Taking On The Cowboy

Part 15 - Chapter Fourteen

It was strange being back in the city. The potted geraniums at the door to her grandmother's house had withered up and the house smelt musty, and felt big and empty. While it was nice to sleep in her own bed again and to have familiar things around her, including her grandmother's and her brother's stuff she felt lonely in a way she hadn't out on the Ranch.

Most of her Grad school friends had moved on, so there were very few people to even think about catching up with on the night before she flew out to New York. There was one person she needed to see though - Juliette.

"I came straight from work, no time to change sorry." Juliette gave her a friendly squeeze hello, before plonking herself and her oversized handbag down in the booth alongside Tara.

"Yes, I can see that. You look amazing. All Amal Allamudin."

"Oh, look at you. Compliments and flattery. What do you want?"

"Actually there is something."

"Yeeeeeessss." Juliette asked suspiciously.

"I want Mattie to take on Gage's case." Once she'd started all that had happened in the last few days tumbled out in a rush and by the end of the conversation she'd convinced Juliette to at least ask her boss to consider going in to bat for Gage.

Eventually Juliette was able to move her friend on to other topics such as, just exactly what was going on between Tara and the big blond Cowboy. Tara did her best to explain but got the feeling that at the end of the night Juliette was more confused than ever. Perhaps if she'd shared with her friend that just talking about Gage caused her temperature to rise a couple of degrees Juliette would have got a clearer picture. She didn't share this with her friend because she was not going to allow her heart to mess up her plans. Gage Mason was 100%, definitely, absolutely not the type of man she could be in a relationship with. Perhaps they could be friends. Maybe the Masons would invite her for Christmas or thanksgiving. That would be nice, but a relationship with Gage, ut uh. Gage was a country boy and her future lay in the city.

The following morning right before she boarded her plane for New York a text from Juliette bleeped its arrival on her phone.

"Morning Caped Crusader. You have found a kindred spirit, Mattie says yes. Talk later. Good luck in NY xx"

She almost skipped on to the plane, feeling a whole lot lighter than she usually did. This had to be a good omen. Throughout the flight she fought against her inner demon. The one who wanted her to switch her phone out of flight mode and text Gage. The four hour flight seemed to drag. She'd intended spending the time preparing mentally for the interview, but couldn't keep a certain six foot two inches high Cowboy out of her head. Finally the plane touched down in New York and she was finally able to call him. His phone rang through to voicemail. She caught herself smiling at his voice on the mail message.

"Hi Gage, it's Tara - I have good news. I'll call you again later." She didn't leave a more detailed message because she wanted to hear his reaction to the news.

She hadn't told him she was going to talk to a practising lawyer, but was sure he'd be pleased.

New York was everything she had dreamed it would be - people everywhere, all shapes and sizes. She shared a Subway carriage with businessmen and high school students, a Rastafarian with dreadlocks down to his waist and a little old lady dressed to the nines in a fox fur with its head still attached and bright fuchsia coloured lipstick, seemingly oblivious to the fact that it was 80 degrees outside.