The Rodeo Queen's Touchdown

05- Aaron

Aaron

Hanging with the rodeo team was awesome. They are my type of people. Don’t get me wrong, I love the football team; those boys are as close to me as brothers, and I would go through fire for any of them. Usually after football games, the team goes to a loud, crowded bar so that we can drink to celebrate and maybe hook up with some women. It’s fine once in a while, but I am not an every weekend kind of partier; plus I am not the type to have a different girl every weekend. I’ve had a few girlfriends through the years, but they tend to get clingy and never understand why we cannot go out when they want. I recently just got out of a pretty short relationship, if you can even call it a relationship, with a cheerleader named Rhonda. I thought that since she was also an athlete and had a similar schedule, she would understand my limitations on dating. Nope, Rhonda would sit at practices and be a distraction, then when practice was over, she would whine about sitting there for so long. She was also really bitchy to other people. I broke up with her after like 2 weeks and she is already dating another member of the team. Rhonda has been kind of annoying lately though because she continues to flirt with me, even though I keep ignoring her.

The rodeo team is completely different, though. They are way low-key, and it is totally cool. All through dinner, I was laughing so hard, I thought my face would break. Their stories of past competitions were hilarious. Coach also has funny stories of when he was still riding. I had no idea that he knew Parker and Trey’s father when they were both younger. Hearing tales of them traveling together gave me a new perspective of Mr. LeRoy. I can also see some of Parker and Trey in the two of them. When Parker stole my fries, she looked so cute that I could not help but give her some more just to make her smile at me.

When they all pitched in and talked about each other’s rides, it blew me away. What a great way to see a different perspective. It’s kind of similar to us watching game tapes. I might suggest they start filming their rides. I find it very helpful to be able to pause and physically point to something on the screen. It is also helps my teammates when they do not understand what I am trying to explain.

After a few drinks and dinner, everyone went to their own rooms to crash. I didn’t even do anything, and I am exhausted, so I can imagine how much the riders do not want to do anything else for the night. When Trey and I got back to our room, I decided to immediately do my nightly routine. I didn’t feel like sitting down to just get back up again a few minutes later. I head into the bathroom, brush my teeth and pee. As soon as I am out, Trey starts pushing me towards the main door.

“What the hell, dude?” I ask confused.

“Time to switch rooms,” he says matter-of-factly, as if I should know what is going on already.

“Huh?” I am still lost.

“We do this every time we travel. LeeAnne comes to my room and whomever I am sharing a room with goes in with Parks,” Trey clears up the confusion.

“How does Parker feel about rooming with just anyone?” I feel outraged on her behalf. It’s a little unfair that she should be put into an uncomfortable situation because her brother and best friend cannot keep their hands to themselves for one night.

“She’s used to it and just goes with it,” Trey shrugs as if his sister’s safety and feelings are not a concern.

I was not sure how I felt about my best friend at this moment. It was not exactly safe for Parker to room with just anyone, but then again, they only room with other team members, so at least she isn’t stuck with a complete stranger. Before I could come up with a response, there is a knock on the door. Trey twists across me to open the door and let LeeAnne into the room. As soon as she was in, he pulls her into his chest and crashes his lips to hers. It’s as if they haven’t seen each other in years rather than minutes. The s****l tension in the room makes me a little uncomfortable.

Breathlessly, they finally pulled away from each other. LeeAnne noticed me for the first time, “Oh Aaron, you’re still here. Parker’s waiting for you.” Her eyes then went back to Trey as if I wasn’t in the room.

Feeling dismissed, I left the room and walked over to Parker’s room. I knocked lightly so that no one would come to investigate. When the football team travels, we are watched so that we do not change the room assignments. It took a minute or two for Parker to come and open the door.

“Sorry, I got stuck in the blanket and couldn’t get out of it,” she said blushing.

“That’s okay. Sorry to disturb you. I didn’t even know I needed to come in here,” I admitted.

“Yeah, they do this all the time,” Parker waves dismissively.

“Doesn’t it bother you that you just get stuck with someone you didn’t choose?” I asked her as we walked to the beds.

“Nah, its fine and everyone on the team is cool, so we all get along,” she responds.

I shrug. If she doesn’t mind, I guess I should just let it go. Parker lays back down in her bed and curls under the covers. She had the blankets all the way up to her nose and looks adorable.

“What we watching?” I ask.

“Food Network, but if you want, you can change the channel,” she replies.

“Nah, this is cool. I actually like to watch Food Network sometimes. Those competitions are crazy and creative. Do you like to cook?”

“My favorite show is Chopped. Those chefs cook some bizarre dishes with ingredients that I have never heard of. It makes me want to try some of what they cook. I do love to cook, do it all the time at home.”

“Cool, maybe you could come to the football house to cook for us one day.”

“I would love to,” she yawned.

We fell into a companionable silence after that and just watched the show. Hmmm, some of that food does look really good. I might need a midnight snack now. I’m starting to fall asleep when I hear this really quiet snoring. Looking to the bed across from me, I see Parker fast asleep. She looks so peaceful. I lay on my side noticing things that I never have. Her eyelashes are so long that they come to the tops of her cheeks; her nose scrunches up from time to time reminding me of a sniffing bunny, and her mouth is partially open, but her lips are constantly moving, as if she is having a conversation with someone in her dreams. That thought makes me wonder what she dreams of. In my heart, I wish it was me. She often takes a starring role in mine. Her calmness is helping my body and mind relax and I fall asleep quickly.

The next day’s competition was much the same as yesterday. It’s a little quicker because instead of all the competitors, it’s only the top ten in each section. They call it the championship round. Everyone on the MSU team is riding today, so no one got to go home early. The first few events move quickly, and now it is time for the barrel racing. Parker is up, and once again, her and Jack are so fluid, moving as one entity. Watching her takes my breath away. She ends with a fast time again, putting her in first place. LeeAnne knocked down a barrel and had time added to her final score, leaving her in fifth. Trey came in second in the steer wrestling, and then we were waiting for Parker to ride her bull. She seemed a little more nervous than yesterday. She couldn’t stand still and her hands fidgeted a lot, her normal signs of nerves.

“What’s up?” I ask her.

She looked a little surprised that I had spoken to her.

“Oh, uh, nothing. I’m fine,” she stutters.

I know her better than that, “Liar.’

She looked at me perplexed.

“You’re doing your nervous dance.”

Again, Parker looked shocked. She didn’t realize that I knew her so well. What no one knows is that I spend a lot of time watching her. I know it sounds so creepy, but I know more about her than she realizes.

Parker puffs out a breath, “Yeah, I’m nervous. This is a brand-new bull, his first ride. There are no stats and no previous rides to go from. I don’t know what to expect.”

I pull her in for a hug. At first, she is resistant, but then totally melts into me. It’s not the first time that I realize how perfectly she fits in my body.

I whisper into her ear, “Darlin, you got this. Remember you schooled them yesterday and you’ll school them today. You are strong and awesome. Nod if you hear me.” I feel her nod into my chest. We stay like that until I feel her take a really deep breath.

She looks less nervous, and I can feel the air around her lighten. Parker starts to jump up and down, spinning her arms, stretching and loosening her body. It’s a move I recognize as I do that before I have to go out on the field. I smile to myself thinking once again at how much we are alike. The announcer calls for bull riders to go to the chutes, so Parker leans over, kisses my cheek, and whispers Thanks. I watch her gorgeous ass walk away from me. I look over and see Trey and LeeAnne smirking in my direction, a knowing look in their eyes.

“What?” I ask them.

“Oh, come on man. Who do you think you’re kidding?” Trey asks exasperated.

I give him another look.

Trey rolls his eyes, “Bro, you are totally into Parks. What are you waiting for? Just ask her out already. If it’s my blessing you want, you have it. And probably my parents too. They love you.”

LeeAnne is nodding her head like a bobblehead, with this huge s**t-eating grin on her face. I blow out a breath and turn my attention back to the bull riders. Luckily, I am saved from this conversation when the announcer calls for PJ LeRoy. We all stand closer to the fence and wait for her ride with bated breath, but it was not as exciting as yesterday’s ride. She stays on until the buzzer, but her score in only a 68. I watch her walk back to the chutes with her head hanging down. Someone stops her before she exits the arena to talk to her, but she is shaking her head in a negative.

“What’s going on?” I ask Trey since I am not sure why they talked to her.

“The bull underperformed, so they gave her an option for a reride,” he teaches me more about underperforming bulls when he sees the confused look on my face. “It means that the bull did not buck very hard or high and did not put much effort into the spin even though she was kicking and spurring. Parker was doing the correct technique, but the bull just did not care. They offered her a chance to redo the round but on a different bull.”

That sucks for her. I feel bad, but I ask, “Did she take the reride?”

“Nah,” he shakes his head, “She wasn’t out to win, just prove that she could keep up with the boys, and she has done that, masterfully.”

I nod my head in both understanding and agreement. Parker LeRoy is the most amazing woman I have ever met.