Romance: The Bad Boy Affair: A Second Chance Romance

by Veronica Cross

  He could relate to her. Even though they lived light years apart, their worries, concerns and loneliness bonded them past several solar systems. In his world, he was average, uninteresting and he felt that way about most of the opposite sex. But in this world, he was a novelty, and in some way, so was Ashton. Beyond the novelty of it, making love to her was beyond anything he’d ever expected. She was soft, so vulnerable, yet so passionate. She falls asleep in his arms on the floor of the alien chamber. He knows she can’t stay there. It wouldn’t be safe.

  Chapter 6 – The Morning After

  The light blinds and burns her face. Ashton’s eyelids stress to open. She moves a hand in front to block the beams. It’s morning. The sun blasts with no cloud cover. As she moves to get up, she feels the hard crunchy ground below and something hard poking her in the back. She reaches around to see what it is and finds a corn husk. As her eyes refocus, she sees that she’s on a flattened area of corn field. She’s amazed. It looks like something she’s seen on YouTube. “How did they all get flattened here?” she wonders to herself.

  Ashton finds herself in the middle of an ornate crop circle. Completely bare, her skin is warm and tanning from the beating sun. It takes her a while to get her bearings. Was it all a dream? Was that amazing creature real?

  The sounds of a large motor clacks and cranks nearby. Adrenaline shoots through Ashton’s body. She stands up and realizes her situation. She is fully naked in a corn field. Ranch workers would be harvesting her area of corn soon. The last thing she wanted was for them to see her naked. She could never explain what happened. No one would believe her.

  She quickly sneaks into the standing crops and looks for the tractor. She walks to the edge of the plot between the corn and the grass field. When the tractor disappears into the corn, a naked redheaded blur shoots across the field. Ashton races for the house. The tractor driver glances over and almost falls off his seat once he glances a look. Ashton opens the screen door and runs past the den into the kitchen to get to her room.

  Faith sits in the kitchen eating a sandwich and drinking coffee, which she almost spits out when she sees Ashton. Ashton freezes, not knowing what to say. Ashton’s Dad can be heard from the other room. Faith signals with her eyes for Ashton to get out of the kitchen. “Where’s Ash?” yells her dad from the other room. Faith tries to hold back a laugh and lies. “She’s not feeling well, Pops, she’s still in her room.”

  Meanwhile, upstairs, the dresser drawers are flung open as Ashton digs for panties and a t-shirt. As she dresses, Faith bolts into the room and plops on the bed.

  “Well, who’s the skank now? What happened to you??”

  “I can’t really explain? It’s just that…well, it wouldn’t make much sense.”

  “Who we bang often doesn’t. I’m just glad you got some. You were wound like clock.”

  “Why are you assuming I did anything or anyone?” Ashton answers coyly.

  “Well, first off I haven’t seen you this loose and relaxed. Second, you are glowing.”

  Ashton turns red with embarrassment and covers her face with her light green t-shirt.

  “So, it wasn’t Danny?” questions Faith, trying to pry more from her.

  “Ouch, what the…” Ashton squeals as she feels a sharp pain in her belly.

  “Oh no! Pregnant already. That’s some potent stuff,” jokes Faith. “

  Ashton throws a sock at Faith, “Enough already, I’d tell you but you aren’t going to believe me. I don’t even believe it.”

  Faith sits up in attention. “I’ll believe you. What is it?”

  Ashton pulls up her shorts and sits next to Faith on the bed. She tries to explain the events from last night. She tells it in order; Bobby leaving for his ex, her leaving the lake; her storming out of the house; the lights; the ship; the humanoid lover. Faith just stares and nods her head.

  “You’re right,” Faith whispers.

  “About?” questions Ashton.

  “I don’t believe you,” Faith Says right before hitting Ashton with a pillow.

  “If you don’t want to tell me, you don’t have to tell me something you read in one of your books. I’m gullible, but come on.”

  Ashton knew anyone believing her would be a long shot.

  “Fine, I plead the fifth.” Acquiesces Ashton. “I need to get ready for the fair anyway.”

  “You’re so mean. You know how scared I am of Aliens.”

  “That’s why I said it,” she says to change the subject. “Let me finish getting dressed. I need to check on Autumn and grab something to eat before I head up to the stock yards and fairgrounds.”

  Chapter 7 – Naming the Foal

  Ashton grabs a handful of apples and rolls off the kitchen table, before heading outside. She takes a bite of the apple and heads toward the stable. The barn door opens and her father steps out. Red from the sun and wearing overalls, he’s who’d you imagine running a farm.

  “Well hello, pumpkin. Your sister said you weren’t feeling so well,” Mr. Alexander says while limping toward her.

  “Oh yeah, that. I’m doin’ better now.” She’s horrified at the idea that her dad and some of the farm workers almost caught her streaking naked through the yard. That would be a hard one to explain away. “How’s the little one?” Ashton hurriedly changes the subject.

  “Healthy. Curious. Takin in everything. You know you’re going to need to name her soon.”

  “I will. I will. How’s Autumn?”

  “Tired.”

  “I bet, can’t imagine being pregnant for 355 days.”

  “So, what’s with the picnic?” He asks and points to the apples and rolls.”

  “Starving, but couldn’t wait to see Autumn,” Ashton says right before taking another bite into the apple.

  “Well, she’ll be happy to see you. I checked on the rest of the stock for the sale…all good and ready to go for tomorrow,” the old farmer says before reaching down to his bad leg with his good hand, as if he felt a tinge of pain.

  “How you doin’, Pop?” Ashton asks worriedly.

  “Doin’ as good as I can. Always real sore after a good rain. Ache everywhere.”

  “Guess that means you ain’t going to the stock yards with us.”

  “No honey. You know me. You’ll do fine.”

  “I’m not worried about me, Pops. But like you said about me, I don’t want you all cooped up here, alone forever. Just wish you’d have a chance to get out and have some fun.”

  “I am having fun sweetheart. You two girls are more fun than I can handle”

  “Well, that’s probably true. Okay, well I’m going to go see Autumn,” Ashton says before hugging her dad.

  A spark shocks both of them. Possibly static electricity. They laugh it off and walk their separate ways. Ashton takes a bite off her roll and opens the stable door. She doesn’t notice that her Dad is starting to walk with less of a limp.

  Ashton steps into the stable and looks over to see Autumn Spirit and her newborn foal. She puts down her food on a nearby stool and giddily rushes to see them both.

  Autumn rests in the corner of a stall surrounded with hay, her foal nearby, brushing hay back and forth with its head. She’s black and spotted like her mother. Autumn senses Ashton and neighs.

  “Well hello, mama. How are you? I missed you. A lot’s happened since I saw you last. A lot. I love your little one.”

  Autumn Spirit nods her head toward Ashton.

  “Oh wait, I got something for you.”

  Ashton heads back to the stool and grabs an apple to feed Autumn. The tired mare slowly bites on it.

  “Autumn, I have to tell you what happened to me. In fact, you’re probably the only person who won’t think I’m crazy when I tell you. You aren’t going to believe what happened to me.”

  Autumn finishes the apple and Ashton continues. “It was amazing. I don’t know where to start. But there was a light, and then I was in this room. Then I saw this amazing man - or creature - or something. W
e had the most passionate…” She stops herself when she looks at the young filly, as if she doesn’t want to say anything too graphic for such young ears. “Well, it was amazing. He was amazing. He was from another galaxy.”

  She looks over at the foal and realizes that she wants to name her Galaxy.

  Chapter 8 – The Stock Yards

  The smell of fair food fills the air. Flocks of jeans, boots, and cowboy hats swarm the walkways between booths of sugary concoctions and cages of prize-winning farm animals. A little girl inhales a pink bushel of cotton candy and her older brother chomps down on an oversized roasted turkey leg. Game barkers, an endless loop of music and lights echo from the nearby Midway. The air has a tinge of coldness.

  In a stall in the middle of the stock yard building stands Ashton. She looks over at the several empty stalls nearby and has a happy sigh. All her stock, a few large pigs, three bulls and two horses were sold off for quite a bit more than she was expecting. Her father will be ecstatic.

  She puts on her leather jacket and heads to a dark brown coated American Quarter Horse tied to a metal post.

  “You’re the last one. We’re gonna miss you, Betsy Sue; you’re going to a good home. You be good, now. You’re representing us,” Ashton says as she combs hay from the horse’s thick coat of hair.

  Faith kicks on the gate with her pink boot. Her hands are full with corny dogs and beers. Ashton walks over to the gate and grabs the corny dogs from her. She starvingly eats them both. Faith looks at her in amazement. “Hungry Much?”

  “I don’t know what it is; maybe I’m eating my emotions, but I just can’t stop eating.” She says between bites.

  “I guess so. How’d we do?”

  “We, huh? Well, I did amazing, if I do say so myself. We got good money for everything. You ever have one of those days where just about everything is going your way?” Ashton says and grabs a beer from Faith.

  “Well that’s good, sis. Pops will be happy. I wish he still came out to these. He used to love them.”

  “I know.”

  A red light shines, and beeps emit from a truck backing up. Ashton unlocks the gate and opens it to let Faith in. A red truck and trailer back up to her gate. Ashton hands Faith the small remainder of her corny dogs to hold before heading to Betsy Sue. She takes the reins of the muscular horse and unties them from the nearby fencing. The truck door slams and a tall, muscular cowboy (like in one of Ashton’s books) steps out and toward the back of his trailer. Tight blue jeans and a vibrant button up shirt hug his built body. He opens his trailer door and then heads to the gate and stops in his tracks.

  Faith, never missing a chance to flirt with an attractive man, introduces herself.

  “Hi, I’m Faith.”

  “Oh, uh, hi,” says the handsome cowboy, barely paying attention to her. His gaze is transfixed on Ashton.

  Ashton walks the horse toward him. “Oh, hey you. She’s all ready for you.”

  He smiles and walks to Ashton and stares into her eyes. “Thank you.”

  She hands him the reins. He grabs her hand and the reins and hesitates to let them go. Faith watches on in disbelief. First, the guy practically ignores her, and now he’s love-struck over Ashton. No one’s ever picked Ashton over her.

  “Oh, sorry. You have such small, sweet hands.”

  “Um, thank you…I think.” Ashton, flattered, doesn’t know what else to say.

  He takes the reins and walks Betsy Sue back with him toward the horse trailer. “Come on, girl,” he whispers to the horse, but stares at Ashton.

  Faith takes a swig of her beer and looks at her shirt and clothes wondering if something is wrong with her.

  “You going to the dance tonight at the warehouse?” he asks after helping the American Quarter Horse up into the trailer. He locks the trailer. “If you are, I’d appreciate it if you saved me a dance.”

  “I wasn’t planning on it,” Ashton says more interested in food at the moment.

  “Until now. Until now, is what she meant. We’ll see you there. Thanks for buying …the horse. We’ll see you there,” Faith says before grabbing Ashton and closing the gate behind her and pulling her to a corner.”

  “Okay, then. Look forward to it,” he says with a big smile. His tight blue jeans walk back to his truck.

  Once he’s out of sight, Faith yells in a whisper at Ashton. “Are you out of your mind? You said you were having a good day, but this is ridiculous. Did you see how he was falling all over you?”

  “Well, I thought so, but I thought it was just in my mind. I felt like guys were just nice to me all day.”

  “Nice, nice. Geez, girl, you wouldn’t know a flirt if it came biting you in the ass…though I’m sure you’d love for him to come bite you there.”

  Ashton jokingly hits her to stop. “Really?” She finishes the last bites of her corn dogs and throws them into a nearby trash. She sips her beer. Faith does a double take, then squeezes Ashton’s breast. Ashton spits out her drink.

  “Your breasts have gotten bigger. I’m sure of it.”

  “I think it’s from all the emotional eating,” Ashton says, while looking down at them.

  “Well, until you blimp up, it’s working for you. Maybe that’s why sex in a cowboy hat looked you up and down.”

  Faith goes to squeeze Ashton’s boobs again and is interrupted by an uncomfortable cough. They look over, and it’s their dad. They are both shocked. Ever since his accident, he stopped going out as much, especially to events that had lots of walking and standing.

  “Pop? You made it!” Ashton says, surprised and excited at the same time.

  “Looks like just in time too, right before your sister was about to milk you.”

  “Oh, Pop, you wouldn’t understand,” laughs Faith.

  “And I don’t want to know either. So give me the news. Good? Bad?”

  “We did great, Pops. All good. I’m so glad to see you out here. You have no idea,” Ashton proudly says.

  “Well after our talk yesterday, my hitch in my giddy up seemed to go away. Not sure why, but I feel like a new man.” He then looks over at Faith.” That and Misses Reynolds from Maypearl ringed me up and said she was dying for me to come out here and taste her cherry pie. Now, I don’t know if that’s a euphemism or what, but either way I like pie.”

  “Gross, pops,” Faith says shaking her head, knowing her dad was trying to shock her. “Well I’m glad you’re out here. I’m dragging Ashton to the dance.”

  Ashton goes to hug her dad. Their touch shocks them both again. “Ouch! Dang that static electricity. It keeps getting us. Sorry.”

  “No worries, hun. You enjoy the dance.”

  Chapter 9 – The Dance

  Ashton eats a fried turkey leg as she walks toward the warehouse on Main Street holding the dance. A Ferris wheel in the distance, and hundreds of dancing lights, grab her attention for a fleeting moment. She sighs wishing she had someone to go to the Midway with.

  Faith was overly excited about the dance. She practically skips by Ashton’s side.

  “I wonder if the sexy cowboy will be there. I can’t wait to see who I end up with.”

  Ashton rolls her eyes. She hoped a great day wouldn’t be ruined by a repeat of every weekend. Most weekends Faith gets courted by a handsome suitor, and Ashton normally gets ignored in the corner. Dances were the worst. Other than line dances which she loved, most guys paid no attention to her.

  Pumpkins sat on steps in front of huge warehouse doors. Stacks of hay made a make shift entry way. Country Honky Tonk music belts from inside. A couple with colorful duds and starch ironed clothes pass Ashton and Faith to enter the social. Faith grabs her sister’s fried turkey leg and throws it away.

  “Hey! I wasn’t done with that.”

  “Stop eating already! You’re gonna scare the guys away,” Faith says as she wipes barbeque sauce from Ashton’s cheek. She grabs Ashton’s hand and drags her inside.

  Lights shoot back and forth. A tapestry of colors moves in rhythm
ic motion. Ashton stops and feels an overwhelming emotion. It reminds her of the spaceship and Orion. Faith tugs her again and brings her to the wooden dance floor. A line dance was starting and guys and girls in boots and jeans were scooting and sliding to the song. Faith throws Ashton into it.

  “I’ll be back. I’m gonna go get us some drinks,” Faith says before running off.

  Ashton follows the others sliding and stepping and clapping. Two more steps and turn. Slide, slide. Something was always therapeutic about this to Ashton. It was the one thing that let her fit into a group when no one would normally notice her. The dance fizzles to a stop, and the music changes to something slow. Ashton didn’t realize a line of guys watching her from the side. Faith muscles through them with drinks in hand. She looks back at them and sees they are gawking at Ashton.

  “What is going on? The world is upside down. This whole day all the boys want you over me. No offense, but...” She hands Ashton the beer and looks over at her boobs, then her own, debating whether to try prop them up more.

  “Believe you, me. They don’t want me,” Ashton says in denial.

  “Excuse me, miss. Would you like to dance?” says a blonde-haired 6ft one Brad Pit looking fellow.

  Faith rolls her eyes and takes a drink before for storming off. Ashton agrees to dance.

  “My name is Bradly.”

  “I’m Ashton.”

  Bradly puts his hand firmly behind her back and one on the other at her hip. Ashton puts her hands on his shoulders. Normally her anxiety would go through the roof. “This guy is nice to look at,” she thought, but she just wasn’t feeling any emotion. She found herself distracted, watching the moving lights in the distance and thinking of her night with Orion. Bradly was very smitten with her, but when the song ended she said thanks and walked away.