Marvin Leaves the City

CHAPTER 1

Corporate accountant Marvin Roach was unsettled in his role as an internal auditor. The twenty-seven year old had liked working with three foxy females on a project costing team but had been switched, without consultation, to the internal audit section where he worked with two grumpy old guys and a hawk-nosed female with no obvious tits who chewed gum.

Jesus.

Marvin's grandparents had died and left him their ranch run as a cow-calf operation. The appraised value was $8.7 million but a year on, with the asking price having been lowered to $8 million and offered as 'a going concern' the potential buyers remained unimpressed. He wondered about taking time off and going to the ranch and attempting to launch his own marketing program to get things moving but decided to leave things as they were. Beef prices were on an upward swing and a buyer or buyers would soon appear.

Then days later the gum-chewing bitch he shared an office with bawled him out for being slow with a report analysis that made them late with their joint report. When she turned to walk away she dropped a reverberating fart.

How fucking disgusting and considered that an insult and that made it the last straw.

He went down to HR and resigned.

Marvin left the city after selling and dumping most of his possessions. Everything he owned was in two carry bags and of course he had the 6540-acre ranch. He'd first visited the ranch with his dad when he was seven and had spent almost every summer there until he went to college. That gave him a good idea of what to expect, or so he thought.

Burt Wall came from the house to greet him.

"Hi Burt did you receive my email?"

"Yep."

"But you didn't reply."

"Nope."

"And why was that Burt?"

"Because I reckon a ranch is no place for a city-slicker like you. You're not wanted here."

"Well Burt that's not a very friendly greeting to the owner of this ranch."

"We have been getting on good with you being an absentee owner. Besides you have been attempting to sell the ranch on us."

"Yeah," Marvin said thoughtfully. "I suppose you and the boys gave the prospective buyers really great encouragement."

"Are you kidding?"

The two men grinned. Burt said, "You better come in for coffee."

"Actually I've come here to occupy this house as my home. You and your wife can return to the foreman's house."

"Come in Marvin. That's what we want to talk to you about."

The discussion became a bit rugged.

Burt's wife Sarah claimed Marvin had no right in to throw them out of the house.

"Please explain to me your rights of occupancy Sarah. Your contract gives Burt occupancy of the foreman's house and that's all."

"This house is much better and more suitable for us."

"Yeah well town is only five miles away. The town's hotel offers much superior accommodation."

"Stop bullying my wife," Burt growled.

"I suspect she's put you up to this stone-walling Burt. You best sort it out and do that pronto."

The row erupted and ended with Burt threatening to punch out Marvin's lights.

"Well Burt if you feel like taking a swing at me, go ahead."

Burt was bigger than Marvin but sported flab and a beer belly and being almost fifty, age was against him. He looked at the gym muscled Marvin who looked light on his feet, and that suggested speed and fitness.

Burt rubbed his jaw and said he was quitting and would take the three hands with him.

"It's not necessary to go Burt. I guess the boys are in the foreman's house. Just move them back to the bunkhouse and you reoccupy the foreman's house and I'll forget about this disagreement.

"Fuck you."

"Okay Burt then resign and I'll pay your off and will give you two weeks to get off my land. You and Sarah better start packing."

"Fuck you," Sarah said.

Marvin pulled out his phone.

"Please give me the Sheriff's number Sarah. Don't make me call 999."

She looked at Burt and he said, "We'd decided to move on anyway when receiving your email. I suggest you give us a month to move out and we'll move the boys out of the foreman's house and we'll move back in there."

"I'm not moving out of this house," Sarah screamed.

Marvin said patiently, "Sarah you have the choice: move out today or find the Sheriff's phone number for me."

"You're moving Sarah and that's it," Burt said. "Legally we don't have a leg to stand on."

"Thanks Burt. Give me the checkbook and from now on you make no spending decision without authority. Do you understand?"

"Yep."

"And during this next month while you make alternative arrangements, you continue working as you have been."

"Yep."

Sarah sneered, "God you are weak Burt."

He flared. "Shut your mouth woman. At least we'll have a roof over our heads tonight and until I find new employment that offers good accommodation."

Sarah adopted a sulky look and said to her husband, "Fuck you."

"Right you and I have a deal Burt. I'll get my lawyer and put that down on paper as a legal agreement for you and me to sign. That should avoid any misunderstanding or change in positions on our agreement we've just shaken hands on. Call the boys in to help you shift as soon as they can break off what they're doing. I'm off into town to see my accountant and lawyer. I'll stay in Heathcote tonight and expect to be back at 8:00 to meet you and the boys at the main barn. I want you to stay on working for the next month but you may take time off to inspect new job proposals and you leave whatever the outcome, in thirty days from today?"

"Yep," Burt said. "I'll comply because I'll need a good reference."

"And I expect to give you that Burt, all going well. You might wish to suggest Sarah becomes more civil to me."

"Yep, as good as done."

Marvin was in a sweat, realizing the enormity of losing Burt's knowledge and experience. It was a severe blow that could turn out to be disastrous on ranch productivity in the months ahead.

He drove off in his new silver Toyota 4X4 Tundra to the town of Heathcote (pop. 7400). He visited the United Bank and after establishing his identify arranged cancellation of Burt's check signing authority for the account of B-Bar-B Ranch Ltd, effective immediately.

Marvin booked in and had lunch at the Cattleman's Hotel and then visited the company's lawyer and accountant and then went to a job placement agency in a bid to find a successor for Burt. He wanted someone possessing management skills rather than promote an existing cowhand to the position who would be feeling his way.

Marvin registered and the clerk went through the agency's listings and said only a few listings for manager's positions were ever received.

She made a note after one minute at then after another two minutes said, "Well this is it; only one person. You'll have to advertise the position if this person and you don't come to an agreement. If we don't have the listings it's unlikely you'll find anyone else in this region that does because our company is the biggest and the best ranch job placement agency in the region with five branches.

Yeah, yeah, Marvin thought. He wasn't sitting there to listen to self-promotion although what the woman was saying could be true.

She printed out the listing and handed it to Marvin with a smile and her smile increased when he yelped, "But this manager is not a guy, it's a woman."

"Women have been coming out from the kitchen for some years now sir and the agriculture colleges are full of them. This lady was raised on a ranch and has spent her life since she was ten working on ranches. I'd take a look at her if I were you."

"But she's only twenty-nine."

The woman frowned and asked was he discriminating against younger women and Marvin blustered and denied that he was against younger women and in fact was often up against them.

The woman said, "Tut-tut Mr Roach."

"Well I'll talk to her," he promised.

On the way out he screwed up the one-page listing detail and was about to cross to toss it into a trash bin when he heard the woman clerk call from the doorway of her office, "I'll call if we get any new listing of merit Mr Roach."

He jammed the piece of paper into his pocket and called thanks and went to one of the bars at the Cattleman's hotel and ordered a beer.

He smoothed out the sheet and read about the job-seeker, Abilene Johnston. He thought Abilene, cute name.

The bartender put down his larger beer and said conversationally had he got a listing from the dating bureau.

"No ma'am, this is a slip of a girl who is masquerading as a ranch manager."

"Let me see. If she's from around these parts I might know her."

The woman read the name and smiled.

"Pal might I suggest you don't let Abilene hear you call her a slip of a girl because she's likely to boot your nuts and go out to her pickup and bring back her Winchester and put a bullet through your foot."

"Good one, you're kidding me."

"Well just make sure I'm around when you attempt to lay that slur on her young man. I know her father well and was introduced to Abilene the day after she was born and she's one of the few people I smile at who dare call me Pea-Sticks after my skinny legs. She learnt the name off her dad. I was at school with him. I'm afraid she won't give you a job because she's leaving the Triple H ranch as the new owner's son will take over as ranch manager."

"I-I'm looking for a manager for the Curtis Ranch I inherited from my grand-parents."

"Jesus are you what's happened to the skinny Roach boy who used to come with dear Milly Curtis? God rest her Soul, and I recall she'd buy your something from the book and toy store my late husband and I operated."

"Yes ma'am, I'm Marvin Roach."

"Marvin, yes that's it and don't be so formal. Call me Lizzy."

"Lizzy how about some attention down here?" called one of three guys at the other end of the bar.

"I'll be back soon Marvin. God you a big Marvin now."

Lizzy returned five minutes later and held out her phone.

"I've called Abilene and she's waiting to talk to you. She thinks she remembers you when you were in your mid-teens."

"But I don't..."

"Just talk to her please."

Marvin almost refused to take the phone but relented.

"Hi Abilene."

"Oh hi Mr Roach. I've heard you are scraping the bottom of the barrel for a manager for your ranch. Has Burt Wall attempted to screw you for too much money?"

"I've come to live on the ranch and he's on the way out looking for new opportunities."

"So you've had a row?"

"Please don't think me rude but I should not be discussing the relationship between me and any of my employees."

"No you shouldn't and you sound professionally-minded even though you sound like a city guy. At present I'm changing clothes and am standing in my bra and panties."

"Miss Johnston I really don't think..."

"Hold your horses Mr Roach. That was just a dodge to test if you might be one of those big city perverts who use women and then toss them aside."

"I can't say I admire the quality of your research questions but perhaps something as crude as that might really work."

She laughed. "Can you be more positive than that?"

"Yes it might work if the listener is really a pervert."

"Well I'm about forty minutes away in my rush to get into town to interview you Mr Roach. I need a job but have to like you if I am to accept the offer."

What offer was that? Marvin wondered.

"Stay in that bar and you may buy me a drink."

"What acid water?"

"Oooh Mr Roach, you are either funny or sarcastic or just a plain craphead. I'll soon find out."

She cut the call without saying goodbye.

Phew, thought Marvin, wiping his brown with his palm.

"Put you through the wringer did she?" Lizzy smiled.

Marvin gave a start, not realizing she'd been leaning on the bar listening. He turned red-faced and handed back her phone with a grunted thanks.

"Dear young man," she purred, "You'll learn to love Abilene."

Not fucking likely, he thought uncharitably. The full-on cowgirl was too up herself.

The bar was filling when, two beers later for Marvin, the standing drinkers parted with some of the guys touching the rims of their Stetsons and their females looking in admiration as the tall blonde strode in, looking very much like an ad agencies creation for a poster of a rodeo queen to promote the National Finals.

Marvin caught the babe looking at Pea-Sticks, er Lizzy.

With a big smirk Lizzy pointed to him and Marvin felt his Adam's Apple loop-the-loop. "Hi Mr Roach," she greeted holding out her hand and almost crushed Marvin's fingers.

A guy yelled, "Hey Abilene, what's he got that we guys haven't got?"

"Balls," she said.

People in the barroom erupted in laughter, some clutching other people to avoid falling over.

The ice-blue eyes studied Marvin's face and she said, taking the glass of red wine offered by Lizzy, "Mr Roach I feel I like you already. You look the kind of guy I'd trust my unborn children with and that's about as high in rating it gets."

"Is that an invitation to help you make your children Miss Johnstone?"

"Would you be that lucky?"

Poor eaves-dropping Lizzy; her eyes were bulging and she appeared to be having difficulty breathing. She walked away choking in laughter.

"You appear to be a cool dude Mr Roach. Used to dealing with women are you?"

"I find it easy dealing only with those who consider me their equal."

"Well that's a mighty fine reply. We should get along dandy. Now why do you believe I'm the right person to be your manager?"

It occurred to Marvin he should be conducting the interview, not the applicant. But perhaps he should let that continue because they were making good progress.

"I own a ranch, I know next to nothing about ranching but my manager does but he's leaving."

"So either me or someone like me is vital to your ranch's continuing viability?"

"Yes."

"And how many applicants do you have?"

"Only you."

"Well I happen to know the ranch because your manager is my Uncle Burt but his wife is a proper bitch who causes no end of trouble and so you'd be better off without them. But the manager's house is a proper dump. Here are my terms. I'll come to work for you for $45,000 a year and the usual terms except I insist in living in the main house with my own bedroom and bathroom."

"Right as good as done. I can have that second bathroom sealed off for you exclusive use."

"So we have a deal?"

"Absolutely so when can you start?"

"I leave my present position in a week's time and will then take two week's leave. I can start with you in three weeks."

"Excellent Miss Johnston."

"Stop being such as stuffed shirt, call me Abilene. By the way you paid too much for me. The going rate around here for spreads your size is forty grand."

"Well Abilene, I knew that. My thinking was I'd hire you for whatever salary you asked for in order to reward you for having to take me by the hand through the cattle raising business. I figured if I paid you more than the going rate you would feel obliged to tutor me and to respect me. I'm going to get incredible extra service for that extra five grand, won't I?"

Abilene giggled. "You smart dog. I must say I like your style Marvin."

"Good and Lizzy says I'll come to love you."

"What? Oh please tell me she didn't tell you that."

"I can't because she did say that. What's wrong?"

Scowling, Abilene said, "Because it's not what I want. I want to marry a top cowboy, not a city-slicker . The problem is Pea-Sticks is always right about these things. Oh God."

"Abilene I'll talk to Lizzy and ask her to take it all back."

"Not don't bother. I'll manage the situation. If you fall in love with me beware I'll not fall in love with you and if you don't like that I'll ride off into the sunset. Tell me, can you ride a horse, rope a steer, drench a calf and sing alongside a campfire."

"I don't believe I can but I'm a quick learner."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah."

A ranch hand, a little bigger than Marvin and with powerful-looking forearms looked at Marvin and said, "Excuse my pal" and grabbed Abilene by the shoulder and spun her around.

"I'm buying you a drink Abilene."

"Get lost cowboy."

Marvin said, "Yeah move on buster."

Not taking her eyes off the guy, Abilene said, "Stay out of this Marvin."

The guy said, "You're coming with me baby" and reached to grab her arm.

Abilene made out to scratch the guy's face and he laughed and caught her hand with ease which was when she kneed him high, just above the belt buckle and as he slumped forward she brought both her hands down to chop in the back of his head and he fell like a stone, out cold.

Drinkers who'd been watching the confrontation cheered Abilene and a hotel security guy arrived and was handed a jug of water by the second bar tender who'd just come on duty. The security guy tipped the water over the ranch hand's head and the victim opened his eyes and shook his head and groaned. The security guy dragged him to his feet and frog-marched him to the exit and said, "Leo if I catch you in here within the next seven days I'll break your right leg."

Marvin, turning from watching Abilene shaking a hand in some pain, said to the security guy, "Shouldn't you turn that molester over to the Sheriff's men?"

"Nope," the guy grinned. "To hand him over would tie me up in court and you guys would be dragged in as witnesses. Leo Otter knows that a cow poke with a compound fractured leg that heals badly won't have much of a life ahead of him."

"Jesus that really hurt my left-hand," Abilene said. "I needed to hit with both together and in my haste I got my hands out of alignment. Please take me to the dining room for early dinner Marvin and then I can get off home."

"Is that our first date?" he smiled.

She smiled and said to call it what he wished providing he paid for her meal.

Dinner was worthwhile time together for Marvin and Abilene as they exchanged personal information.

Later when they were leaving Abilene kissed him.

He smiled at her, once again noting she was as tall as him. "Is that our first kiss?"

"What do you think boss?"

He just grinned and as she walked off he looked at her ass in her tight Levis, wishing she was wearing a dress so he could check out her legs. She had noticeable breasts and her wide mouth was great for kissing. He wondered if that mouth gave great fellatio.

Probably it would but presumably she'd be very selective. He waved her off and she and she flashed the headlights of her dusty red Ford F250 pickup and smiled at him.

Marvin went into the lounge outside the dining room and ordered more coffee. He was pleased to find the sound was turned down on the TV set.

A woman in her mid-thirties he'd nodded to in the dining room waved and he went over and sat with her.

"Hi I'm Marilyn Yates. Has your wife gone to your room?"

"I'm not married. I'm a rancher and had just employed that woman I was with."

"As a cook?"

"No as my farm manager."

Marilyn laughed and said he was funny; a woman being hired to run a ranch indeed.

He decided not to enlighten her. Little wonder women found it hard getting into jobs traditionally held by men when their own sex branded them as cooks.

"I saw you in the bank today," said the brunette. "I'm on a tour doing security checks on behalf of our head office."

"You're young for such an important job," Marvin said simply because it seemed the right thing to say.

"Oh do you think so?" she beamed. "My parents think so too."

He then saw the look and realized she was thinking he was the right guy for an important job.

"Do you wish to go for a walk as soon as I've had my coffee?"

"A walk?" she said, eyeing his groin. "Well yes and what a lovely invitation. You are very friendly."

A few minutes later when leaving the lounge, it didn't surprise Marvin that the hot babe took his arm. He really liked women who were prepared to do something about it when they knew they wanted to be fucked.