street of Manhattan at a
time.
*****
Beth tried to keep herself on a schedule. Working from home
meant she needed to be extremely disciplined at not getting distracted during
the course of her workday. She liked the idea of working nine to five but in
reality it never ended up that way. She got up and walked, or ran, Cleo every
morning. Then she’d shower and have breakfast and then begin her work day at
her desk. By mid-morning she was usually curled up in the corner of the sofa
reading a manuscript and would forget to eat lunch. That meant it was a good
story and it was eventually put in the ‘maybe’ pile. Her assistant, Rachel, got
to read the manuscripts that Beth couldn’t force herself to finish and then
they usually were returned to the author with the standard ‘no thank you’
letter. And a couple of times a week, Beth would look at the clock in the
evening and see it was well after midnight. She’d been so engrossed with a book
that time had suspended itself. She’d gather Cleo for her last trip out to the
courtyard and then fall into bed, only to repeat the sequence the next day.
But the weekends were different. And on this particular Saturday,
she had plans. Jerry and Vince were taking Cleo for the day, although she was
having serious doubts about their ability to control her now that she’d taken
up visiting Tim at work, and she was driving to a small farm in Connecticut to
go horseback riding. She loved New York but she missed the rolling hills of
green where she could ride Esmeralda for hours and not see a soul. Every once
in a while she grabbed a Saturday and headed for the stables and the smell of
hay and leather saddles.
The traffic wasn’t terrible and within a couple of hours she
was pulling into the parking lot and pulling her boots on over her breeches.
The weather wasn’t perfect but she didn’t care. Grabbing her jacket and riding
helmet, she slammed the car door and jogged to the stables through the light
mist in the air.
They were expecting her and was saddling up a beautiful girl
with a white stripe down the middle of her nose and white up to her knees. She
looked like she was wearing socks.
“Hello girl,” she cooed as she stroked her nose. “You are
beautiful, aren’t you?”
“This is Liza, a Mecklenburger. She’s six and she’s all
yours ‘til three o’clock,” the stable hand said.
“I don’t speak German,” Beth joked.
He laughed and offered her help into the saddle. “Don’t
worry. She understands English.”
Beth shook her head. “I’ve been riding since I was three.
But thank you.”
“It’s kinda quiet today. The rain is keeping most away. You pretty
much have the run of the place ‘til one and the lessons start.”
“Great. We’ll start with some baby jumps then,” she smiled
and rubbed Liza’s head once she was settled on her back. “And then I think I’d
like to run her.”
“The west field is all yours and she likes to be let loose.
You two have a good time,” he smiled and swung back to another horse waiting to
be brushed down.
Beth and Liza headed for the equestrian jumps and didn’t
even notice that the rain drops were getting bigger.
*****
By the time Monday evening rolled around, anxiety ran
through Beth’s veins. Tim was taking her to dinner…and then? The question had
plagued her all weekend.
Friday night had literally been one of the best nights of
her life. She had felt comfortable with him as they sat and talked and laughed
all through dinner. She knew as much about him after three hours as she did
Edward after a year of being engaged to him. It was another confirmation that
she and Edward should not have been together.
After dinner, Tim would bring her home and then she’d invite
him in and then…and then. Her tummy was all topsy-turvy as she remembered his
lips on hers…his lips on her…all over her. She closed her eyes and sighed. Cleo
stood next to her and laid her head on Beth’s thigh. She pushed at
time.
*****
Beth tried to keep herself on a schedule. Working from home
meant she needed to be extremely disciplined at not getting distracted during
the course of her workday. She liked the idea of working nine to five but in
reality it never ended up that way. She got up and walked, or ran, Cleo every
morning. Then she’d shower and have breakfast and then begin her work day at
her desk. By mid-morning she was usually curled up in the corner of the sofa
reading a manuscript and would forget to eat lunch. That meant it was a good
story and it was eventually put in the ‘maybe’ pile. Her assistant, Rachel, got
to read the manuscripts that Beth couldn’t force herself to finish and then
they usually were returned to the author with the standard ‘no thank you’
letter. And a couple of times a week, Beth would look at the clock in the
evening and see it was well after midnight. She’d been so engrossed with a book
that time had suspended itself. She’d gather Cleo for her last trip out to the
courtyard and then fall into bed, only to repeat the sequence the next day.
But the weekends were different. And on this particular Saturday,
she had plans. Jerry and Vince were taking Cleo for the day, although she was
having serious doubts about their ability to control her now that she’d taken
up visiting Tim at work, and she was driving to a small farm in Connecticut to
go horseback riding. She loved New York but she missed the rolling hills of
green where she could ride Esmeralda for hours and not see a soul. Every once
in a while she grabbed a Saturday and headed for the stables and the smell of
hay and leather saddles.
The traffic wasn’t terrible and within a couple of hours she
was pulling into the parking lot and pulling her boots on over her breeches.
The weather wasn’t perfect but she didn’t care. Grabbing her jacket and riding
helmet, she slammed the car door and jogged to the stables through the light
mist in the air.
They were expecting her and was saddling up a beautiful girl
with a white stripe down the middle of her nose and white up to her knees. She
looked like she was wearing socks.
“Hello girl,” she cooed as she stroked her nose. “You are
beautiful, aren’t you?”
“This is Liza, a Mecklenburger. She’s six and she’s all
yours ‘til three o’clock,” the stable hand said.
“I don’t speak German,” Beth joked.
He laughed and offered her help into the saddle. “Don’t
worry. She understands English.”
Beth shook her head. “I’ve been riding since I was three.
But thank you.”
“It’s kinda quiet today. The rain is keeping most away. You pretty
much have the run of the place ‘til one and the lessons start.”
“Great. We’ll start with some baby jumps then,” she smiled
and rubbed Liza’s head once she was settled on her back. “And then I think I’d
like to run her.”
“The west field is all yours and she likes to be let loose.
You two have a good time,” he smiled and swung back to another horse waiting to
be brushed down.
Beth and Liza headed for the equestrian jumps and didn’t
even notice that the rain drops were getting bigger.
*****
By the time Monday evening rolled around, anxiety ran
through Beth’s veins. Tim was taking her to dinner…and then? The question had
plagued her all weekend.
Friday night had literally been one of the best nights of
her life. She had felt comfortable with him as they sat and talked and laughed
all through dinner. She knew as much about him after three hours as she did
Edward after a year of being engaged to him. It was another confirmation that
she and Edward should not have been together.
After dinner, Tim would bring her home and then she’d invite
him in and then…and then. Her tummy was all topsy-turvy as she remembered his
lips on hers…his lips on her…all over her. She closed her eyes and sighed. Cleo
stood next to her and laid her head on Beth’s thigh. She pushed at
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