| Title: The Ranch Author: Anjell Chapter 3 Lightning and I thundered across the fields. I knew I was gonna be in shit when I got back. Maybe Steve would be understanding. Maybe it wasn't such a big deal. Maybe hell would freeze over. I had seen enough tapes from his WWF Documentary Series collection to realize he was not a forgetting or forgiving man. "What did I tell you about that fucking horse?" He hollered right into my face. "Don't yell at me!" I hollered back. I had just put Lightning back into his stall and was attempting feed him and brush him down. "That God damned horse ain't broke yet! You said you didn't even know how to ride properly! Don't you know how dangerous that was you stupid bitch?!?!" "Look! Lightning happened to enjoy the ride! And I'm perfectly capable. So why don't you get your panties outta the knot they're in, and go fuck yourself?" "YOU ARE FIRED!" He practically screamed. "I do not need your attitude around here miss!!" Instead of doing the intelligent thing like apologizing and begging for my job back, Lord knows Anthony's gonna kill me when he finds out I botched this, I do the stupid thing. "You can't fire me you jackass! I QUIT!! You're too pigheaded to work with anybody! You don't even listen to me..." "Why the Fuck would I listen to a stupid little idiot who takes an unbroken horse out and rides him like a maniac? It's not good for the horse and it ain't safe for you either. There are proper ways of riding... and then there are natural things to do!" "My instincts are damn good and I haven't broken anything! Fine, you're so good? You break him in then!!!" I stormed out of the barn. "Hey!" Steve hollered after me. "I haven't finished yet! Don't you walk off like that lady!" I ignored him. Or at least tried to. "Just who do you think you are?" I blurted out. "I never gave you permission to yell at me that way." I was so mad by now, I'm quite sure my eyes were ready to pop out of my head at any minute. "Permission? Oh, well! EXCUUUUSE me!" Steve was equally as angry I think. "I am sooo sorry your royal highness. Didn't realize that you were so special that you couldn't be told when you were wrong!" "ME?" I could not believe this man. "Me? I'm not the one in the wrong pal!" "Oh of course!" He sneered. "You're perfect!" I turned my back and was about to storm into the house when he clamped a hand on my shoulder and tried to stop me. That was the last straw. I spun around and punched him. Nailed him right in the jaw. He took a step back, physically hurt and obviously surprised. "Don't you EVER touch me again." My voice was low, barely calm. I marched into the house and slammed the door. Steve stood there, not sure of what to do or say, and too angry to even think of anything. Interestingly enough, Mrs. Williams, Steve's mother, had seen the entire thing from the kitchen window. Steve stormed into the house and marched past the kitchen. Just a bare glance from her, and his shoulders drooped. He sighed. "I know, I know." He said slowly. "I've got to learn to keep my mouth shut." "Are you really going to fire her?" His mother asked. Steve looked up, then back towards the hallway that led to my room. (It's at the opposite side of the house from his by the way, on this side of the kitchen.) He walked down the hallway and knocked on my door. I opened it. My face was red, but I hadn't been crying, yet anyway. Strangely enough, I was quite aroused by our fight, and was trying desperately to put a lid on my hormones, as well as think up a good story for Anthony as to why I got fired. "What?" I practically spat out. He sighed. "You're not fired. I'm sorry for yelling. My wife left me and everything is screwed up. I just overreacted." I immediately softened. I sigh and open the door up wide. "I'm sorry too. You're right, I should be more careful with Lightning. Hell, I should have asked in the first place." Steve shrugged. "It's no big deal. Hell, it's probably even a good thing, since you can help me break him in, if you want." I smiled. "I would like that very much." "Want a cup of coffee?" He asked. "Yeah, sure." . "I need a chew." He said. "You should quit." I said. He grinned at me. I grinned back. "Mind your own business woman." He grinned again and chewed one. I grinned again. "Well, you should." Title: The Ranch Author: Anjell Chapter 4 We went into the kitchen. Mrs. Williams must have left for home, because she was nowhere in sight, interestingly enough. I sat down at the table and Steve boiled the kettle. "You pack quite a wallop for a girl." He said as he rubbed his jaw. "What do you mean? For a girl?" I pretended to be insulted and sat up straight. That of course, had the unintentional effect of thrusting my chest out. Steve noticed, but I didn't notice that he noticed. Had I been paying more attention, I would have. He just grinned, and brought me my coffee, and then sat down at the kitchen table. I sipped my coffee, still trying to calm my hormones down. Internally, I was an absolute mess! We sat in the kitchen as he told me about his most recent divorce with the woman he only been married to for almost 2 years. Debra he said, left him because of too many things piling up on them and she couldn't take it. He didn't go into specifics about what those things were and so when he finished we sat there, completely silent for almost ten whole minutes. It was almost unbearable. I shifted in my seat several times. Thankfully, the silence was broken when three of Steve's hunting buddies toppled through the front door, and immediately began making raucous conversation. They were there to try and convince him to go out with them, so that he could get his mind off of Debbie. I think they're names were Dave, Dean and oh what's the other one? Garth! That's it. They were really funny. I sneaked away back to my room and tried to get some work done. Of course, my brain was rambling away at 90 thoughts per second and I got very little accomplished. Back out in the kitchen, Garth piped up, "So who's the girl?" "Oh," Steve paused. "She's doing some work for me. Web design and some other shit. She's pretty smart." "Pretty cute too..." Garth grinned. Steve didn't answer, but drank his coffee. "No comment eh?" Garth was getting ready to tease his friend, but was stopped short by a very clipped "Fuck off Garth." Garth raised an eyebrow, and just let the matter drop. I slept horribly that night. My mind kept replaying that fight. I kept seeing Steve, all charged up with emotions, furious with me... and these images would be mix with other images of me rolling around in bed with him. It was terrible! I was so tormented that I was ready to pull out my hair!! His eyes had been lit up with such raw energy and power that I... aaahggHH! I got out of bed and went to the kitchen. A cup of lemon or chamomile tea ought to do the trick. Out I went and there was Steve. Shirtless again, of all things. He was quietly drinking a cup of tea. I almost turned around and went back to bed except that he saw me. "Having trouble sleeping?" He asked. "Yes." I admitted. "I thought a cup of tea might help." "I just boiled the kettle, so there's still lots of hot water left." He said. I poured a cup, and then sat at the table opposite him. I closed my eyes, and pushed away all thoughts... and sighed. Then I opened my eyes. Steve was looking at me. "I hate my temper." I said. Steve nodded. "I know what you mean." He sipped his tea. "I've never been overly proud of mine either." I shrugged. "Oh well. It could be worse I guess. At least we made love... I mean made up... I mean... oh my God..." Suddenly, I was grateful for the fact that the kitchen was dark. Steve couldn't see me blushing. That was SO embarrassing!! Steve smiled, and chuckled a little. "That's ok. I know what the flip side of the temper coin is so..." I giggled only a little. I was dying! "I think I'll take my tea and go back to bed." "You can sit here with me if you like." He said. "I don't mind. In fact, I'd like the company." "Ok." I said. And then everything was quiet. We sat in the kitchen for almost twenty minutes, just drinking tea. Neither one of us had anything else to say I guess. But I didn't mind the quiet at all. "I'm gonna go back to bed." I said after a while. "Ok." Steve said. "Lovely conversation." I practically snorted in derision. "After all that quiet? Yeah right!!" I dumped my teabag, and stuck the cup in the sink. "You have nice legs." He commented, as I walked towards the hallway. "Oh." It then occurred to me that I was only wearing a very long t-shirt as a night-gown. He had a pretty good view I guess. "Thanx." "Rinse the cup out." He asked. "Huh?" "The cup... don't just leave it." "Oh." I went to the sink and rinsed it out. "Good night Steve." I said as I walked back towards the hall to my room. "G'night." Now I would never be able to sleep. |