent some time taking shots of the grooming barn and arena from the outside.
Then I walked the dirt track to the bunkhouse and took some shots of it too, wondering what was going on inside those wood walls.At the moment, I was far enough away to not be invading anyone’s privacy.But I hoped to eventually take some non-identifying photos of the men inside, those willing to share their daily lives with me.
First, I’d have to get to know them.
I aimed my Nikon at the edge of the forest, where squirrels and chipmunks frolicked and antagonized each other, and birds landed on branches to observe the cresting dawn, when the creak of rusty hinges made me glance at the bunkhouse.
A young man emerged into the morning light, and it only took me a second to recognize the dark-haired man I’d seen in the paddock with Kamal the day before.
Puck.
He took in my presence with a disdainful glare and walked forward, stopping before me with his arms crossed over his chest.
“What are you doing here?”he asked.He was wearing faded jeans with a rip in one knee and a LEGO Star Wars T-shirt, which I couldn’t help finding completely adorable.
I straightened from my crouch and smiled.
“Good morning.”
“Is it?Yesterday you watched that prick give me my tail, and today you’re creeping around taking pictures of the bunkhouse.You realize we don’t play pony in there, right?”
Jesus, he was a spitfire.Despite our chemical attraction in the paddock, it seemed I’d gotten on his bad side.
