Pole Position

by Sofia Grey

  We practically tripped over Colette and Danny sitting in the shade under a large oak tree. Danny sprawled on the ground, eating a sandwich, while Colette lay with her head on his shoulder.

  He grinned at us and nudged Colette playfully. “It’s the lovebirds,” he joked.

  Jon’s hand tensed in mine, and I squeezed it reassuringly. He was still behaving oddly with Danny, but it was just a matter of time before they accepted each other.

  Mark was happy to explain the competition to Jon. How the aim was to get a clear round—not hitting any of the fences—and then there’d be a jump off against the clock. There were different types of obstacles, but all were designed to fall when hit, and the entire round was scored on how many faults you amassed.

  I left them talking about the course, and went to do my warm up.

  Clare would be riding second on Nizzi, then I was in sixth, and Clare back again in eighth position on Brutus. The competition was in two rounds, the same as it would be at Charrington. The big difference was in course height and layout. This was a much simpler course to complete, but we still had to pay attention. I had to guard against being over confident.

  Clare went clear on Nizzi, although he balked at the double and almost knocked the top pole down. Sam popped over the jumps easily, shaking his head as if to ask if we were still only practicing, and then Clare had a much easier clear on Brutus. There was a short break while they adjusted the course, and I went to find Jon. To my delight, he was chatting nicely with Colette. I desperately wanted my friends to like him. They were so important to me.

  “Well done,” he grinned, giving me his panty-melting, sexy smile. “Colette and I are just trying to figure out who knows the least about this sport. It’s her first time at a show too.”

  Clare came bouncing along at her usual speed and hugged me. “The second round is almost ready. You coming?”

  “Yes.” I turned back to Jon and gave him a quick kiss. “Wish me luck.”

  “Good luck!” chorused Jon and Colette together, and I dashed back to where Bev stood with the horses.

  The jump off was tougher, as we expected. Nizzi showed his inexperience and kicked two fences down, and Clare rode out with a rueful grin. “Apart from the triple, it’s fine,” she said. “I think they’ve messed up the distance from the brushwood to the triple. Watch your stride.”

  I went next. There’d been two clears already, and both with good times, but today I wasn’t out to win. I just wanted the last minute practice. I’d be happy to simply get Sam another clear round, slow and steady. Clare’s advice about the approach to the triple was sound. The distance looked awkward, but we sailed through it. “Well done.” I slapped his neck, delighted he’d done it so easily. He sailed way above most of the jumps and our time was great. We were in third place.

  Clare went in straight after me, the energetic Brutus keen to start. Like Sam, he flew over the jumps, but also put in a scorching time, hurtling Clare into first place and pushing me back to fourth.

  Bev took charge of Sam while I went to find Jon, and waited for Clare to join us. There were another three riders after Brutus, but although they all went clear, they were slower. Clare and I swung together, cheering and laughing. She had first place and I had fourth. Not bad for an afternoon’s work.

  Jon and Colette congratulated us, Jon scooping me up and kissing me until I was breathless. I slithered to the ground to find Danny watching us with an odd, distant expression on his face, while Colette hugged Clare.

  We collected our prizes, rosettes and certificates, with Clare also winning a sash and a bag of feed from the competition sponsors. We took our haul back to the van, chattering happily, and found Danny there with Colette.

  “This is one for the tack room wall.” He produced his camera, made Clare and I pose together, and took several photos. Then, when Jon joined us, with Colette, Danny passed the camera to him. “Go on, mate, take a group picture would you? It’s Danny’s Angels.”

  How could he refuse? Danny posed us by the horsebox, Clare on one side, me on the other, with Colette standing in front of us. Grinning broadly, he hugged Clare and me to his sides and we all chanted “Danny’s Angels” to the camera, then collapsed in a fit of giggles. Jon did as asked, thrust the camera back at Danny, and pulled me into his arms.

  Giving me a big hug, he whispered in my ear. “I’m getting incredibly turned on by the sight of you in those tight breeches. Should we go and get some ice creams to help me cool off?”

  I laughed, I was glad he seemed to be enjoying himself this afternoon. “Yes please.” I took his hand, and we wandered off, looking for the ice cream van.

  Danny’s class started soon after, and I insisted we watch it with Clare and the others. It was a much tougher class than ours had been, with bigger fences and more of them, but I needn’t have worried. Boomerang aced them all, putting in a brilliant second round, giving Danny first place and a huge red rosette. We hollered and cheered, all except Jon who’d disappeared to get drinks. It was a shame he missed Danny’s triumph.

  As the vans lumbered out of the parking field, I went back to the yard with Jon. He’d come with me and wait while I settled Sam for the night. We’d then have a final night with the house to ourselves, before his parents came back on Tuesday.

  I chattered happily all the way back to the yard. When we arrived, it was to find Danny making plans for the evening. They were all going out for supper and wanted us to join them.

  “Oh, come on,” urged Clare, “it’s going to be great fun. We’re going to the new Chinese in Cumberley. We can celebrate our wins. We haven’t had such a good show for ages.”

  I looked at Jon, and tried to gauge how he felt about it. He didn’t look thrilled. And it would be our last night together. “Sorry, not tonight.” I was firm, and wouldn’t be swayed, and Jon looked heaps happier. I caught him staring at Danny, a smug look fleeting over his face, and I caught his arm. “Are you okay to wait? I’ll be about an hour.”

  “No problem.” He smiled fully at me. “Anything I can do to help? The sooner you’re done, the sooner we can go home.”

  It was a fantastic end to a lovely day, not least because Jon and Danny finally seemed to be getting on together.

  12.4 Jon

  Danny’s Angels? I bet he loved getting me to photograph him with his arm draped round Anita, although she didn’t appear to be complaining. As far as I was concerned, he’d declared war and the opening salvos had been fired.

  Anita was back at work again on Tuesday, but only for the morning. We’d spend the afternoon together, as I’d be flying out to Belgium early Wednesday morning. We planned to go riding in the countryside, and I was looking forward to it. I hadn’t been on horseback since I was in the U.S., but it should just be a matter of reacquainting myself.

  To my relief, there was no sign of Danny when I arrived at the yard. Clare fussed round us, getting me settled on Albert, a huge, dark bay gelding.

  “He’s gentle and slow,” she assured me. “He’s also very placid on the roads. He adores Sam, so will follow him happily.”

  Anita led the way. Most of it comprised of plodding across the countryside, and we ended up in a rambling park. It was hot when we got there, and we stopped to take a rest in the shade. Anita tied the reins to a fence, and slackened the horses’ tack to make them more comfortable, and then we settled nearby.

  It was blissful to chill out together. The next few days were going to be hectic. This race meeting was vitally important for me, and it was good to relax in the sunshine with nothing more demanding to do than cuddle my girlfriend. We lay there, no need for talking, just enjoying each other’s company. I sprawled against a tree trunk, half-dozing in the warmth, listening to the birdsong and the bees buzzing in the nearby flowers. The horses whickered to each other and my eyelids grew heavy. Anita lay on her stomach next to me, concentrating on making a daisy chain for Sam’s bridle.

  Time passed. I felt a chill across my body and reluctantly ope
ned my eyes to see that the sun had gone in, black clouds were rolling across the sky and it looked as though it would rain any minute.

  “Neeta.” My voice was croaky with sleep.

  “Uh huh.” She was still fiddling with the daisy chain.

  “You know that sunshine that was forecast?”

  “Mmm.”

  “Looks like it’s time to go. It’s going to be raining soon.”

  She looked up and saw the clouds. Worry flickered in her eyes. “Damn. I wasn’t paying attention. I’ll get the horses.” She abandoned the flowers and hurried to the horses to ready them for our departure.

  I yawned and stretched, unwilling to move from my comfortable position, but scrambling up anyway. I found some grass in my hair. “How did that get there?”

  She grinned over her shoulder at me. “You’re lucky you sleep with your mouth shut.”

  “Cheeky.” The first heavy, icy drops of rain spattered in my face and I hurried to help her. Sam was ready, but she was fixing Albert’s girth when we heard a rumble of thunder.

  “Bugger.” She looked helplessly at the sky, and then back at me.

  We didn’t have any kind of waterproof clothing with us, but I didn’t know if I was more worried about the horses being spooked, or getting caught under the trees in a thunderstorm. “We really need to move away from here. Is there somewhere we can shelter?”

  Already, in those few seconds, the rain came down heavier. Anita stared around, her eyes wide, and then pointed to a stone building farther up the track. “Head for the summerhouse. We can shelter in there.”

  I grabbed our water bottles and the blanket we’d been lying on. Anita took charge of both bridles, and we ran full pelt up the track. Even so, by the time we got there, we were soaked.

  It was a large stone structure, open on one side—thankfully not the direction the rain was coming from—and with plenty of room for the horses to stand. It also had a wide wooden bench running along the back wall. Dry and dusty inside, it had an earth floor. Just what we needed for shelter. There was nobody else in sight; presumably, all the other park visitors headed for cover earlier than us.

  While Anita settled the horses, I took off my T-shirt. Twisting it between my hands, I wrung out a sizeable amount of water onto the floor. She turned to me and froze, her eyes wide when she saw my bare chest.

  I draped the wet shirt over the bench to dry it out a bit. “Want me to do yours as well?” She hesitated. “I have seen you in your bra before.”

  “Okay.” She pulled off her top and handed it to me, then stood shivering while I squeezed out the water.

  “Come here.” I held out my arms and cuddled her to me. Her skin was cold and damp, and I rubbed her back to warm her. Soon we were enjoying a prolonged kiss while the horses stared outside.

  After a while, we sat wrapped together on the bench, watching lightning flash over the park. To my relief, the horses were calm. We’d be there for a while. I nuzzled her throat, and wished we were back at home.

  “Are you glad we came out today? Even with the storm?” Her voice was soft.

  “Of course. It’s been good.” I nipped playfully at her ear. “I like spending time with you, especially semi-naked.”

  “Will you miss me?”

  “Might do.” My voice was nonchalant.

  She started and glared at me, saw my teasing grin and relaxed. “Are you looking forward to the weekend? Have you raced there before?”

  “Yes, and no.” I told her I’d be flying out on Wednesday, and Thursday and Friday would be taken up with training and qualifying sessions. The racing would be Saturday morning and Sunday afternoon. There’d be press conferences, radio and TV interviews, and a whole busload of important people to be nice to. Then when the whole thing was finally over, I’d fly home on Tuesday.

  I snuggled into her, relishing the feel of her skin. “Are you free on Tuesday night? Let’s go out for dinner.”

  “I think I can squeeze you into my diary,” she teased.

  I tickled her gently.

  “So go on then, what are you doing for the next week?”

  Anita yawned, and looked at me through sleepy eyes. “Strangely similar to you. Traveling down to Charrington on Friday afternoon. Saturday will be the preliminary rounds for my class, and if I get through, the championship is on Sunday. Apart from that, I’m in a fun class with Clare on Sunday, and I’ll be supporting Clare and Danny.”

  She cuddled a bit closer. “Danny’s giving me some extra coaching tomorrow and on Thursday night as well. He says Sam and I stand a good chance.”

  My hand stilled on her hair. “What kind of coaching?” I kept my voice light.

  “Oh you know—no stirrups, no reins, bareback on a lunge rein. That sort of thing.”

  I didn’t know. I’d no idea what kind of training she did, apart from jumping over fences.

  “Is he coaching Clare as well?”

  “Oh no.” She sounded surprised by the idea. “Clare refuses to take any kind of instruction from him. They fight like cats and dogs.”

  While I was away, she’d be spending even more time with Danny.

  12.5 Jon

  I seethed in silence. Anita glanced up, saw the look on my face, and struggled to sit upright. “What’s wrong?” She asked.

  I didn’t answer. I looked away as I tried to get my anger under control.

  “It’s something to do with Danny, isn’t it?”

  I wasn’t sure what to say. How about, I’d like to throttle your friend? No, perhaps not.

  Anita tugged on my arm, and I turned back to face her. She had two spots of color in her cheeks. I’d not seen her annoyed before.

  “You still have a problem with him don’t you? What is it with you?”

  She galvanized me into being honest. “I don’t trust him, and I don’t like you spending so much time with him.” As soon as I’d said it, I could have kicked myself. It sounded sulky, and childish. And it infuriated her.

  “He’s my best friend. Of course I spend time with him. And how can you not trust him?” Her voice rose in pitch. “What has he done to you?”

  I was astonished she could have forgotten. “Well let me see. He hung up on me several times when I phoned for you. He’s warned me to keep away from you. He’s told me to fuck off in no uncertain terms. Then he picked a fight with me. You might recall it?”

  “But he apologized. Shook your hand. He told me it was all a misunderstanding.”

  “Yeah, right.” I couldn’t hide my contempt.

  She jerked away and stood up, shivering, before wrapping her arms over her chest. “You’re jealous.”

  There. The accusation was out in the open. It lay between us, challenging me to respond.

  “I trust my instincts, Anita, and they tell me to keep the hell away from him.”

  She stood there completely silent, staring at me with huge eyes. I sat sullenly. I could see she was close to tears, and I suddenly regretted my words. I held out a hand to her and tried a smile, but she ignored it.

  “I’ve known Danny all my life.” She spoke slowly, as though she was working out what to say. “I’ve known you for less than a month. Are you asking me to choose between you?”

  I just looked at her.

  “You are. Jesus Christ.” She swung away, and walked to the doorway, her arms still wrapped across her body. The rain continued to hammer down; the thunder more distant now. She stood in the doorway, silhouetted against the lighter outside. It was ages before she turned back to me.

  “Danny’s always had my back. Always. He rescued me when I quit at Uni. Danny encouraged me to train as an instructor. He spent months looking at horses for me, before finding Sam. He gave me a home. Rebuilt my life.”

  Her voice was low. I struggled to hear her.

  “Don’t make me choose, Jon.”

  I hung my head and took a deep breath to control my frustration. Right now, if I forced the issue I might lose her. I couldn’t take that chance. The chasm
opened up between us.

  He’d won. If I pushed her to make a choice and I lost, he’d win. If she chose me, she’d hate me for that, and he’d still win. Bastard. I seethed some more and felt adrenaline flooding my body at the memory of our fight. I wished I’d hit back harder. I stood up, shook my arms and legs and tried to calm down. Anita stared at me, her face pale and drawn, her eyes gleaming with unshed tears. I’d pushed her to this. I sighed and rubbed my hands over my face. I was deathly tired. There was only one way forward.

  “I’m sorry.” I forced my voice to sound normal, and not give away my frustration. “You’re right, I am jealous of him. It makes me envious to see you together.”

  Her mouth opened and closed again. “I’m sorry too.” It was barely a whisper.

  I smiled, relieved. She wanted to put an end to our quarrel, but she didn’t move. She just gazed at me as though she didn’t really know me. Maybe she didn’t.

  And then I realized what she was apologizing for. She’d made her choice.

  Chapter 13

  13.1 Anita

  I stood, frozen, and watched the emotions fly across Jon’s face. Shock as my words sank in, then horror, anger, and disbelief. Finally, his face shuttered, his eyes narrowed, and he spoke. His voice was low, he sounded as if he were in pain.

  “Come on, Anita, I don’t want it to end like this.”

  I couldn’t stop trembling, and my teeth chattered, whether from shock or the cold, I didn’t know. My mind swirled. He was jealous of Danny, and Colette had said Danny felt the same way about Jon. It was ridiculous, but I’d seen the way they snarled at each other. I wouldn’t turn my back on Danny, we’d been in each other’s lives too long for that. But did I have the strength to walk away from Jon? I’d known this would happen eventually—that we’d break up—but so soon? And like this? I’d expected to be dumped when he moved on, then for me to be jealous of his latest woman. I wanted to cry like a baby. Two of the men I loved most in the world, and I had to pick between them?