Back in the Saddle (Jessica Brodie Diaries #1)(19)

He popped out and Candace filled the void. “He’s really very nice. Cute, too!” She giggled. I had a feeling I’d need to get used to giggling. “Off the market, though.”

“Oh? Is he g*y, then?”

“Gay? Oh my Lord, no! He just got married! Too bad.”

“Really? He seems a little young.”

“He’s nineteen, I think.”

“Married?! At nineteen?”

Candace flashed me a quizzical look. “Ye-ah, why?”

“How does someone get married at nineteen?”

Juniper chimed in with, “Easy as fallin’ off a log—if you’re not a hussy!”

Candace and I both looked at her cube, but she hiding behind her plant. All we could see was a mound of blond, teased hair above leaves. Listening to our every word, but hiding.

Candace continued, stepping into the cube and lowering her voice so it was harder to overhear. “Yeah, people here get married pretty early sometimes. High-school sweethearts and all the rest. Not everyone, but there are definitely those that do. He is big into Jesus and going by the bible and all that. I think he waited, for you know…,” she raised her eyebrows to indicate just what he was waiting for, “until he was married, and now his wife is pregnant.”

My world was blown. All that at nineteen? Waited until marriage? Did that happen anymore? What if the other party was awful in bed? Did they only stick to missionary? I would have to talk this over with Gladis.

Funny that the first person I thought to talk to about this was an old woman.

Candace and I got to business after that. The work seemed pretty easy. Spreadsheet for this, calculator and report for that. I learned fast, worked faster, and knew computers. Without any effort I was already ahead of the curve. It was a new field for me, but if it continued to start this slow, I would have no trouble getting up to speed.

The rest of the week basically went as the first day did, only increasingly lonelier. I tried to make up for that by emailing my friends as often as possible—Ami included. She nearly shat herself with glee at receiving my first email—I could tell by the amount of exclamation points—and I learned that while my life was going 800 miles a minute, theirs was the same old slow.

Saturday morning. Throughout the week, I’d met Candace’s work friends, most of which I was okay parting with, but when it was suggested we all go to a rodeo—well, who's gonna say no, eh? It would be my first. And after some of the guys heard that, I no longer had a choice.

I was up and ready well before my ride came to pick me up. I was going with Candace, John Paul, and Dave. At least with Dave driving, he couldn’t stare at my boobs.

The day was hot and stuffy. I was wearing a cute little halter that went to my belly button, and a little white skirt. Not too little--it had to cover the ugly part in back of my legs, and I had to be able to bend over without showing my crotch—but little enough to get the point across.

I heard the honk and saw Candace’s text that they were here. Yay!

When I stepped through the gate, Dave’s beater was parked where my beater had been for half a day—Gladis asked that I park in the warehouse, which she called a garage. Being that the other vehicles in the spacious garage each cost over a hundred-grand each—some well over that price tag and collector's items—I had a feeling it wasn’t for my benefit that my old Honda was stored away.

Three stunned faces greeted me as I strolled down the walk.

“What is she, a movie star? Is she from Hollywood?” Dave asked as I neared the open-windowed car. They must’ve not had air-conditioning, either, being that it was hot enough to fry eggs, and the window was open. Obviously they were in my pay grade.

“Hey Jess,” John Paul said from the front seat, “which movie did you say you starred in?”

“How much time you got? There was a time when you couldn’t throw a stone without hitting a Hollywood Star that I acted with!”

“No kidding! Really?!” Candace shrieked with giant eyes. She leaned across the backseat and peeped through the window.

“No, not really. Yes, I'm kidding. I am renting the cottage out back. And by cottage, what I really mean is pool house. I am renting the really nice pool house, which is a giant for what it is, out back.”

“Man, girl. Just give me a second now. I was thinkin’ you was rich and famous for two seconds. Phew.” Dave shook his head, wiped his pimply face, and looked out the window at me.

“Man girl? Confused on my sexual orientation?” I shook my head. I should have been quicker to climb in, because once he caught sight of my outfit he had a good gawk; mouth wide open, eyes up and down, pausing on my br**sts and crotch. Lovely.

John Paul was looking at me, too, with a veil across his eyes that I couldn’t read. He quickly looked away as I started moving to the back of the car. I could have sworn he crossed himself. I re-checked my outfit, suddenly apprehensive.

“Wow, Jess...ica," Candace gushed as I climbed in, "you look really great! Your outfit is totally cute! I wish I could wear something like that!” Her eyes paused on my necklace, and then swept to my bracelet.

I felt a smile bud. She was almost my speed, genuine, and sweet. Keeper. I felt worlds better about my choice in clothes as it pertained to non-religious types.

“Why couldn’t you wear something like this?” I asked her, strapping in.