Chapter Seven
Unlike the suffocating dry heat of Arizona, Florida was a different kind of hell. It was wet and sticky, and I felt like a melting popsicle.
On a more positive note, my plane ride was filled with silent passengers and a lot of prep work. Though I felt a thousand times more prepared for this rodeo than the Arizona one, I was drained. I didn’t know how the cowboys did this every week.
Rodeo, get on a plane, land in a new city, repeat.
I was exhausted, and I didn’t even have to get thrown off an animal.
Despite being ahead of schedule, work-wise, I was stressed out of my mind. Seconds after Dennis had left my booth in the diner, Mr. Sterling had called.
“Allegra,” his voice was sharp, getting to the point immediately. “I just finished reading your first impressions. It’s perfect. You nailed the problem, now let’s talk solution.”
I beamed, feeling my old self flood my system, shaking my senses back on track. “Thank you, sir, I’m-”
“We need to move to action items ASAP. I called Thompson Avery, and he’s on board for your analysis of the rider’s names. Nash. The family is a sponsorship gold mine. They’re perfect for ‘getting back to the roots.’”
“I agree, sir. They’re perfect for endorsements. You should have seen the crowd-”
“Precisely.” He was in a high-energy mood, talking as fast as he did after four shots of espresso.
“Now, what we need is preliminary video assets with the boys, especially the bronc rider. He is on a fast track to NFR. I want it in my email Saturday morning. We need him using our equipment, wearing the name, right before he shatters another record.”
“Sir, I would need to schedule, I don’t even know when-”
“Miss Ford. This is your chance to show me you’re ready for the big leagues, isn’t it?” He loved his rhetorical questions. “You made the case, now deliver. You have until Saturday to produce a two-minute clip of the boy giving an authentic testimonial. Get creative, get it done.”
Click.
I had wanted to call Martha as soon as he hung up, but I knew she’d want to hear about how hot his butt was on the horse, not my whining about having to interview him.
So, as soon as I was in a comfortingly modern hotel room with amenities galore, I got creative.
I did research for a reasonably priced local videographer and hired them immediately.
I had an all-access pass to the rodeo schedules, so I knew the contestants were practicing today at the arena to get comfortable with the space.
I didn’t know if the Nash boys would be at the “rehearsal,” but it could be my only shot before the rodeos started that weekend. I called the videographer and asked if she could meet at the arena today. Luckily, she was just breaking into the business and seemed eager for any opportunity.
I was smarter about my clothes this time around and picked blue jeans and a tan shirt before pinning my hair up in a bun. I could only hope the next destination would be less scalding than Arizona and Florida.
As soon as I got in the car and my driver pulled onto the road, Harrison called.
“Hello?”
“You never called when you landed,” he said as soon as I answered. The sounds of a noisy resort carried on in the background.
I watched the endless palm trees and green lawns as we sped past. “Oh, right, I’m sorry! We landed, I jumped in a car, got to the hotel, and left again to go interview some cowboys.”
“Where are you now?”
“Davie, what about you?”
“Miami. I should be only an hour away. How was the flight?”
“It was good. I got a lot of work done. How’s the resort?”
He laughed dryly. “When my company is finished with this place, we should honeymoon here. It’s got pools for miles and the beach just beyond that. Open bar, fresh lobster, you name it.”
It was the first time he’d mentioned the honeymoon, and I realized we did need to plan one. “That’d be fun.”
“When’s our date?”
I looked through the itinerary. We had a rodeo tomorrow, Friday, and Saturday. I had Sunday to gather my thoughts and work, and then fly out again on Monday. “How about Saturday? You could come to Davie and stay over. I don’t have anything on Sunday, so we could have a slow day.”
“I’d like that. I miss you.”
I wanted to miss him too. “I miss you. See you Saturday night?”
“Love you.”
“Bye, Harrison.” I hung up, and the driver pulled into an empty arena parking lot.
The arena was open, covered by a roof but letting the breeze flow through the open sides.
I could hear music softly pumping through the speakers, nothing like the intensity of noise when the rodeo would actually be going on.
I wandered inside, flashing my all-access badge to the guard at the entrance. There were a few horses with cowboys in the dirt, walking slowly. It was so much calmer than the last time I was in the arena.
As I made my way to the chutes, I saw Thompson in his overalls sitting on the front row. “Hi, Thompson,” I said with my overly perky smile.
He looked up, though the way he turned, I noticed it was hard for him to twist his neck. “Oh, Legra. What are you doing here?”
I took a seat next to him, pretending like I had all the time in the world. “I came to get some interviews with some of the contestants. What about you?”
He sighed. “Don’t want to miss a minute of it.”
I took out my phone and pulled up a picture. “I’m glad I ran into you. My company is working on the vests for the riders with the logo. I wanted to make sure you approved before they ordered them. If we order today, they should be ready by next weekend’s shows.”
He barely glanced at them. “Did I ask you to do that?”
So apparently, the thumbs-up email reply he had sent me meant he didn’t read it.
I tried my best not to lose my patience.
“Oh, yes, sorry, I should have given you a call. I sent you a long email about what my next steps were. I hope that’s okay.
We are also going to have a demo booth at the next rodeo, and I was hoping you had some workers that would be interested in-”
“Can we talk about this at the next meeting?” His voice was distant.
I had at least an hour’s worth of things I wanted to go over with him at that very moment, but, as long as I was working for Agri-Corp,, he was my boss. I nodded. “Of course! I’d better get back there to see if I can get some cowboys to talk to me. I’ll see you tomorrow afternoon.”
My cheeks burned with embarrassment as I left the stands and made my way behind the chutes. The environment was much calmer than the last time I had been behind the scenes.
“Miss Ford?”
I waved at the young girl with the huge video camera over her shoulder and a digital camera around her neck. “You must be Billy. Thanks for coming on such short notice.”
She was practically adorable. Just a kid with big round glasses, her face covered with red freckles, and messy auburn hair under a worn cap. “Are you kidding? Thanks for calling!”
I hired her because on her self-made website, she had gone on and on about “capturing authenticity.” That’s exactly what Agri-Corp needed. “Well, if you’re interested, I need a full-time content specialist.”
Her jaw dropped. “Are you serious?”
I nodded. “Let’s see how today goes, and if we really love how it turns out, I can get you on the rodeo schedule and travel plan.”
She shoved her hand out toward me and shook it hard. “Oh, Miss Ford. I would love that more than you could ever know. Ya know, I’ve been trying to get into the business for two years, and I just can’t get that break I need. I shot a few weddings, a birthday party, a house-”
After being with Billy for only a few minutes, I could tell she was going to talk until she was cut off. “Well, let’s get started so I can see you in action.”
I looked around, my hands suddenly sweating at the idea of approaching these contestants in their environments.
“What’s the plan here?” Billy asked.
I wasn’t quite sure. I wanted some authentic footage to post to gear up for the next city, but my mouth was dry, and my mind was blank.
Why was I freaking out? Six months before, I had spent a full lunch interviewing the prospective mayor of New York City. Not once had I freaked out or wanted to leave. Where was the fearless Allegra I needed at that moment?
I was still her, no matter how deep into this rodeo life I got. I had to be.
“The plan,” I said, forcing my professional voice to take over, “is to focus on the bull rider first. It’s the most dangerous event, which means the trust in his gear is crucial.”
Jimmy Nash was standing by himself, leaning on the fence and watching barrel racers practice.
I pointed to him. “We approach, we get a few clean answers on camera, we get the information we need, we move on to the next rider.”
She was practically bouncing on her tiptoes. “This is so exciting!” She shouted as we approached Jimmy Nash.
“Good afternoon! My name is Allegra Ford, with Apex Strategies. We are working with Agri-Corp to grow their sponsorship this rodeo season. I was wondering if I could quickly interview you?” I said without taking a breath.
He glanced at Billy, who raised her camera and took his picture without asking. “Yeah, sure. I got about ten minutes.” His accent was thick, just like his brother’s, and stronger than his dad’s.
Jimmy was tall and lengthy, no doubt making riding bulls that much harder. He looked so much like Dennis, I had to do a double-take.
I nodded at Billy, who lifted her video camera and started shooting. “When you’re climbing on your bull, you have seconds to prep. What is running through your mind?”
He laughed and crossed his arms. “Oh man, what a question. I think you’ll get the same answer from almost any rider, that you want your mind to be completely blank. You just hope your muscle memory will kick in.”
It was an authentic answer, just what we needed. “How much does knowing your gear, the ropes, gloves, chute setup, contribute to that mental preparation?”
He lifted his cowboy hat and ran a hand over his short hair. “It’s honestly just blind trust. If my rosin isn’t right or the rope is worn, that’s what I think about, and my ride is shot. I need equipment I don’t have to think about.”
“So you stick to what’s earned your trust?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Would you say you trust the Agri-Corp equipment you’ve used so far?” I needed a sound bite from him, no matter how hard I needed to not so subtly press for it.
“It does the job,” he shrugged. “We stick to what’s proven.”
Fair enough, I can cut the first part out and piece it together to sound a little more positive.
“Just one more question and I’ll let you get on your way,” I promised with my best friendly smile.
“Ah, take all the time you need, darlin’.”
I ignored the heat that rose to my cheeks and hoped he did too. “Your family is a rodeo legacy that carries on between you and your brothers. Being the oldest, is there any advice you give to your younger siblings before they ride?”
“Not a chance,” he said with a laugh. He threw his head toward his brothers, Alan and Dean, who were throwing ropes around fake calves behind the arena. “Those two haven’t been separated more than a minute since the womb.”
Billy snorted behind me.
“And Colt is too stubborn to listen to any advice.” He turned and waved, and I followed his gaze.
There, on the far edge of the arena, leaning on a fence, was Colton.
He was wearing a faded gray t-shirt, jeans, and mud-caked boots.
His hat was pulled low, casting a shadow over his face.
He was talking to a petite woman with fiery red hair stuffed under a straw hat.
She put her hands on his shoulders and kissed him.
I turned back to Jimmy and offered my hand. “Thank you, Jimmy. This is perfect. I appreciate you taking the time to talk to us today. We’ll see you around.”
He shook my hand and smiled. “My pleasure, Allegra. I may be biased since my dad is on the board, but I think Agri-Corp is a great company, and I’m glad they were humble enough to ask for your help.”
Genuine kindness, just like his father.
“Where to now, Miss Ford?” Billy asked, her face bright pink with happiness.
I kept my gaze focused on the girl who had her hands on Colton’s waist, pulling at his belt. “Now, we interview the bronc rider with a ticket to the NFR.”