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“What the hell–” I muttered to myself as the sound of a rooster crowing woke me up. The light was nearly blinding when I opened my eyes. It took me a second to remember where I was and why I was naked on the ground with an alpaca staring down at me.
“Argh, the downfall of having chickens, I suppose,” Levi muttered as he sat up and stretched. “Did you sleep okay?”
“For sleeping outside on the ground… actually, yes, I slept like a log.”
I reached down to scratch an itch on my leg. A bump. And another. And another.
“Ah, the mosquitoes love you,” Levi said.
“Sadly, yes, they eat me up.”
“Not that I blame them.” He shot me a crooked smile.
His hair was even shaggier than usual, standing up at all kinds of weird angles. I chuckled at his adorable bedhead before realizing I probably had a bad case of it myself. I never slept with my hair down, but Levi had removed the pins… I reached up and felt my knotted hair.
“Oh no…I probably look like cow shit right about now.”
“Nah, you’re beautiful,” Levi said, leaning forward and kissing me. “But I have a shower if that would make you feel better.”
“I’d appreciate that, if you wouldn’t mind.”
“I don’t mind at all. I can make you some breakfast too, if you have the time.”
I thought about it. My stomach growled, answering the question for me.
“Good, I make one helluva an omelet, if I do say so myself. Farm fresh eggs too.” He winked as he pulled himself up and offered me a hand. I accepted and we gathered my clothes.
In daylight, I suddenly felt very exposed, standing out in the open with an alpaca still watching us and some chickens not too far away.
“How many animals have you got here?” I asked Levi as we walked toward his cabin.
“One emu, one alpaca, a couple chickens, a rooster, and two goats so far,” he said. “I’m just getting started.”
“That’s actually a lot for someone just getting started,” I commented.
“What can I say? I dream of owning a pretty big farm here one day.”
“As in, for commercial use or–”
“Nah, just for a hobby,” he said, holding the door of his cabin open for me to enter first. “I milk the goats and collect the eggs, but I don’t plan to get into meat or anything like that. They’re like my pets, in a silly little way.”
“I don’t think that’s silly at all,” I said as I stepped into his cabin. It was a cozy place. From the outside, it didn’t look too big, even though I knew the Callaghan brothers had built a pretty successful business and Levi could have lived in a much larger place if he’d wanted. “Wow, this place is nice.”
It might have been small, but it was decked out. Only the best woods, the best cabinets, and stainless steel everything.
“It’s mostly self-sustaining, energy-wise. I’m aiming to be completely carbon neutral at some point. And these floors are bamboo…” He chuckled. “Why am I telling you all this? You likely don’t care.” He offered me a sheepish grin.
“I do care. I find it really cool to be honest,” I said. “But please tell me you have a shower with warm water and a working toilet?”
“I do,” he laughed, pointing me in the direction of the bathroom, which was right off his bedroom.
He left me alone in the bathroom, and I had to admit, it was a lot cleaner and nicer than most men’s bathrooms. And with a shower that was larger than I expected. I stepped into the shower and checked out the soap offerings. I quickly washed off and dressed again just as there was a knock on the door.
“Yes?” I asked.
“Are you okay with goat cheese? I forgot to ask.”
“I love goat cheese.”
