Dearest Cowboys Box Set

by Mia Brown

  “True, true.” She swung herself in to the living room using the door frame. “So, how are you? My little rodeo star? You’ve been the talk of the town, and I’m sure you know. Pride of place because of the win.”

  “Yeah, I bet! The same people who always doubted me are now my biggest supporters.”

  Kenzie giggled knowingly. “Yeah, you’re probably right about that one. But not me. I’ve always been here so I reserve the right to be as proud as I damn well please! And I’m proud as shit about you.”

  “Why, thank you very much, Ma’am.” I tipped my hat at her. “It’s good to have you on side.”

  She took a seat and gave me a curious look, but it seemed that Kenzie wasn’t about to spill the beans and tell me what was going on easily. It was annoying. I didn’t want to give her the satisfaction of asking, but I couldn’t help it.

  “What’s going on, Kenzie? You’re looking at me like I’ve grown an extra head or something.”

  “I just… I thought that you were behaving this time around, that’s all. I thought that there was no badness…”

  “Oh, what the hell are you talking about? I was only n Cheyenne for a few days before I came back home for a little break before shit all kicks off again. What trouble could I have possibly gotten in to?”

  “Well, with you, it only takes about five minutes, let’s be honest. But I’m talking about the fight.”

  “What fight? I didn’t even get too drunk this time around, there was no fight?”

  “No fight by the women’s bathroom with some guy from the support staff?”

  It took me a couple of moments to realize what she was on about. “Oh! He worked for the rodeo, did he?”

  “He did, but he got fired because of the fight. I wonder why you haven’t been fired as well…”

  “Because it wasn’t a fight. That asshole should have been fired because he was so drunk, he attacked a woman.”

  “Oh, I get it now.” Kenzie nodded knowingly. “You were defending a pretty girl.”

  “Don’t say it like that! It wasn’t like that. Yes, I was defending her honor, but not because she was pretty. Because the guy was scaring her, acting like a total idiot. I had to punch him to get him away from her.”

  “Really? That’s all it was? There wasn’t anything else between you both?” I didn’t even need to answer her because it seemed like she had something of her own to show me. “Because this picture suggests otherwise.”

  I snatched her cell phone away from her and stared at what she was looking at, seeing a photograph of Emily leaning up to give me a kiss on the cheek. But from the angle that it was taken it looked like we were lip kissing. I was just about to deny everything, to explain to Kenzie what was going on, but the words fell apart at the last moment. I remembered Emily telling me not to tell anyone else what we were doing, and since we were supposed to be actually dating, I couldn’t imagine any other way to start this rumor circling… even if it was to my best friend.

  “Oh wow, I didn’t realize that it had gotten out yet,” I replied in a stilted voice. I wasn’t the best at lying to the people that I cared about. “It’s supposed to be a secret just between me and her.”

  “Well, I wouldn’t worry too much. This isn’t public knowledge. It was just a picture on someone’s social media that Jeff noticed. He immediately said that you were up to your old tricks again.”

  “Damn Jeff has no faith in me whatsoever! This is different.” I handed her phone back. “This is more real.”

  “Are you kidding me? You are actually dating someone now? After all that speech about how you don’t need someone in your life, about how you don’t need love or even believe in it… Didn’t I tell you this would happen?”

  “Hey, I never said that I was in love, Kenzie. This is just… dating. Casual, normal people dating.”

  She rolled her eyes at me. “Alright, whatever you say, Alex. I’ll believe you, thousands wouldn’t.”

  I gritted my teeth together, this was going to be harder than I expected it to be. Not only was it going to be no sex for six months, which I still couldn’t quite wrap my head around, it was going to be a lot of lying too.

  “So, you acted the hero and got your reward in bed… sounds about right for you, Alex Fancy. Perhaps it’s better that I didn’t set you up with anyone that I know after all. It would have been a disaster.”

  “I know. I did warn you of that, didn’t I? I can’t normally control myself.”

  “But this situation is all under control, is it?” Kenzie stifled a laugh, the idea ridiculous to her.

  I didn’t have to worry about me being out of control when it came to Emily because she held all the power. There was no way of me losing myself around her when she had her panties locked tight. I couldn’t put a ring on her finger, not a chance in hell, so I wouldn’t ever get to know what she was like in bed. I would have to just come to terms with that eventually and find peace in the new sponsorship deals that she would have for me.

  “Oh, it’s under control alright. You don’t need to worry one bit. This is all just… great.”

  “Are you sure? Because you don’t sound like you have it all under control. Alex, you aren’t the guy who dates, and you certainly aren’t the one who falls in love. Does this girl know that? Because I really think that you need to be honest upfront. I would hate to think of some poor woman thinking that she’s at the start of something new and amazing when you and I both know that there is a time limit on it. It will only last so long.”

  Yeah, six months, but I couldn’t explain that without going through it all. “She knows who I am?”

  “So, she’s a fan? Don’t you think that is even worse, Alex? This has disaster written all over it.”

  “No, it’s not like that. She just knows that t won’t be a forever thing. Don’t worry, Kenzie. I have been honest. She knows what it is, who I am, what’s going on. Like I said, it’s causal.”

  “I will be honest, from my experience, casual things always end up as serious. At least from one side.”

  I scoffed at the idea, knowing that it wouldn’t be the case for me and Emily. Most chicks, yeah, they would fall head over heels in love with me, but I didn’t think she would. There would be no hurt feelings.

  “It seems like sex is more casual for men than women,” Kenzie warned, refusing to let it go. “And if that happens, you will be the issue not her. If you’re playing any sort of game, it will back fire.”

  “Kenzie, did you just bring me here to ride my ass, or what? Because I’ve come home to relax. To get some serious chill out time before I’m back on the bull again. I have even turned down some media appearances because I just want to be alone and think. I don’t need to be made to feel like a piece of shit.”

  “I’m just trying to work out what’s going on, that’s all. You don’t need to be all crazy about it.”

  Kenzie brought her knees up to her chest, not even caring about putting her shoes on my couch. But this was her signature sulking. I had been on the receiving end of it far too many times. It didn’t matter that I really didn’t need this right now, I had to do what I could to make her feel better because she was my friend.

  “You’re right, Kenzie,” I confessed. “I have been a bad person in the past. Even if I haven’t meant to, I might well have led people on, but I am trying to be better. I don’t always want to be the bad boy of bull racing. I want to be known for what I can do on the back of a bull, not what comes out of my mouth and how I am in bed. Emily… she’s different. She’s sweet and pure. Not the sort of woman that I normally go for. But I’m sure that’s for the best. My usual type isn’t someone that I can be with long term, you know that. But with Emily… well, I have been honest with her, and she has with me, so I think we’re going to be just fine.”

  “Are you sure? I don’t want you to end up in a mess. I also don’t want you to be distracted during this championship. This is your chance. Your shot at making it to the top, and I don’t want you
to fuck it up.”

  “Trust me. With this one, I am going to be more focused than ever.”

  I wasn’t going to have a chance. If I had to keep it in my pants, then I would have to put all that excess energy in to the bulls. I wouldn’t have a choice. Perhaps, as much as it was going to suck, Emily was doing me a favor. And as I leaned my head back on the couch cushions and I thought about her, I realized that all of my words were true. She was a wonderful person, and if things were different then maybe something could have happened.

  “You have a funny smile on your face,” Kenzie commented, causing my eyes to snap open. “It looks like you’re thinking about her right now. And if I’m not wrong then t would seem to me like you’re already falling…”

  “Fuck off, Kenzie,” I growled. “Come on, let’s get Jeff and head to the bar.”

  “I thought that you wanted to sit and relax. Enjoy your time at home before going back…”

  “Yeah well, you got me all stirred up now and thinking. Now I need a break from my brain. So, thanks, Kenzie.”

  Rather than being pissed off by my words, she simply laughed and nodded. “Fair enough. Come on then, get your sorry ass up and let’s head out. Although I wouldn’t expect you to get an easy ride from Jeff. He wants to know what the hell is going on with you as well. He might go even harder on you than I have.”

  I rolled my eyes and shook my head. Kenzie was probably right, that was the worst part. I wasn’t sure what I was thinking coming home. I should have known that it would be the least relaxing time ever. My friends just weren’t the sort to let it go. Ever. But that was what I loved about them I suppose. I couldn’t get rid of them anyway…

  Ten

  Emily (that evening)

  I lay spread across my hotel room bed, staring up at the ceiling as the phone dialed out. Usually, Rebecca was a lot quicker at picking up, so the wait left me a little irritated. I had god news to share with her.

  “Hey, girl!” Finally, she answered sounding as bouncy as usual. “How’s it going down south?”

  “All good.” I smiled to myself. “The work is great, it’s keeping me very busy and getting me a lot of attention. A couple of the other companies have actually pulled me to one side and asked me about working for them.

  “Well, that is just great news. I’m really happy for you. You must be doing something good. The rodeo is very popular this year as well, isn’t it? A lot more people attending and much more media interest… especially in that sexy guy who’s been winning everything. Wow wee, now he is something else, isn’t he?”

  I twirled a piece of hair around my finger and bit down excitedly on my bottom lip. Now was the moment that I was going to tell her… only I hadn’t quite decided to tell her the whole truth yet. I was going to keep it to as few people as possible until I was absolutely certain that I could trust that she wouldn’t say a thing.

  “Actually, it’s a bit on the down low at the moment, but me and Alex have been dating…”

  “You have?” she screamed so loudly I had to pull the phone away from my ear. “You little minx. I didn’t realize that was going on. That happened quickly, didn’t it? I didn’t honestly believe that you would find a bad boy so easily, and then you go and get yourself the best of the best. I mean, everyone wants a piece of that fine ass and the more that he wins, the bigger he will become, bringing you along for the ride.”

  “Depending on how long this thing lasts…” I added for authenticity reasons. Also, because judging by Alex’s reaction, I wasn’t totally convinced that he could keep it in his pants for six whole months, in which case the arrangement would have to come to an end quickly. “There’s no guarantee that things will go on…”

  “Oh, they will. A pretty girl like you is bound to keep hold of a guy like that.”

  “Well, fingers crossed… I don’t know. It’s only early days at the moment.”

  “Yes, so early that you haven’t even been in the newspapers yet. Or on the Internet…”

  “Well, apparently there is one picture of us on the Internet, but people haven’t picked up on it yet.”

  “I will see to that. This s a relationship that people need to be aware of! This is fantastic. Wow, no one can call you the Modeling Nun if you have a serious fox like that on your arm. He’s a well known sexual god who can have any woman that he wants… so they’ll know what you’re doing to him if you have him.”

  I shuddered, not liking he idea of people discussing my sex life, even if it wasn’t real. But I guess that was the small price that I was going to have to pay to give myself more than an edge. I would just have to comfort myself with the idea that it wasn’t real, so the words couldn’t touch me. Me and Alex would know the truth.

  “I’m going to keep sending you to rodeos, you know?” Rebecca teased. “If you’re coming back with these hot guys on your arms then that’s what we need to play on. You just have a type, that’s all, and it’s a cowboy.”

  Hmm, that image I liked a little more, mostly because it took me back to my roots. I really did miss a lot of the small town life, more than I ever assumed that I would. I was having a lot of fun with it now.

  “You didn’t just start dating this guy because of what I said though?” All of a sudden, it wounded like Rebecca had some actual guilt for one of her suggestions which wasn’t like her at all. “I don’t want you to end up with your heart broken over some bad boy, and it be me who is to blame, well I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself for it.”

  “No, no, it isn’t that at all. Actually, we met with him saving my life.” I couldn’t stop myself from grinning at the memory. A genuine smile since this part of the story was definitely true. “A drunken idiot was threatening me at the rodeo. All pinning me against the wall and stuff. It was terrifying actually, I was worried that he would actually take me. But then Alex came along, and he fought the guy off me, basically saving my life.”

  “Ooh, what a romantic story. The bull riding hero. I love it. I will see what I can do to work that in to your story.”

  If this were something real, then that might have really annoyed me, but as soon as I reminded myself that this was all a construct to save both of our reputations, the irritation melted away. Presenting it as that would be good. It would get attention and make us both look different to how we were currently perceived. Yes, I was still going to be the damsel in distress, but even that was more interesting than the plain virgin nun. Then like Rebecca already stated, it would definitely suggest that I had some kind f wild sex life going on.

  “Yep, that’s great, thank you, Rebecca. I guess it is best that you shape the way that the story comes out. Then it can help the both of us. It can start catapulting me to where I need to be. At the top.”

  “Yes, exactly. Modeling companies will have to sit up and pay attention to you now.”

  “I’m going to need to start working my schedule a bit more around Alex…” I announced cautiously. “You know, since I’m going to have to be photographed with him a lot to make people notice us.”

  “Yes, you’re right actually. Although, that’s going to be a bit of a bitch when it comes to all the jobs that you have lined up and the requests that are going to follow on from you spending time at the rodeo.”

  It made my chest clench up to consider turning down work. Unless it didn’t fit in with the direction in which I wanted my career to go, I didn’t like to turn down work… but if I was going for media attention and career progression then I was going to have to take that step. However scary it was.

  “It will be better in the long run, don’t you think?” I chewed on my thumb nail nervously.

  “I’m not too keen on the idea of having to reschedule things. It might cause some issues…”

  “Hey, you were the one who suggested that I get a boyfriend to make people notice me. Now I’ve done that, you can’t complain. I’m just going to be working in a different way for a while. I can take fewer assignments and a few lower profile jobs while I focus on w
hat I have with Alex. Whatever it takes to make this work.”

  “Right,” Rebecca agreed, clearly seeing that I was right. “Okay, well I’ll see what I can do. I mean, I guess it will all be worth it if you start getting magazine interviews and stuff. Then you’ll be in demand. And if you can try to get some pictures of the two of you together on social media that would be wonderful.”

  “Good idea. But I wanted to make sure that you knew what was going on first.”

  “Yeah, let me get the story out there, control the flow of it a bit, then you can get started.”

  The business arrangement between me and Alex had just taken a much more serous turn. Now that Rebecca was involved, she would want to work things her way. I was fully okay with that since this wasn’t true love. In fact, this was good because she had the best interests of my career at heart because it affected her too.

  “Great, well keep me up to date then, let me know when you want me to start getting things going.”

  “God, this sounds more like a business deal than love, doesn’t it?” Rebecca laughed, with absolutely no idea how close to the mark she was. “But it can always be both, can’t it?”

  I agreed with her out loud even though I didn’t believe her inside. I was very certain that mixing business with pleasure was the best idea ever. Complicating two factors of my life by combining them wasn’t something that I particularly enjoyed the idea of. Love was one thing… probably something that didn’t even really exist in my opinion. I was more under the illusion that people liked one another enough to over look their flaws and over come their loneliness with. Career was easier to manage and control. It needed to be the sole focus of my vision.

  “Alex freaking Fancy.” I could almost hear her shaking her head in amazement. “That is a score.”

  “I know that he has a reputation, but he isn’t the same in real life.”

  “It’s his reputation which will give you the edge. You need to embrace that. Be the girl who seems good but has a wild side for a bad boy. Be the girl who’s sexy enough to tame him.”