Cowgirl Up ✔️

Chapter Three

I looked around the dining room of the Riverston Hotel, but couldn't see Mason.
Was he here yet?
I pulled my iPod out my pocket and checked the time.
7:25, I guess he still has five minutes before it's the time we agreed on...
I made my way to one side of the bar, where you make reservations etc.
"Hey Bailey."
A brown haired, blue eyed beauty a few years older than myself smiled in greeting.
"Hey Sally."
I replied, with my own small smile in place.
Sally Western was the youngest daughter and second youngest child of Charlie and Sadie Western, who own the Riverston Hotel.
Sally is 20 and one of the entirely friendliest and true people I know.
"What can I do for ya?"
She asked leaning forward and clasping her hands on the oak wood bench top.
"I'm...after a reservation for Mason Smart."
I explained.
She nodded, turned to her computer and scanned the screen.
"Yeah hon, table thirty, c'mon I'll show ya the way."
She came around the desk to join me on my side.
I now noticed that she was wearing a slim fitting black t-shirt top and a high waisted form fitting skirt and cowboy boots.
This girl is gold!
I looked around in the direction we were headed and finally spotted Mason.
However, he wasn't alone.
His friend Cooper was there with Paige Chrome.
I don't necessarily hate either one of them, however neither of them are exactly on my top ten favourite people list.
I frowned slightly.
Why are they on our table anyway?
Mason saw us coming, got up and made his way quickly to me.
"I'm so sorry Bailey, I seen Cooper and he said he was having a dinner date and one of the guys who works here said something about a mix up on tables or a shortage or something and asked if we could take a four table."
He winced a little at the end of his speech.
I looked toward Sally.
"That's cool..."
She offered me a smile.
"Joel's here, was probably him."
She explained.
Joel is one of Blayze's best friends and also happens to be one of Sally's many siblings.
I grinned.
"Say hi if you see him, haven't seen him in ages!"
I told her.
She winked.
"Oh I'm sure he'll make his way 'round."
"So do you wanna come sit?"
Mason gestured back to the table.
I sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly.
Now to pretend I understand Cooper and Paige at all...
I guess this kind of means this isn't exactly a 'date' for Mason and I.
"Sure."
I plastered a fake smile into place.
There was one spare seat left, after Mason slipped back into his own.
Beside Cooper, across from Mason and diagonal to Paige.
Mason grinned at me.
"So you know Cooper and Paige right?"
I glanced their way and offered a forced, polite smile.
"Yeah."
I agreed.
How could I not?
We all go to the same, tiny only High School in the area.
"Hello."
Paige sat a little straighter in her chair, flicking her sheet of dark brown, almost black hair over her shoulder which was bare due to the strapless cut of her baby pink dress.
"Hello."
I replied, wondering briefly if maybe I was a little overdressed...
"What's up?"
Cooper winked.
Oh man....
"Not a lot..."
I replied awkwardly.
This was going to be the most awkward dinner in the history of awkward dinners...

I couldn't be more grateful when our meals arrived.
Now I could focus on my food more than trying to socialise with people I literally don't seem to have anything in common with.
"Thank you Clarke."
I smiled at the familiar waiter who delivered my meal.
He smiled back at me.
"Enjoy Bailey."
He wished.
I tucked straight into my chicken schnitzel, chips and miniature salad.
Grandma would have a fit if she saw the difference between the meal she would make and the one I was eating now.
She would serve half the chips, if not mashed potato or some other form of potato and a mountain of salad or vegetables.
She's all about healthy and nutritious eating.
There was little chit chat while we all are our dinner.
I liked it.
It saved me having to pretend that I understood 'cheerleader moves' or 'football jargon'.
But it didn't last long enough for my liking.
I saw a familiar figure coming our way, briefly stopping to chat with other dining patrons as he went.
Please rescue me!
I silently begged.
Finally his eyes landed on me.
A smile formed on Joel Western's face.
"Hey Bailey."
He greeted as he stopped by our table.
"Hey Joel!"
I all but jumped up from my chair.
He opened his arms for a hug and I welcomed it, stepping in.
It wasn't that long after Blayze arrived, that Joel started to come around our place.
Hence the friendly manner between us, we've known each other for almost a decade!
"Blayze is comin' home soon right?"
Joel asked releasing me.
"Yeah sometime this weekend apparently."
I nodded.
"Sweet will be good to catch up with him!"
"Yeah."
It was about damn time Blayze came home.
I'd been starting to get a little worried the American bug had gripped him.
"Your meal alright?"
Joel looked down to my nearly empty plate.
"Very yummy."
I nodded.
He grinned.
"I guess your Grandma would have a fit if she saw the lack of nutrition!"
"Oh yeah!"
I grinned back.
"Well you enjoy yourself mate."
Joel patted me on the shoulder.
"We'll have to catch up sometime when Blayze gets back."
"Sounds good."
I nodded
Joel excused himself for business and I slowly sat back down into my seat.
Mason looked after Joel.
"That's the guy who joined our tables."
I nodded.
"He's one of the owners."
"So should we go to that party?"
Paige looked around the table, clearly not figuring our conversation was important enough.
The party she was referring to, was being held by Suzie, one of the 'plastic' crew from school and one of Paige's cough 'friends'.
No thank you!
Mason grinned.
"Yeah sounds good!"
"Yeah I'm in."
Cooper nodded.
Mason turned to me.
"You're cool with that right?"
I guess our night definitely isn't a date then.
I shook my head.
"I think I might just go home."
A bit of a joke driving almost two hours for a meal and nothing more, but it was better than attending a plastics and football jocks party.
"Awe but ya have to come!"
Mason insisted.
"Just give me a minute..."
I slipped the SAT phone Grandpa wouldn't let me leave home without from my pocket and texted two of my best friends.
They both wrote back quickly:
Hayley: No I'm babysitting 😞
Noah: Nah not tonight! X
Looks like my only option was home.
Without those girls or at least one of them, there was no way I was braving a plastics party.
"Nah I'm gonna go home, Mum just gave me a list of jobs for tomorrow."
I lied through my teeth.
Cooper frowned.
"Tomorrow's Sunday."
"When you live in a farm, it don't matter what day it is."
I told him dryly.
God I sound like Blayze!
I thought with shock.
These bloody townie kids...
"Can you drop me there then?"
Mason asked.
"That way I can just get my car from here tomorrow."
"I guess..."
In all honesty I didn't want to go anywhere near plastic central.
I had no idea how anybody could even be so plastic living out here anyway.
Take a ten minute drive out of town and you start to come across the properties!
"Let's go then!"
Paige put a plastic-tasric smile on and pushed her chair back.