It was a Sunday night at the Red Pony; last night of the rodeo. Walt had watched Vic dance with several different cowboys and local young males, one bronc rider had asked her to dance several times. Each time they danced the younger man got more and more familiar with Vic's body. As they reached the dance floor once again the young man placed one of his hands firmly on Vic's butt; drawing her very close. They swayed and the younger man's body rubbed against Vic's. Walt watched them until he could not stand it any longer.
He slipped from the stool and made his way through the people on the dance floor tapping the younger man on the shoulder, "Cutin' in."
The 'groper in the Ropers' complained, "But we just started this dance."
Walt turned the younger man slightly so he could see the badge on his shirt, "Move along."
The younger man looked at Vic then shrugged and walked away.
Walt looked at Vic as she watched the younger man walk away and then turned to face him. She spoke in a very low dangerous tone, "What the hell Walt? We were only dancing. Just dancing."
He held her eyes with his refusing to cave-in to the fear and look away.
Walt's voice was just as low as Vic's but carried no dangerous undertones, "I'm sorry but I didn't like it."
Vic huffed out a sigh and put both fists on her hips, "Well if you didn't like it, why don't you do something about it?"
Walt looked over his shoulder in the direction the younger man had gone, glanced back at Vic, and then started to turn after the man. She shot her right hand out and grabbed him by the belt buckle holding him back. He looked down at where her hand was before looking up and making eye contact with her, the question was in his eyes but didn't pass his lips.
She tugged, turning him so he had to adjust his footing, causing him to stand squarely in front of her. Vic looked him in the eye and said, "Here. Do something about it here." With her last word she gave him another slight tug toward her.
Panic flashed in Walt's face as he looked at her and began to stammer, "Vic I, I, I don't think…"
She cut him off, "That's right Walt, don't think; just act. Doesn't even require any talking."
She had called his hand and now it was his turn ante up or fold. He couldn't turn his eyes away from her, as his heart beat like thunder in his ears, he just stared at her. She stared back neither giving an inch; him because he was frozen in indecision and her because she was too incensed to move.
They stood staring at each other through the remainder of the song, when it began to come to an end Vic said, "Well what's it going to be?"
Walt looked down at her hand that still held his belt buckle. He looked up at her eyes, reached down, firmly grasped her hand, and pulled it free of his belt. For a moment she thought he was going to walk away. Before she could completely process that thought he'd shifted his grip so he was holding her hand and he brought his right hand around her back; holding her firmly but not overly close as the strains of another song began. The song was considerably slower than the previous one. Walt was grateful it was not a really fast song but at the same time he resented the fact it was such a slow song.
Vic felt his tension in the hand that held hers, in the arm that braced against her back, and in the muscles under her hand; it was not subsiding at all. She looked at him and said, "Walt relax."
He looked back at her and said, "Can't."
"Walt you made a move. That's good, you took action. But it's okay, I'm not going to push you anymore. In fact I'm sorry I pushed in the first place."
"I was being an ass."
He was, but she knew agreeing would shut him down or start a fight and Vic was not interested in doing either one, "No you weren't, you were being a man who didn't like what he saw."
"I was…"
She saw it in his eyes but when he hesitated she decided to fill in the blank, "Jealous?"
Walt's eyes fell from hers and looked down past her shoulder, "Yep."
They were quiet for a moment but had also moved a little closer together.
Vic spoke past his shoulder, "At the risk of you thinking I've gone Freudian on you. Did you know that jealousy stems from insecurity?"
"Nope."
"Well I read somewhere that it does and I want you to know I wasn't flirting with him."
Walt still had not looked back to her, so on her final words Vic gently took her fingers and turned his face to hers, seeking his eyes, once he looked back to her she reiterated, "I was not flirting."
She saw his jaw relax slightly and thought maybe the corner of his mouth had twitched up almost imperceptibly as he held her gaze, "Okay."
Vic drew closer to him and whispered in his ear, "I would never do that to you Walt."
Walt hugged her to him just as the song ended. Not wanting to break contact with her but unsure of what to do next Walt released his hold and stepped back. Trying to think of something to say; all he could think was that he wanted to kiss her. He would not do that here or now; no chance. Besides it wasn't the first time he had had that thought, it was just that he couldn't think if anything else at the moment.
Vic smiled at him, "I said I wouldn't push but I don't think this is. Walt, would you like to dance?"
Walt drew her back to him immediately, his hands resting gently on her hips. Vic stepped in closer and rested her head on his shoulder. Walt pulled his arms around her waist and moved them slowly around the floor as a mid tempo song played. He really didn't care if they were moving to slow for the music he just wanted to concentrate on the woman in his arms. Without success he tried to figure out where they went from here. Vic said she wouldn't push, but he worried if she didn't, maybe he wouldn't act; then where would they be?
He tilted his head so only Vic would be able to hear him, "Maybe you should."
She turned her head so her face was against his neck, "Should what?"
"Push. Uhm, I think maybe you should push. At least a little, every once in a while."
"Okay."
"Okay." He felt a sense of relief knowing they would, eventually, move forward.