George laughed. “You know, I like you,” he said. “You’re blunt, and I always admire that in a man. Takes a lot of balls to tell the truth straight, sometimes.”
I rolled my eyes. “You can’t pick rodeo riders just because you like them,” I pointed out.
“That’s not what I’m proposing to do,” he said, a twinkle in his eye. “Like I said, I saw you on the mechanical bull just now. Your form could use a little tweaking, but you seem pretty solid on there. What’s the longest you’ve ever managed to stay on a real, live bull?”
I stared at him for a moment, wondering if I should lie. But there was no way he would let me ride out into a competition without seeing me on the real thing. He’d find out soon enough if I lied to him; better that I just tell the truth. “I’ve never ridden a live bull before,” I admitted.
George’s brows drew together in consternation. “You’ve never ridden a live bull before?” he asked incredulously. “Well, now.”
“I imagine it can’t be too different from riding the mechanical bull, though, can it?” I asked. “I mean, I can ride the mechanical bull at the top setting. That’s got to count for something. I’ve got the record in this bar and everything.”
Someone dropped into the chair to my right, giving a derisive snort as he joined us. “Can’t be too different,” he muttered, looking disgusted. He stared at me with chiseled emerald eyes for a moment before looking over at George. “George, I thought you said you’d found us a man.”
“I think I have,” George said, folding his arms across his chest. “You haven’t seen the boy ride the mechanical bull. I think he’s got something that you could work with. He’s not perfect, of course, and his attitude will need some work, but I think you’ll be able to make a rider out of him.”
“Stop talking about me like I’m not here,” I snapped.
“You’re right,” George said, inclining his head toward me. “Trethan, this is Larry Cobb. Larry, meet Trethan.”
I raised an eyebrow at Larry and then glanced around the bar, wondering how many people in this place would recognize him. The ro
deo wasn’t a very big deal for most people in White Bluff, but that didn’t mean there weren’t enthusiasts there. Fortunately, no one seemed to be watching our table too closely.
George laid his hands flat on the table. “All right, Trethan, I’m going to tell you how it is,” he said. “I’m willing to let you compete in my rodeo. And in preparation for that rodeo, I’ll let you have lessons with Larry here, free of charge. If you win, you could be walking away with ten thousand dollars.”
“What’s in it for you?” I asked. “You need comic relief when I get myself trampled?”
“Under no circumstances would that be considered comic relief,” Larry snapped, narrowing his eyes at me. “If I’m going to train you, you’re going to need to show some respect for the sport.”
I rolled my eyes. “Who said I agreed to train with you?” I asked. “I still don’t understand what’s in it for you guys.”
“I’d require a cut of your winnings, should you ever end up going pro,” George said. “But we can discuss the logistics of that later. Really, what it comes down to is I need publicity for my school. And nothing would do that better than to have the underdog come out on top.”
“Explain,” I said shortly.
George laughed; but it was Larry who answered. “The crowds will go nuts when they find out that your first attempt to ride a real, live bull came just a month before your first competition. You’re the automatic underdog. Everyone would be cheering for you. They wouldn’t expect you to do well.
“But now, imagine if you were to win the whole thing. Everyone would wonder who managed to train you up that quickly. And when they found out it was me, they’d start paying for lessons at George’s new riding school.”
I frowned, thinking it over. It seemed like a pretty good deal from my end of things. Especially if I was able to win the thing. “I just go out there and ride the bull and see if I can pull the fastest time?” I asked, just to confirm.
“Well, it’s a three-round tournament,” George explained. “So you’d have to get out there and ride it three times. But essentially, yes. All you have to do is get out there and ride it.”
I shook my head. “And what do I get if I lose? I mean, the prize money and some free lessons is a great deal, but if all I’m getting out of this is free lessons, and I have to take time off from work so that I can do the training, then I’m really losing here.”
“We’ll reimburse you for all your travel costs,” George said quickly. “This could be a great way to see a little more of the country. Especially if you turn pro.”
“All that aside,” I said, gritting my teeth. This was starting to sound a little fishy.
“If you lose, you’ll lose money,” Larry said flatly. “But as I understand it, you’re no stranger to betting money on the mechanical bull.”
I raised an eyebrow. “News travels fast,” I said. “That was only the one time. Or twice, rather, but with the same guy both times.”
“I don’t care what it was,” Larry said succinctly. He stood up, shaking his head. “George, fine, if you think this guy’s going to be able to do it, I’ll work with him and see what I can do. But I’m telling you, if I pull this off, there’s probably got to be a miracle involved.”
George smiled at his partner. “He’ll be there, ready to train, tomorrow morning,” he promised. Then, he turned back to me, narrowing his eyes at me. “Won’t you?”
I thought about it for a moment, glancing back toward Brent, who was giving me a look. I needed to wrap this up and get back to him before he started to think that I’d abandoned him.