The Truth Behind a Smile

Chapter Five

A New Hope

“Alright, let’s go!” The commentator’s voice blared out of the arena loudspeakers. The command was followed by the crashing of metal poles and the roar of a horned beast that could barely be heard over the cheers of the crowd.

“Hurry up, Steve. They’ve already started the first bull ride!” Hugo shouted.

“I’m coming, I’m coming. I just got to wash my hands real quick,” Stephen replied.

“Man, you are so dainty. You’re at a rodeo! You ain’t got to wash your hands. There’s dirt, shit, and piss everywhere.”

“Well, at least it won’t be my piss out there too.” Stephen smirked playfully at his friend as he shook water off his hands and tapped Hugo on the shoulder, signaling him to head out.

“Man, don’t put your wet hands on me!” Hugo exclaimed, following Stephen out of the bathroom.

Stephen laughed at his friend’s inconsistency and shook his head as the two of them headed back to their seats.

“Oh wait. I forgot Tammy asked me to get her a Coors,” Hugo said. “Hit the bar with me real quick?”

Stephen smirked as he raised his eyebrows and accompanied Hugo to the little shack, they called a bar. This was one of the fancier rodeos in town, which had an actual stand-alone building with bathrooms on one side and a concession stand that served drinks on the other. It sat about 50 feet behind the metal stands of the arena and was usually packed but during the bull-riding event looked almost like a ghost town. Stephen and Hugo took advantage of this and were attended to right away.

Stephen didn’t care too much about the rodeo events, so he was always the first one to offer to get drinks or snacks for his friends. He said the sight of certain events, such as steer wrestling or the tie-down roping, always made him cringe, especially when one of the riders got injured. So, of course, when it was finally time for the bull riding, he strategically took the opportunity to use the bathroom and Hugo decided to join him.

“So, you’re really liking Tammy, huh?” Stephen asked.

“Naw, man it’s not like that.”

“Oh really? Because I’ve barely ever seen you buy a girl one drink, and then Tammy comes along, and she’s been hanging around us for what … three or four weeks now? And this is probably the fifth drink I’ve seen you get for her today.”

Hugo blushed. “I-I don’t know what you’re talking about man. She’s just coming around because she’s best friends with Liz, and Liz has a major thing for you. That girl’s been clinging to you like a newborn calf clings to its mama.”

“Man, shut up.” Smiling, Stephen turned away and shook his head.

“Seriously though, man, she’s been practically begging you, and you hardly even look at her. I don’t know why you don’t take her home one night, even if it’s to help a friend out because every time you send her home, Tammy has to go with her because she feels bad. You know Frank and Tyler have even started asking whether you’re playing for the other team.” Hugo shoved Stephen lightly while shrugging his shoulders and raising his eyebrows, questioning Stephen’s sexuality.

Stephen shoved his friend back. “You’re annoying.” He took a swig of his beer while Hugo paid the cashier.

“Liz is a nice girl and she’s gorgeous, but I don’t know man. There’s just something missing when we talk. She feels more like a friend than someone I’d want to spend the rest of my life with.” Stephen grabbed the drinks, and they headed back to their seats.

“Steve, no one is telling you to marry the girl. I’m just asking you to take her to your place and keep her busy for the night, so me and Tammy can finally have some alone time. Shoot, even if you aren’t into girls, I know some gay dudes that would jump at the chance to spend a night with Liz.” Hugo laughed and playfully shoved Stephen again.

Stephen shook his head as they walked up the steps to the arena and back to their seats. At the bottom of the stands, they turned to locate their seats. Stephen saw Liz shoot up her hand, smiling brightly. Tammy did the same.

Liz was the smaller girl, standing about five foot three, with luscious blond hair and piercing blue eyes. She had stunningly white teeth and paler skin—so pale it looked like it had hardly been touched by the sun’s rays. She was considered perfect by most men’s standards, leaving her with a plethora of suitors, but for some reason she’d been infatuated with Stephen for the past few weeks. Tammy had a more toned physique, she was around five foot six, with tanned skin and dirty blond hair, almost more of a light brunette than blond. To Stephen, both girls were stunning but whereas Liz looked like the typical Southern Belle, Tammy was a gorgeous buckle bunny.

Stephen and Hugo weren’t very hard to spot. Stephen had grown to a respectable six feet and one inch tall, a few inches away from the height he’d hoped to reach when he was a child. Hugo was only an inch or two shorter, but both men wore their cowboy work boots, which gave them a few extra inches of lift. Stephen had maintained his muscular physique by keeping up the workouts he’d started in his youth. His work, which consisted almost entirely of manual labor, also helped tone his muscles. Hugo and Stephen’s other friends who were there that night, Frank, and Tyler, also had solid physiques but where noticeably less toned than Stephen, probably a result of all the additional alcohol they consumed. The four of them worked together in the same construction crew.

Stephen and Tyler had gone to the rodeo in Frank’s truck, while Hugo met up with Tammy and Liz beforehand and met the guys in the gravel parking lot. The six of them spent much of the day together, with Frank and Tyler randomly breaking off to look for dates. Stephen was used to his friends and their antics, having spent a majority of his waking hours with the three of them, both at and outside of work. Stephen didn’t like to be alone, so he was thankful to have a group of friends like his when he needed them most. Although they hardly knew a thing about his past or childhood, or he theirs, the four of them had formed a strong enough bond through the problems, tasks, and events they experienced together. They may not have always been there for one another, but they were there eventually.

Hugo and Stephen ran up the stairs to join the girls. Actually, Hugo did most of the running while Stephen went up at a leisurely pace.

“What took you boys so long?” Tammy asked.

“Pretty boy over there had to wash his hands after using the bathroom.” Hugo tipped his head at Stephen.

“Well, I hope you washed your hands too before you went and got drinks!” Tammy shouted as Hugo sat down and handed her one of the beers.

“Uhh, yeah, of course I did. Steve just had to go above and beyond over there and lathered up twice.” Hugo looked over at Stephen and silently begged him to go along with his blatant lie.