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Authors: Autumn Star
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attitude will allow a person to get before someone finally says ‘Do you have any id?’
“Why are you here?” Jody asked.
“Well,” Chris said expansively, “we left things a bit up in the air concerning our potential future so I thought I’d better follow up. Nice to hear that you’ve made the decision in my favor – I assume it was me you were talking about.”
“It was not,” said Jody.
“And yet,” Chris continued undeterred, “the same questions might apply to our situation. So I’ll call it a win. Who’s this?”
“This is Catcher.”
“He’s of the bloodline.”
Which was true of course, but Jody made a mental note that Chris was not the expert she had thought if he put Catcher in the same league as Silmarillion.
“Not a racer,” Chris continued, disproving Jody’s judgement on the instant. “Just a nice horse.”
Jody shook her head. “I really can’t tell the difference between when you’re sincere and when you’re bull-shitting me.”
“I’m always sincere.”
“That you are definitely not.”
Chris acknowledged this. “Okay, fair enough. But I do like the horse.”
“He seems to like you.”
Catcher was always a bit nervous around people other than Jody, perhaps a result of being forever the odd one out, but with Chris he seemed entirely comfortable.
“Maybe he recognizes a kindred spirit,” said Chris. “I know what it’s like to be the runt of the litter.”
“Now that was sincere.”
They stood for a long moment, both with their hands in Catcher’s mane, until, for a split-second, their fingers touched and Jody pulled away. She was surprised to see that Chris had done the same. For someone who was trying so hard, and with such arrogant confidence, to get her to go out with him, he seemed as nervous as she was.
But this was no time for dishonesty. “I’m seeing someone.”
“Oh.”
Jody looked quizzically at Chris. “No sharp comeback?”
“This time you were telling the truth.”
“How do you know?”
“Practice.”
“You ask out a lot of women with boyfriends?”
Chris seemed to consider the question, or his answer, or perhaps just whether or not to lie.
“Yes,” he finally admitted.
“And when they say ‘I’m seeing someone’, you back off immediately?”
“Almost never.”
It seemed almost as if proximity to Catcher was acting like a truth serum on Chris. “But with me…” Jody began.
“You’re different.”
Suddenly Chris seemed to snap out of a trance, looking up and about him and then back at Jody.
“I should go.”
“You don’t have to.” And Jody could not believe what she had just said. She did not make dates with two different men within an hour. Although they were just ‘dates’, nobody had used the word ‘exclusive’ and… She shook the wicked thoughts out of her head. That was no way to treat a nice guy like Pete.
“No, I should.” Chris seemed to be battling with inner demons of his own. “I’ll… It was nice meeting you.”
He walked briskly back up the hill slipping as he went.
Jody watched until he was out of view.
Catcher whinnied.
“I know,” replied Jody. “I know.”
It was not until he was out of the big main gates of the Crane Stables that Chris slowed his walking pace. He wasn’t worried about being caught trespassing – he was a Prince; Prince’s cannot trespass – he had just needed to get as far away as possible as quickly as possible.
What the hell had that been?! If there was one thing Chris knew, it was how to handle women. Actually, if there was one thing he knew then it was how to lose large sums of money, but if there were two then the second was how to handle women. His patented blend of charm, subtle flattery and overwhelming self-confidence had served him well throughout his adult life. It was one of the few areas where he felt he matched up to (or even surpassed) his older brothers. Never had he floundered as he had when talking to Jody.
‘I know what
“Why are you here?” Jody asked.
“Well,” Chris said expansively, “we left things a bit up in the air concerning our potential future so I thought I’d better follow up. Nice to hear that you’ve made the decision in my favor – I assume it was me you were talking about.”
“It was not,” said Jody.
“And yet,” Chris continued undeterred, “the same questions might apply to our situation. So I’ll call it a win. Who’s this?”
“This is Catcher.”
“He’s of the bloodline.”
Which was true of course, but Jody made a mental note that Chris was not the expert she had thought if he put Catcher in the same league as Silmarillion.
“Not a racer,” Chris continued, disproving Jody’s judgement on the instant. “Just a nice horse.”
Jody shook her head. “I really can’t tell the difference between when you’re sincere and when you’re bull-shitting me.”
“I’m always sincere.”
“That you are definitely not.”
Chris acknowledged this. “Okay, fair enough. But I do like the horse.”
“He seems to like you.”
Catcher was always a bit nervous around people other than Jody, perhaps a result of being forever the odd one out, but with Chris he seemed entirely comfortable.
“Maybe he recognizes a kindred spirit,” said Chris. “I know what it’s like to be the runt of the litter.”
“Now that was sincere.”
They stood for a long moment, both with their hands in Catcher’s mane, until, for a split-second, their fingers touched and Jody pulled away. She was surprised to see that Chris had done the same. For someone who was trying so hard, and with such arrogant confidence, to get her to go out with him, he seemed as nervous as she was.
But this was no time for dishonesty. “I’m seeing someone.”
“Oh.”
Jody looked quizzically at Chris. “No sharp comeback?”
“This time you were telling the truth.”
“How do you know?”
“Practice.”
“You ask out a lot of women with boyfriends?”
Chris seemed to consider the question, or his answer, or perhaps just whether or not to lie.
“Yes,” he finally admitted.
“And when they say ‘I’m seeing someone’, you back off immediately?”
“Almost never.”
It seemed almost as if proximity to Catcher was acting like a truth serum on Chris. “But with me…” Jody began.
“You’re different.”
Suddenly Chris seemed to snap out of a trance, looking up and about him and then back at Jody.
“I should go.”
“You don’t have to.” And Jody could not believe what she had just said. She did not make dates with two different men within an hour. Although they were just ‘dates’, nobody had used the word ‘exclusive’ and… She shook the wicked thoughts out of her head. That was no way to treat a nice guy like Pete.
“No, I should.” Chris seemed to be battling with inner demons of his own. “I’ll… It was nice meeting you.”
He walked briskly back up the hill slipping as he went.
Jody watched until he was out of view.
Catcher whinnied.
“I know,” replied Jody. “I know.”
It was not until he was out of the big main gates of the Crane Stables that Chris slowed his walking pace. He wasn’t worried about being caught trespassing – he was a Prince; Prince’s cannot trespass – he had just needed to get as far away as possible as quickly as possible.
What the hell had that been?! If there was one thing Chris knew, it was how to handle women. Actually, if there was one thing he knew then it was how to lose large sums of money, but if there were two then the second was how to handle women. His patented blend of charm, subtle flattery and overwhelming self-confidence had served him well throughout his adult life. It was one of the few areas where he felt he matched up to (or even surpassed) his older brothers. Never had he floundered as he had when talking to Jody.
‘I know what
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