State Fair

Can You Imagine?

State Fair

by

Reagan Kavanagh and Diana Walker

This work of adult fiction includes adult language and experiences; you have been warned. No offense to any person – living or dead – is intended. © Reagan Kavanagh and Diana Walker, 2006.

Authors’ Style Note: This type font - Yes

- indicates two individuals answering at the same time, i.e., “in stereo.”

“Hello?”

“Hold on a tic, Jancie …I’m conferencing Sammi in.” Janice – AKA, Jancie – smiled at the familiar voice.

“Hey, Handsome! What are you up to?”

“Wait one …Sammi? You there?” Samantha – AKA, Sammi – smiled in turn; this was a voice she couldn’t hear often enough.

“Sweet Pea! How’s it hanging?”

“Still hanging, still waiting.”

“Dream on, Teen Aged Queen.”

“That wasn’t very nice.”

“You don’t like me because I’m nice.”

“You guys hold on another minute …I need to finish taking this x-ray.” He’d caught both women in the middle of their work day.

“Did I catch you two at a bad time?”

“What makes you think that? Jancie is taking x-rays, and I’m just done suturing some asshole’s head after his best friend hit him with a beer bottle. No, Sweet Pea, you’re timing’s great.”

“I thought Jancie had a tech to do x-rays.”

“She does when she’s in the clinic. She’s on farm calls today.”

“Okay, I’m back. Now, to what do Sammi and I owe this august honour?”

“I’m going to have to change planes in Dallas to get to New Mexico. Thought I’d pop in and see you guys. Who wants to let me bunk with them tonight?”

“Can’t with me. I have a horse trying to colic. If he does, I may not even get home tonight.”

“Sammi?”

“Honey, I’m beat. I’ve just pulled a 36-hour shift. Our chief resident has the flu, and I’ve been covering for him. I don’t get off shift until midnight and won’t be home until close to one.”

“You guys still keep your keys spare keys in the same places?”

“ Yes

”

“Okey dokey. So …who’m I bunking with tonight?”

“Ever think of The Crescent?” The Crescent was a small, local-traffic motel on Harry Hines Boulevard. Every city on the planet has an iteration of The Crescent, and he knew it.

“That wasn’t very nice, Jancie.”

“Well, then try The Mansion. It’s a little nicer.”

“That wasn’t very nice either, Sammi.”

“Sorry, Sweet Pea. That’s the best we can do. No, wait, there’s the new W. It’s the new hotel down at Victory Centre.”

“Well, shit, if I wanted to stay at the W, I could just walk up the pier at home. Seriously, whose house can I stay at?”

“Seriously yourself for a minute …have you asked Dani about staying with one of us?”

“Yes.”

“And her answer was?”

“She said as long as it’s one of you two that I stay with, it’s okay. She trusts you two.”

“Does she trust you?”

“There you go, being pissy again.”

“Jancie, when you were finishing up the x-ray, he accused me of not being ‘nice.’ Clearly, he’s in a pissy mood.”

“Oh, shit, not again. If you’re in pissy mood, you’re definitely not staying with me. Sammi gets you this time.”

“You’re never going to let me live down 2002, are you?”

“

”

“Okay, Sammi, I’m all yours.”

“No, you aren’t. Not tonight. I’m too tired. We’re going to the State Fair tomorrow, and I need some sleep. You’ll keep me up talking all frigging night.”

“State Fair? Can I go?”

“Yes, but are you sure you want to start off your state fair experiences with the Texas State Fair? That’s ambitious.”

“Why not? I’ve got you two for cover.”

“Right …you only want to be seen with two gorgeous blondes on your arms. It would do wonders for your self-image.” Jancie couldn’t resist the dig.

“My self-image is just fine.”

“See, Janc? What did I tell you? He’s pissy!”

“Okey dokey, I’m staying with Sammi …my flight gets in at nine, I’ll cab it to your place and have a drink ready when you walk in the door. I promise I won’t keep you up more than an hour. Later!”

Click.

“Did he just hang up on us?”

“Yeah. He’s good at that when he doesn’t immediately get the answer he wants. Make the silly SOB actually shut up and let you go to bed in an hour. I’ll see you at eight to eight-thirty, depending on the colic. Is it my year to pay or yours?”

“This year? It’s HIS!”

“No. Remember we do this whether he shows up or not.”

“It’s my year. Hope the horse does okay. See you in the morning.”

Jancie hung up and looked over at the farm owner whose face had become increasingly intrigued as the conversation progressed. She looked at the woman who now asked a question.

“Who in hell were you talking to?

“Russell Crowe.”

“Oh, right!” If she could only imagine ….

Sammi had been up at six. Getting up that early hadn’t been voluntary on her part. There had been a brief knock on her bedroom door, followed by a call of “COFFEE,” and the door flew open. He bounded into the room with two mugs of coffee and crawled up on the bed beside her, holding out a mug.

“Morning, Love!”

“Are you always this fucking cheerful in the morning? It’s still dark. How does Dani stand you? Why did I have to be your designated keeper for this trip?”

“Jancie was afraid she’d have a horse colic. You got lucky.”

She sipped her coffee as she eyed him over the mug.

“Is that what they call it these days?”

“Now who’s being pissy? Are you always this cranky in the morning? No wonder you’ve never been married.”

“I’m this cranky when I’ve only had five hours sleep in thirty-six.” She grinned at him now, reaching out to pat him on the arm.

“I really am glad you’re here, and thanks for making coffee.”

“Me, too. It’s been a long time. Hey, look at this.” He reached into his hip pocket and pulled out his wallet, holding it up and giving it a shake. A sleeve of thirty-six photos fell out, and Sammi smiled.

They took Sammi’s car. It was smaller than Jancie’s and much easier to park in the crowded lots at Dallas’ Fair Park. Besides, as an emergency room physician at Parkland Hospital, Sammie had the “Medical Doctor” placard to slap on her dash. That allowed them to park closer than six blocks from the entry gates. If they’d taken Jancie’s truck, Russell would have had to ride in the crawl space between the built in medical supply cabinets in the truck bed. The space usually contained dental gags, halters, a twitch or two, and her portable x-ray machine. He probably wouldn’t have enjoyed that a great deal; he’d also likely have hurt himself trying out the vet equipment. Of course, trying to get him into the back seat of Sammi’s PT Cruiser almost required a shoe horn. They did manage to get him in, though not without a good deal of near hysterical laughter on all parts.

“Wheeeee!” Sammi and Jancie looked at each other across the console. Russell was in the back seat and leaning forward with his head positioned between theirs.

“ Wheeee

”

“Wheeeee!” He pointed at the bud vase on the dash. It held a silk rose that was spinning in a circle from the blast of the air-conditioning vent.

“I thought those only came in Volkswagens.”

“You’re right.”

“So how did you get one?”

“A very talented friend did a custom made one for me.”

“The one you brought to the wedding?”

“No.”

“Then who?”

“A very talented friend …and that’s all you need to know.”

“You’re no fun. What’s his name?”

“No comment. Something you might consider learning to say. Try practising that, Russell …No comment.”

“Nnn …nnnn …sorry, I can’t do it.”

“That’s part of your problem, Sweet Pea. You have an opinion on everything and no problem in sharing it with the world at large.”

“So what happened to the two blokes you brought to the wedding? They seemed nice enough.” Jancie turned to look at him.

“They were ‘wedding dates,’ Russell.”

“Wedding dates? What the fuck is a wedding date?”

“It’s a nice looking guy with good manners that you take to a wedding.”

“You dragged them all the way to Oz and that’s the only time you went out with them?”

“ Yes

”

“Hold on a tic. You only had two rooms at the hotel. You slept with them knowing they were single-purpose dates?”

“They stayed in their room, we stayed in ours.”

“You two stayed together, and they stayed together? Are they pooftas?”

“I don’t know.”

“There was only one bed in those rooms.”

“So?”

“Is there anything you two want to share?”

“Oh, geeze. Tamp down your fantasies. No, there’s nothing to share.”

“So …you two aren’t ….”

“No, we aren’t.”

“Well, that’s a relief.”

“Would it matter if we were?”

“I’d have to rearrange my thinking.”

“That’s not all you’d have to rearrange.”

“What the fuck is that?”

“It’s the zipper.”

“The zipper?”

“It doesn’t take a lot to entertain you, does it?”

“Ooohhh, a sparkly!” That was Jancie’s term for anything that caught the eye and distracted you from your train of thought …or speech. She used it a great deal when the three of them were together.

“Don’t be mean. I just want to know what it is.”

“He’s back to being pissy again! Okay, seriously. It’s a machine that we use for contra-flow traffic during rush hours. It puts an additional lane on the outbound traffic side for traffic going into town in the morning and then reverses and puts one in the inbound lane in the evenings. It picks up the concrete barricades that mark the lanes and moves them. The blocks are picked up under its belly and closes the lane …like a zipper.”

Sammi looked at Jancie. She needed directions.

“Where do I get off?”

Russell waved one hand in front of her face. “Right here!”

“Not that kind of getting off, Russell. I was asking Jancie where we get off the interstate.”

“Don’t make me tie your hands behind your back. I’m very good with restraints.”

“Ooohh, kinky! I like that in a woman.”

Jancie rolled her eyes. “I just had to say that, didn’t I? I think you take Carroll …I’ll let you know before we get there.”

Russell looked around. “This doesn’t look like a very good part of town.” Sammi laughed.

“What was your clue? The twenty-five trash bags on the access road or the iron grillwork with locks on all the doors and windows?”

“You’re taking me someplace in a dangerous part of town, and you don’t know the exit?”

“We only come here once a year, Russell.”

Jancie had been looking at the upcoming exit signs. “No, Sammi, it’s not Carroll. That’s going to put us too far east. Take the First Street exit, and stay in the right lane.”

They made the exit and were stopped at a light. Right turns on red are legal in Texas, but Sammi waited for the family crossing with the light; she didn’t consider it politic to run down a family of five on their way to the Fair. The driver in the car just behind them was a bit impatient and honked at her. Russell turned in his seat and flipped off the driver. Sammi didn’t see him do it, but Jancie did.

“Russell, here are your marching orders for the day. Number one – no flipping off strangers. Number two – no flipping off strangers.”

“He’s a bleeding arsehole.”

“Yes, he is, but in Texas, flipping off someone in a car can get you shot. Take a look at the cars in the lot once we park. Half of the trucks will have gun racks in the back of the cab, and more than 75% of those racks WILL have a gun in them. More marching orders …keep your mouth shut. The two of us can’t control a riot, and you have a lot of fans in North Texas.”

“No one’s going to know it’s me.”

Jancie and Sammi exchanged a look.

“ Right

”

“Do you two have to talk in stereo?”

“ Yes

"

"Remember Disneyland?"

“Oh.”

“There’s no cute little tour guide here to keep people away from you and escort you to the head of every line.”

“Oh.”

“Here you’re going to be a part of the milling masses. You have to behave. If you don’t, we’re going home NOW.”

“I’ll be good. I promise.”

“ Right

”

“Why are you two picking on me?”

“Because you’re so easy.”

“Not that the two of you would know.”

“We know you put your pants on one leg at a time, just like every other man.”

“How do you know that? You have a camera in my bedroom?”

“Don’t flatter yourself. You aren’t that interesting!”

“You want to find out how interesting I can be?”

“

”

“You two aren’t any fun at all.”

They were out of the car and walking toward the entry gates.

“Keep your mouth shut. You sound Australian. And do NOT giggle!”

“Where’s your cap?”

“Didn’t bring one. I didn’t know I was coming to the fair.”

“Well, shit. We’ll have to find one, and fast. Did you bring decent sunnies?”

He pulled them from a pocket and put them on with a flourish.

Sammi rolled her eyes. “Russell, you have the world’s worst taste in sunglasses. Do you have someone who makes an extra fugly line just for you?”

“I like my sunnies!”

“They’re ugly, Sweet Pea. Worse, they’re fuck ugly. Take them off. The whole world has seen that pair. And don’t you dare flip me off!”

Jancie pointed. “Caps!” The three made a beeline for a stand selling ball caps. Sammi grabbed one with the University of Texas logo as Jancie pulled one from Texas A&M University off the rack. Russell laughed.

“I can only wear one of them.”

Jancie shoved the A&M cap at him. “You can only wear one at a time. Here.”

“No school rivalry today, Ladies. I like this one.” He pulled a silver and blue one off the stack. It had the star of the Dallas Cowboys on the front. The girls laughed as he slapped it on his head and pulled the brim down over his eyes, digging into his pocket to pay the vendor.

Jancie hissed at him. “What did I tell you about not talking. Keep that up, and everyone in Fair Park will know you’re here within five minutes.”

“Oopsie poopsie!” And then he giggled. The heads of three women standing ten feet away snapped round, and Sammi looked at the vendor.

“Keep the change.” They hustled him off to the coupons stand and then to the Fletcher’s Corny Dogs stand.

Russell leant down to Jancie. “What are the coupons for?”

“You pay for all the food and rides with coupons. It’s guaranteed to keep your mind off how much money you’re actually spending.”

“What’s a corny dog?”

“Today, it’s breakfast. Corny dogs are a tradition at the State Fair. You have to have one.”

“Smells good.”

Jancie kept up her running gastronomic commentary. “They’re wonderful. You slather them with mustard and eat them right off the stick.”

“Try putting catsup on it, too. That’s even better.” Jancie made a gagging sound.

“Sammi will put catsup on anything.”

Russell grinned. “Anything?”

“We told you not to talk!” He didn’t …at least not for the next five minutes. He was too busy with his corny dog. He dropped the wrapper into the nearest trash bin and looked about.

“Hey, they have an auto show!”

“Yes, Russell, they have an auto show. Maybe we’ll get lucky, and they’ll have brought back Chrysler’s concept car from last year!” The looks on both women’s faces was almost orgasmic. He didn’t miss it.

“That good?”

Sammi nodded. “God, yes. If I’ve ever seen sex on wheels, that car was it.”

“Well, let’s go have a look.” He held out his arms and off they went, one woman on each arm, and all three of them smiling.

“Looks like a bloody freight train!” Sammi and Jancie laughed as Sammi spoke.

“Somehow, I doubt the horn sounds like a train whistle.”

“It probably has a wimpy horn.”

Russell giggled. “A woosie horn on a truck that looks like a bloody train.” Jancie had been watching the others standing around looking at the truck, and suddenly her head snapped around with her body following as she stared after a man walking away.

“He used to play for the Cowboys!”

Russell frowned. “Jancie, leave the poor bloke alone. He and his son are trying to have a nice day at the fair. I thought I’d trained the stop-and-stare bit out of you. I know how much it pisses you off when it happens to us.”

“Yeah, but …he used to play for the Cowboys!”

Russell shook his head. “What am I all of a sudden? Chopped liver?” Sammi tried to smooth his ruffled feathers.

“You’re the finest pâté, Sweet Pea, but HE USED TO PLAY FOR THE COWBOYS!”

“Sissy American football.”

“It works for us.” Twenty minutes later they were back outside and walking past one of the many bands playing on the midway. This particular one was just going into “Lady Marmalade.”

Voulez vous coucher avec moi ce soir
Voulez vous coucher avec moi ….

Russell and the women had been walking down the midway – one female on each of his arms – and now he pulled them both close and began dancing them along, singing with the band. When he stopped he looked at them, eyes dancing.

“So, Ladies, want to give it a try? Voulez vous coucher avec moi ce soir? Guaranteed to give you the boost you need.” After the day both of the women had experienced the day before, they were beginning to drag. He was right …it did perk them up, at least in the short term.

“Oh, right, like you could keep up with both of us!”

“You’ll never know if you don’t give it a go.”

Jancie patted the graying stubble on his cheek. “Sweetie, you’re getting a little gray there …you don’t refract as quickly as you used to.”

“Don’t have to refill. I’ve learnt a lot since I was a lad.” He wiggled his fingers at them. They laughed and shook their heads.

“Fried what?”

“Fried avocados …Sammi saw it on the Fair’s website yesterday. I want to check it out.” He made a face but followed dutifully along. It took three stops and finally asking one of the park police officers if she’d seen the stand selling the aforementioned delicacy before they located it. They walked up to the booth and placed their orders.

“I’ve only got one batch cooked up. You want to try them before I cook any more?”

“Sure, but we’ll still take three beers.” The woman got their beer and then put the plate on the counter in front of them.

“We have Ranch dressing, Spicy Ranch dressing, and Salsa. I think the Spicy Ranch is best.” They took her advice, and each dipped a piece of battered, fried avocado into the dressing and popped it into their mouths. Sammi chewed and swallowed before looking at the others. The woman behind the counter didn’t miss the look on her face.

“Do you really not like it, or is it just not interesting?”

“I can’t taste anything but the breading and Ranch dressing. Maybe avocadoes are just too bland to fry.” The woman didn’t cook the other two orders. At least Budweiser never lets you down.

They turned back to watch the various rides on the midway. Sammi’s eyes got larger and larger, and she turned a pale shade of green as she watched one of the rides. It had numerous pods that whirled in independent circles as the entire machine spun all the pods in a larger circle and at a furious rate.

“I think I’m going to toss my fried avocado.” Russell was too interested in the ride to note the look on her face.

“Come on, let’s ride that one!”

Jancie put a hand on his arm. “Russell, no. I’m serious. You put Sammi on that thing, and you’ll be wearing that avocado she ate a few minutes ago.”

“No, she won’t do that!”

“Oh yes, she will …and if she doesn’t, I will. This is NOT a good idea.”

“You two are no fun at all.” Jancie had been moving him along the midway as they talked. She’d been looking up and expecting one of the bodies on the ride to come flying out of the pod and across the midway. She didn’t want to be underneath it when it landed.

The exposition on Marilyn Monroe was in the women’s pavilion. There was a larger-than-life-size statue of Marilyn in the famous white halter dress standing out front. There wasn’t an updraft from a subway vent to blow the skirt up, but the slight mid-day breeze did ruffle the edge of it. Russell stopped and looked, noting the “Women’s Pavilion” sign above the entrance.

“You sure they let blokes in there?”

“Yes …you won’t lose any of your good bits, and you need the overall education more than we do. We had our mothers to tell us all about Marilyn. The museum here covers the broader scope of women’s accomplishments over time.”

“So I’m getting a history lesson as well as a perve?”

“Yes. The perve will get you in the door. Hopefully, the deeper meaning will soak in on you.”

Inside, up the stairs and they wandered through the exhibits comprising the cinematic and personal history of Marilyn Monroe. There were photos of her with Arthur Miller but none of her with Joe Dimaggio. The women looked at each other.

“Wonder why there aren’t any photos of her with Joltin’ Joe?”

Russell looked at them. “Who the fuck was Joltin’ Joe?”

“Joe Dimaggio …her second husband. Played baseball with the New York Yankees. The man wore pin-stripes – almost as well as you do – both on and off the field. She was married to him for a year. They divorced, and she married Arthur Miller two years later.”

“Now that’s a name I do recognise.” The wandered past the display of the gowns Marilyn had worn through the years, all but the famous one she wore at the late President Kennedy’s birthday party.

Russell stood and looked at the clothing as displayed on mannequins. “She was a little thing, wasn’t she?”

“Apparently so …I couldn’t have fit into anything here once I was past the age of 12.” That from Sammi.

“I’d always thought she had bigger tits.” That got him a look from both women.

“She looked bigger on screen, Sweet Pea …just like you do.”

“Ouch!” He wandered further and stopped to look at one of the close up photos.

“I’d never realised how beautiful she was …bloody gorgeous, and those eyes.”

Jancie took a deep breath before speaking. “You know, if I could morph time and have the two of you work together …man, that would have been something.”

He grinned at her. “Ya think? Really?”

“I think …really. Oh, ho ho. Mnumph.”

“How do you spell that?” Jancie stuck her tongue out at him. Sammi seemed thoughtful.

“Perhaps if the two of you could have worked together, we’d finally get to see some real chemistry between you and one of your leading ladies. So far, that’s been a pipe dream.” His eyes cut round as he looked at both of them.

“You ever see The Crossing?”

“I meant acting chemistry, Fuckwit, not biology.”

“Oh, that.” He giggled again; fortunately, there wasn’t anyone close enough to hear him.

“What’s her name? She’s absolutely adorable!”

“Marilyn.”

“As in Monroe?”

“The one and only.”

They were looking at a kid – a baby goat – who’d just taken the red ribbon in competition for cashmere goats. She was pure white with dark pink defining her mouth and four-months-old; Marilyn was absolutely everything you could hope for in a goat. They were talking to her handler. Marilyn was wearing a rhinestone collar, and her handler slipped off the lead as she turned Marilyn back into her pen with two other kids. Marilyn promptly walked over and nudged the one closest to the side of the pen where people could reach in and pet her out of the way and took up its station.

“She’s just incredible.” The handler nodded.

“Believe me, she knows it, too.”

He saw the sign as soon as they left the livestock exhibition.

“What’s fried Coke?”

“Every year the State Fair board meets Labor Day weekend to select new fried foods to add to the menu; the avocado and Coke are this year’s additions. The best ones come back the next year. I saw the fried peanut butter and jelly over on the display side. Let’s go find one. Do you see a sign for it close by here, or did you see one earlier?”

“Earlier. Beer first, though. I’m thirsty.”

Jancie looked around after they got their beers. “I think I remember seeing a booth selling fried Coke over that direction.” They were walking, and Sammi and Russell followed her. Jancie stopped and turned, then started walking again. They were right behind her as she flung out her arm.

“There it is!” Unfortunately, she didn’t realise Russell was right behind her as they approached the booth, and her arm caught him on the nose.

“Jesus, Woman! Break my nose, why don’t you?” They were three feet from the booth, and Sammi laughed so hard she spit beer all over the other two. Russell was still rubbing his nose and giggled at her spitting in so ungracious a manner. The two women in the booth in front of them were close enough to see Sammi spit beer and laughed, then noticed the man rubbing his nose. As his hand came down, the older one’s jaw dropped.

“Oh, my God! It’s Russell …,” and Jancie cut her off.

“SHHHH! Don’t SAY it! PLEASE!”

By that time the three of them were at the booth, and both female vendors stood there, mouths open, dough balls in hand.

“Oh, my God ….”

“Cheers, Ladies.” Mr. Charming turned it on. “I’m having a bit of a lark …please don’t give me away by telling everyone else in the park I’m here.”

They nodded, too awestruck to speak, at least for a moment. The younger woman regained her powers of speech first.

“Jesus! All the visitors get entertained with trying all the different foods and going on the rides. We get entertained by watching people make fools of themselves. We didn’t know how well we were going to be entertained today!”

Russell giggled as he moved up to lean on the counter. “Making fools of ourselves, are we, Love?”

She blushed. “Well, I didn’t mean it like that, Mr. Crowe.”

“I know what you meant, Love, and no offense taken. So how’s your day so far?”

“It just got a lot better!” The older one nodded. “My mom will never believe you were here today.”

“Want something to prove it to her?” They looked at each other and nodded.

“Got your cell phones handy?” More nods as they rinsed the goo off their hands and dove into their pockets. Sammi and Jancie sighed; they’d done this before. The two women scurried out of their stand, and Russell moved between them as they handed their camera phones to Jancie and Sammi. A minute later both women had photos of him with an arm over their shoulders to prove they had met the Gladiator. He had one last word of caution.

“This is between us, Ladies. No telling the others in your stand I’m here, and no mentioning it to anyone until you get home tonight. Promise?”

“ WePromise

”

He looked at Jancie and Sammi and shook his head. “Stereo again!”

“Hey, let’s take a peek!”

Jancie dug in her heels. “No.”

“Come on, it’ll be fun!”

“NO.”

“Sammi? Talk to her, Love.” Sammi shook her head.

“You’re on your own with this one, Sweet Pea.” He looked at the sign in longing.

“Come on, Jancie.” The wheedling tone might have worked with some women but not with Jancie.

“Russell, what part of NO do you not understand?”

“Please?”

She sighed. “On one condition.”

“What might that be?”

“That you don’t do to me here what you did on Leno that night with the carpet python.”

“I promise …I won’t make you touch it.” Well, at least here he couldn’t. The snake had likely been defanged, but there would be no way the owner would let anyone touch his prize. Jancie considered for a moment, then shuddered and dug in her heels.

“I can’t. I’m sorry. I can’t.”

“You’re a veterinarian, Jancie, come on!”

“I do NOT DO SNAKES! Sammi will go with you. I’ll wait here.”

He sighed and bought two tickets. Jancie would wait for them outside in the midway. Even Russell Crowe knows when he’s defeated.

It stood there, just looking at them. He was a huge animal, and even Jancie took a step back when he shook his horns at them. Russell leant down to try and look under him. The way he was standing, they couldn’t be sure if he was a bull or a steer, and then he moved …oh, yeah. He was a bull, a big bull.

“Jesus …I suddenly feel so inadequate.” It was late in the day, and Sammi had switched to Diet Coke as she was driving. That didn’t keep her from laughing and spitting diet Coke all over Russell and Jancie; she seemed to be making a habit of that today. By that time Russell had squatted down, giving the bull a full inspection. He stood and looked at the women.

“I think he’s bigger than Herbie.” Jancie nodded. Both she and Sammi had seen Herbie before he’d been shipped to Oz.

“How many backs did Herbie break for you the first year?”

Russell looked at her. “None. I took your advice. We’re using straws.”

“I knew you were smart.”

It had been a long day and they were exhausted as they trudged back to Sammi’s car. Russell squeezed himself into the back seat again and lay back against the cushions.

“It’s been a great day. Thanks for letting me come along.” He went silent then, saying nothing for at least five miles. Sammi finally turned to look over her shoulder. He was sound asleep, and she whispered to Jancie.

“I think we wore him out.”

“I think you’re right. He probably hasn’t had this much fun in public since before Gladiator. Yep, we wore the little guy out.” His snore interrupted her fond sentiment.

“Well, maybe not so little!”

The End

NOTES

Twitch

A long-handled piece of wood with a hole drilled in one end. A piece of rope is passed through the hole and knotted making a loop. Sometimes chain is used instead of rope. A twitch is used for enforcing a horse's obedience when working wit him on the ground. The loop is passed over the horse's nose and, using the handle, twisted.
Think of someone wanting to guarantee your cooperation. If they grabbed your nose and held on, you would follow them to the ends of the earth.

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