Opposite of Close(short story)

Chapter 7

           

I sit in the stands and listen to everyone talk about the bull riders. Everyone was super dressed up and were very excited. I hadn't been paying attention to anything and I had no clue where we were.

A group of young girls sit behind me giggling, "He's so hot!"

Another girl sighs, "I can't believe he isn't married."

I tone them out and look at what was going on. I watch as the rodeo starts not really listening to what people were saying.

"Alright, Ryan Plake, two time bull riding world champ. He said earlier in the season that this was the last one for him. That he is planning to retire. But the real question is, will he make it number three tonight?" the announcer says. I dropped my phone. Apparently I didn't know that.

They do the whole ceremony and I watch intensely. He was wearing my favorite shirt that I liked on him.

I watch as he rides to the top.

While they get everything the announcer starts talking about Ryan, "Yeah, apparently he's married!"

The other announcer replies, "He's married?"

"Yeah, he's married. He's actually been married for nine years! His wife just got back from teaching six years in Norway," the announcer explains.

I sit in shock that Ryan had wrote that (riders write their information on a piece of paper). And I wasn't mad it was just. Sudden.

"Six years in Norway! That's incredible," the announcer comments.

"Yeah, actually it's a very romantic love story. They met at a rodeo. Apparently they call her wild child because she isn't really afraid to get on a bucking animal. But when he met her she had climbed into the arena to calm a barrel horse that just bucked her friend off. He had tried to stop her but, as the horse went past she jumped on and held on. Somehow she got the horse calm and out of the arena. A year later, wait. A few months later at the NFR in Vegas they had secretly eloped. They didn't tell anyone and only their witness, who is a good friend of Ryan's, knew," the announcer says. I blush remembering the story myself.

"Wow, and the six years apart?" the announcer asks.

"I didn't ask, I was still shocked by the fact that he was married," both of the announcers chuckle.

The girls behind me gasp, "He's married!"

One of them groans, "I knew it was too good to be true."

They get back to riding and I watch as Ryan takes names. And became the world champion again.

The girls behind me were cheering while I just stood and clapped trying to connect eyes.

One of the girl squeals, "He's looking at us! He's looking at us!"

Ryan smiles and gives me a wink while I only shook my head at him.

The girls squeal again making me want to punch them, "I hope his wife isn't as boring like her." I shake my head and ignore the young girls. Drama was never my thing in high school or college.

"Yeah, I mean she didn't even dress up," another one says.

They had to be early twenties or something. I look back over at Ryan who was laughing at me. He goes to the security guard and says something to him. The guard looks at me and then starts walking over. He waves me over to him and I could hear the girls laughing.

"Hi, I'm supposed to help you to the gate," he says.

I smile gratefully at him, "Thank you. I'm Maya Plake." We shake hands and start heading to where Ryan was.

The security guard starts laughing and nods his head, "All of these poor girls hoping to score your husbands heart tonight."

I nod my head and walk down the steps with him, "Are they aware what it takes to score his heart? I had to jump onto a bucking horse. Which ended up and bucked me off outside of the arena. I landed at his feet and he helped me up. I'm glad he left that part out. But he's twisted. He fell in love because I got hurt."

The guard laughs and helps me into the gate. The guard waves me off and I climb it listening to the crowd yell at me and the security guard to do his job. I land on the other side and walk towards Ryan. He had his back towards me and I look back to the group of girls to see that they thought I was going to attack Ryan. The whole crowd was.

Ryan was talking to another rider who looked at me and smiled, "You must be wild child."

I groan and look at Ryan, "You couldn't leave that part out? I don't jump onto bucking animals anymore."

Ryan laughs, "She was just on one a few months ago."

I playfully smack him on his arm, "Our niece begged me. It was her birthday present."

The bull rider laughs and we all listen to the crowd yell at me saying Ryan was married and to get away from him. I look at him, "It's the blue shirt. I told you. Irresistible."

Ryan grabs me and kisses me. The crowd went silent.