Ride On

Chapter Eighteen

After a full four days of running my butt off, trying desperately to make ends meet, all I wanted was to collapse.

But nooo, this evening the new beef cattle will arrive. Paula is waiting to check them all out in case they need quarantined, but they're from a trusted buyer and we were told only a few have had issues. And those were mostly uterine prolapses.

Regardless, I had to cowboy up one last time, probably until morning.

As I readied myself and my steed, I smiled. Soon, after a month or two of rehabilitation, Trigger would be back.

So far this week, we'd covered 99% of everything that needed to be done. Now just came the dreaded day.

Why did I say dreaded? Because I had to get up at four in the morning for hair and makeup. Paula took the liberty of setting that up. I really appreciate it. The danged thing doesn't start until 9 AM. It's supposed to last an hour. And then we all get to relocate to the front yard of my house, eat brunch, and do the traditional dances.

And I sure was nervous about the part where he pulls out the garter... What if I miss a piece when I shave my legs? I shudder to think of it.

And I also am "required" to get everything waxed. Everything. Paula also set up that appointment of torture. Tomorrow at ten. Great.

Then we have the rehearsal, and the rehearsal dinner. Pablo's covering all things food, because somebody wasn't responsible enough to get professionals. It's not that I dislike Pablo's cooking, and if I said that aloud he'd take it as an insult. I wanted to give him a break.

When Pretty was all ready to go, the trailer was already here. It had taken me three times slower than usual to tack up. Sighing, I mounted my steed.

Kyle and Benny were on the other side, and Chris next to me. We were guarding the area near the gate, blocking the bovines from busting out.

The seller opened the gate, and the first few cows thundered out. Luckily, only the first one fit into the chute. It was kept still for her to quickly check it head to toe, somehow all in five minutes. They were already vaccinated, and pregnant, so when they received the OK, they could be released.

My focus was on a different cow. They were all trying to pack themselves outside, although there wasn't room. I took my long stick that I found on the ground and tapped one's head. It stuck it's tongue out.

I tapped it again and it ignored me, but with a sharper command I was able to force it back inside. We had ten out already, too many to fit in five square feet of space. Luckily, after a short wait, they were released and another could shuffle in.

It was clear that this would take a long time, whether I wanted it to or not. And it was already 10 PM.

By cow 100, the chilly evening had settled in. Somehow I was still sweating, though I had barely moved. One cow bolted, and I had to chase her all the way into the backyard and around the house. Perhaps I should have chosen a horse with better cow sense for that. Chris held on by thin strings when I took off.

Who am I kidding, he fell apart without me.

That time I was joking.

...

So, the next morning I didn't awaken until eight forty five. I was incredibly ashamed of myself, and Pablo was worried. He made me an enormous cup of coffee, which I really didn't need, just in case.

After my late breakfast, Paula arrived to deliver me to her 'most trusted' beautician. On the way she explained what would happen.

They'll sit me down and pour hot wax on my face, then place a paper on it. Then, before I know it, boom, they rip it off. Then we repeat the procedure for my armpits.

A few things she did not mention before would take place, as well. They're going to do my nails, dye my hair (so it is bolder, she says), do the thing where they add volume to it, and basically torture me for half of the day.

And then I get to wake up at 4 AM tomorrow. Yay! What fun! I thought bitterly.

Most of the time she was talking I stared blankly out the window, only to be harshly confronted. "Are you even listening?" Paula exclaimed.

"Nope." I responded, grinning. As we pulled into a parking spot, Paula slammed her face on her steering wheel.

"Let's go." She sighed, shaking her head. A goofy grin was plastered on my face.

The lady at the counter led us to the back where we sat in massage chairs with our feet in blue water. My nails were done green, with one blue. Paula's weren't so fancy, they were simply blue and nothing else.

I sighed, leaning into the relaxing rolling-mechanisms of the massage chair. It was over too soon, and I was sitting on a stool waiting for the polish to dry.

Eventually I could put my shoes back on, but now it was time to get waxed. "You can go first." I smiled sheepishly at Paula.

"You're such a baby!" She exclaimed, setting down in the chair. The woman moved over to the pot of boiling liquid, stirring it with a small stick.

Lifting it out, she warned, "It's hot. Close your eyes." Paula rolled her eyes before obeying, not even flinching as the wax was applied to the skin between her eyebrows. Working expertly, the woman pressed paper down on the wax and smashed it down to minimize air pockets.

After a minute of rubbing, and no warning, she ripped it off with a sickening velcro noise. Paula's skin turned bright red, but she acted as if she didn't even feel it. I flinched.

Since Paula had nice brows it only took two more rips to finish her. "Your turn!" She drawled seductively, wiggling her freshly reshaped facial hair.

Gulping, I moved to the chair and sat down stiffly. "It's no big deal." The woman assured me. Her name tag read 'Shauna'. I gulped again. "Close your eyes, it's hot." She told me, as she had done with Paula. It was more difficult to keep them shut than you would think.

I tensed as the hot wax spread over my skin, relaxing as it cooled. She roughly pressed it down, rubbing it over and over. Then came the great ripping.

She tore it off, and I let out a little yelp. Paula's such a liar. "Paula!" I shouted angrily, watching as she laughed. Several curse words escaped me.

"Beauty is pain!" Paula sang, her wide grin mocking me.

Since I'd never done that before, it took five rips and ten minutes of tweezers. My entire face burned the shade of a tomato.

I'm pretty sure that I fell asleep during the entire hair-process.

We arrived at the rehearsal will still bright faces and our hair up in messy buns. We looked like trash. I was ashamed. Even Chris found me disgusting.

Basically the pastor ran us through where everyone needed to be, and the gist of what he would say. First the guests would enter, and once they were seated everyone in the procession would file in. I was last, obviously.

Then after, Chris and I would run out, escape to a room and wait for everyone to line the driveway to the horse carriage waiting for us. Then we would run out there while people blew bubbles around us.

Once we were at the stable two blocks away, we would get in Chris's truck to arrive at the house before everyone else.

After dinner I was far too awake to fall asleep. But I had to. I have to wake up at four in the morning. Great planning.

Chris shot me a text about a surprise, so I just sent a 'k night' and took a sleeping pill.

Funny that I wasn't even nervous.