Right.
Well, the stable hand should have been smarter about it. You have to outsmart evil with love and compassion, so much that they just don’t know what has hit them and finally give in just to make you stop. I’ve tried it on a few men before, I can’t say it was very successful, but you know...this is a horse we’re talking about.
“We’ll be friends, Diablo. Just you wait,” I say to him.
He stomps his hoof angrily, baring his teeth.
I snort and turn, glancing at Rhett.
“What?”
“You’re confident my devil horse is goin’ to like you, I’m concerned you’ll get hurt. Trust me, you don’t want to go anywhere near him.”
“We’ll see,” I murmur.
Rhett studies me, a sly smile on his face. “I like your confidence.”
“Trust me, when it comes to people, I have no confidence. Animals, on the other hand ...”
I stare at the black stallion, staring at me with those big brown eyes.
He’s not so bad. I’m sure of it. No animal is. Right?
I’m right about that, aren’t I?
“So, your group, you’re in a band or somethin’?”
“Orchestra,” I tell him. “A bit different, a little more sophisticated, I suppose.”
“Aren’t there a fuck load of people in an orchestra?”
“In the larger ones, yes. We’re not quite there yet. But, we have about twenty members which is pretty impressive considering where we started.”
“And you run this show?”
I snort grunt, it’s the only thing I can use to describe the horrific noise that comes out of my throat. My word, why didn’t my mother teach me how to interact with hot strangers. Instead, I make funny noises that no doubt has them laughing all the way back to their gorgeous, feminine women.
“Me, oh no. God, no. I’m very close to the conductor, who calls all the shots mostly, she’s the older lady you saw with us. I’m just very organized, I think I automatically fall into the organizing role.”
He nods, a little confused, probably scared about the noise I just made. “Well, fuck me, I know nothin’ about it but I’m sure you’ll all have a great time here.”
I laugh nervously. “I’m sure we will, too. Do we have some sort of activity list, or is it just a free for all?”
“That’s what we’re tryin’ to work out. Hopin’ you can help lead us in the right direction. You want to tell me what you’d prefer as a group?”
I think on it for a moment. “Schedules definitely work better with bigger groups of people. I think it’s something you should have in place unless someone directly asks you not to.”
He grins. “You’re right, you are good at this organizing shit. You want a job here?”
“Oh, oh no. I’d never make it a day. Diablo here would take my hand and I’d be useless to you, because guaranteed, he’d lure me over and I’d be stupid enough to go and, well, we all know how that ends...”
He grins. Oh boy, he’s something else. “I think you’re wrong, I think you’d fit right in.”
I scoff.
He doesn’t know me yet.
He’ll see how wrong he is about that when I trip and fall in horse shit.
“You know,” he tells me as we exit the barn, “for someone who is meant to be shy, you’re sure as shit doin’ okay now.”
“I said awkward, not shy,” I point out.
Though, truthfully, I’m both.
He grins. “Either way, you’re havin’ no problems tryin’ to persuade my horse into your good graces.”
I roll my eyes. “Well, you’re easy to talk to. Unlike most men that look like you, you’re actually able to hold a decent conversation.”
“Men that look like me?”
“You know, hot.”
“You think I’m hot.”
My eyes widen and my mouth drops open. Did I just say that out loud? Oh no. Oh my.
“No, I, ah ...”
His eyes turn playful. “You think I’m hot, you said so.”
“No, I meant ...”
“Just admit you think I’m fuckin’ hot.”
Fuck.
My cheeks burn and I go to take a step away and stumble. Horrified, I go to catch my footing, but I can’t manage to get it and I land with a thud in a big old pile of horse shit. I knew it. I knew it would happen. It was inevitable. The second he thought I was some sort of sweet, quiet woman was the moment the universe decided to show him what a clumsy, pain in the ass I really am.
Squealing, I roll out of the chunky crap and frantically try to swipe it off as I scramble to my feet. By this time, Rhett is laughing. Full blown belly laughter as he tries to reach for me, keeping me still so he can use his jacket to wipe the chunks of shit off me.
“Stay still.” He chuckles. “I can’t help you when you’re wiggling like that.”
“I can’t stay still,” I wail. “I’m covered in horse shit.”