The Man Who Talked to Bees

*-*-*

After Professor Rotzak left Ryan and the grad students, he drove down the steep hillside road, stopping at the farmhouse on his way out.

"Hi, Kelly. I'm Dr. Rotzak...Tom. Do you remember me?"

"Yes, of course. I remember you from the association barbecue last month." Hard to miss, she thought. Tall, athletic, dirty blond, blue eyes.

"That's right. I enjoyed meeting you."

"Are you looking for Ryan?"

"Ah, no. I got here earlier and dropped off some students to work with him."

"I was miffed at you for dominating my husband with talk about bears or bearings or something."

"Ha, yes. Alternate bearing. Shall I come in. I'll explain it to you."

"I don't think so, Tom. The last thing I want to talk about is avocados. But please come in. I have a fresh pot of coffee made."

"Fair enough."

Tom sat at the kitchen table while Kelly poured the coffee with her back to him. She was dressed in loose-fitting khaki shorts, and a red polo shirt. She always dressed nice, even alone on the farm, but she wasn't dressed for company.

Tom admired the view. Not the sturdy farm stock common to the area, he thought. She turned around slowly with two full cups of coffee. He averted his eyes. She smiled to herself. It had been a long time since a good looking man had looked at her like that.

"You don't need to stay with your students?"

"No, they have a lot to do and I would only be in the way," he laughed. "I'm on my way out to visit José Carbajal, another grower. You know him?"

"No. I've heard the name, but we don't get to spend much time socializing in the valley."

"I understand. They're an insular lot here, I'm afraid. It must be tough for someone used to lots of friends around to live out in the boonies like this."

"It's quite an adjustment. I'm not sure I'm adjusting as well as I should."

"Well, it'll get better with time...they'll warm up."

"Yes, well...so tell me about yourself. Married? Kids?"

"Neither. Divorced. No kids."

"Sorry to hear that."

"I'm not. My brother's kids showed me I'm a better uncle than a dad."

"Ryan and I've talked about kids, but I'm sort of having second thoughts..." she trailed off, "...about a lot of things."

"Oh?"

"Nothing, really...more coffee?"

"Uh, no. I'm sorry to say I have to get going. Just wanted to say hi. I'm glad I stopped."

"So am I. It's good to be able to talk to someone about...hell, anything," she laughed. "Stop by next time you come out here."

"I'll be back next week in fact. Wednesday. I'll be dropping off students again, and checking on the experiment. Say around 9?"

"Great! It's a date. I mean...great."

Kelly walked him out to the gate. When the resident crow saw her, it immediately scolded her from the porch eaves.

"That damn crow hates me for some reason. He doesn't do that to anyone else."

Rotzak laughed extending his hand. They shook, each holding their grip longer than intended. Rotzak waved when he reached his car, meeting her gaze. The crow watched quietly, then started up again when Kelly walked toward the house.

She sat at the kitchen table. Her heart was pounding and her face felt flushed. Damn, she thought. Coffee with a handsome man and I'm panting like a school girl. I need to get out more.

On the drive out to the highway, Rotzak mulled over his time with Kelly. Not a happy camper, he thought, smiling. She needs someone to cheer her up.

*-*-*

"My brain is starting to fry. How about lunch?" said Olivia.

Ryan met her at the cooler.

"Hey, Sue, Dave. Take a break. We're having lunch."

Olivia and Ryan sat in the shade of an avocado tree, and opened the cooler.

Sue and Dave ambled down the row of trees, smiling, talking softly to one another, each with one hand in the other's back pocket.

"See, I told you," said Olivia. "Can't keep their hands off one another."

"How about you? You have a boyfriend?"

"Me? No...school's my only lover right now. I'm done with all my course work. Just plugging away on my dissertation."

"I'm impressed, Olivia."

"And well you should be. Next year at this time, that'll be Doctor Olivia to you." She laughed.

"It would be an honor to call you Doctor. Then what?"

"Then...maybe a nice slave wage position teaching biology to bored freshman or a post-doc in Dumbledorf. I don't know."

"Won't Dr. Rotzak's reputation help you find something. He must have a lot of contacts."

"Yes, Dr. Rotzak's reputation. That's been a big help so far..."

*-*-*

Just before sundown, Kelly heard a car coming up the long driveway. She looked out the window. It was Tom's Expedition going by to pick up the students.

At the top of the hill, Ryan, Dr. Rotzak and the students all exchanged evening pleasantries. Ryan walked to his pickup. The others piled into the Expedition, heading home more than an hour away.

It had been a long day, but all farm days were long. Ryan was looking forward to dinner and a visit with Kelly before bedtime.

When he reached the blind curve, he beep-beeped his horn. The private dirt road was shared with a couple of other farms. It narrowed down at the blind curve, with a big drop off and no guard rail. Everyone was careful to honk on the way down in case a truck or farm equipment was coming up.

Kelly heard him honk in the distance. She used the sound to adjust cooking times for dinner so that everything would be done at the same time.

"Hi, babe. Something smells great!"

"It sure isn't you! Get washed up."

"Good to see you too."

"Sorry, I just burned my finger. Go have a quick shower. There's time."

During the meal, Ryan talked excitedly about the research project, and the students that were collecting the data. Kelly listened attentively, but asked few questions offering nothing about Dr. Rotzak's visit.

When they were done, Ryan cleared the table, and loaded the dishwasher. He saw two coffee cups already there.

"Looks like you had a visitor today. Neighbor?"

"No, I forgot. Professor Rotzak stopped by to say hello and use the bathroom. He doesn't like your PortiPotti," she laughed.

"Had you met him before?"

"Yes, of course. You introduced us at the association barbecue. Remember?"

"That's right. I forgot. I like the guy. Very personable. Down to earth."

"He is. We had a short chat about your experiments. Made sense when he explained it."

"Knows his stuff, alright. I've learned a lot from him already."

"Yes, I can see where he might be very helpful."

*-*-*

The second week of data gathering, Professor Rotzak came back with the same three grad students. They paired off as before, Olivia working with Ryan, Sue working with Dave.

Olivia grabbed the clipboard, and Ryan walked up to the first tree.

"OK, make some room, buddies," he told the bees. "I'm coming in." As his hand slowly approached, the bees moved away. By the end of the morning, they moved away at just his voice. They seemed to know where he was headed, and they made room. When he was done with a shoot, they moved back in.

He was astonished. It seemed like the bees were anticipating his moves, not just reacting to the presence of his hand. They moved before his hand came close to them. He continued to work, watching how they interacted with him. It was no fluke.

"Hello, Earth to Ryan. We're supposed to be working, not daydreaming here."

"Sorry, Olivia. Come here. Watch this."

Ryan showed her how the bees were reacting to him, almost anticipating his actions.

"That's getting weird. Creepy weird."

They traded jobs. Ryan took the clipboard while Olivia measured the shoots. Olivia didn't get the same reaction from the bees as Ryan, but she talked to them. She was happy that, at least, they let her alone.

*-*-*

After dropping off his students the next Wednesday morning, the professor visited Kelly again. She offered him coffee hoping he could stay for awhile.

Kelly spent extra time getting ready this time. Tom caught her by surprise the week before, but this time, she wanted to show herself she could still turn a man's head. Simple, but elegant panties, matching bra, and a flowery sun dress that was thin enough that the morning sunlight revealed more than she normally would.

Tom complimented her on the outfit. She did a little twirl for him...all in fun.

She leaned with her back against the kitchen counter. Tom finished his coffee, and brought the empty cup to the sink.

"More?"

"Yes, more, but not coffee." He reached around her, putting the cup in the sink, then pulled her to him. He kissed her. Surprised, she kissed him back, then moved away from him.

"I can't be doing that, Tom."

"Of course, you can. You want to. I want to. You said yourself you aren't very happy here. Give yourself a little happiness. Let me help."

"Right. My husband is just up the road. None of us would be too happy if he saw this."

"Saw what? We haven't done anything." He walked up to her. Close. "Yet..."

"Aren't you worried? What would it do to your project?"

"I'm not worried. I know he's too involved in the work up there. He loves it."

"I don't know..."

"I'll call him...hang on." Tom dialed Ryan. "Hey Ryan, sorry to bother you. Can you check with Olivia to see if there's a red folder in with your data forms?"

Kelly looked at him wondering what's happening.

"OK. No, it's not important. I might have left it at the office. You guys have everything you need up there? I'm not that far down the road that I can't double back."

Ryan assured him they were fine, and they hung up.

"There ya go. He's up there. No plans to come down." Tom came up behind her, hugging her to him. He kissed her ear, smoothing down her dress around her flat stomach until his fingertips grazed the crease at the top of her thighs. He could feel the heat of her flush as it rushed from her pussy to her face.

He spun her around pulling her to him. She wrapped her arms around his neck while they kissed with abandon.

She pulled away from him again "I'm not ready for much more. Please don't pressure me." She sat on the couch. He sat close beside her.

They continued kissing. Tom unbuttoned the top of her sun dress, and unsnapped her bra. He sucked gently on her nipples, and ran his hand slowly up her inner thigh. Kelly involuntarily spread her legs for better access. The heat radiating from her pussy signaled how aroused and wet she was before he felt her.

It took only minutes for him to bring her to a tearful, trembling orgasm. When she became too sensitive, she pushed his hand away. "I'm sorry...". She ran to the bathroom.

Crap, thought Tom, laughing to himself. Farther than I thought I was going to get, but so close.

Kelly sat on the toilet cradling her head in her hands. What the hell have I done? She enjoyed every second of it, but this just wasn't right. She washed her face, then came out to face Tom.

"You OK? I thought it was wonderful, Kelly. I hope you did to."

"I don't know. It just seems wrong, but it felt so good. There hasn't been a lot of excitement since we moved out here."

"There could be more, Kelly. I won't do anything to jeopardize your situation, but you need this. It would be so good between us."

She kissed him. "Maybe. Give me some time."

"I'll stop in next week and see how you're doing."

Tom left smiling broadly to himself. "Yes!" He pumped his fist.

Kelly was more difficult to seduce than he was used to with grad students, but the prize promised to be well worth the effort. Plus he was enjoying the chase, especially right under her husband's clueless nose.

*-*-*

Olivia and Ryan took a break for lunch in the shade of the tall eucalyptus trees lining the road. His granddad had planted them around the time Ryan's dad was born. He probably would have hauled the seedlings in the '46 Dodge. They provided a windbreak for his new orchard. Sue and Dave arrived a few minutes later, arms around one another, stopping occasionally for a quick kiss.

They each dug into the cooler to put together their own lunch, and sat together in the cool shade.

"Professor Rotzak seems like a good guy," Ryan said making conversation.

Olivia tensed up. "Yes, well, he's the boss."

"No, I meant personally. He seems...personable, I guess."

Olivia clammed up.

"Did I say something wrong?"

"Let's just say, he's a leader in his field. I'm probably lucky I got to work in his lab. It will look great on my CV some day."

"You don't like him much."

"He's a pig...sorry, that wasn't very professional. Please, let's drop it."

Olivia walked away to use the PortiPotti.

"What did I say?" Ryan asked Sue.

"It's not good for us to say anything, Ryan. Don't push her."

When Olivia came back, she snatched up the clipboard, and headed for the next tree.

"You talk to the bees for awhile. I'd probably start wringing their fucking little necks if they have them."

Ryan left her alone for awhile, but felt uneasy.

"Sorry, Olivia. I didn't mean to set you off. This research is going to help me a lot. The professor has been very friendly and forthcoming with advice."

"He's very charming. We just see a different side of him sometimes."

"That's possible. Kelly seemed to like him too."

"She knows him?"

"She had him in for coffee last Wednesday, and enjoyed his visit. She's usually pretty perceptive."

Olivia was obviously agitated. "Look, Ryan. I don't know you all that well. It's none of my business..."

"What isn't?"

"OK, this goes no further. I could lose my job and my academic standing. Not a word."

"Sure. What?"

"I mean it, Ryan. Not a fucking word to anyone. Not even Kelly."

"OK, sorry. Geez. I promise."

Olivia explained that most of his female students make sure they're not in his lab alone.

"They call him Dr. Douche," Sue said.

The work required frequent field trips for research similar to the one at Ryan's farm. Female students tried not to go alone with him, but it was very difficult as he determined who went where for work. Female students ran the risk of pissing him off which greatly affected their future. Prof. Rotzak was well connected in the academic world and in many agriculture-related industries.

One woman, a year before Olivia worked in the lab, had to go on an overnight trip with him to an orchard up in Northern California. When she got back she cried all the time. She eventually dropped out of the program.

"We never found out what happened. We don't know if something happened on the trip, or if there was a family emergency or what, but there are lots of rumors about it."

*-*-*

That evening after the professor and students were gone, Kelly asked Ryan how the research work was going. Ryan was pleasantly surprised. Kelly never wanted to know anything about the workings of the farm.

He explained what they did. She asked enough of the right questions that she appeared to be interested in what he was saying. He had to explain alternate bearing to her again. He stressed why it was so important to them financially.

He explained that they work in two teams. It takes until sundown to get all the work done.

"That's why I don't come home for lunch. We never know exactly when we can break. We can't waste time going up and down the hill."

"Yes, but what if I needed you here for something? It's not like I have anyone else to call."

"If it's an emergency, just call. I'll be right here. Otherwise, you know I'll help you, but that means tying up two of us. We might not be able to finish our work. But it's your call, honey. If you need me, I'm here."

"Thanks, Ryan. I know you'd be here if I needed you."

*-*-*

The third week, the professor and students returned. Once again, Ryan teamed up with Olivia. While Olivia was getting materials ready for the day, Ryan and the professor walked through the orchard while the professor explained how the research was going.

"Any questions, Ryan?"

"No, it's all making sense. Fortunately, Olivia can answer most of the questions that occur to me. She's quite an asset."

"Yes, fine assets," said Dr. Rotzak, winking at Ryan.

Ryan went along with it without saying anything, but it disturbed him to hear that from the professor. It made what Olivia and Sue said more clear.

With Ryan up to speed, Dr. Rotzak hopped in the Expedition, and drove down the hill. He'd picked up the same habit as other users of the steep narrow road, and honked at the blind curve.

Ryan started with the first tree of the day. Olivia recorded the measurements as usual. Ryan pointed out again how differently the bees were acting. More and more, they seemed to be learning his actions or at least becoming more sensitive to his voice. Something was happening.

"You ever heard of Dr. Doolittle? I'm going to start calling you Dr. DooBee!"

"Hey, how'd you know? That was in college, and it had nothing to do with bees."

"Wow, you guys smoked pot way back in the olden days?"

"Funny girl. Careful I don't sic my bee buddies on you."

Olivia looked alarmed, but soon smiled as the moment passed. They moved on to the next tree.

*-*-*

Kelly heard the beep-beep of the Expedition on the way down the hill. Just the sound gave her butterflies.

She'd dressed similarly to the previous week. Her best panties under a sun dress that buttoned up completely in the front. It was too nice to wear around the farm, so she had put it on after Ryan left that morning. She'd have to remember to change before he came home.

She sat in the breakfast nook looking out the large window. It provided a sweeping view of the surrounding hills and adjoining orchards. She saw the Expedition come around the last bend through the trees to the farm house.

Kelly met Tom at the door before he had a chance to knock. They greeted one another, then Kelly closed the door. No sooner had she done so, Tom pulled her in for a kiss. Without hesitation, she kissed him back.

"It's such a nice day. I set up coffee on the patio." She led Rotzak outside to a secluded covered patio.

They chatted while they had coffee, but it was clear neither had conversation on their mind.

"Is everything OK on the hill?" Kelly was still a little nervous about being with Tom.

"No worries. They were hard at work before I started down the hill."

He pulled her up from the patio table. He kissed her. She kissed back. He pulled her toward the house, but she wasn't ready. She led him to a comfortable swing under a vine-laced pergola.

They kissed on the swing, each kiss more passionate than the last. The sun sparkled off her wedding ring as she pulled her arm around his neck. It was a distracting and uneasy reminder. Without thinking she removed the ring, setting it on the little table next to the swing.

He unbuttoned her sun dress down to her waist. He was surprised and pleased to see she hadn't worn a bra. She obviously didn't need one. She was as firm as the college co-eds that were so plentiful on campus. She had worn a bra the previous week so he took this as a sign she was providing more access.

She should have anticipated what came next, but she hadn't. Her nemesis, the crow landed on the pergola just overhead.

"Oh, shit, chase him away." It was too late. The crow berated them with incessent cawing. Kelly ran into the house with Tom following just behind. He grabbed her while they dissolved into laughter. Laughter soon dissolved into kissing. Tom led her to the couch. The crow was soon forgotten.

While they kissed, Kelly unbuttoned his dress shirt, and pulled it off his shoulders. Her husband was toned and tanned from hard work-he looked like a farm hand. Tom was sculpted and bronzed from hours of attention in gyms and salons. Manicured nails and hair styling put him about as far from looking like a farm hand as would be possible.