The Man Who Talked to Bees

Kelly kissed his nipples, squeezing and stroking his hard pecs.

Tom continued to unbutton her sun dress to gain access to her pussy. She wore classic, white silk high-cut panties. They were almost as soft as the skin of her upper thighs. When he put his hand between her thighs, she arched her back pushing into his hand.

Tom wanted more as did Kelly. He pulled her sun dress off her shoulders.

"Stand up."

"I don't know if I can," she said. Her legs trembled as she stood.

When she stood before him, he pulled her dress down to the floor. She stepped out of it. He tucked his thumbs into the waistband of her panties to pull them down.

"No." She grabbed her dress, and pulled him up from the couch. She led him past the master bedroom to the guest bedroom. Once there, he knelt in front of her, pulling her panties off. He kissed her soft, trimmed bush, then nuzzled it, pushing his nose into her cleft.

Kelly moved to the bed. Tom lowered his pants and joined her.

Tom was beautiful to look at, and the sex was great. Far better than Ryan had been since they moved to the farm, but not as satisfying as Ryan in their previous life. Still, Tom was here for her, and Ryan was somewhere else for the farm.

"God, Kelly, that was wonderful. I was looking forward to it all week, but my imagination pales in comparison to the real you."

"I was looking forward to it also. There hasn't been a lot of excitement in my life out here."

"It's Ryan?"

"A big part of it. We used to be so happy. But he's obsessed with this farm. When the day ends, he's so dog tired he's not very attentive."

"Well, I'm happy to help out any time. How about I help you out again, right now?" He rolled onto his side and rubbed her silky bush.

"Ha ha. Such a helpful fellow. I don't think so, Tom. It's getting late. I can't take any chances."

"Of course, Kelly. We should get you away from the farm for awhile where you can relax.. A weekend, or a weekday somewhere."

"Maybe. I'll think about it. I might be able to visit some of my old teaching colleagues. I don't know. Let me think about it, Tom."

Tom got dressed, taking a last look around to make sure he didn't leave anything that might give things away. They met at the front door. Tom pulled her close. They kissed one last time.

"See you next week?" she said, hopefully.

"Count on it. But give some thought to some away-time, OK?"

The crow followed their voices to the front door. He cawed loudly at them from his perch in the eucalyptus tree.

"Some day, you nasty little pest," she called at the crow. Kelly shut the front door. The crow flew back to the pergola and eyed a sparkling new prize on a little table.

*-*-*

Ryan saw Jake's truck approaching-one of the locals. Ryan had been doing business with Jake since his dad had died. Jake did all the pesticide spraying. He had agreed to spray the growth hormones required by the research experiment.

"Hey, Olivia, I need to talk to this guy. Can we take our lunch break now?"

"Sure. Hey, Sue, Dave. Break for lunch."

Ryan went out to meet Jake. It wasn't good news. Like everything else, the price was going up. Jake had increased his price just a few months before. Now, it was going up again.

The discussion between the two got more and more heated until Jake suddenly cried out, "Owww, shit!" A bee had stung Jake on side of his the neck. In the background, Ryan heard the familiar buzzing of excited bees getting louder and closer. He grabbed Jake's arm to move him out of the area, but he thought the bees might be angry enough to chase them.

So he started talking to the bees. He kept his voice very calm. Jake's eyes went wide wondering what the hell Ryan was doing. In a very short time, the bees settled down to their normal buzz as they worked the blossoms.

"What the hell just happened?" Jake asked.

"Nothing. The bees were a little excitable over something. That's all."

"No, you were fucking talking to them, man. You think they understand you?"

"Ha ha, naw. Just an automatic reaction on my part. Hey, whatever, it worked, right?"

"Yeah, yeah. I guess. Anyway, you got my prices. I can't do anything about it, Ryan."

"All right...it's just one more thing on top of everything else. I'll walk you to your truck."

Ryan wasn't sure if he understood what happened himself. Bees only attack when they feel threatened. There was nothing threatening from Jake that the bees should have picked up so why did he get stung? And why did the hive get so excited? Attacking is a big deal to a bee. The bee dies when they sting someone. The stinger stayed in Jake's neck, pulling the bee's guts out when it flew off.

It could have been much worse. When the bee stung Jake, it released pheromones that sent an alarm to other bees. The whole bunch of them could have attacked Ryan and Jake. It didn't happen. Did the bees calm down on their own, or was it Ryan talking to them that did it? Either way, it was unnerving.

*-*-*

After the professor picked up the students, Ryan hopped in his truck to go home.

When Ryan came in the house, Kelly shrieked. There was a bee on his shirt collar.

"Dammit, Ryan. I told you to brush yourself off before coming in the house. I hate those goddam bees."

The bee flew around the living room. "I'll keep track of it. Go get the flyswatter."

Ryan got the flyswatter from the kitchen.

"Well, kill the damn thing. What are you waiting for. Oh, just give it to me." She ran after the bee and smashed it.

"Without those goddam bees, we would be starving. They make all this possible."

"Well, they don't make anything possible in the house other than getting me stung."

"OK, OK, it's not a big deal. I'll do the best I can to keep from bringing them in."

Ryan was worried at how distant and argumentative Kelly was getting. She seemed far more upset than she should over a single bee. She sat on the edge of the couch fingering her wedding ring. Ryan noticed.

"Where's your diamond?"

"What? Oh...I was working in the studio a little today. I put on my old band so the diamond ring wouldn't get damaged." She'd been looking for the ring all afternoon with no luck. She thought she remembered taking it off, but wasn't sure. He doesn't notice me anymore, but he sure zeroed in on the ring, she thought.

*-*-*

Ryan was a little late getting up. Rotzak and his students would be there shortly. He gulped his coffee, kissed Kelly, and charged out the door. Something made him stop dead in his tracks. Then he saw it. Kelly's wedding ring sitting on the fencepost where he left treats for the crow.

"How the hell...?"

He stuffed it in his pocket to confront her later.

He saw Rotzak in the distance coming up the long driveway. He climbed in his pickup, and led the way up the hill. The Expedition pulled up beside him. Olivia, Sue and Dave piled out, Ryan did a double-take when an Olivia look-alike got out. With a wave, Rotzak headed down the hill.

"Reinforcements?" Ryan asked.

"Sort of. This is my sister, Sofie. Dave's going to be busy with job interviews the next couple of weeks. Sofie offered to take his place. She's all I could find on short notice."

"Gee thanks, Olivia."

"Ha ha, I didn't mean it like that. She's done this before with me, but she isn't a student. That better?" Sofie nodded smiling.

"I hope you don't mind, Ryan. I drove here in my own car. I'm parked near your house. Olivia thinks it's too low to the ground to drive up here," said Sofie.

"No problem. I'll call my wife and let her know."

"It's a red Miata. I just live up the highway near the beach. We're almost neighbors."

"Great. Welcome. OK, how do we split up?" said Ryan.

"Sofie already knows what to do so she'll work with you if that's OK."

"Sure...a good chance to get to know my almost neighbor."

"Sue and Dave will work together. I'm going to find a shady spot, and catch up on a ton of paperwork," said Olivia.

Sofie and Ryan headed for the first tree on their list while others walked to their first tree. Olivia had explained to Sofie how the bees reacted to Ryan's voice, and it worked for her as well.

At first the bees acted normally with Ryan. He did his best to keep his mind on his work, but his concerns about Kelly kept intruding. The bees were unusually agitated that day. They were becoming so aggressive he had trouble doing the job.

"Ryan? You OK?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Just a little distracted, I guess."

"Olivia said you had a way with the bees. Maybe you're a little out of touch today. Let's trade jobs for a bit. They don't seem to be into you today."

Sofie handed over the clipboard and approached the first blossoms. The bees remained overly active. Sofie talked to them, saying whatever came to mind. In no time, the bees settled down to their foraging, and Sofie settled down to her work. Ryan copied down the measurements as Sofie read them off.

When they walked to the next tree, they chatted a little.

"Olivia never mentioned you. What kind of work do you do?"

"I'm not so focused on career like Olivia. I look up to her, but I wouldn't want to be her."

"So what do you focus on?"

"I don't know. Lots of things. I've been working for an animal rescue non-profit for a couple years. We travel around the state organizing locals to rescue birds after things like chemical spills. Mostly oil spills."

"You like it?"

"Yea...I do...I feel like I'm doing something good. But I don't much like the travel."

"You have a way with the bees. They ignored you right away."

"I get that a lot."

"Hah...I doubt that. No man with eyes would ignore you or your sister."

They all took a break together.

"Ryan pissed off the bees somehow," said Sofie.

"You're kidding. Dr. DooBee strikes out? OK, how about this. I'll work with Sofie today, and Ryan can go off and do farm guy stuff to relax."

"OK by us. How about you, Ryan?"

"Yeah, good idea, guys. I got some things I could catch up on." Olivia gave him a friendly hug, and the two teams returned to work.

*-*-*

There was always work to be done on a farm. The most pressing was irrigation maintenance. The drip system water would be turned on the next day, so this gave him a chance to fix problems he already knew about.

He drove over to where Olivia and Sofie were working.

"I have to run down to the shop for tools. You guys need anything? Water?"

"We're OK. The cooler's full."

"You got my cell number, right? Call me if you guys think of anything you need."

"Thanks, Ryan. We'll be fine. You relax, OK?"

"Don't make us talk you down like we do bees," said Sofie.

As Ryan's pickup made the turn down the hill, Sofie said, "So let's hear it. You guys have something going, don't you?"

"Of course not. He's married."

"That's not what I'm seeing."

"You're seeing things that aren't there."

"So...you're saying you're not interested?"

"No, I'm saying he's married. Leave it alone, Sofie."

The sisters, barely more than a year apart, had similar conversations about other men since the first time they noticed the same boy in school.

*-*-*

Ryan drove down the hill to his shop. He forgot to beep at the blind curve and almost hit his neighbor on a tractor coming up the hill. The shop sat on a level pad just at the base of the hill. It was a simple corrugated steel building with two open bays for farm equipment. His dad's ancient, but mechanically perfect, Massey-Ferguson tractor was parked in one and a modern ATV in the other.

The ATV wasn't as much fun as the old tractor, but it was a good work horse, and a lot more agile to maneuver when the trees were blooming and stray branches hung over the rows between trees.

He loaded his irrigation tools and supplies onto the back of the ATV, and started it up, admiring how quietly and smoothly the small Honda engine ticked over.

Once out of the bay, he glanced over at the farmhouse almost half a mile away and saw reflections off a car parked in the driveway. Normally, Kelly's car would be in the garage. He rode ATV toward the farmhouse to make sure everything was OK.

About 200 yards out, he saw Sofie's Miata, but as he got closer he saw the university Expedition. Apparently, Prof. Rotzak or would that be Dr. Douche, had stayed for coffee again. Ryan parked the ATV behind a line of trees and walked the rest of the way to the house.

Bees flew past him in a steady stream. They used the clearing cut by the road to go from the commercial hives a mile away to his own mandarin and avocado trees. They occasionally landed on him. More like they collided with him since bees are clumsy fliers. As long as they weren't disturbed, they just shook themselves off and rejoined the others on the way to forage. He'd have to remember to brush them off when he got to the house so Kelly wouldn't have another fit in front of the professor.

*-*-*

Ryan could see into the kitchen through the large window he'd installed himself for the breakfast nook. He could see two cups of coffee set on the table, but nobody was there. He entered through the front door, looking to the right into the living room. Nobody. It didn't look good.

He left the front door open as he knew it squeaked when closed-he made a mental note again to fix it. If they weren't in the kitchen and weren't in the living room, there was really only one other possibility.

He approached the master bedroom, fearful of what he would see. Which was nothing. OK, two possibilities. He walked down the hall to the guest room. That's when the reality overtook him. He could hear the headboard banging against the wall and Kelly whimpering as she usually did during sex.

He swung the door open letting it slam against the wall, and charged into the room.

"What the fuck is going on here?" As if it wasn't obvious.

"Oh god, Ryan, oh no...?"

Rotzak jumped off the bed expecting to defend himself. Just then Kelly screamed, distracting him. Both men looked over to see Kelly frantically brushing a bee off her exposed tit, crying out of control.

Another bee landed on the professor's shoulder. He quickly brushed it off, then another one landed on him. He brushed that one off. Another landed. Then another. He swung wildly at the bees, careening around the room naked. He screamed as one stung him. Then another stung him. More bees came.

Ryan and his wife were stunned as the professor jumped around shrieking in pain. Though the room was buzzing with excited bees, neither Ryan nor Kelly was stung. The professor ran into the adjoining bathroom and turned on the shower. The strong water flow wet down the bees, and helped remove them from his skin. He was covered in welts, some swelling to an alarming size.

Rotzak collapsed on the bathroom floor with the water still running. Ryan ran into the bathroom without a second thought.

"He's gone into shock." Ryan reached up into the medicine cabinet for two Epi-pens. His mom had dangerous reactions to bee stings. She had a prescription for the Epi-pens and everyone in the house was trained to use them.

Ryan jammed one of the auto-injectors into Tom's thigh and held it for 10 seconds. After 5 minutes, he didn't come around, so Ryan zapped him with the other Epi-pen.

"Shit! Help me drag him into the living room. I need some room to work. I think he stopped breathing." Instead of helping, Kelly stood looking on, paralyzed with fear.

Ryan dragged him into the living room himself, then started compression CPR on the naked, wet, pathetic Dr. Tom Rotzak.

"I called 911. They're on their way, " said Kelly. She'd put on a robe.

"Then get over here and try mouth-to-mouth." They were both trained, but she fussed about it.

"You've probably been sucking his dick so get your ass busy or his fucking days are over."

Moments later, the county paramedics from town arrived. Kelly ran to the door to let them in, but the front door was wide open. They saw Ryan doing chest compressions. One of them came over and relieved him. Another strapped an oxygen mask on Dr. Rotzak.

"I gave him two Epi-pen injections in his right thigh. I'm trained."

"OK, sir. Thanks. We'll take care of it from here." The EMTs restored breathing and got the professor ready for transport.

"Well, it looks like kind of an awkward situation here, so how do you two want to handle this? I have to ask some questions, but...you know...we see a lot of things."

"Umm...can I get dressed before I answer anything?" Kelly asked.

"Sure...sir, you can get us started."

"Here's the short version, Jason," said Ryan reading his name from the uniform. "The naked guy is a professor doing research on my orchard. Apparently, he's been doing research on my wife as well. I caught them in bed. Somehow a bunch of bees came in with me, and attacked the professor, but not us. He ran into the shower to wash them off and collapsed on the floor. I couldn't let the guy die, but I wanted to save him real slow like. Anyway, how'd I do?"

"You probably saved his life...sorry about that?"

"Heh heh, no. Nobody deserves to die for a strange piece of ass."

"One consolation for you...I noticed at least two stings directly on his unit, so there's that."

"Thank you, God."

"OK, I need his ID and insurance information. Any idea where his clothes are?"

Ryan grabbed the professors clothes, fished out his wallet and handed it to Jason. He copied what he needed from documents in the wallet.

"We'll take his clothes with us."

"I'm keeping keys so I can move his car out of my driveway."

He looked around for Kelly, but she wasn't there. He assumed she went into the master bedroom as the door was closed.

*-*-*

Ryan's phone rang. "We're done up here, Ryan. We're cold. Where's Dr. Rotzak?"

"Oh shit, Olivia. I'll be right up. I'm at the house, Things got a little weird here. I'll tell you when I get there."

"OK, hurry. We're freezing."

Ryan grabbed the keys to the university's Expedition, and drove up the hill.

When he got to the orchard, they were all huddled together to keep warm.

Surprised to see Ryan, they asked, "Where's the professor?"

"He got stung by a bunch of bees. He had a reaction. They took him to the hospital. Let me get us down this road and I'll tell you the rest."

At the farmhouse, they all gravitated to the kitchen to get warm. Ryan filled them in on all the details including how he found Dr. Rotzak and Kelly.

"Fuck! I knew it. I just knew it would happen," said Olivia.

Olivia and Sofie consoled Ryan. Kelly had locked herself in the master bedroom just as Ryan assumed.

"You guys need to take the Expedition back. Let someone know where he is. They took him to the Forest Falls Hospital. The university can figure out who to notify."

Olivia gave Ryan a big hug. "Are you going to be OK?"

"As well as can be expected. I'll call you..." He wasn't sure why he said that.

Olivia got the keys from Ryan and they all piled into the Expedition. Olivia called Sofie over to the driver's side.

"What're you going to do."

"I thought maybe I'd stay with Ryan for awhile to make sure he's OK."

"His wife is there, Sofie."

"Oh, OK. I wasn't going to do anything, Olivia. I just thought maybe he shouldn't be alone. I didn't know..."

Olivia started up the Expedition and drove off. Sofie sat in her car thinking, then drove to her beach house 20 miles up the road.

*-*-*

Kelly came out of the bedroom with a suitcase. She was crying.

"Beyond saying I'm ashamed and embarrassed, I don't know what to say, Ryan. I'm so sorry we ended up like this. I'm going to my mother's for awhile. We can talk later."

"Kelly." He tossed her the wedding ring. "Something for you to think about before we talk."

"Where...?"

"A friend of mine found it."

She burst into tears and hurriedly left.