Pretty Momma's Boy
'Oy, get away from him!' a male voice shouted harshly. 'He's a fiery animal!'
The grey horse jumped, jerking its head up. 'He wasn't until you came in' she snapped back, stepping away from the gelding with a slow, smooth movement to avoid frightening him even more.
When she looked up, her gaze locked directly with a pair of bright blue eyes, which had a mischievous twinkle in them. The smirking boy was about her age, tall, handsome –she had to admit that- and looking her over with blatant explicitness. And to her own annoyance, it made her feel giddy, girlish, as if she hadn't been in this situation a hundred times before.
He came round to her side of the horse, putting his hand on its back in a way that seemed to scream 'mine!'. 'A beauty, isn't he? Australian stock horse, but he's got Arab blood in his veins as well. His father used to be a show horse in Adelaide, and his mother won the local Stockman's Challenge four years in a row' he bragged. 'Very promising, but not easy to handle.'
What a tosser. 'The legs are a bit long. Messes up the proportions.'
He grinned at her remark. 'Got one yourself?'
No, but I muck out stables for arrogant pricks like you, she thought bitterly. 'Yeah, sure, it must be hiding here somewhere!'
He raised his hands in defence, although the smile still hadn't vanished from his lips. 'No need to bitch at me. I'm Alex, by the way.'
'Stevie' she mumbled.
'Stevie…isn't that a bloke's name?'
She would not let him get on her nerves, oh no, she wouldn't. This was not a place for fun, but a place to find work, and he wouldn't distract her from it. Find work…right. 'Well, I'm sorry to shatter your worldview there. But I gotta go now, good luck, see you around.'
'Hang on!'
She turned around again, facing Alex with an expectant look. If she hadn't known better, she would have said that he almost seemed insecure now, fumbling the saddle.
'I was wondering if maybe you wanted to, uh, grab lunch after this is over.'
He was cute when he let the cool guard down. She was very close to agreeing…but she couldn't possibly do that. Leaving Rose with Michelle for the morning to find work was one thing, leaving her for a date another, and she had a feeling that Michelle was getting angry with her. And what was the point, anyway? He'd find out sooner or later. 'Thanks, but I can't. See ya.'
A baffled 'bye' was all she heard from him. He probably didn't get rejected too often.
People had told her that when the baby came, things would change, her entire life would change. It was true, and what did she need another one of those rich, spoiled blokes for, when she had Rosie? She wasn't in his league, anyway, and they were fine, just the two of them.
And still, somehow, she hoped that she would see him again, that cocky idiot, that pretty momma's boy with the bright blue eyes, as silly as it was. Alex.