<div class="floatleft">(https://40.media.tumblr.com/ec2f51870909a7da502cd8c50a071d16/tumblr_njb4cz9iFJ1s22fb3o1_1280.jpg)</div><br/><strong>Name:</strong>Randall Walker (https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=239063.msg11785509#msg11785509)<br/><strong>Occupation:</strong>Stud/Hand<br/><strong>Time:</strong>Lunchtime, August 31st<br/><strong>Location:</strong>BBQ<br/><strong>Tagging:</strong>Adriana, Open<br/><strong>Content:</strong>Off-key singing and Gerber daisies...<br/><br/><hr/><br/>After the assembly had broken apart, and he'd been advised that his first day would be spent with Adriana, he'd returned to the task he'd been busy at before the bus arrived.  He knew Adri didn't need the guided tour, and she'd understand his desire to finish up his duties before he was expected to join the others at lunch.  As he worked, he hummed softly to himself, some old song his mother had once sung with him whenever they'd done chores together.  The song had always seemed to make the time pass faster, especially when she made it a game to come up with new, silly lyrics about whatever they were doing.  A faint smile flitted across his lips as he whispered a few words to himself, well aware that belting it out would not only spook the horses, but disturb their guests.  He was gifted in many ways, but pitch wasn't one of them.<br/><br/>"The horses in the stalls, the horses in the stalls.  Hi-ho, the derry o', the horses in their stalls.  The stud rakes the hay, the stud rakes the hay.  Hi-ho, the derry o', the stud rakes the hay..."  A quiet chuckle rumbled in his chest as he paused to wipe the sweat from his brow with his forearm, leaning on the handle of the pitchfork and peering around at the freshly cleaned stalls and neatly laid hay.  It would need doing again soon, but that didn't make the work less rewarding.  In fact, with the smell of fresh hay and horseflesh in his nose, the sight of the sunlight streaming through the wooden beams and glowing amidst the cool shadows, and the feeling of honest vitality born of hard work flooding his muscles, he was pretty sure he was as close to heaven as he'd ever want to be.<br/><br/><hr/><br/>After finishing up in the barn, he'd returned to his room for a long shower before getting ready for lunch.  As if to make up for his poor showing at the initial client meeting, he'd chosen a crisp, white shirt, his best pair of dark blue jeans and a pair of black, blunt-toe cowboy boots to wear to the barbecue.  It was definitely somewhat dressier attire than he'd typically wear on the ranch, but the first lunch with new clients was a special occasion and he wouldn't be doing any conventional manual labor during the event.<br/><br/>After a final, quick check in the mirror, he took a moment to select a single, white Gerber daisy from a bouquet of fresh flowers on his bedside table, then headed out to walk across the ranch to the cafe.  He nodded and smiled to the other hands as he made a beeline for Adriana, running his free hand back through his hair as he got closer and took the chance to watch her momentarily.  The smile grew as he noted her concentration on her phone, and then stepped in closer to murmur softly,<br/><br/>"If you'd rather be alone, Adri, just tell me."<br/><br/>The cadence of his accent enhanced the slight teasing tone he lent the words, even as he offered forth the daisy and grinned down at her.  The subtle scent of his lime and cedar cologne rose from his skin, underlain with the smell of leather, horses and hay that no amount of showering could ever truly eliminate.