The Farm Ch. 01

Driving down the interstate, the radio playing softly in the background, James watched the endless line of trees slip by as he watched the road signs for his exit just a few miles up ahead. As the GPS called out the remaining miles till his turn, his mind wandered back to the ad for the room for rent. It had sounded almost too good to be true. A room in a farmhouse on the edge of town and for such a reasonable price per month because it included full use of the entire house and grounds, a shared food bill, and all the utilities were even included.

It had taken weeks of scanning Craigslist and other sites before he came across the ad for this place. He'd talked to so many landlords, some of who redefined creepy, that he was starting to worry that he wasn't going to find a place. After visiting some of the better options listed he was starting to think that he was the only person who believed in a semblance of cleanliness. Some were just beyond pathetic but the worst was one had to be the one where the landlord was following him around with a RAID can killing the roaches as he looked the place over.

When James had come across the ad for the room at the farmhouse, he was skeptical to say the leasts. The pictures on the ad looked promising, but he'd been to more than enough places that had left him reeling and disappointed. Who wouldn't be after the things he'd seen.

With nothing to lose and time running short on the remainder of his lease, James dialed the number posted on the ad. He was surprised when the landlord picked up so quickly and after a few of the standard questions about the room and the things listed in the ad, he offered to have him come out and take a look around. The guy on the other end of the phone had sounded nice enough, older and polite which was a change from the others already. The landlord gave him the address but before hanging up him asked how old James was. An odd question, he thought at the time, but when he mentioned that he was in his 40s the landlord said that if he would help out around the farm that he'd discount the room a bit. James thanked him for the offer and told the him that he'd be out tomorrow after work to check the place out.

The offer was a nice touch, he thought. A discount off the rent would be nice, not that it was necessary, but it was a nice offer nonetheless. Besides, he certainly didn't mind hard work. It's not like he went out much on the weekends. Hell, it could even save on the gym membership he thought, depending how much help he needed.

The GPS called out the remaining few feet as he approached the exit. Turning off the highway, the nav unit led him through a picturesque little town before putting him on a single lane, tree lined country road. Years of city living had caused him to forget how stunning the simply, natural beauty of the country could be. Passing fields of tall grass, undulating with the breeze, reminded him of waves on the ocean. The trees already starting to turn in the early fall air and painted the surrounding landscape in hues of red, orange, and gold. There were countless small farms with their fields neatly planted in orderly rows that seemed to stretch on to the horizon. It was little things like this that you would miss living in the concrete and steel jungle of modern civilization.

The GPS announcing that he was nearing his destination broke him out of his daydream. He slowed down and turned off the road onto a dirt driveway. The truck kicked up a cloud of dust behind him as he bounced down the long rutted drive. On one side of me sat a fence lined pasture with a large red barn situated in a far corner of the open field. On the other side, a neatly manicured front yard dotted with tall, old oak trees. The driveway ended at the foot of the steps leading down from the wraparound front porch of the large old farmhouse.

James stopped the truck and no sooner did the front door opened and an older man stepped out onto the front porch. Brushing his thick mane of grey hair out of his face, he was dressed in a flannel shirt, blue jeans and old dusty work boots. Just from looking at him he could have been close to sixty but he was clearly in shape, probably even moreso that himself, he thought. James swallowed hard as he felt a familiar tingle deep inside. Stepping out of the truck, the gravel crunched under his shoes as he came around front of the truck to greet the man descending the stairs.

"Hi, Mark?"

"James, hello, thanks for coming. Any trouble finding the place?"

"No, none at all. Technology is a wonderful thing," he replied holding up his phone, " You're really way out here, aren't you?", James said looking around as the two men shook hands.

"It's not bad, town is a quick twenty minute ride away or so."

"Oh, that's not bad at all."

"Not like I have to run there often but, still, nice to be not too terribly far removed from civilization."

The two men chatted outside for a bit before they both walked up the stairs and disappeared into the house.

Mark gave a nice, long tour of the place along with some of the history of the house. Turns out it's over one-hundred years old and much of the woodwork inside is original to the place. Heavy oak timbers rough cut and placed by hand. They didn't even use nails in the construction of the house, everything was done in a true craftsman style carpentry, mortise and tenon joining. James couldn't help but admire the work.

Despite the age of the house, it clearly wasn't without the conveniences of modern living. LED lighting, wireless internet, air conditioning, a large flat panel TV mounted over the living room fireplace which, according to Mark, was still fully functional, were just some of the things that Mark had done to the place through the years.

Walking up the polished oak staircase he showed Mark the way to the room he was advertising. Despite the beauty of the house James could not help but still feel a bit skeptical that everything was going to be as promised. The door swung open and Mark showed him in. Looking around the room James was pleasantly surprised to find that his skepticism was unwarranted.

The room was on the front corner of the house and had nice, large windows that overlooked the front yard and the pasture with the barn. The floor was mostly bare wood except for a large area rug under a huge brass bed. There were two dressers along one wall as well as a nice large closet, more than enough space for his things.

"You don't have to keep any of the furniture in here, of course. I'm sure you have your own things that you'd like to bring in to help make it feel like home."

James couldn't resist the urge to sit on the bed, it look so soft and comforting.

"Well, I do have some things I'll bring along but I really like the look of this bed. Would it be alright if I kept it as my own?"

"By all means. I was only going to break it down and stow it away if you weren't going to use it."

"Now, the room doesn't have it's own bathroom, right?"

"No, when I did the remodel, I went with larger closets over private baths in the bedrooms. There's just one on this floor."

"Mind if I check it out?"

"Not at all, second door down the hall."

The bathroom was nice and clean with a large tub set under a picture window and plenty of counter space. James almost couldn't believe this place. It was too good to be true. How could such a near perfect place not have been scooped up yet. There had to be something he wasn't seeing, something that would turn him off from renting here.

He could hear Mark approaching from down the hall, "So, what do you think?"

"I'll tell you, you have a beautiful house here. It's just perfect. How long have you had the ad up?"

"About a two weeks I'd say."

"Has anyone else been out here to check it out?"

"Yes but some didn't like the remoteness of the country. Others just never got back to me. Guess it wasn't what they were looking for. Say, would you care for beer?"

"Yeah, sure. Thanks." They went back downstairs into the kitchen where the smell of something baking in the oven filled the air, "What smells so good?"

"Dinner," Mark replied as he reached into the fridge for the beers, "chicken pot pie. It's my favorite."

The smell of the baking crust was intoxicating James thought as he took a sip of his beer.

"So, what do you think? Think you're interested in the room?"

James couldn't deny that he was but he was still unsure, waiting for the 'too good to be true moment' to reveal itself, "I'm definitely thinking about it. I know I don't mind the remoteness. It's great out here. Sure beats the crowds of the city."

"It's not bad and honestly it's so much better than being in a crowded city apartment. The freedom and peacefulness is addicting. Plus, no neighbors to worry about when you're having a party. It's not like I have loud parties every weekend but when I do have some friends over, we can be as loud as we want without having to worry about bothering anyone. Oh damn, I never thought, is that alright with you? The occasional party and such?"

"It's your house, I'm just renting a spare room. I won't be a problem I can steer clear of them if you wish."

"Oh that's not necessary at all. Actually, feel free to join us. Most of the time its just a bunch of us hanging out in the back around the fire or something."

"Sounds good to me then."

"Part of the deal is that everything here is yours too, and like I said yesterday, if you're up for it, any work you help me with around here, I'll repay you by taking it off the rent."

"That's awfully fair of you, thank you. I don't mind some hard work. I may out of practice from a few years of city living but I certainly know which of a hammer to use first." James had to admit, the longer they talked, the more comfortable he was becoming with the idea of living here.

"I appreciate it. I can still take care of most things but I'm not as young as I once was so having an extra hand around to help would be great."

Mark and James went out on the back porch that overlooked a long sloping yard that ended at the tree line in the distance. They sipped at their beers and just talked for a bit.

Turns out that Mark had had a long-term girlfriend but she left him after cheating on him a few years ago. He had owed the farm long before meeting her and although he'd hoped that after they were married they'd make this their home, soon after the break up, he actually considered selling the place. He even had received an offer on the place but the more he thought about it, he realized that he loved it here so much that he just couldn't bear to part with it. So rather than selling the place, he decided to rent a room to help with the costs and to just make the best of it.

The whole time Mark was talking James couldn't help admire the older man's trim physique. There was an aura of confidence about him, a relaxed calm that said he was a man clearly comfortable in his own skin.

James remarked that his own circumstances were somewhat similar. He also had a girlfriend that he'd split up with after living together for a while. Unlike James, however, he found it hard to stay in the apartment. There were just too many memories of his ex there, even with her stuff gone. He needed a change of scenery and the sooner he was able to get out and put that chapter of my life behind himself, the better.

Before long, and several beers later, James realized that he'd stayed far longer than he intended to. Mark had invited him to stay for dinner and now it was getting dark outside. After helping to clean up the dinner dishes James mentioned that he really needed to think about getting home.

"Sure, no problem. Before you go, I'm just wondering what your thoughts are on the room? I'll be honest, you're probably one of the more normal types that have come by to check it out."

The truth was that Mark was also one of the more normal landlords he'd run across and the thought of letting this opportunity slip through his fingers bothered him. Although still somewhat skeptical, his concerns were outweighed by the events of the afternoon. "Thank you, that's nice of you to say. I'll be honest Mark don't think I'm going find a more perfect or reasonable place to live. If you have no objections, I'll take the room."

"Hell no, I have no concerns at all! Let me be the first to welcome you home then.", The two clinked bottles, "I'll take down the ad first thing in the morning." Mark's eyes shifted to the window where the setting sun was slipping lower in the sky. "Speaking of the morning, if you're not careful, you may end up spending the night out here."

He wasn't far off, between the beers and dinner James really wasn't looking forward to driving back home. "That actually doesn't sound like a bad idea."

"Well, you certainly are welcome to stay if you like."

James stood there thinking about the offer for a few minutes and decided that maybe it wasn't a bad idea to stay the night. "Are you sure I'm not putting you out?"

"No, not at all. Besides, this is your home now too."

James smiled and drained the rest of his beer. Mark did the same but for a moment James thought he saw something more in the older man's eyes. He couldn't be sure, and maybe his mind was just playing tricks on him, but it was like there was a look of something more that just friendship behind those blue eyes.

They finished cleaning up the kitchen and grabbed another couple of beers before settling down into the overstuffed chairs in the living room. Although the TV was on, they weren't paying much attention to it. The evening was spent just chatting and getting to know each other. The more the beer flowed and the more relaxed they got, the more the conversation turned to more personal things.

Despite both being single, it had been a long time since either had last had sex. They talked about the things we did with their girlfriends and what sex with them was like. Having both been cheated on gave them something in common to bond over.

Something that became very apparent was that Mark was far more dominant that James. Sex with his ex definitely sounded far more kinky than anything his would ever try. Collars, gags, bondage, these were all things that he'd wanted to try with his ex but she was far too vanilla to ever try it. She was utterly indifferent about sex. She never liked to talk about it much less share any of her wants and desires with him. Thinking back on it, James couldn't even recall her sharing a fantasy with him. It always seemed like sex was more of a chore for her.

While James talked a good game to keep appearances up with Mark, the truth was that he rather enjoyed being submissive. Unfortunately, it wasn't something that his ex ever indulged him in. He yearned to just surrender to the will of someone else, obeying their commands. It was something that he often fantasized about whenever he masturbated but had yet to experience. He feared that it was something that would forever just remain an un requited fantasy.

He had to be careful because of the haze the beer was causing. He didn't want to let something too personal like that slip out. He'd already caught himself once before absentmindedly saying something but the more they drank, the more difficult it was becoming to keep his wits about himself. James had plenty of fantasies and fetishes but now was not the time to share them. Still, he couldn't help but feel somewhat inferior to Mark as he went on about his sex life.

"I'm sorry for rambling on like that Jamie. You don't mind me calling you Jamie do you?"

He hadn't been called that in years. Anymore, he often introduced himself as 'Jim' nowadays but there was something appealing about the way Mark said it that didn't bother him, "No, Jamie is fine, and you're fine, you didn't ramble. I enjoyed being able to talk with you. It's been a while since I've had the chance to just vent too."

"I know what you mean. It can be lonely out here sometimes when there's no one around. Don't get me wrong, I like the privacy and solitude but sometimes its just nice to have someone else to talk to. I really think we're going to get along great together."

"Me too. I really hope so too."

Eventually we decided to call it a night. We gathered up our empty bottles and dropped them in the trash. Saying good night, I headed upstairs to my new room while Mark finished locking up.

He closed the door and went to slide the lock but noticed that the knob didn't have one. It was an old style doorknob, the kind with a small iron box on the back of the door where the latch mechanism lined up with a matching iron box on the door jamb so James just figured that it didn't have one or maybe it was just broken. It did, after all, look quite old.

Pulling back the covers on the bed James sat down and kicked my sneakers off. James pick up the TV remote from the nightstand and turned on the TV. Stripping off his shirt and shorts James dropped them on the floor and walked over to the windows and opened them letting the cool evening autumn air wash over him as he stood there in just his nylon boxer briefs. He could feel his nipples harden as tiny goose bumps rippled along his skin. Mindlessly he reached up and lightly touched his nipples allowing a light gasp to escape his lips as his fingers caused that familiar tingle he'd long ago grown to love. His cock was starting to stir, already slightly wet from his earlier conversation with Mark.

There was no denying that his mind had wandered to thoughts of being with him while talking with him tonight. The way he talked about dominating his ex was so arousing. James had wanted to cry out "YES! Put me in a collar!" as Mark described doing that with his ex, but how could he tell him that he would wear a collar or be in restraints for him? James longed to feel a ball gag slipping between his lips, his mouth widening to accept it as it pops into place behind his teeth, the leather strap being secured and locked behind his head. Leather restraints being fastened around his wrists and ankles, feeling the weight of them, the smell of the leather, and hearing the clink of the rings and the locks as he moved about in them. It was all just a fantasy, just as they'd always been.

He turned to the bed and pulled the blankets down. Taking the remote from the nightstand he turned on the TV and was about to climb into bed when he noticed his door was ajar. He must not have latched it right when looking for the lock. Pushing it closed again he for a moment wondered if Mark may have seen me from the hall as he was heading to his room. His stomach trembled at that thought.

Sitting down on the edge of his bed he started to fantasize about what it would have been like to feel Mark's hands on his body. Caressing his skin, his rough calloused hands moving over his chest, his nipples hardening at the touch. James slipped a hand into his underwear and began stroking his growing cock to the fantasy unfolding in his mind. He could feel the wetness of his precum on his fingers. Unable to resist the urge to taste it he brought his fingers to lips and licked them clean savoring in the sweetness of the precum.

He slowed down his stroking as he felt his orgasm growing, realizing he needed something to soak up the cum he was so close to spilling. Aside from his clothes on the floor, there was nothing in the room that would do. He decided to check the dresser drawers hoping to find a forgotten sock or scrap of cloth that he could easily dispose of after using. To his surprise he found something much more interesting.

Holding the pink satin panties and matching bra in his hands he could feel his cock straining, aching to be stroked as the sensual fabric stretched over his fingers. The lingerie was the only thing in the top drawer, crumpled up in the corner as if forgotten there. Biting his lower lip, he was overcome with arousal at the thought of slipping into the sensual lingerie. Who'd know, he thought, besides, it's not like it would be the first time he wore lingerie.