Holonovel, Chapter 3 (Part 1)

Posted on Fri Jan 25, 2019 @ 10:06am by Commander Caleb Ryan & Civilian Opal Oliver (Deceased) Dr

1,717 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Doors of Perception
Location: Holodeck 3
Timeline: MD06 1900

Shane Black finished his breakfast and stood up, taking his bowl over to where Carrie White stood at the sink. He brushed against her as he put the dishes in the bucket, taking a moment to inhale her fresh scent, lingering a little too close for a little too long before he forced himself away.

“Ah think Ah’ll take a turn at that stump while it’s still cool this mornin’, ma’am,” Shane said. “Then maybe we can head inta town for supplies this afternoon.”

Carrie was breathless at the touch of him and his closeness made her warm all over. She had to swallow before she could reply. "Please call me Carrie. Ma'am is so formal," she protested again, but he never did seem to be willing to change that. "I'll get some ale and bring it out to you after I've finished my chores here," she said, looking out of the window at the stump for a distraction. I was huge and it would have taken her father days with a team of horses, back and forth, wrestling to get a stump like that out, but somehow Carrie was pretty sure it wouldn't be that long with Shane.

"Do you want to harness a couple of the stronger horses to help you shift it?" she asked Shane just before he moved towards the door.

“Can’t shift it yet,” Shane said. “Still got too many roots connected. Gonna take some axe work first before we can try the team,” he told her. He was unbuttoning his shirt, revealing his broad, muscled chest and strong shoulders and arms in preparation for what would likely be hot and sweaty work. He left the shirt draped over a chair before he headed out, grabbing the axe from the woodpile.

Carrie couldn't help but draw in a breath at the sight and blushed, hoping he hadn't heard that before he left the house and set off outside. She stood in the doorway, unable to tear her eyes off the amazing sight and pinched herself to see if she was dreaming before she managed to make her jellied legs carry her unsteadily inside.

Once hidden from view within the kitchen, she spent an inordinate amount of time washing up slowly so she could look out and wonder what it might be like to have the full attention of such a man. Attention not so much of a ranch hand but as a lover. She had been lonely and it was too much for a woman her age not to be affected by such an Adonis who was not only gorgeous but gentlemanly, fearless, honourable, good natured, and kind as well. She was very lucky and she knew this, both in her Carrie White character/role and also in her real life as Opal Oliver, to have such a dream date to come off the holodeck to as well. It really was the most good fortune she had ever had. She lingered at the window for a while and then fetched some chilled ale and took it out on a tray with some of her homemade apple pie from yesterday's baking.

She approached and set the tray on a small mound close to where Shane was wielding his axe and making her throat dry with anticipation and desire.

Shane paused in his work and wiped the sweat from his brow. He had made some good progress, but it was a big stump.

“Much obliged, ma’am,” Shane said, coming over and taking a hearty drink of the ale before picking up the pie. “Ah reckon’ Ah can be done by lunch. Then Ah’ll wash up an’ we can make that supply run ta town.” It would be pushing it, but they should be able to be back just by sundown.

"Let's see how it goes, shall we?" she said, perching on the low fence. "Don't go too mad and risk hurting anything. If it's done we can go into town or if it takes longer than expected we can go tomorrow. I really am so grateful to you for all your hard work. I don't know how I would have been able to stay if it weren't for your support and hard work. I don't know how I can ever thank you or repay you," she said, frank and open about the way his presence here was saving her from a fate worse than many. Jarred and his manipulations would have surely beaten her by now without Shane's help.

“No worries, ma’am.” Shane took some time to sharpen the axe, and then he set to work. Easy, powerful swings in a regular rhythm set the taut muscles beneath his sun-bronzed skin rippling as he hacked at the roots of the stump that had so vexed Carrie’s husband. As the morning went on, sweat sheened over Shane’s tight, muscled body, glistening in the warm sun. Still he worked in steady movements, stopping only occasionally for a drink of water from the pail near where Carrie sat watching. He used the dipper to pour cool water over his head, matting down his black hair, the water running in rivulets down the contours of his muscles.

Carrie could only watch for so long before she had to find herself some chores to be about. It wasn't that she didn't want to stay. In a perfect world she would have loved to just adore him and his fabulous physique for as long as she had breath to catch in her throat, with desire and blood in her veins to warm and flow round faster just for the excitement of admiring him and his hot body. However, Opal inside the character of Carrie knew that this holosuite was a perfect world indeed, but that in order to play along and not spoil the mood, aura, and thrill of the storyline and fun she would have to be more subtle than to just drool over him openly.

They were almost in competition here. She wanted to stay in character as long as he did, partly because she didn't want to spoil it by being the one who dropped out and back into their real selves first, and also to prove that she was as committed as he was to this really lovely way of disconnecting from the stresses of their jobs and relaxing together. She did treat herself to watching for a while. She couldn't resist that much of a treat, but when it all began to take effect on her and she found herself longing to just fling herself into his arms or die if she didn't it had become time to play the part and go indoors. She had to fight the fire in her loins and try to just walk nonchalantly back to the kitchen, but it was hard. Exciting, erotic, and completely exquisite. She couldn't help but grin with pleasure at how lucky she was. She kept thinking that, but it was true. She washed up the breakfast things and tried not to look at him out of the window until she was less aroused.

Caleb was a bit disappointed when Opal left, but he understood. It made it easier to stay in character. When he felt he had sufficiently defeated the stump, Shane went and retrieved the mule, hooking it up to chains and wrapping them around the big stump. He got the mule to move, and also pulled with it, his muscles straining tightly. Slowly the stubborn remnants of a great tree moved, clinging with obstinacy to the soil, but it was no match for the determined man. With a great wrench and crack it released, tumbling over as Shane stumbled forward and the mule casually wandered off to a bucket of scraps meant for the pigs later and started munching on a carrot.

“Whew!” Shane said, wiping his forehead with his arm.

Seeing the tumble, Carrie rushed out, wiping her wet hands on her apron as she hurried over. She leaned in to help Shane up, but clearly she was no serious anchor for him to lever up against so her efforts met with pantomime failure, adding to the chaos and making no difference at all to the position Shane remained in. The mule did look over very briefly and with great disinterest before dipping into the pig trough again and retrieving another juicy carrot.

“Ah’m fine, Mrs. White,” Shane assured her, dusting off his hands on his jeans. “Looks like it’s done. Ah’ll drag that out ta the burn pit an’ then clean up. Should have the team hitched ta the wagon an’ ready ta go ta town in half an hour.”

"That is amazingly quick, Mr. Black." Carrie admired the work and tried not to let it show what else she was admiring. "You made short work of that!" She smiled. "I will go and get ready to go to town then," she declared, and turned to go inside to wash and change.

Within about twenty minutes she was back on the porch all cleaned up and dressed nicely with a formal bonnett fastened in place on her head and a ribbon and bow beneath her chin. She had cotton gloves on and her best boots, up to her ankles with a pretty blue patterned linen dress and a dark but textured woollen shawl around her shoulders in anticipation of later on when it would cool down more. She carried two large woven baskets which she intended to put in the back of the little wagon with supplies in once they were bought in town. She knew they would pick up fodder for the animals and put the sacks of that in the back too, so she was mentally prepared to have to have at least one of the baskets on her lap on the way back, but it wasn't important. They needed supplies, and getting them home was part of the whole point.

She waited on the shady porch until Shane returned with the wagon and the pair of horses all hitched up and ready to go.

TBC

Cdr. Caleb Ryan/Shane Black
Executive Officer

Dr. Opal Oliver/Carrie White
Civilian
NPC Cdr. Dr. Amia Telamon

 

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