you know the type, always trying to cruise me–like as if… and any other girl who walks through the barn. I mean, really cruises them, even the clients.
“He’s an asshole. I mean, Roch flirts with the girls, but everyone knows it’s just a routine. He knows where the line is, and he knows who not to try it on with. But this guy is so thick…I’m sure some of the clients have said things to Roch, but I guess it’s complicated…he’s a Desrochers and that family and Roch’s are close…I get the impression he thinks he has some big future here, maybe because his family used to own the place.
“Anyway, this Liam has them both, Gilles and Benoit, in some kind of weird…” she gestured with her hands, searching for a word, club or something. I mean, you see them all three talking all the time and you walk by and they stop and stare at you as if they were like spies or something…”
She sighed. “Do I sound like I’m crazy? Like what do they call people who think other people are after them or something?”
“You mean paranoid? No, you sound as if you’re reacting to something real. But what about Michel? Why won’t he talk to you about it?”
The girl bit her lip and looked down at the table. “I–I feel disloyal to talk about Michel.”
“Joc–” Polo weighed his words, “Joc–if you think Michel is in some kind of trouble, it would be wrong not to try and help him.” He paused. “It doesn’t have to be me, but–” he waited for her to meet his eyes and added gently –“I think I’ve been as good a friend as he’s likely to find in this business…and Roch and I used to compete together. I wouldn’t want to see any harm come to either of them if I could help it.”
Jocelyn blushed deeply and tears crept down her cheeks. Calvaire, don’t cry. Please don’t cry.
Taking a deep breath, Jocelyn said in a tremulous murmur, “Liam is trying to blackmail Michel, I think. He told me he knows Michel is–he says Michel is”–she was trying but she couldn’t say the word.
“Gay?”
She nodded dumbly, her head bent miserably down to the table.
“Is he?” Polo asked as delicately as he could.
“ No !” she said firmly and her head snapped up so she could meet his eyes with all the defiance her love could command.
“Joc–” Marde de la marde, this is a tough one– “Joc, you’ve been in this business a long time. You know the guys–the riders–you know there’s more gays than straights–it’s probably like fifty, maybe sixty percent, at least on the east coast, so the kid, this Liam, may be taking a statistically good chance on spec. But on the other hand, if it were true–I’m not saying it is–but what’s the difference? He’s still Michel, nothing changes for you…”
“It’s not true! You mustn’t say it!” She hissed.
“Okay, Jocelyne, okay. I’ll take your word… and you think he’s blackmailing Michel and that’s why he won’t talk about it?”
“I don’t know if it’s for money, or just to get at him. He seems to hate him for other reasons. He’s always mooning over those two Irish horses, Bridget’s, that Michel rides. He thinks Michel’s too tough on them and he tells him so, right to his face! I mean what a nerve, telling Michel Laurin how to train a horse…shit, I don’t know why Michel hasn’t whacked him one by now. I know I would have!
“And I know one thing, that if Roch knew Liam was saying these things, I mean about Michel being gay, he’d kill him. You know how macho Roch is, it’s like a religion with him. Meanwhile, Roch’s happy with the guy’s work, which counts a lot with him, and I got to admit myself he’s fantastic in the barn, and great with the horses. Guy thinks he’s God’s gift.”
“Guy?”
“Yeah, Guy Gilbert–the vet–Liam’s been here during some bad times–a tough colic, a horse almost died, and then when Aur cast himself, he got him turned around, not easy with such a monster horse–so
“He’s an asshole. I mean, Roch flirts with the girls, but everyone knows it’s just a routine. He knows where the line is, and he knows who not to try it on with. But this guy is so thick…I’m sure some of the clients have said things to Roch, but I guess it’s complicated…he’s a Desrochers and that family and Roch’s are close…I get the impression he thinks he has some big future here, maybe because his family used to own the place.
“Anyway, this Liam has them both, Gilles and Benoit, in some kind of weird…” she gestured with her hands, searching for a word, club or something. I mean, you see them all three talking all the time and you walk by and they stop and stare at you as if they were like spies or something…”
She sighed. “Do I sound like I’m crazy? Like what do they call people who think other people are after them or something?”
“You mean paranoid? No, you sound as if you’re reacting to something real. But what about Michel? Why won’t he talk to you about it?”
The girl bit her lip and looked down at the table. “I–I feel disloyal to talk about Michel.”
“Joc–” Polo weighed his words, “Joc–if you think Michel is in some kind of trouble, it would be wrong not to try and help him.” He paused. “It doesn’t have to be me, but–” he waited for her to meet his eyes and added gently –“I think I’ve been as good a friend as he’s likely to find in this business…and Roch and I used to compete together. I wouldn’t want to see any harm come to either of them if I could help it.”
Jocelyn blushed deeply and tears crept down her cheeks. Calvaire, don’t cry. Please don’t cry.
Taking a deep breath, Jocelyn said in a tremulous murmur, “Liam is trying to blackmail Michel, I think. He told me he knows Michel is–he says Michel is”–she was trying but she couldn’t say the word.
“Gay?”
She nodded dumbly, her head bent miserably down to the table.
“Is he?” Polo asked as delicately as he could.
“ No !” she said firmly and her head snapped up so she could meet his eyes with all the defiance her love could command.
“Joc–” Marde de la marde, this is a tough one– “Joc, you’ve been in this business a long time. You know the guys–the riders–you know there’s more gays than straights–it’s probably like fifty, maybe sixty percent, at least on the east coast, so the kid, this Liam, may be taking a statistically good chance on spec. But on the other hand, if it were true–I’m not saying it is–but what’s the difference? He’s still Michel, nothing changes for you…”
“It’s not true! You mustn’t say it!” She hissed.
“Okay, Jocelyne, okay. I’ll take your word… and you think he’s blackmailing Michel and that’s why he won’t talk about it?”
“I don’t know if it’s for money, or just to get at him. He seems to hate him for other reasons. He’s always mooning over those two Irish horses, Bridget’s, that Michel rides. He thinks Michel’s too tough on them and he tells him so, right to his face! I mean what a nerve, telling Michel Laurin how to train a horse…shit, I don’t know why Michel hasn’t whacked him one by now. I know I would have!
“And I know one thing, that if Roch knew Liam was saying these things, I mean about Michel being gay, he’d kill him. You know how macho Roch is, it’s like a religion with him. Meanwhile, Roch’s happy with the guy’s work, which counts a lot with him, and I got to admit myself he’s fantastic in the barn, and great with the horses. Guy thinks he’s God’s gift.”
“Guy?”
“Yeah, Guy Gilbert–the vet–Liam’s been here during some bad times–a tough colic, a horse almost died, and then when Aur cast himself, he got him turned around, not easy with such a monster horse–so
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