Farm Fresh

“Great. Spent the morning writing a research paper that was about as interesting as watching paint dry.” Which could explain the hair.

“You’re bored by your major?” Hudson didn’t understand that, but he didn’t get college, either. He’d never been, never had the financial means because he’d left home twelve years ago with only a few hundred dollars in his wallet. And he never felt the need to attend; he’d been a contributing member of the commune since he was eighteen. What would a piece of paper give him that he didn’t already have?

“It’s all higher-level theory lately. Meta-analysis when I crave practical application.”

“Ah. The real thing is always better, from my experience.”

“Uh-huh. So, what do you have today?”

Hudson looked at his picked-over display tables he’d rearranged numerous times to make them more appealing and was glad he’d set aside a box for Jude. He hefted it from its hiding spot and nestled it onto a clear place. Jude gave him a strange smile that was hard to read.

“You saved stuff for me?”

“Not really saved. If you didn’t show up, I would’ve put it out and sold it by the end of the day.” Hudson rummaged through the box, pointing out various items and sharing anything of importance he could think of related to the produce. “I know you have a limited amount of cash, so don’t feel pressured to buy any of this. That’s not why I did it. I didn’t want all the good stuff to sell before you got here.” Jude beamed while Hudson kept on talking. “I thought some of the hothouse strawberries might be a treat, and I wasn’t sure if you ran out of honey yet. The spring honey is light and good in tea. You’ve said you drink tea when you study in the evenings, right?”

Jude stared at Hudson for a moment before fumbling over his words. “You… you… I can’t believe you actually remembered that I drink my tea with honey.”

“That’s part of my job,” Hudson said as matter-of-factly as he could manage. “It’s important to get to know my regulars.”

“Oh.” Jude looked as though his air was let out. “These strawberries, you said they’re hothouse grown. How many greenhouses do you have?”

“One huge one we rely on to support us through the winter—there’s a hothouse section in there where those strawberries were grown—and then several smaller ones we use for seedlings and herbs.”

“Interesting. How does a person get to live on the commune?”

Hudson studied Jude’s face, trying to read if he was simply curious or truly interested. He thought of Molly’s suggestion that he lay everything out, and Hudson decided to take the plunge.

“First, you need to identify as GLBTQAIP—WXYZ.” Hudson winked. “Everyone belongs to the queer community. We don’t hide that part, but we don’t advertise it on our business cards or on the back of our trucks, either.”

Jude glanced to the logo on the truck, scanned the rainbow of produce on the design, and nodded before looking back expectantly, as though he was sure Hudson had more to say. “What else is there to know?”

“Kaleidoscope Gardens is a place where we celebrate our sexuality by practicing sex out in the open.”

“Sex? In the open?” Jude’s eyes grew comically wide, but someone stepped up to the table, so the conversation had to be momentarily put on hold. Jude stood off to the side and sorted through his basket of reserved items while Hudson helped fill a woman’s canvas bag with her carefully chosen produce. Then a man came to buy kale. He also wanted some new ideas on how to prepare it, so Hudson took time to find a few recipes he kept for situations like this.

When Hudson stepped back over to Jude, he looked filled with more questions than ever before, which was saying a lot. In all his years working the market, no one had been as inquisitive as Jude, and consistently so.

Jude took a deep breath, as though preparing for a speech, but then he bit down on his lower lip as his dark blond brows drew together. Hudson laughed. It was about to begin. “I see a thousand cartoon bubbles above your head.”

Jude flushed, which showed off his chiseled cheekbones even more. “Was the commune founded because of… sex?” He whispered the last word as though it was scandalous.

Hudson released a slow breath and crossed his arms over his chest, preparing himself for any sort of blowback. “It was set up as a… sanctuary, if you will. The Gardens has always been about freely expressing our sexuality without fear of harm, retribution, or inhibition.”

“From all your branding on the truck and labels, I thought it was about organic farming, but I guess it’s more.”

Hudson nodded. “You mean the naked part?”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“Naked organics is a slogan that will sell more produce, unlike living freely, screwing openly, and farming organically would.”

Jude snorted a laugh. “I suppose. How did something like that ever come to be?”

“Like-minded people got together who wanted a place free from judgment over sexual identity or expression, where same-sex and poly relationships could be celebrated rather than damned. Hiding away on secluded land seemed smartest at the time. Sexual freedom was the focal point of a lot of communes over the years, but the founders wanted to celebrate sex beyond male/female pair bonds.”

“Wow.”

“Yeah.”

Another customer came to the table, and Hudson was glad to sneak away again. He was divulging information about the commune that was rarely shared, and when it was, it usually freaked people out enough that they hightailed it. If they didn’t, it showed their dedication, and then he could share more secrets.

Despite helping someone pick out produce, Hudson’s attention flicked to Jude as he pulled a little reddish-pink jar from his front pocket, dipped his finger into the sticky goop, and smeared it over his lips. It made his lips even pinker, and now they glistened.

“Any other questions?” Hudson asked Jude after nearly telling the customer to go talk about free-range chickens elsewhere because he was trying to watch Jude mess with his lips.

Several minutes of considered silence hung there before Jude asked, “So do you have sex with the whole commune?”

“For my house, it’s between the three of us.” Hudson tried to give Jude a reassuring smile when he saw Jude’s brow tighten more. “Some people only have sex within their relationship. Others have sex with anyone who lives on the commune who isn’t committed in another way. There isn’t a schedule or bed swapping, unless that’s your choice.”

“So Kaleidoscope Gardens is about sex?” He looked dumbfounded.

“And sustainable agriculture. And renewable energy. And conservation. And a whole lot more you already know about. It’s about celebrating what the earth has gifted us with, including each other’s bodies.”

Hudson studied Jude’s stony face. He couldn’t tell if Jude was stunned or if he disapproved. Either way, Jude’s months-long curiosity about Kaleidoscope Gardens was most likely sated. He probably wouldn’t be back next Saturday, if Hudson had to hazard a guess.

Then Jude blinked and bit his bottom lip again. “So do you love your housemates?”

Hudson inhaled deeply, taking the moment to gather his words so they’d make sense to someone on the outside. “I’m not in love with Leo or Charlie, but we love each other deeply.”

“But you have sex with each of them?”

“Or both of them at the same time.” Hudson chuckled low when Jude’s eyes bulged momentarily before he recovered. “The sex isn’t about love for us. It’s about release. It’s about pushing ourselves or discovering new pleasures to meet our sexual needs. Each house has its own mission. Each relationship is individually agreed upon and unique. It’s like mini missions within a mission.”

“So, it’s about sex,” Jude whispered, more to himself than to Hudson. Hudson stepped back and allowed Jude a few minutes to process this new information. He rearranged the remaining hens and chicks while he waited so he could sell them rather than haul them home.

“It’s so much more than that, though,” Hudson finally said when Jude didn’t break the silence. He had no more customers and even fewer ways to rearrange the produce on his tables. “But yes, sex is a main component. We have a shared economy, we do our best to make little or no impact on the earth while greatly impacting people and the world around us in the best way we can. It’s about healing more than anything.”

“Healing?”

Hudson nodded and allowed that one word to speak for the Gardens. It spoke volumes for nearly everyone who lived there. “It’s where I came to heal after leaving my shitty life in Florida behind.”

Jude nodded but didn’t seem to know what to say.