51 Reese's Blond Friend
1421 Words
“He’s where we bought Snowflake and Bean,” said Noah as he beamed a smile at Jason who returned it.
“Everyone,” he said to his companions for this day’s events, “This is Jason,”
Echoing greetings resurfaced as each one of them smiled at Jason who looked bashful at the sudden introduction from a large crowd.
“Sorry. Was I disturbing you guys?” he asked, the color flooding his cheeks.
“Oh, no,” Thomas was the one who answered. “We’re just here to have some fun. I’m sure you do, too,”
Jason nodded, a half-smile playing on his lips, “My daughters took the time to pick-up a friend,”
“That explains why you’re alone,” Thomas said as he looked around on Jason’s row.
Two heads popped from the entrance, the other one waving and yelling cheerfully with a cowboy hat.
Noah knew who it was among the siblings.
“Reese, darling?” Jason squinted his eyes, “would you keep it down?”
Lillian, the blond one beside Reese sighed, her boots echoing as she sat beside her father.
“She’s been too excited. She almost cried inside the taxi thinking we wouldn’t make it in time for the bull riding.” Her eyes fleeted on Noah for a second, and it was occupied with recognition.
“You remember Mr. Martin?” her father gestured at the man on the row below him, “he’s here with friends.”
Noah tipped his head in recognition, “Pleasure, Ms. Lily,” he did his half-smile.
Lillian, the elder daughter, didn’t smile with his choice of endearment for her.
Noah thinks he wasn’t doing anything wrong.
But Lillian managed a small smile on her lips, “How’s Bean?”
If only she’d seen how the stallion today.
“He’s better—”
Lillian’s smile widened, and Noah had to stop for a second.
“That’s great, then,”
Reese came into Noah’s view, and she was waving her hands in the air vigorously, “Hello! Sorry I’m late, Papa,” she kissed Jason’s cheek before seating next to Lillian.
Then, a woman who had large, blond curls sat beside her.
Jason smiled, “Diana,” he said.
The woman had the most cerulean blue eyes he’d ever seen in his entire life.
Diana smiled, and two dimples appeared on both sides of her face, her lips naturally red without any cosmetics on.
“Reese informed me late about this event,” her voice was soothing, and when she looked down, her eyelashes cast shadows on her pinkish cheeks.
Noah couldn’t say that she was prettier than Lillian, but when their eyes met, he didn’t know where else to look.
She c****d her head to the side, a smile appearing on her lips once more.
“Oh, Mr. Martin?” Reese said after she tied her hair into a ponytail, “I haven’t seen you in a while. What are the odds?”
“Pleasure to see you again, Ms. Reese,” Noah tore his gaze away from Diana.
The woman lingered a stare on him for a bit before she turned to her friend, “You know each other?”
Reese nodded, “He bought our famous horses,”
Diana looked back at him, and Noah had to mask his face into an unreadable expression as she muttered, “I see…” before she moved her gaze to the arena ahead.
Fitch grabbed hold of Noah’s elbow, his eyes catching Diana’s for a second before he watched the gate of the bucking chutes opened, the bull jumping and trying his best to mount the rider from his back.
It was the longest eight seconds of Noah’s life because even though he was watching the bull mount the rider from his back, he felt Diana’s ocean-like eyes fleeting back and forth on his back.
Noah didn’t like that he was curious why.
After the event, Noah achingly invited Jason’s family to join them for dinner.
Reese was immediately agreed to the idea even though Lillian told her that she shouldn’t be too excited about it.
“Sorry, Mr. Martin,” Lillian leveled a glare at Reese, “she liked… fancy things, such as people such as yourself inviting us out for dinner.”
“Yes,” Jason agreed with his elder daughter as Reese scowled behind them, Diana chuckling a bit at her friend’s face, “be grateful,” he said to Reese who nodded her head.
“I just got too excited. Don’t be angry,” she said defensively.
Fitch came beside Noah, “I am not watching that ever again! I think I am traumatized as to how the bulls are treated.”
He had said it in his native tongue.
Noah looked at him, “Forgive me. He sometimes forgets that he’s in America instead of Italy.”
When his eyes landed on Diana, the woman smiled at him, her eyes lingering on Fitch for a second.
Fitch, on the other hand, scratched his neck, “I’m sorry. I sometimes forget that you don’t speak Italian,” he smiled apologetically.
Reese made an “O” with her mouth, “Then you’re a match for my Diana here,” she took the girl by her shoulders and shoved her lightly in front of her, “she has Italian blood.”
Noah c****d his head, observing the blond who looked uneasy between them.
When her eyes settled on Noah, she blinked.
Noah also blinked.
“Did you understand what he said?” he asked in Italian.
Blinking another time, Diana slowly nodded her head, a curl slipping from the tucked locks behind her ear, “Yes, I do,”
“What are you guys talking about?” Reese inquired as she looked between the two of them.
“Don’t pry,” Lillian warned.
“Oh, I’m just surprised Mr. Martin here can also speak Italian,” Reese fixed him a curious look.
Fitch came closer beside Noah, “He’s also Italian. We’ve been friends since elementary school.”
“Ah,” Reese smiled as she held her chin, “that explains why you guys are so close,” a curly strand fell in front of her face. She quickly tucked it behind her ears. Then, she fixed her cowboy hat in place.
“Diana here lived in Italy for a while. Her mother’s Italian like the rest of you.”
When Noah looked at Diana for approval, the woman nodded timidly.
“It’s true,” she said, her gaze fixed on Noah’s.
“Great then,” Fitch replied back as Diana’s eyes lifted a bit from all her smiling.
“I’ve been to Italy for…” she looked above as if to find the answer on the ceiling. “I can’t recall the exact years I’ve been there, but it was most probably nine or ten years.”
Jason took out his phone to check the watch, “It’s getting late, and I’m sure the restaurants would be fully packed by now.”
Noah moved his hand in dismissal, “Don’t worry. I have made reservations. I will add to the number of seats I had them reserved.”
When he brought out his phone, Jason spoke, “Oh, won’t we be a bother?”
Noah raised one eyebrow, “Why would you be a bother?”
He didn’t understand why they were so reluctant in coming to dinner with him and his friends.
“I insist though,” he stopped himself from looking at Diana’s direction, who, in God knows what reason, seemed to also look as equally eager to look at him as he is to her.
“I told you, they’re bashful people, and they’re afraid that they wouldn’t pay you ba—”
Reese was cut-off by Lillian’s pinching on her arms, “Stop now. You’re embarrassing. He’s a previous client!”
Noah had to stifle a laugh, “No, no. It’s okay. Please, I insist.”
Jason gave him an uneasy smile as he reluctantly accepted the invitation, “I’m afraid my youngest daughter is right. I can’t pay you back right no—”
Now waved his hand in dismissal once more, “It’s not like that. You don’t have to pay me back! Really…”
The night ended peacefully with them having a fun-filled dinner in the restaurant Noah had reserved for all of them.
The bill was split according to Thomas insistence—he, Wynn, and Nancy would pay separately as well as his friends Mike, Fitch, and Nancy.
“Just let us treat you now,” Fitch whispered.
Noah eyed the other family eating at the end of the table with Reese drinking all the wine Noah had bought them, “Then, I’d pay for them.”
Fitch agreed.
“By the way,” Reese said amidst the people eating around their table. Her voice was loud, yet enough to be heard by Thomas and the rest, “If I’m not mistaken, Mr. Martin, you have a ranch somewhere near our farm?”
Jason slapped his forehead, muttering something wherein his daughter could’ve asked Noah more discreetly.
“Yes, I do have.” Noah had his half-smile on his face, “what of it?” he asked as gently and politely as possible.
Diana tugged at her friend’s sleeve. “That’s enough, Reese.”
Reese’s face was becoming flustered. Noah couldn’t believe that she was getting drunk in the middle of dinner. Although, he didn’t mind at all.
“Oh, don’t pull on my sleeve,” she yanked her hand away.
Diana frowned as Lillian made a blank face. “That’s why I told you to keep the wine to a limit.”
Reese was lightly having a hiccup that emitted cute little sounds. She combs her hair with her fingers as she said, “You know, Diana’s father—”
- Writer
