Dirty Roomie

by Alycia Taylor

  “You want me to leave?”

  “Yeah, there’s nothing I can show you today. And if you go change clothes and come back it’s just going to be too late for us to do anything. Just come back tomorrow and wear something a bit more sensible. Think about the fact that you’re going to be climbing onto a horse. Wear clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty in. I realize that you probably don’t own anything like that, but do your best. And be here at eight tomorrow. If you’re not, then I’m sorry, but you’re just going to have to get someone else to help you. I will help you tomorrow, but only if you stick to those rules.”

  I stared at him. A million thoughts and insults were running through my head, but I couldn’t bring myself to say anything. I was too angry, and I was close to tears. The last thing I wanted was for this man to see me crying. He already thought I was an idiot and crying in front of him would only make things worse. I turned around and walked away. I thought he’d call after me, but he didn’t. I couldn’t believe that I’d spent my entire morning trying to look nice for this man. Why did I even care? What a waste of my time and energy that was.

  I stormed back to the car and saw the owner of the farm. He had just parked his car next to mine and waved me over.

  “Oh, hi, Sloan,” he said. “You look absolutely beautiful.”

  I shot him a grateful smile. At least he was a man that could appreciate my effort. “Thank you, Harry.”

  “It’s Harold,” he said.

  “Sorry, Harold. I knew that. I’m just having a bad day.”

  “What’s wrong? I thought you had a lesson with Brady today?”

  “Yeah, I did. Well, I was supposed to at least. But he told me to go home and come back tomorrow wearing something more sensible. And he wasn’t happy that I got here so late. It wasn’t even that late, but according to him, it was unacceptable. But what do I know? I’m just a girl from New York who is trying to figure things out. I don’t want to look like a fool in front of the whole world, and I’m just trying to learn the most that I can. But he’s not making it easy.”

  Harold chuckled. “Ah, he’s not a bad kid. In fact, I’d go as far as saying that Brady is one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. He’s just an old cowboy with a good heart. He just doesn’t wear his heart on his sleeve, that’s all. And he’s not used to changes. This whole production thing has really rattled him. But he’s not a bad person at all.”

  I wasn’t so sure about that. He hadn’t exactly been very nice to me since I’d arrived. “He’s a very closed off man, isn’t he?”

  “Oh, that’s for sure. He likes to keep to himself.”

  “Did something happen to him when he was younger to make him like that?” I asked. I wasn’t sure why I was even asking, but I was still quite curious about this angry cowboy that seemed to hate me.

  Harold shrugged. “I’ll be honest, I don’t know much about his past at all. It’s something that he’s very closed off about. He doesn’t like to talk about it. All I know is that he’s a very good man and the hardest working person I know. I couldn’t ask for anyone better working for me.”

  “Hmm, well, he certainly hides it well,” I said. “Anyway, I’m going to go back and spend the day practicing my lines. I’ll be back tomorrow.”

  I wasn’t even sure why I had decided to come back the following day. Maybe it was because I really needed the lessons for the role. Or perhaps I just wanted to prove to him that I could do it. I wasn’t sure. The only thing I did know was that I was going to be there.

  Chapter Nine

  Brady

  As usual, I was at the ranch early the following morning. Sunday was usually the one day that I didn’t come into work, but I didn’t mind. I liked being there without all the other workers around. I knew that only a few workers came in on a Sunday, and most of them would only start coming in later. It was nice to have the place to myself.

  I highly doubted that Sloan was going to show up that morning. First of all, eight was just too early for a woman like her. And second, she didn’t seem happy with me when I called her out for her impractical outfit. Perhaps I had actually been a bit too harsh on her, but I couldn’t help myself. What was she thinking, coming for horseback lessons dressed in such a tight dress? So far, she didn’t seem to care about anything other than herself. And why should I be the one that helps her to do well in her role as a cowgirl? It wasn’t really fair that the whole world would watch her in the movie and think of her as this incredibly down-to-earth person, when really she was just the opposite.

  I had to force myself to stop thinking about her and how much she annoyed me. I spent some time working in the barn and making sure that everything was ready just in case she didn’t show up. I would give her until five minutes past eight. And if she didn’t arrive, then I would take Betty out for a ride by myself. It had been a while since I’d taken her out, especially with so much going on at the farm at the moment. And I was looking forward to spending some time with her. I walked up to her and kissed her. “My favorite girl,” I whispered.

  I was just about to do some more work when I heard a noise outside. I looked at my watch and saw that it was only seven thirty. It obviously couldn’t be Sloan. Perhaps it was Grant coming for a visit like he’d promised, or maybe it was Harold. I dropped what I was doing and headed outside to investigate the source of the sound.

  I walked out of the barn and turned the corner. I was wrong. It wasn’t Grant or Harold—it was Sloan. She was half an hour early and was dressed in the most casual clothes I’d seen her in so far. Granted, they were still better clothes than most people in this town wore, but they were at least comfortable and suitable for horseback riding. She was wearing light blue jeans, a dark green shirt, and boots. And as I realized when I got closer, she had no makeup on. For the first time since meeting her, I thought that she could actually pull off being a cowgirl. Also, she looked far more beautiful like this than she did when she dressed to show off. But I wasn’t going to tell her that. She didn’t need a bigger head than she already had.

  I nodded at her. “Seven thirty; this is impressive.”

  She smiled. “And I’ll admit, it wasn’t easy. But I’m here.”

  “You’re here. So, seeing as though you’re so early, would you like a cup of coffee? I was just about to get one myself.”

  She beamed. I wanted to tell her that she should smile like that more often. There was a big difference in a smile that reached her eyes comapred to the usual grimace she showed me.

  “I would love a cup of coffee. Thank you,” she said gratefully.

  “Sure. Be right back,” I said.

  I made my way over to the kitchen, heated two cups of coffee that I’d already brewed when I’d arrived, and walked back to give her a cup.

  She took a sip and smiled. “This is amazing.”

  “Thanks. I couldn’t live without my coffee,” I said.

  “Really? I didn’t peg you for a coffee man.”

  I laughed. “I’m useless without caffeine. I love coffee. I grind my own beans and all. I’m a bit of a coffee snob, I’ll have you know.”

  I quickly took a sip of my coffee and berated myself for talking so much. I wasn’t usually such a big talker. I think I was just still so surprised to see her standing in front of me so early in the morning that I forgot to be mad at her.

  “Life without coffee is no life at all,” she said and grinned.

  “Well, drink up. We have a busy morning ahead of us.”

  “Yes sir,” she said.

  After the coffee, we got to work with the horses. I spent some showing her how to talk to them, and focused mostly on Betty because I knew that she was used to being around people.

  “Betty is a great starting horse. She’s good with people. Now, the most important thing that you have to realize is that horses demand respect and love just in the same way as a human would. If you treat them badly, they will respond badly back. You have to show them that you care for them and that you mean them n
o harm. Always be gentle with them. And rule number one: never stand behind a horse.”

  “Why not?” she asked. I glanced at her and was surprised to find that she seemed genuinely interested in finding out more.

  “Well, if you’re behind them they are going to think that you are up to no good. They might get a fright and react badly without meaning to. And the last thing you want to have happen is to be kicked in the face by a horse.”

  She pulled a face, “Ouch. Yeah, I don’t want that to happen. Okay then, duly noted.”

  “Good, now I want you to reach out and touch her. Just gently.”

  “Uh, do I have to?”

  I laughed. “Sloan, you have to. Come on,” I said. I took her hand and gently put it on the side of Betty’s face. Her hands were soft and small inside mine, and as she touched Betty’s fur, she grinned.

  “Hey, this is nice,” she said.

  I chuckled. “I cannot believe this is your first time touching a horse.”

  “Yeah, me neither. I just haven’t ever had this opportunity. I’ll be honest, I never really saw the appeal until now.”

  “You’ll see, by the end of your stay here, you’ll love Betty as much as I do. She’s hard not to love.”

  “She’s a beautiful horse.”

  “She sure is. Look, she likes you,” I said. I still wasn’t too happy with having to spend my entire day with a diva like Sloan, but I was glad to finally see her at least trying. When she didn’t have her barriers up, she was actually a pretty pleasant person to be around. “Come on, then. Let me show you the proper way to saddle your horse, and the best way to mount them. We won’t do too much today, but by the end of the day, I want you to have at least gone on one ride.”

  Her eyes widened.

  “Don’t worry,” I said. “I’ll be standing right here the whole time. And if you need help, I’ll be here. Just wait and see—you’ll be fine. Betty is a great horse to ride for the first time. Okay?”

  “Okay,” she said, and I saw her visibly relax.

  For the next two hours, I taught her everything I knew about riding a horse, and what I thought she’d need to know for the movie. I’d never actually taught anyone before, and it was quite nice to show someone what I knew about them. I actually hadn’t realized I knew so much until that moment. Then, as we were finishing up, I helped her get on for her first ride.

  “That’s it,” I said as she got up. “So, how does it feel?”

  “I kinda like the idea that I’m taller than you now,” she said and laughed. “It’s wonderful, Brady. She’s beautiful. Come on, let’s ride.”

  It was the first time that I’d seen her enthusiastic about anything, and when we got back from our ride, I could see that she had genuinely enjoyed it. Her eyes were bright, and I wondered if perhaps I had misjudged her. Grant had already warned me that I should be giving these people more of a chance rather than taking them at face value. Perhaps he was right all along, as much as I hated to admit it. But then, she ruined it all by opening her mouth again.

  “That was amazing. I really enjoyed today. I cannot wait to tell everyone about this. They won’t believe me. You know, I’m going to sleep well tonight after this. Which, might I add, will be the first real sleep I’ve had since coming here. I don’t know how they can even have beds like that in a hotel. It’s tiny, and not great for my back at all. You should see the bed I have back at home. I stay in a loft, you see, and the bed is huge. You don’t even want to know how much I paid for it. It’s ridiculous, really. But there’s no price on good sleep and a fabulous view, I say.”

  And just like that, I felt annoyed again. I didn’t say much when she was talking about her big apartment overlooking New York. But as we were closing up, I turned to her.

  “You know, Sloan, I’m happy that you have such a wonderful apartment. It’s good to enjoy your home, especially since it’s the place that you probably spend the most time in. But if you want to come across as authentic in this role, then you’re going to have to understand that material things are not as important as you think they are. Maybe it’s different in your life, but out here, things are done in a different way. This is the opposite of a materialist world. Out here, our values are different. I’m not trying to be nasty or anything. I mean, I know we are two very different people. But just bear that in mind when you’re acting, and you’ll do great.”

  She just stared at me, and then nodded. That was unlike her. We said our goodbyes and I watched as she walked back to her car. She stopped about halfway and turned around.

  “Thanks for everything you did for me today, Brady. I know you took time out of your day for it. And I really do appreciate it, even if I don’t always show it.”

  I immediately felt bad about the things I had said to her. She’d actually been really pleasant the whole day, and I shouldn’t have been so quick to judge. I sighed.

  “Sloan,” I said before I could change my mind. “Maybe we can get dinner sometime? I can explain a bit more about how things are around here. And you can ask me any questions that you have about the ranching lifestyle.”

  She didn’t say anything at first, and I wondered if she was going to laugh at my request. But finally, she smiled and nodded. “Well, we’re not shooting on Wednesday. Does that day work for you?”

  “Wednesday is great.”

  “Wonderful,” she said and walked away.

  The moment she got into her car and drove away, I wondered what had come over me. I snapped back into reality and groaned at the thought of spending an entire evening with her trying to make small talk. What was wrong with me? Oh well, I thought, at least Harold would be happy that I was finally making an effort.

  Chapter Ten

  Sloan

  For the first time since arriving in Wyoming, I was feeling good about the movie. Ever since I’d been told that I’d be the leading lady, I’d been worried that they had chosen the wrong person for it. Not just that, but I’d been worried that they would realize they had chosen the wrong person. From the moment I stepped out of that car, I’d felt like I didn’t belong. Most of all, I felt like a complete fraud. I wanted to be able to take on any role. I wanted to be an amazing actress whom the whole world admired. But I was scared this movie was going to be the one that showed me for the fraud that I was. I’d never truly felt comfortable, but I’d managed to hide it because everyone kept telling me I was great. But today, all that changed.

  I put my heart and soul into words, and every time I spoke, I thought about what Brady had told me. I put aside all thoughts of material good. I stopped thinking about my loft. I stopped thinking about my king-sized bed. Instead, I thought about what it would be like to be a down-to-earth cowgirl leading a happy life in a small town she never wanted to leave. And as I spoke, I felt the authenticity ooze out of me.

  As we worked, I kept wondering if Brady was watching me and what he would think about my performance. I knew I still didn’t have the western accent down right, but I was better than I had been when he’d stumbled upon me practicing. I had stopped trying so hard, and it seemed to be working. Every now and again I would catch sight of Brady. He never seemed to be watching the scenes. Instead, he seemed to be absorbed in his work, his head down and the sweat running down his face. Harold had been right: he really was the hardest working person I had ever seen. I found myself wondering more about him. He was a mystery, to say the least.

  “Okay, I think that’s it for the day,” the director said as he gathered us all in together. I was surprised at how quickly the day had gone. If he had told me that there was still another two hours to go, I would’ve believed him.

  “Thanks to everyone for all the hard work today. I think we’re finally finding our feet here, and the movie is coming along just as I had imagined it. A couple of pointers, though,” he said, and he started to rattle off a long list of things that some of the actors had done wrong. He as a great director, and a bit of a perfectionist, so while he was annoying to work with, he al
so always got the best work out of his actors. I waited patiently to hear what I had done wrong, but he never once mentioned me.

  Afterward, as we were all packing up, he came to talk to me.

  “Sloan, I’m glad you haven’t left yet. I wanted to talk to you about your performance today. I was hoping to catch up with you without anyone around.”

  I groaned. I’d been on cloud nine when I didn’t hear him say my name, but maybe I had just done so badly that he didn’t want to say anything in front of the others. But he laughed when he saw the look on my face.

  “Why do you look so worried?” he asked.

  “Did I do a bad job?” I asked. “Let me know, and I’ll make sure to work on it. I’m doing my best, but I’m sure I have areas that could use improvement.”

  “Are you kidding me? I pulled you aside because I wanted to tell you how amazing you were out there today.”

  “Really?”

  “Of course. You really shouldn’t doubt yourself so much. I just didn’t say anything earlier because I didn’t want them to think I was taking sides or anything. You know how touchy some of these people are. But I was so impressed with you today. I knew that we had chosen the right person when we chose you. You did great. I don’t know how you managed to go from this famous New Yorker to a ranch-hand girl in Wyoming, but you managed to channel it beautifully. Maybe just work on the accent a bit more. But other than that, I’m so happy with you.”

  I grinned. “Thank you. I honestly wasn’t sure I could pull it off,” I said honestly. “So, I’m happy to hear that. It’s going to be a great movie. And I’ll definitely work on the accent.”

  “Just try talking like that every day. You’ll see. Eventually it will come naturally. Hang out with the locals a bit more,” he suggested.

  I grinned at the thought of Brady. “Great idea.”

  “But don’t forget tomorrow is our day off. So, put your feet up and enjoy yourself. Might be a great time to immerse yourself in the culture here.”