Howdy, Ma'am

by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel

  Maybe there would be a good-looking girl on each arm, but she would deal with it. Even if she did let herself get attracted to him, girls on his arm probably wouldn’t change. He had an image to keep and would have to go along with the flirting for the sake of the media. Funny, she never heard anything about bull riders in the media. How do they keep their business private? Were they too busy to even think about committing adultery or running with every woman who smiled? I’m sure I’ll find the answer before it’s all over.

  She had to stop thinking so she could rest. The day was long and she hadn’t slept well the night before. Next thing she knew the phone woke her.

  “Time to rise and shine, my pretty.”

  In a sleepy voice, she answered. “Thanks for waking me.” She looked at the clock. “I have to go now.” She hung up and jumped in the shower making it as hot as she could stand. Afterwards, she put special creams into her hair to make it loose and shiny. She would wear it down, the natural waves falling around her shoulders. Her make-up went on perfect for a rush job. The end result looked like she wanted. She slipped into her black dress and straightened the straps on her shoulders. The low neckline emphasized her breasts, sexy in a subtle way. Did she want to look sexy? Too late now. She took all her camera equipment out and laid it on the bed. All she would need tonight would be her digital SLR. She slipped into her heels, sat in the chair, and waited for Caulder.

  It wasn’t long before he knocked. “Wow, you look great! Like I said, be prepared for some hits.”

  “Well, look at you.” She scanned all the way down and took the palm of her hand and did an imaginary line in front of him. “You’ll be fighting them off.”

  “Whatever you say.” He folded his arm for her to wrap hers through. They left the room arm in arm. “Here we go.” He skipped a step so she walked in line with his right foot to her right foot.

  “Are you nervous?” Caulder skipped twice to mess her up on purpose then laughed when she tried to get straight again.

  “Not nervous, but eager. I can’t wait to meet everyone and get this thing started.”

  “I see you have your camera. Starting already?”

  “I might as well start in the beginning. Don’t you think?”

  He nodded. “We can take a look at them tomorrow and see what you came up with.”

  “Yes, my exact plan. I need to know what you expect. We’ll have to start the blog right away. I already created one.”

  “You’re really on the ball. I like that. I’m constantly reminded I made the right choice when I picked you. I can’t wait to get started either.”

  Velia stopped mid step. “Caulder?”

  “Yes, ma’am?”

  “I’ll be worried about you. I’ll do the job I’m here to do, but I’ll be worried. After watching the videos on the site, I don’t know how the families can stand it.”

  “You’ll see. It’ll draw you in. Remember, it’s only eight seconds.”

  “Yes, but I remember the time you were knocked out cold. It wasn’t even counted time. You could have been killed.”

  “Riding the bull is electrifying to my senses, like a bolt of lightning to my toes. And besides, I’m fine now. Not even any marks left over.”

  “Not on the outside anyway.”

  “Oh, you’re such a jokester, Ms. Armano.”

  “I don’t think I want to know what’s on the inside of that brain of yours.”

  “You’re probably right.” He smiled then said in a low whisper, “I know exactly what my thoughts are.”

  They stepped into the banquet hall through wide, double doors. As soon as they entered, flashes of light nearly blinded Velia. She noticed Caulder held his hands in front of his face. “Should have warned you,” he said with a smirk.

  “Yeah, so I don’t go blind. How can I take photographs when everyone here is apparently taking photographs?”

  “It’s the press. It’s the grand opening of our season. Maybe people where you come from, or in your circle never heard of bull riding, or Caulder McCutchen. But in my world, my dear, they know all about it and maybe a little about me.”

  “I’m waiting to learn more. You never said you were so popular. Well, I guess I kind of knew since Edward of all people knew who you were, and so did Brian. If only they could see me now. This is the red carpet of bull riding.”

  “Exactly what it is. Look.”

  Velia no sooner looked up and someone rolled out a red rug and all the riders and staff involved lined up alongside, giving everyone a chance to strut. As she and Caulder took their place at the end of the line of people, she realized bull riding was much classier than she had given it credit for. Definitely a big deal to those involved. And now it would be a big deal to this woman of Italian classiness, operas, tenors, pasta, and vineyards. Who would have thought she would find her new comfortable place in the midst of cow manure and sand, with men in tight jeans, chaps, cowboy hats, and bulls?

  They sat at a table with three men from the Brazilian team, and she finally met the man, Paulo Correia, who owned the beautiful home in the Catalina Foothills. She felt privileged to meet him and his wife, Yasmin, a real beauty with dark hair, sparkling brown eyes, and a slim yet curvy body to match. Her long dress was black with sequins across the empire waist that hugged her body. When the woman crossed her legs, the long slit up the side of her dress exposed her muscle tone.

  Velia slipped out of her seat to get a photo of the couple—a candid photo in a natural state. Caulder turned around to watch her for a quick moment, and the look on his face captured her gaze. She looked through the viewfinder and clicked. His eyes were so sexy in his sideways glance, and he had the beginning of a smile. This picture could very well be her favorite, and maybe not one she wanted to share with the world. She lowered her camera and noticed he still looked her way. He brushed his fingers through his hair, and she snapped another one. She couldn’t hide her smile when she went back and sat beside him. “Those will be great photos. My favorites I’m sure.” She leaned close. “You’re easy to look at through the camera lens, and I might keep them for myself.”

  “Now, Miss Velia, you must share. I’m your boss, remember.” He leaned forward so no one would hear. “You need to share more things with me.”

  His breath, warm against her neck, his whisper causing a chill, bounced off each vertebrae on the way down and around to her lady parts. It left her speechless and she picked up her glass of wine, hoping she could swallow with the lump stuck in her throat. She looked around and noticed other eyes on them. How would they ever believe her position here if he kept moving close? But, she liked when he moved close. Stop Velia. Stop thinking those thoughts. She tried to talk some sense to herself, but it didn’t work very well. She still experienced the tingle.

  Dinner rated superb with a wide variety of barbequed and roasted meat, and many sides to compliment the entire meal. For dessert there was cake, pie, and brownies. So much food! Velia didn’t think she would get into her new jeans the next day. She might have to wear her black dress for the rest of the trip because she might not get it off after eating so much. Then there was the wine bar with wine from Brazil, California, and the region. She didn’t notice any other imported wine and, of course, she would have noticed.

  “Caulder, when we travel by bus where do we sleep?”

  “Really? Now?” He swept his fingers through his hair.

  Velia nodded.

  “In the bus.”

  “Both of us?”

  “Why not?” He leaned in close again. “Is this something we have to talk about now?”

  Velia leaned close to him. “If you notice, people are watching us. If I stay in the bus with you, do you think they’ll believe either of us?”

  “You have a point.”

  “Well, really my point is with all this wine around, there isn’t any imported wine, I mean other than Brazil.”

  “Huh?” He stared. “Sorry, I’ll see what I can do. And what does this have to do wit
h the bus?”

  “Nothing. I must be nervous. No, my point is my father owns a winery in Italy. I bet he would love to supply your team with imported wine. And if not imported, how about from my family’s vineyard in California.”

  “These guys aren’t usually wine connoisseurs like me.”

  “I didn’t know you were.”

  “How could you not know?” Caulder slid out his chair. “I told you. I showed you. You think I’m just a stupid cowboy with a lot of money?”

  “No, Caulder, not at all. I didn’t think anything, only my father might like to do something thoughtful.”

  “Look into it and let me know. My people can talk to your people.” He stood. “I’ll be back. I need to talk to some friends.”

  Did she hurt his feelings? Men were so damn hard to please. She didn’t mean to be insulting. There seemed to be a lot she had to learn about her cowboy. Her cowboy? Now she said what other people said. Her gaze trailed after him as he promenaded across the room. As soon as he left her side three attractive women walked up and each shook his hand. One was a beautiful redhead wearing a skin tight, black dress—the length barely past her backside. Her legs were so long they went on forever and she wore four-inch stilettos. Her breasts were too large to be real, and Caulder’s eyes never faltered from noticing. Eventually, he looked at her striking, made-up eyes. The next girl had ebony hair with a tiny, black dress, strapless with a deep V in the front showing off her voluptuous breasts. Velia nonchalantly looked down at her own chest. She wasn’t small, in fact, rather full breasted herself. How come he never obsessed over mine?

  The black-haired woman had deep brown eyes and her smile showed true, lighting her whole face. How could he not notice their interest? The third girl’s hair shone blonde with platinum highlights. It looked real, not from a bottle. Maybe her purple contacts were bogus, but it didn’t look like the rest of the package had been touched. Her breasts were small, more the size of lemons, but she still showed them off with a push-up bra that did her justice. She carried herself well, and even though she wasn’t popping out of her dress, Caulder’s eyes lingered on her cleavage. Apparently, he considered all sorts of breasts delectable. From where Velia sat, it looked like he drooled over each one. When he smiled at the blonde, she put her hand on his shoulder, leaned in, and kissed his cheek. How bold, Velia thought as her claws came out and her cheeks burned.

  He glanced over at the same time, apparently wondering if she saw the motion. Oh, she saw it all right. She didn’t expect an emotion such as jealousy—not what she wanted either. How could she deal with being jealous when his world dealt with women and bulls? Not necessarily in any particular order.

  When the blonde walked away and looped her arm through another riders arm, Velia wondered if she was an acquaintance or someone he never met before. Bold either way. “It seems these women have a hard time keeping their hands off of you,” she said when he returned to the seat beside her.

  “Yes, they do.” He took her hand. “It could be your hands.”

  “Didn’t we talk about this?” If she wanted to put her hands on any guy, it would be him. “We talked about it and I thought you agreed. We cannot have a working relationship and an intimate relationship.”

  “Why? Look at the blonde gal and the guy she’s salivating over. She’s in charge of his publicity and she’s his lover. They do it just fine.”

  “Okay, then to put it in other words, I am not ready for a relationship, to be a lover, or a groupie. I’m looking to do my job the best way I can, and that means to stay on the outside. If I’m on the inside having an intimate relationship with you, I won’t be able to do my job.”

  “Well, it’s just my opinion, but I think you could do it better.” He stood again. “Want a drink?”

  “I’ll get it.” Velia left him in her wake and walked to the wine bar. Before her glass sat in front of her, two men approached—two nice-looking, young men.

  “Not to be offensive, Ms. Armano, but when Caulder is finished with your skills, I’d be interested in having some work done.” The guy with him nudged him in the ribs.

  “Caulder and I have a working relationship and nothing more.” She reached inside her clutch purse and handed him a business card. “I have an associate back at the shop, and he would be glad to take on an extra job. Give him a call. I’ll be busy for this season.”

  “Thank you, but I’m serious. I know it seems we might’ve hit on you because I’m sure Caulder warned you about us, but I’m serious. I would be interested in having you photograph my family any chance you can when they’re around. My wife has cancer and when she can make it, I’d like to have photos. I’ll pay you extra of course.”

  “Oh, dear God, I’m so sorry.” Velia took his hand. “You let me know who she is and I’ll gladly take pictures. I’m so sorry.”

  “It’s all right. I probably came on too strong and I can understand why you suspected me of flirting.” He punched the other man in the arm. “But this one on the other hand, I’d watch out for him.” He laughed and walked away.

  Velia stared at the lone man with her most intimidating facial expression. “What can I do for you?”

  “He’s pulling your leg. I’m a real gentleman. Most of us are. Caulder wants you to think we want you because he wants to save you for himself. I haven’t seen him look at a woman the way he looks at you in a long time. Not since his wife...”

  “I know he had a wife, but I don’t really know many details. I hope to find out when he’s ready to let me know. But trust me. Our relationship is strictly a working relationship.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” He stuck his hand into hers. “Nice to meet you. Enjoy your time with us.”

  “Thank you, I will.” She took her glass of wine back to the table where Caulder waited with a conniving grin on his face. Her glare caused him to turn to the lady beside him. Velia recognized her as Donna, the announcer who interviewed him often enough. With her permission, she snapped a couple shots of them together.

  “Give me your camera.” Donna took it before Velia could say anything. She made her sit closer to Caulder. “I bet no one thought of this.” She snapped two or three pictures of them.

  “You’re right. No one has thought of this. I kind of like it.” Caulder might have put her up to it, but she couldn’t know unless she asked.

  “Keep this for our special scrapbook,” he whispered as he slid his arm around her shoulder. “One day you’ll look back and remember you didn’t like me.”

  If only he would stop whispering in her ear. “I do like you,” she whispered back. Did her quiet words do the same for him as his did for her? Did her warm breath tickle the hairs on the back of his neck? Cause a rise in the front of his jeans? Did she want it to? Who did she try to fool? It always made a woman feel good to know she turned a guy on, even if it’s a wee little gesture like a hard-on. Sometimes the best kind of sexy gesture.

  “Something wrong?” Caulder leaned forward and folded his arms on the table.

  She hadn’t even noticed Donna had set her camera on the table and left. “What?”

  “Is something wrong? You drifted off for a moment.”

  “I’m sorry.” She looked around. “I didn’t tell Donna goodbye.”

  “It’s okay. She put the camera down and didn’t say goodbye either. The current champ walked in.” He motioned toward the door.

  Velia saw a younger man with two women wrapped around him. He wore a black cowboy hat and blended it with a dark gray western-styled suit and pointed-toed cowboy boots. His height reached a few inches over six foot, his frame looked lean and muscular, and his blond, wavy hair hung in his face.

  “Who is he? Velia didn’t remove her eyes from him but whispered close to Caulder.

  “His name is Robbie. Well, his real name is Robert Parker.”

  “I saw him on the website. I didn’t recognize him just now.” Velia eyed him up one side and down the other.

  “Apparently other people do, especial
ly women.”

  “Yeah, I’d say so…he’s handsome.” Velia didn’t realize she smiled while watching him walk across the room.

  “The blonde on his right is his wife. The other is his sister.”

  “They look enough like sisters to be real sisters.”

  “Yeah, but they accompany him everywhere. I think his sis is looking for a rich husband the way she hangs out here with us all the time.” Caulder took her hand. “You better hold tight to me. You never know.”

  “If she can steal you away, you weren’t worth having to begin with.”

  “Touché.” Caulder smiled and brought her hands to his lips.

  Velia giggled then pulled her hands away. “He is nice-looking. I bet his wife has to hang on to him tight.”

  “Not necessarily. He’s tied to her apron strings. He loves her to death.”

  “Wow, a faithful man.”

  “You don’t think much of men, do you?”

  She looked deep into his eyes. She saw longing in the pools of blue. His chocolate brown eyelashes fanned across them, and when he looked down, they almost touched his cheeks. “I’ll give men a chance. If they blow it, I don’t usually waste my time. After Justin, do you blame me?”

  “I guess not, but you have to stop comparing all men to one asshole.”

  “I probably will in time. I have a lot of scars. I don’t want to go through the crap again. You really don’t know the half of what I went through. Hell, Caulder with a capital H.”

  “I don’t want to know it all. It hurts...” He pounded his chest. “...right here when I think of what he did to you. To think of a man beating on a woman is something I can’t comprehend. He’s not a man, he’s a fuc…a sissy, and a lot of other words I won’t call him in front of you. But, I’d like to get him alone.”

  “It’s all over now. He can’t hurt me anymore.”