Chapter 5
Cole had barely paid any attention to the event. He was in the good seats, but he had his iPad on his knee, and he was researching and making notes.
Western wear
Nutrition drinks and bars
Silver jewelry/belt buckles?
Dating app? Might be weird.
Ticket reseller app* Top of list.
Sports subscription services
Insulated coolers and drink cups
Might be wrong about trucks?
He was making lists on his lists. He was pulling names he hadn’t thought about in a couple of years out of his mental Rolodex and scribbling them down.
Bodie had brought back the joy to the job he’d always loved.
Bodie was all over the chutes, helping and laughing, pulling rope and holding vests, chattering and happy.
He told himself that work was the reason he was watching Bodie instead of the riders. That made sense right? It wasn’t Bodie’s magnetic smile or tight abs or the bull rider’s round butt. He wanted to understand his client. Naturally.
Get to know Bodie better.
Professionally.
During the third section, Bodie stopped helping and started warming up, rolling at the hip, moving his free arm.
That was hot. He didn’t care who you were.
He knew who he was, though, and he needed to stop. Bodie was a client.
He’d never once looked at a client that way. Not one time. Not even Rocky, who was every bit as good-looking. He’d seen Rocky nearly naked on a number of occasions, and sure, he’d admired the form, but he’d never got that warm buzz feeling.
Bodie, though, he was just pure charisma. He turned his attention to someone, and he was all in. It didn’t feel fake, either.
Cole wouldn’t mind all that focus on him for longer than a smile.
He shook his head and looked back at his iPad. Bodie would ride, they’d have their business dinner, and then he would go back to his hotel. He hadn’t made a decision before the event started but he had now, he was keeping his hotel room.
He didn’t need any complications.
Bodie loaded up, sliding on Honeyboo’s back and settling his bull rope. The big bull harkened back to Yellowjacket, bucked like he had a burr on his tail, and could kick damn near vertical.
It was a matter of timing with this one—too much time in the chute and he’d just go off.
He watched, but the longer that gate stayed closed, the harder it was to breathe. “Come on, come on…”
Bodie nodded, and Honeyboo reared up, almost fouling itself on the chute. While that would get Bodie a re-ride, every ride was another chance to get hurt.
Bodie held on, refusing to slide off, and when the bull’s hooves hit the dirt, Bodie stayed upright.
Fuck, look at that man ride.
Bodie was focused, riding with a mixture of strength and balance that made his mouth dry.
Cole was on the edge of his seat and didn’t even glance away to look at the clock.
When the buzzer went off, the crowd lost their shit, and Bodie pulled his bull rope, looking for his way off.
The bullfighters surrounded him as soon as he threw himself off, Bodie kind of cartwheeling and landing on his butt.
And fuck if the cowboy wasn’t grinning.
He was on his feet shouting and hooting along with everyone else, and a naughty little voice in the back of his mind whispered that’s my cowboy.
Bodie ran to the fence, climbed it, and waved his hat. Then, as soon as the bull was in the chutes, he hopped down and did another cartwheel and a back handspring.
That just made him laugh. It kind of made him feel old too, but he didn’t care so much about that; he loved the exuberance, and the way Bodie grinned just made him happy.
Bodie headed off, the sirens blaring as the ninety-one point six score hit.
“Yeah! Woo!” He cheered loudly, and not just because Bodie had asked him to. His client was becoming more valuable every ride. He didn’t think his commission requirements were going to be any hardship at all. Especially not once Bodie had a couple more sponsors on board.
Speaking of, Cole could hear Ayers hollering, clapping another sponsor on the arm. “You see that?”
Everybody saw that. And with Ayers that hyped, Cole planned to sweeten the deal for Bodie even more.
Bodie was going to the short-go, no question, and he was there with the television cameras now, giving his interview with the on-the-dirt commentator. That was great and all, but on the jumbotron, something was missing: a big-ass Duggan Boots logo on the shoulder of Bodie’s body armor.
Bodie had a couple of little sponsors, sure. A local feed store, a website for rodeo cowboys that no one had ever heard of. That was fine before Bodie was a champ, but this was the big-time now.
He was so excited to help Bodie succeed.
Bodie grabbed a bottle of water and climbed up on the chutes, throat working.
Oh, that would be a great sponsorship. If he couldn’t take his eyes off the guy, neither could a sponsor.
He wasn’t sure how he was going to make it through dinner.
Bodie’s gaze traveled through the crowd, locked with his, and Bodie smiled. Damn, that was pretty. He nodded back and he gave Bodie a thumbs-up. You kicked ass, he thought, hoping that came through in a smile of his own.
The smile got wider, the dimples kicked in, and Bodie winked, then someone walked over, hit his leg, and asked him a question.
That was back to work for Bodie, he supposed. Cole stood and stretched, deciding to get something to drink while he waited for Bodie to be ready for dinner.
The last section went fast, and he managed to get his Coke before the bleachers emptied for that last pit stop before the short-go.
He took a chance and wandered toward the chutes, thinking maybe he’d give Bodie a wave before he headed back up into the stands.
Bodie was stretching on the rungs of the fence. “Hey there. How’s it going? Having fun?”
“I am having a great time.” Bodie turned up faster than he’d expected, and Cole hadn’t figured out what he was going to say. “Your night is going well.”
“Yep. Going to ride in the short-go and win the event.” Bodie didn’t seem cocky, just sure.
“And I am looking forward to seeing it. I just wanted to say good ride in person.” That sounded okay, he thought.
“I appreciate it.” Bodie chuckled as his belly rumbled. “Man, that steak is calling my name. Singing for me. Bo-o-o-odie.”
“Nice and rare and waiting for you to win the short-go. Maybe a big fat baked potato—uh, salad—next to it.”
“They have brussels sprouts and cauliflower mash too. Nom nom nom. I’m so ready.” Bodie’s grin just went on and on.
“Well, keep your head in the arena and your stomach too, and I’ll see you after the ride.” He took a step back because that smile was trying to draw him forward.
“Fair enough. When I win, make sure I look pretty for my socials.” Bodie rolled his eyes, so dramatic.
“That won’t be too hard.” Bodie looked pretty right now. “I’ll snap a few for your Insta.”
“Cool. I do have one of those. I even have the password, in theory.”
“I’ve seen it. It’s cute but it needs a lot of work. I have thoughts. We’ll talk.” He took another step back.
“I’ll be available. See you after.”
The bull fighters jogged out onto the dust, the safety man rode out, warming his horse up, and the crowd started filing back in as the announcer began his prattle.
“See you then. Stay on that bull!” He watched Bodie jog off, then made his way back to his seat along with everyone else.
He saw Brent Ayers point in his direction, and he gave a wave. Ayers waved back, and not a minute later, his phone blew up with texts from Bud Wolf, the west coast rep for Blue Button Ranch Wear, and a gentleman who said he was a marketing rep for a satellite dish company.
Wild. Brent must have told everyone that Bodie had representation now.
The man was the champ, after all. He was at the top of the hill.
Electricity buzzed through his body.
God, this was going to be so much fun.