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One of the extras on set passed around free tickets to the rodeo in town, talking about how excited she was to see her girlfriend compete for the first time. Holding the ticket in my hand, I flipped it over passively. Between filming and studying my lines, there was barley any time for breathing, let alone free time.
"Are you coming, Dacre?" Millie asked, smoothing out her stray brunette hairs from where her wig had been.
"I don't know, we have a few big scenes coming up," I started to say, clutching the ticket in my hand. Being in Stranger Things had been a major role for me, but it also ruined a lot of the confidence I once had. Between the constant flow of hate from fans and being surrounded by some of the best actors and actresses in today's film, it was a real blow to my ego.
"You never retake, Dacre, you'll be fine. Come with us!" she exclaimed, linking one arm with me and another with Noah. Sighing, I found myself nodding along to their plan.
We Ubered together that night, everyone talking over each other with excitement. None of us had been to a rodeo before, so none of us knew what to expect. Hauling ourselves out of the van, we followed the crowd through the line, handing in our tickets as we passed by the entrance of a tent. Cowboy boots, big hats, and vests were on almost every person in the tent besides us. Sticking out like sore thumbs, I stuck my hands deep in my jean's pockets to keep from fidgeting.
The extra, Amelia, who had given out the tickets waved us down from the stands. She sat down the large sign she created for her girlfriend, before giving each of us a quick hug.
"Thank you, guys, for coming! Emily is super nervous because it's her first competition, but they start everyone small besides a few big deals here and there," she said but her voice faded out as I looked around the tent. Everyone was talking loudly, a huge smile on their face, popcorn in hand. I couldn't remember the last time I had been somewhere quite like this.
My leg bounced as we waited, the seats beside us filling fast. No one even spared a glance our way, and before we knew it, the announcer was coming out and announcing who was competing in which competitions. Emily would be barrel racing apparently, which I had no clue about.
The first few women came out, their horses moving quick around the barrels, dust breaking as they passed. They all leaned forward in their seats, their faces made of pure focus. I couldn't help but be mesmerized.
When they announced Y/N, I was already on the edge of my seat, ready to take in the next competitor. When she came through the gates, I felt my lungs seize. For the first time in my life, all the anxiety in my body dissipated. I was fully captivated by her, unable to even blink in case I missed even a second. She trotted on her horse, her back straight and a small smile on her face.
"That's Y/N, one of the big leagues. She competes in every tournament but never places to give other people a chance. In the big competitions, that's when she goes all out," Amelia said, ranting on.
"She's hot," Charlie said, causing Natalie to smack his arm playfully before agreeing. Honestly, I couldn't disagree. I'd had my fair share of beautiful women, but none of them exuding the power of the woman racing around the barrels in front of me.
She gave a wave before exiting our view, but I was stuck in my seat. When they announced bull riding was next and Y/N would be competing, I couldn't help but feel anxious; the thought of that beautiful woman on top of something so capable of breaking in half her had my leg bouncing uncontrollably.
'You're acting fucking crazy, man. You don't even know her,' I tried to reason with myself. But I couldn't shake the pull towards her.
Amelia exclaimed loudly as Emily ran, rolling with the bull beneath her with grace. For her first competition, she stayed on longer than most competitors. Y/N followed her, doubling Emily's time with ease. Still, she gave a humble wave before exiting view. The announcer shared the scores for the night, placing Y/N at the top of everything she competed in before announcing Y/N would not accept a placement. Emily would move on to the next lower-level competition, making Amelia jump with happiness beside us.
The minute people started raising from the benches, I was racing down the steps to get another glimpse at Y/N. Already, she was surrounded by men, their cowboy hats covering most of my view. They stared at her like a piece of meat, but I'm sure my own eyes weren't telling much of a different story. She stood 5'5", clad in tight riding attire. Y/N gave small smiles to the men surrounding her before locking eyes with me.
"Becoming a Buckle Bunny, are you?" David laughed, slinging an arm around my shoulders. I didn't even bother to shake off his arm as Y/N and I kept our gazes locked on each other. The cast, who was filing in around us, laughed at whatever he said.
"A Buckle Bunny?" I mumbled, not really caring for an answer.
"Like a groupie but for the rodeo," he sighed, giving me a little shake to snap me out of the trance I was stuck in.
As I was about to turn to argue with him, Y/N took a step through the crowd around her and started heading straight towards me. Silently choking out a breath of air I didn't realize I was holding, I stepped forward, letting David's arm fall off me.
"First time?" she asked, her voice lower-pitched and perfect.
"First time...?" I asked, noticing the small variants of color in her eyes.
"At the rodeo, slick," she laughed, taking another step towards me. I could smell her sweet perfume mixed with the sweat from the competition. Her two front teeth were just slightly crooked, a natural beauty all the way around.
"Yes," I coughed after realizing I had been staring for too long. "We came to support Emily," I finished, gesturing to the cast listening into every syllable of our conversation.
"Emily's a natural," she smiled wider, pride for her sport shining through.
"You were great out there," I said back, every ounce of game I had leaving my body. She didn't even bother to answer my loser response but nodded in thanks, and once more for a nod goodbye. The cast made fun of me continuously as we met up with Emily before heading to the exit.
"Hey, Bunny," someone yelled from behind me. A quick look over my shoulder confirmed the perfection walking towards me.
"You'll need this for your next rodeo," she said, a smirk etched into her perfect skin. She sat a hot pink brimmed hat on my head, the fit perfect. My lips curled into a smile on their own accord, not even caring about the cast being in hysterics behind us.
Without sparing another second, she tipped her hat and headed out of the tent. I sat silently the entire ride back to the studio lot, my world tipped. I had never met anyone who could captivate anyone like her, and I highly doubted I would ever again. Taking off the hat as I laid in the bed of my trailer, a piece of paper on the inside fluttered out.
"Text me 555-874-9080"
Without hesitation, I typed the number in and pressed send. Not even a minute later, a message came through making me smile genuinely for the first time in months.
