Page 5 of Lady Luck’s Kiss

CHARLIE

Charlotte stared, fascinated at the scene unfolding in front of her.

Several people rode out in a line, carrying an assortment of flags.

The flags were the six flags that had flown over Texas throughout the years.

It was a reminder of where they came from and where they were now as the United States flag finished the line, instantly drawing the crowd to its feet.

Standing, they looked at each other and quickly put their hands over their hearts. A lone woman walked out between the horses and up to a single microphone.

As she belted out the National Anthem, Charlie felt herself blinking back tears at the sight of the cowboys, the horses and the flags.

It was humbling and made her feel proud.

The loud “yee haw” that the woman yelled into the microphone made her jump as suddenly the exhibition hall exploded in a flurry of activity.

“Here we go!” Beth yelled over the din, jumping up and down excitedly.

Nodding, she stared as a stream of others followed out on horseback.

They circled the dirt floor easily, bouncing up and down in their saddles.

Several men and a few women, this shocked her.

She had always assumed rodeos were a man’s sport – but the same could be said for turning wrenches, too.

The cowboys tipped their hats charismatically towards the crowd and waved them, causing the flurry of noise to increase to an amazing roar that was sure to deafen them all.

Rodeo clowns poured out of an entry just opposite where they sat, and she watched as their follies caused several to laugh, including herself.

They were diving in and out of hollowed barrels, left and right.

Several bumped into horses or pretended to tip their own hats, only to have confetti sprinkle to the ground.

A few shirts were shot into the crowd with an air gun.

While Charlie had never been to a rodeo before, she found herself itching to catch one as a souvenir.

Just then, the clowns began to chase the horses back off of the arena floor.

Several men swaggered out from the gate, raising their hands in salute.

The announcer rattled off names of what must be cowboys, and what must be their bull’s names, too.

She and others laughed aloud as one was called “Pudding” and another was “Gus”.

There were fierce names, too, that left her wondering. Diablo, Reaper, Crusher, and Vamp.

Vamp, according to the announcer, was sure to draw blood and cause quite a disturbance as he warned those with small children.

“Seriously? This comes with a warning?” Charlie yelled towards Beth, who only nodded happily.

Mystified, she watched as the cowboys slapped their hats back on their heads from where they had been waving and began to jog towards different points around the arena.

Each stepped onto a platform by a large steel-tubed corral.

A corral that happened to be directly in front of where Charlie and Beth sat.

“Oh, hot-diggity! We are going to get a bird’s eye view!” Beth exclaimed, and Charlie just nodded absently as she stared, fascinated, at the handsome cowboy nearby.

He was ruggedly beautiful with striking looks. Tanned skin, golden-brown hair, a hint of a five o’clock shadow and a set of sculpted lips that were smiling… at her!

Pale eyes were locked on to hers.

The cowboy had climbed onto his platform. And when he removed his hat to wave to the crowd, she was spellbound.

Blinking, she quickly looked away and felt a flush creep up her neck. She wanted to melt into the floor in embarrassment and pretended to drop something. Kneeling down, just to get out of his view, she cursed the fact that she didn’t bother to really dress up nice.

First impressions were everything but, then again, would she even see the guy again?

She wished she had taken a moment to curl her hair or put it in any style other than the two French braids she currently wore. Her hair was split down the middle and braided tightly simply to keep it from being a mess.

She never wore makeup, except lipstick.

Cherry red lipstick was her weakness. She had tubes of the stuff everywhere: the empty ashtray of her car, the bolt bin of her tool box, a junk drawer in her apartment.

And above all, she had a variety of tubes of retro red lipstick displayed on a small mirror on her dresser.

She loved red and the classic look it gave.

Thankfully, her coloring could pull it off.

Hesitating, she heard Beth squealing and glanced up into the bluest set of eyes she had ever seen.

“Hi,” she whispered, staring at him.

She was struck by the lopsided grin he gave her. She was fascinated by the way his tanned skin crinkled at the corners of his eyes when he smiled. His sculpted lips looked like something an underwear model would be wearing in one of those magazines.

“I’m Jack!” he hollered, holding out a hand. The other hand was holding on to the steel rail that surrounded the arena. His boots were perched on a rail and his eyes kept darting to the side as if he was expecting something.

“I’m Charlie!” she yelled back and awkwardly shook his hand, chagrinned that she had almost as many calluses as he had. It was hard to keep a good manicure when you were constantly tearing up your fingers on engines.

“Nice to meet you, Charlie!” His smile got even wider suddenly. “Got a little token of good luck for me?”

At that moment, she pictured a medieval knight at a joust asking for a ribbon from his lady.

She wasn’t his lady, nor was he in a suit of armor.

Blinking, she stared at him as she continued to hold his hand.

A token? Crap! She didn’t have anything on her!

No ribbon, no belt, no handkerchief or flower.

She had on her a bare minimum to keep her day easy!

A dress, the boots, her wallet and beer mug.

“No!” she yelled, completely chagrined and dismayed. Then it hit her. This was her win, this was her change of luck and her moment. “Wait! I have something!” Blushing, she took the hand she still held and left a perfect red kiss on the back of his knuckles.

The crowd around them roared in approval. Jack must have been surprised as well, because he pulled her forward and pointed at his cheek. Beth, who was screaming hysterically in excitement the entire time beside her began chanting:

Kiss him!

Kiss him!

Kiss him!

Others began to chant it and the announcer even mentioned it. Charlie felt herself blushing at the attention and knew that she was put on the spot by him. He was extremely handsome. Would it be so bad to kiss a stranger? Leaning into it, she saw the exact moment that his smile increased.

“Now, only good luck, Miss Charlie!” he encouraged loudly towards her.

“Maybe someone else should kiss you then. I’m not exactly good luck…” she laughed and saw he did as well.

The roar around them buzzed in her ears and her heartbeat pounded as she smelled his cologne. She had yet to smell horse sweat, but whatever he was wearing made her knees weak.

Closing her eyes, she leaned forward and felt the heat of his cheek near her skin.

Modestly pressing her lips on his cheek to leave a red mark, she heard him let out his breath in a whoosh the moment they connected.

Like blowing out candles on a birthday cake, she made a wish for him not to get injured.

It might not do any good, but it certainly wouldn’t hurt!

Opening her eyes, she saw a glimmer of interest in his just seconds before he leapt away into action. She stood there, like a princess peering over a parapet of a castle at the scene.

Jack had one boot straddling each side of the pen and the door had opened behind him. He raised two fingers up and tipped his hat towards her as one of the news anchors shoved a microphone towards him.

“Jack Seguin! Jack! Tell the crowd what bull you are riding tonight!”

“Tonight, I will be riding Vamp. And when they yank that gate, I’ll be on for eight.”

Charlie watched, horrified, as the large, black, angry bull with the deadly name was led into the pen just within reach of Jack. He zipped up a thick, padded jacket that was emblazoned with all sorts of patches showing sponsorship and gave a cold look ahead, waiting.

Jack lowered himself onto the bull slowly, clutching the sides of the chute.

He adjusted the rope and she watched as the bull began to dance under him.

He put in a mouthpiece and adjusted himself again, shaking a large bell down under the bull’s neck.

A glove flexed as he placed his hand under the rope.

He gave a nod as he rolled his hand under the rope again to get a tighter grip.

The smile was gone, and icy resolve was reflected in his face.

This was business.

The gate was opened and that is when Charlie realized that there had been other riders already that she had missed. She had been fascinated with the cowboy and the experience. Her entire body clenched with tension as she saw him fly out of the corral towards the center of the arena.

Massive lumbering kicks, twists and jumps were all used in an effort to toss the rider. Staring, she saw that he was on the bull…but barely so! He looked like a limp rag doll as he was tossed about.

She was surprised to see his legs still locked around the bull and that his spine had not snapped by the force he was being thrown.

She heard a buzzer faintly in the background and gasped as Jack jumped off the bull.

He landed directly beneath it as its back legs were in mid-jump.

Rolling, he was then taken to safety as he waved to the crowd.

Charlie let out her breath she had been holding for what seemed like forever.

Turning, she vaguely saw Beth’s smiling face and barely heard any of the announcements.

This was NOT for her. The danger, the anticipation, the fear?

It was all too much. Her stomach was rolling in anxiety and nerves, all for a handsome stranger she didn’t know.

Staring at the crowd, she was shocked to see so many smiling faces at the ride.

Didn’t they realize that he was in danger and could have been hurt?

Gesturing at her half-empty beer boot, she used it as an excuse to leave the arena.

Once Charlie was in the hallway, she ran down the corridor for the nearest ladies’ room. Pushing open a stall, she promptly threw up the beer she had drank.

Rinsing her mouth, she texted Beth shakily.

Sick…

I’m going to walk around for a bit.

You ok?

Yeah-have fun.

OMW girl! B there in 2

Seeing Beth come around the corner in a panic, Charlie smiled wanly at her. “I’m glad the tickets were free, because this is not my cup of tea.”

“Are you all right?”

“Yes, it’s just…Beth! People can get killed doing that.

I thought it was going to be horses running around, and some cows!

Not a ‘fling the hottest guy I’ve ever met and try to beat him to a pulp’ kind of event.

He must be insane to do this for a job!” she exclaimed, flabbergasted and horrified.

“I love the shops, the food, the sight and smells – but in there?” she said tossing a thumb over her shoulder forcefully, “ That is not for me!”

Nodding, Beth wrapped a sympathetic arm around her shoulders. “C’mon, Miss Priss. This isn’t the end of the event or the world, you know? There is a dance, more shops to see and things that might actually appeal to you. Who knew you’d be so soft-hearted?”

Allowing herself to be led away, Charlie glanced over her shoulder wistfully at the doorway.

She hated to leave and felt like she was abandoning something necessary behind her.

But the idea of seeing anyone get hurt bothered her.

She understood why the announcer gave out the warnings of possible blood or injury.

She was just thankful she had seen neither tonight.