By Another Name

Chapter 11.

11.

LOUIS

 

Turns out Carlos and Anna are somewhere in their 60s, and they're quite annoying right now. They are yelling encouraging words to me from the porch, and egging on Denton to get me off the fence.

 

"No, no.  I really don't want to ride Pouter right now," I say again, shaking my head and staying firmly on my slat on the fence.  The animal is all black and it has devil eyes and I am horrified at the thought of getting on its back. The old ranch caretakers are waving. Denton is doubled over with laughter, and the red-headed girl's eyes are twinkling with a gorgeous golden sparkle.  It's hard to look away from her eyes, and I am afraid my captivation with her is keeping my resolve from coming across.

 

"Lou!" and she walks over to Denton and whispers in his ear.  He whispers back.

"Louis William Tomlinson! Get on this horse!" she shouts sternly.  God, that is just hot, but I am not moving. No way. When I don't move, she walks up to where I sit on the fence, white knuckled and holding on for dear life. She tippy toes up and I bend down a bit to meet her, unsure of what she is going to do.

 

"Are you really afraid, Lou?" she whispers in my ear. If I just tilted my mouth, I could taste her. I think about whether to lie but it seems impossible, as it has for the past two hours as a captive at her ranch, whenever she asks something. I move my lips close to her ear. I can smell her hair, and it reminds me of grapefruit and sandalwood.  I want to push my hands through the length of it.

 

"I am," I whisper back.  "I am very afraid." I am not just talking about the horse, and I wonder if she can tell.  She pulls back a little and looks me square in the eye.  

 

"Well, I have courage for both of us," she says, and takes one of my hands gently off the fence.  I try, and I mean I give it every ounce I can muster, not to let her take my other hand and slide me off the fence and pull me by both my hands toward the creature in the middle of the riding arena.  Her thumbs start to rub the space between my thumb and index finger, giving me a gentle hand massage and its massively distracting but as we get closer to the beast I shoot Denton a look that would kill if it had firepower.

 

"Oh my god, this is precious!" he shouts, doubling over again laughing, completely fireproof. Suddenly, we are standing next to the thing's long snout.  

 

"This is Pouter. Pouter, this is Lou," she says to it.  It actually looks me in the eye.  It blinks several times and snorts.  "What do you say, Pouter? Can he ride?"  and Pouter actually nods twice and bends a knee down.  But with her tap, he rises back up, and she tells me, "I'll ride with you two."  

"Well, that's wonderful but it's still a bit like tandem skydiving innit?" I say.  She lets go of my hands and grabs my shoulders.  "Nothing bad will happen to you, Lou. And you will enjoy every second," and now I am left to wonder exactly what she's implying.  Although, I have to say, this whole afternoon has felt raw and slightly dangerous, and she is open and beautiful, and I would really love to just move on to the part where we shag, and forget all about the devil horse.