Tuesday
With Ruth in the crook of his arm, Ty searched for something, anything to feed the squirming, yapping puppy. He found the bottle and nipple but no formula, so he decided to improvise. With one hand he did a quick google search finding a recipe that would suffice. He was head deep in the refrigerator when Sugarfoot neighed, startling Ty so that he hit his head against a cold metal shelf.
"Geez Sugarfoot, you shouldn't sneak up on people like that." He whispered.
"Looking for something Ty?" She said quietly.
"Oh! Mrs. Bell. Ruth is hungry and we are out of puppy formula." Startled again, he replied quickly, embarrassed to be caught digging around her refrigerator shirtless but relieved to have her help.
"Well. We can't let her starve. Now can we?" She said matter of factly. "What are you looking for?"
"Well. Puppies can't have cow's milk. So either goat milk or evaporated milk, and plain yogurt, raw egg and corn syrup." He recalled.
"We are in luck." Then she said. "Now, as much as I enjoy a man's bare chest, you need to put on a shirt."
"Sorry Mrs. Bell. Of course." Embarrassed again, he handed Ruth over to her then walked as quickly as he could to the bedroom to retrieve a shirt.
When he entered the dark room, light poured in from the hallway. Amy was facing the door, lying curled into a fetal position on top of the quilt, her knees drawn toward her body, her hands flat, palms together under her cheek, as a child would sleep. He smiled, leaned over and kissed her forehead lightly.
She sighed then stirred. He watched as her legs unfolded, emerged bare, smooth from under the cotton night gown, then she slowly repositioned herself on her back. With a deep inhale, her chest rose, the outline of her taunt breasts visible under her gown. Her pink lips parted letting her exhale escape. She murmured something, then laughed a sleepy laugh.
"Oh Ty." Her eyes fluttered, a smile briefly played on her lips.
He was desperate to sweep her into his arms, to lay with her, to kiss her neck, to nibble her ear. To touch her. Everywhere. He missed her terribly.
Sugarfoot stomped just once outside the room, reminding him that Ruth waited. Hastily he grabbed a shirt, put it on, inside out. Before he left the room, he leaned over her again to kiss her, this time tenderly on her lips.
"Mmmm." She purred in her sleep.
He smiled, then hurried back to the kitchen to Ruth and Mrs. Bell.
"Splendid." She said under her breath upon seeing the expression on his face. She smiled in response, then handed him the tiny puppy and bottle.
"I suspect you can handle the feeding yourself."
"Yes ma'am."
"Good. Sugarfoot and I must get our beauty sleep. Good night again." She said, then turned away, leading Sugarfoot towards their sleeping chambers.
"Good night. Sleep well." He said, happy to be alone, in his thoughts and the suckling sounds of Amy's baby.
Ruthie drained the bottle quickly, then promptly fell asleep on his chest. Though he physically ached to crawl back into bed with Amy, he knew he had to finish her journal. He owed her at least that. So, he got comfortable, opened her journal and began to read.
Amy's Journal Day 94
Whirlwind day today. I arrived at the barn early, just past 5am. We got the horses, Emir, Noble, Snow, Solstice, Zeus and Jameela, ready and loaded for our trip to Barcelona. I was back to my apartment by 9am, showered, dressed and on the jet by 10:30am. And I promptly fell asleep sitting up in my seat. Hope I didn't snore. Sometimes Ty says I snore through movies. Hope he was just kidding.
Though he had read this entry before, he smiled knowing that she was thinking about him as she wrote it.
Once we landed, we went straight to the arena to meet the horses. The venue is huge and impressive. Built in 1897, the 1992 Summer Olympics were held in part there, including the equestrian events, jumping, dressage and such. We spent the rest of the day gently working the horses, easing out the stress from the flight, ground work, hand walks and some Liberty. We attracted quite a bit of press attention when all five SA riders and their horses practiced Liberty in the outside arena.
The team from Spain dubbed us the Saudi Arabian Lipizzaner Team. Alessandro stopped by to say Hello. We had a nice chat. But, I think he mostly came to watch Solstice. Think he was impressed at her improvement and that he had let her go so easily. The team went out to some fancy restaurant, but I had to beg off. I am exhausted.
Amy's Journal Day 95
He looked at the Spanish newspaper article again that was clipped to the page. Mostly he just stared picture, Amy in the center, her huge smile, surround by the team with Ahmed right next to her. He felt a momentary bit of anger and jealousy toward Ahmed.
But Amy had asked him to see it from her viewpoint, from her perspective, so he tried as best he could to let his feelings pass.
I am so glad that I went to bed early last night. At 4:23am Emir's groom called. Emir did not eat or sleep last night and he was agitated, stomping, kicking, even nipping. I was at his stable within 20 minutes, I didn't even have time to brush my teeth. Ahmed, Dr. Antar, the groom and I focused our full attention on him. Physically there was nothing amiss that Dr. Antar could find. So I proceeded with behavioral work, believing that his natural fight or flight tendency had taken root during the trip to Spain. It would not be the first time. So. First, Ahmed and I groomed him, side by side. I made Ahmed talk gently to him, which was very awkward for Ahmed. He gave him a few carrots which helped. Then we moved to a round pen to give him exercise, to work out some of his pent up energies. Ahmed was called away so I continued with some Liberty work. Lastly, I hand walked him. All of which seemed at least to take some of the edge off. I would have given him chamomile to soothe him but the Spanish had very strict rules against even natural remedies during competitions.
Syed took me back to the hotel in time to fresh up for a press conference back at the arena. There was a lot of press there following the El País article on the team. Generally, Ahmed fielded all the questions. But, when he was asked about our training methods, he deferred the question to me. Which was scary, all those people staring at me!! Anyhow, I did my best to describe horse-rider bonding and Liberty work.
But, then a reporter asked how I became the head trainer for the SA team, given the country's all male history and my "obvious" lack of experience. Honestly, I became tongued tied, nervous, and sweaty. I imagined everyone laughing at me and called me a country bumpkin or worse. It was truly horrible, I froze.
But, Ahmed stepped in, defended me, my skill, my experience and the team's success since I became the head trainer. He was very kind and gracious. I was so grateful.
The rest of the afternoon was a blur. More training, more press which so how I escaped any questions. The work day ended at 7pm. Adela and I dressed for dinner and met the rest of the team at Bodega Biarritz 1881, a cozy, dimly lit family-owned restaurant. Eight of us crowded around a small table and shared all these different dishes called tapas. We laughed and talked, it was so much fun.
After dinner, I thanked Ahmed for his support of me during the press conference. He said that he was just setting the record straight. It was a good way to end the day.
I called Ty at 9pm but his phone went straight to voicemail. It was only 1:00pm Hudson time so he must be in class.
But, I did talk to grandpa. It was as wonderful hearing his voice. He talked about the cattle and new calves. I asked about Ty and Spartan and everyone. We didn't talk long, he had to make a supply run. He said that he was proud of me. I miss home so much.
Amy's Journal Day 96
Clipped to the page was a newspaper article from El País. The photo accompanying the article was a close-up of Amy grinning with Ahmed looking sideways at her. The headline was El Príncipe y La Belleza. Though he did not know Spanish, he surmised that the headline said The Prince and the Beauty. Examining at Ahmed's expression, he recognized a look of pure admiration, maybe more. Amy appeared to be oblivious. Ty inhaled deeply, then exhaled loudly.
Morning came early at 5am. We were all excited and a bit nervous about the competition. After our wins in Rome, we were anxious to at least repeat, maybe even better our record.
Ahmed - Emir
Hassan - Noble Cause
Omar - Winter's Snow
Jamal - Solstice
Malik - Zeus, Jameela
Our biggest competition were the German and French teams. Though, there was one Canadian equestrian, Hans Utley, who consistently had appearances at these events. Unfortunately he has no wins at this venue under his belt.
After the first round, Hassan, Omar, and Jamal were in first, fourth and ninth places, respectively. The French team to be took second and third. Germany was edged out.
Ahmed unfortunately did not even make the top twenty. After Emir clipped rail on the first jump, he became frustrated and Emir continued to perform poorly racking up several vaults. By the end, he was visibly upset, unlike his usual calm demeanor.
After the round, I asked him to join me at Emir's stall for grooming. At first he refused to say anything, sullen, seething. Little by little he started to talk, about the round, his poor performance. Then he opened up about his father, his country, and how much pressure he felt to carry on his dad's legacy of winning. He was truly distraught. I told him about my mom and losing her, about how I still ask her for advice when I am unsure or scared, and about how in my heart I know she loves and watches over me. I suggested that he try talking to his dad.
At the press conference, Ahmed seemed to have regained his poise and composure. He talked graciously of Hassan's first place position and his teammates good showings. He pushed off his own 22nd place as an off day. I told him later that I was proud of him, how he handed the reporters.
Got back to the hotel at 7 and ordered room service. I got a burger and fries. Yum but not as good an Canadian beef. We practiced our yoga which helped to relax me.
Ty called. It was so good hearing his voice. We didn't talk about the tour much, he didn't seem interested. But he talked a lot of his and Caleb's horse buy-sell business. I am happy for him.
"I'm sorry Amy. I should have listened. I was selfish." He admitted.
Amy's Journal Day 97
Clipped to the page was a newspaper article with had only a picture of a downcast Ahmed with the caption, Pobre Príncipe ...Poor Prince. There was also a receipt from l' Amant for 800. Looking at the receipt total, he just muttered "Damn."
In the second day of competition, Hassan continued to dominate, finishing with a decisive first place. Omar came in fifth and Jamal in ninth. And. wow. Ahmed excelled, placing 22nd in the first round to fourth in the second. It was absolutely crazy. We had our entire team of the top ten spots in the second round. We were elated.
As a team, we scored third place. The French team took first and the German team second. Though Ahmed's scores were dropped as the lowest score on the team, even Ahmed was thrilled.
Hassan grinned ear to ear when he received his medal for first. I thought I saw a tear in his eye when the SA national anthem played. I am so very proud of him and told him so. Surprisingly, he hugged me.
The team awards ceremony was amazing too, with the entire team, including me, on the podium and waving to the crowd. It was truly incredible.
At the press conference, Hassan was sought after by every reporter, of course, because he dominated the competition. When asked about his win, he said that he owed it all to Noble Cause, that he was a very special horse, that the two had bonded deeply in a short time. Again, he got a little emotional which was sweet.
Ahmed was hailed as the Cinderella of the competition given his turn around from the first round. He just absolutely glowed. When a reporter asked his secret, he said that I told him to Cowboy Up. Funny!
Then Ahmed was asked about the recent acquisitions of Noble, Solstice, and Snow and his strategy. He said his strategy was simply to pull out the checkbook every time I told him to buy a horse. Everyone laughed.
One reporter from the French newspaper, Le Figaro, asked me how I decided which horses to buy. Especially given that each horse that I had selected had not been performing well at the time of purchase. I replied something about the horse's gait, body structure, grace, intelligent eyes. Normal stuff. But I added, each horse in their own way asked for another chance to compete. To me, that showed their heart, their desire to win.
A London reporter made some stupid comment about me being a horse whisperer. I told her that I don't whisper to horses, that I just listen to what they had to say. She laughed, but no one else did. The others just took notes.
When I got back to the hotel at 6:30pm, Adela had arranged for a masseuse for the both of us, right in our room. It felt so luxurious, so good to be pampered after a long and successful few days. All my stiff parts were worked over, even my behind! Lou would be so jealous. :)
"Your behind?" Ty mumbled, then shook his head.
The room had this huge, deep claw foot tub which Adela filled with hot water and lavender bubble bath. What treat!
Andrie had sent a new dress, sandals, panties and bra too. The sleeveless cocktail dress was a printed jacquard of shades of teals and greens with a fitted top and a straight skirt. Kinda Jackie O. While it was pretty expensive, the dress looked really nice on me. Adela said it was a celebration. I wore the SA emblem pin Syed gave me too.
We ate in the private room at Alkimia, Michelin-starred restaurant, which was very sleek, modern and all white. The chef, Jordi Vila, joined us as we feasted from the special tasting menu. The squid and scallops in a buttery wine sauce was to die for. We stayed late just celebrating.
When we left the restaurant, the press were waiting outside. They rushed us and shouted questions. I felt like a movie star. Haha! Imagine that. ;)
Anyhow. Ahmed answered all the questions. I just stood there smiling.
I am exhausted, it's almost 1am.
Amy's Journal Day 98
Clipped to the page were several newspaper articles. An article from Al Jazirah, the Saudi's Arabian paper had a team picture sans Amy and one picture of Hassan. The Spanish article had a picture of Ahmed and Amy grinning, standing side by side with the team crowded around. The headline said, Ella Dijo Vaquero Arriba. Ty did a quick Spanish to English translate on his phone, the headline said... She Said Cowboy Up. The French newspaper article had a solo picture of a very professional and poised Amy with the caption. Elle Connaît les Sauteurs...She Knows Jumpers. The London article showed an unflattering picture of Amy with the caption Self Proclaimed Horse Whisperer.
He was surprised how many articles had pictures of Amy, the team and the competition.
We slept a bit late, 7am, ordered breakfast and lots of newspapers. Over breakfast, Adela and I poured over them. She read the Arabic and Spanish ones to me. The London paper had an article that made me sound like a lunatic who talks to horses. Adela said if they spelled my name correctly so I should take that as a compliment. Nothing more, nothing less.
The competition in Barcelona was great, but I was ready to get the horses to transport, to fly to Normandy and be in my apartment.
I suggested to Ahmed that we give everyone the remainder of the day off to celebrate our wins. He agreed and had me announce it when we landed. Everyone cheered.
After all the activity in Barcelona, I was kinda bored by myself in my apartment. It as a pretty day so I walked all around Falaise. The walled town is quaint, old world, with cobblestone roads. And, because it was a nice day, all sorts of people were outside too, walking, gardening, just chatting. Two old men were outside playing chess. I walked all the way to the Château de Falaise. I joined a bunch of grade school kids on a tour of the castle which was fun. One sweet little boy with dark hair and green eyes held the hand of the young teacher the entire time. I imagined Ty looked like him as a six year old. Very sweet.
Ty smiled.
Funny, as I emerged from the castle, Syed was waiting by the car. Thankfully. I suddenly realized I was exhausted from all that walking. When I got home, I crashed and took a nap. Adela called at 6pm to say that Ahmed was hosting a picnic on the terrace.
We wore sundresses and sandals. The terrace was magical, with tiny white lights and beautiful urns of white roses and sweet pea. One long table with a white table cloth was loaded with what seemed like a million candles and delicious French food. Two musicians played soft guitar music.
At the end of dinner, Ahmed stood to address the group. He first talked about his father, how much he missed him, how he wanted to make him proud, to make their country proud. He told them that his father came to him in a dream last night. That he wanted Ahmed to know that he was watching the entire team and that he was pleased. He thanked me for encouraging him for seeking his dad's counsel. Ahmed said that he was humbled to be on the team with each of them. He toasted each team member individually, thanked us, talked of our accomplishments, our sacrifice. Every rider was moved to tears. Me too. It was truly a wonderful speech.
When I got back to my apartment, I saw that I had missed a call from Ty. So I texted back, but I miss him.
Ty checked, no texts from Amy on that day. He frowned.
Amy's Journal Day 99
Another 5am morning. This morning, a new driver, Faheem, drove me to work. He said that Syed's wife had a heart attack late last night and was in critical condition at the hospital. Faheem said Ahmed's personal jet flew him home. I am so sad for Syed, his wife and his family. I hope she recovers quickly. :(
I remember when grandpa had his heart attack, how scary that was, not knowing if he'd get better. Life is so very fragile. I texted everyone at home, even though it's past 10pm in Hudson, and probably in bed.
Ty confirmed that he got that text. "T. I love and miss you. A."
All six horses did well on the transport back, even Emir. So we had a very light training day to ease the back into their routine. Groom, join-up, floor work, hand walk, a bit of Liberty, then grooming.
I spoke to Renard briefly. He will be at the chateau to see Juliet tomorrow at 4:00pm. Afterward, we will go to dinner and get caught up. I can't wait to see him.
After the day's training and grooming was done, Juliet and I went bareback to find another meadow to do some Liberty work. With the Barcelona competition, we hadn't practiced in several days. I wanted her to be ready for Renard.
Beyond a grove of hardwood, we stumbled upon a field of a solid red poppies. The flowers were gorgeous against the fading blue sky and the tender wisps of high, thin clouds of late afternoon. I halted Juliet just at the edge of the field, so not to trample the beautiful petals but to get a better look.
Just then I wished for the plaid blanket from the back of Old Blue, a simple picnic and Ty by my side. We used to talk, laugh and just be. It's seemed so long ago now.
"Oh Amy." Ty out the journal down, thinking about those simpler times, rubbing Ruthie's head. The little pup squirmed, stretched her legs out then rolled over into a different position. He checked his watch, it was just 2:57am. Picking up the journal, he began to read again.
My mind jumped to the picnics with mom, just the two of us. Laying on our backs, looking for bunnies, ponies, ships and faces in the puffy clouds above us. We picked buttercups and held them under our chins to see if they shone bright yellow. If it did, we loved butter. We always did. Funny. Then we daisy-chained blue, white and yellow asters together into necklaces and bracelets for each other.
I hope mom is proud of me. Miss her so much.
So I picked several poppies, then daisy-chained them together, just like mom taught me, into a necklaces of poppies with black faces, one for Juliet and one for me. Then we walked around the poppy field to a clearing amongst the trees and danced together. Juliet seemed so giddy, free, so happy. I couldn't help but feel the same.
We rode back to the barn as the last light of day drifted to the west. In her stall, I untacked her and groomed her coat to a shining glow and her mane and tail to a silky flow of hair.
I felt melancholy. I know this will be our last night together. Juliet is bound to impress Renard and start a new adventure with Dark Horse. I hope she likes the spotlight, I never really did.
Back the apartment at 7:30p, I really did not want company, though Adela insisted. She had salad and French bread for dinner for us. And one the was table was a bouquet of red poppies like she had read my mind.
Soraya called thankfully, so Adela left. We had a nice chat about school, Maggie's, Hudson, poppies, and mom. I miss Soraya, I miss home.
Amy's Journal Day 100
Ty opened the envelop clipped to the page. Inside was a photo of Renard, Ahmed and Amy with a horse, who Ty assumed was Juliet. There was also receipt for 60k for Juliet from Dark Horse International. He look a deep breath, shook his head.
The day started as usual, early 5:00a. We went through our normal training schedule rotating groom, join-up, ground work, jump fences, Liberty. Everyone was in a good mood as we would be leaving for Antwerp late Thursday night. That competition is three days long as it always attracts more entrants.
At four, I received a call from Renard who was at the front gate. The security guards would not let him in. I forgot to let them know that he was coming. Stupid me. :(
Faheem drove me to the front gate. I was so excited to see Renard so I rode back to the barn with him so we could visit. Ahmed was waiting at the barn for us. Apparently, I forgot to remind him too because Ahmed was kind of prickly, when I introduced him to Renard. So unlike him to be anything but polite. The whole conversation between them was awkward, to say the least. I felt nervous, or maybe guilty, for forgetting to tell Ahmed.
Anyhow, Ahmed stayed to watch. Thankfully, Juliet performed well for Renard. He offered 50k for her, which I was about to accept, when Ahmed countered at 60k, which surprised me. Renard immediately accepted. After all the paperwork, I said goodbye to Juliet then loaded her into Renard's trailer. It was sad seeing them drive away.
Then. Strangely, Ahmed told me that he didn't trust Renard. That Renard tried to hustle me out of 10k. That he was worried about my safety with him. I told him that I was touched by his concern. But, Renard was my longtime friend, that he was my inspiration for Liberty work and that I almost went to work for him in Dark Horse. I told him not to worry. Then he said that he had promised my family that he would take care of me. I explained that my family also knew and trusted Renard too. He said he just worried about me. Very sweet.
"Oh Amy. You only see the best in people, don't you? He's jealous of Renard." Ty said aloud. "He wants you for himself."
At 8pm, Renard picked me up at my apartment and took me to Restaurant Osaveurs. Inside, the host led us to our table. I was surprised to see Ahmed already seated there. He said Hello then thanked us for inviting him to join. I was surprised that Renard invited him given the weird conversation earlier.
Anyhow. The dinner was pleasant enough, Ahmed and Renard both telling stories about working with me. But, I really didn't get a chance to talk to Renard. At the end of dinner, Ahmed insisted that he drive me home. But, I told him that planned to go with Renard so I could spend some more time ALONE with my old friend.
"Good for you Amy." Ty chuckled.
On the way home, Renard talked about their show in Paris and the next one in Rome. He invited me to see the Paris show tomorrow noon show as his special guest. He even invited me to perform with Juliet!! Crazy. I told him that I would love to see the show, but not be in it. I promised I would ask Ahmed for the day off given tomorrow was a light training day.
When we arrived at my apartment, Adela knocked on the passenger window and waved. I introduced them. She said that plans had changed, that we were leaving for Antwerp in the morning. That we needed to pack. She waited on the apartment stoop while we said goodbye.
Then Renard surprised me. He said that he was concerned for me. That he didn't trust Ahmed. It was weird because Ahmed said the same thing about Renard. So I thanked him for his worry, but that Ahmed was a terrific, supportive boss. That I was fine. We hugged goodbye. He told me to be careful and to call him day or night if I needed him.
"Amy. Amy. Don't you see?" Ty's heart was racing, he could seeing something happening but couldn't stop it.
Amy's Journal Day 101
He looked at the two postcards tucked into the page, one from the Cabosse hotel and spa and one from the Museum aan de Stroom. Ty noticed that Amy hadn't written on either.
Another early morning. Got the horses ready for transport to Antwerp, Belgium at 5 am. Soon after, we boarded the jet for the six hour flight. I worked or slept for most of it.
Our boutique hotel, Cabosse, is exquisite, housed in this incredible mansion surrounded by gardens and pools. Our room is way bigger than the whole Heartland ranch house. As usual, Adela and I share a suite but we each have our own bedroom and bath. And, my bath tub is the size of a small pool! I could stay there forever. The ceilings are no less than 20 feet tall, and the artwork is breathtaking. And...This is our home for the next few days.
Adela naturally mapped out a sightseeing plan for us. And given it was a beautiful day, we decided to walk. Antwerp is a picturesque medieval port city with massive architectural structures, enormous town squares and beautiful fountains. Everything seemed to have an ornate flair. Adela said it was the baroque and renaissance styles. We saw so many places, Grote Market, the Cathedral of Our Lady of Antwerp, Rubens (the artist) House and Saint Charles Borromeo Church. The architecture of Museum aan de Stroom was so modern, it seemed like it was from another world a million years in the future.
We went to the Diamond Quarter, or the Square Mile, that makes up Antwerp's diamond district. Adela told me that more than 80 percent of the world's rough diamonds pass through the district for cutting and polishing. It's the biggest diamond district in the world. We just window shopped but oh my gosh. Adela picked out a massive 10 carat ring that she loved. I thought it was kinda gaudy but hey, I didn't tell her that!! But, I did tell her that I preferred mine! My favorite was this dainty horseshoe necklace with diamonds. It was pretty.
At 7:00p, we had dinner with the team at the Dirty Rabbit. :) a restaurant and pub dimly lit, old world kind of place. The food was Latin American, spicy, flavorful. We all sat a big table and share lots of dishes, tapas. The music was lively. Couples were dancing real close and kinda sexy like. We had fun just watching.
When we left the restaurant, a slew of reporters were shouting questions at us. Ahmed handled them thankfully.
Amy's Journal Day 102
Clipped to the page was an article from the Belgium paper, The Brussels Times, with a picture of the five SA riders and Amy in the middle wearing a pretty dress. The caption was Cinderella and the Royal Prince's Court. There were also two business cards, one from Ryan Dean, Head Trainer for Canadian Equestrian Team and one for Clemente Plessey, President, Plessey Warmbloods.
Another early day, 4:45a. Today as a blur, a mix of training, mostly light ground, Liberty and jump work, and press conferences. It seemed no matter where we went, the paparazzi followed us.
"Paparazzi? You sound like Mindy Fanshaw." Ty muttered in palatable distaste. "Did you wear sunglasses to escape them?" He took a deep breath, shook his head. "That wasn't fair."
The main press conference was held in the main pavilion, each team had 30 minute slots to be questioned by the press. Our slot was at 2:00. Unfortunately, Ahmed was called away so Hassan and I had to field the questions, I was so nervous.
Most reports threw us softballs, what we thought of Antwerp, the arena, our odds of winning, our style of training, how we selected horses, nothing really new. So we knew what to say.
Except the last reporter, who asked me why I was the head trainer for the SA team instead of the Canadian Team. Was it because Ahmed and I were engaged?
First, I was taken back, shocked maybe, tongue tied as always. I froze. Hassan turned to me and whisper, "Its okay Amy. Tell them. I got your back." Then I explained that I was engaged. Engaged to a wonderful, supportive, intelligent and handsome man named Ty Borden who lived in Alberta Canada. That I missed him very much.
Ty smiled, glad she set the record straight.
Second, I said that Ahmed gave me the opportunity to lead training for the team after I rehabbed two of his horses Emir and Zeus. When they lost their head trainer, Ahmed had offered me the incredible opportunity to work with this amazing team of riders, horses and support staff who represented Saudi Arabia. I was most deeply honored.
And lastly. Although I have never met any members of the Canadian Team personally, I have great pride for my fellow country men and women and had cheered them on my entire life. That I had deep respect for Hans Utley and his years achieving an outstanding presence in our sport. Then I wished the Canadian Team, the best of luck in the competition.
Thankfully, there was no follow-ups from the reporter. As I headed out of the room, I was approached by an older man in a cowboy hat. Turns out, it was Ryan Dean the Head Trainer for the Canadian Team. He thank me for my kind words, gave me his card and asked if in the future I wanted to work with the team, my countrymen and women, to let him know. :)
Then, later that afternoon Clemente Plessey, a French businessman, also approach me. He said that he had been following my work, was impressed by my talent and wanted to work with me in the horse buy/sell business. :)
Both very interesting contacts!
"I'll say!" Ty added.
Got to the hotel late, at 8p, so I opted to stay in our room for the evening as opposed to joining the team for dinner. Adela went out! I drew a long hot bath, lit candles, put on soft country music, poured myself a glass of orange juice and took a long bubble bath. It was heaven.
Ty and I texted back and forth while I was in the tub. I love him so much.
Ty smiled. He remembered fondly that night, texting about her being in the bath, the bubbles, the warm water around her body, her wet hair. He found the texts on his phone, reread them.
Amy's Journal Day 103
Ty found Amy's paystub inside a white envelope clipped the page. He let out a gasp, he still couldn't get used to her paychecks. But. He was proud of her, her work.
There was also an article from the Brussels paper was attached, with Amy smiling at the press conference. The caption simply said Cinderella is Engaged! Ty smiled.
Payday! Plus a bonus for our last win. Even better. I still pinch myself that I am getting paid for this job. I honestly love it.
First round of competition was stiff. Our rivals, the French and German teams were definitely on their game. The Italian team held their own too. At the end of the first round, we did not have anyone in the first three spots. The French took first, Germans second, and Italians third. :( and, Hans Utley took fourth which I was secretly very excited about.
Omar and Snow finished fifth, Hassan and Noble Cause sixth, Ahmed twelfth and Jamal thirteenth. We were disappointed in our standings but we weren't out, two more days, two more rounds.
At the press conference, Ahmed fielded the questions. The usual questions, naturally. But the same reporter from the Brussels Times asked Ahmed about my engagement. He simply answered, she is very happy with her engagement and so am I. Then he went on to say, she is very talented and we are lucky to have her. Which I thought was sweet.
That night, I joined the team for an early dinner at The Jane Antwerp, a new restaurant in a former chapel of the Military Hospital that had been abandoned for years. The restaurant itself was very modern, clean and sparse with metal sprockets for lights. Each dish was served in what looked like handmade pottery. The food was a work of art, architectural constructed, delicious to the eye, nose and tongue. The chef Nick Bril stopped by our table. We enjoyed ourselves.
The press greeted us outside. Of course, again Ahmed answered all the questions. He repeated his line about she is happy about her engagement and so am I.
Another bubble bath tonight. This may be my new favorite thing.
Amy's Journal Day 104
An article from the Brussels paper was attached, with Amy and Ahmed smiling at the press conference. The caption simply said Cinderella and Prince are Engaged! Ty couldn't believe it.
Adela got the morning papers. I could not believe the caption on the picture of Ahmed and me ...Cinderella and Prince are Engaged. I asked Adela to call the paper and have them print a retraction.
Round 2. We did much better. French first, Germans second, Omar and Snow third, Hassan and Noble fifth, Jamal and Solstice sixth and Ahmed and Emir nineteenth. Four in the top twenty was excellent. We were currently fourth for the team.
At the press conference, a reporter asked Ahmed how it felt to be the captain and pulling down the team with his rounds. He was poised and respectful, but he didn't answer the question. Instead he said he was proud of the team and their current standing.
A reporter asked me again about my engagement. After seeing the article in the Brussels Times, I said that I was engaged to Ty Borden from Canada, that we planned to marry when I returned home. That I was not engaged to Ahmed.
When that same reporter asked Ahmed, he said something like Amy and I are very happy about her engagement.
After the press conference, Ahmed was no where to be found. I know he was upset about the reporter insinuating that he was bringing down the team.
Again I did not go to dinner with the team, opted instead for a bubble bath and room service. I called Ty but it went to voicemail. I texted him that we needed to talk. I am so worried that he'll see the newspaper article.
Ty checked. No text. But there was a voicemail. He frowned.
Amy's Journal Day 105
Ty pull out the newspaper article first. There was only a picture of Ahmed grinning. Caption said Prince and Cinderella to be married after European Tour. He was furious.
Adela and I looked at the Brussels Times newspaper. Again, they screwed it up. I asked her if she called them. She said she did. But that she got the runaround.
So that morning, when I found Ahmed, I told him that I was upset about the newspaper articles. He told me that reporters notoriously get it wrong. That if my name is spelled right, then I am lucky. He said that I was doing an excellent job as the team's head trainer and to stop worrying about the press. I guess I should stop reading that stuff.
Round 3 was grueling. At the end of the round, Omar and Snow were in second tied with the German team, Hassan and Noble were tied for third, Jamal and Solistice in fifth, and Ahmed and Emir on twentyninth. France had placed a first and Canada a fourth.
There was a jump off of between two French, one German, one Canadian and three of our team. It was so incredibly tense. In the end, France came in first, Omar and Snow came in second, Canada's Hand Utley came in third (I was really excited for him though it meant Hassan and Noble were fourth), and Jamal and Solstice were seventh.
Omar and our team both had come in second! We were so thrilled! We jumped up and down. Omar cried tears of joy!
After the podium and the medals, the press conference was all about the riders and horses, thank goodness. Not a single question about my engagement!! I was asked about the team win and Ahmed coming in last again. I said that we were a close knit team and that every member contributed to the win. As for Ahmed, he was leader and the heart and soul of the team.
That night we celebrated at the London restaurant, which was quite stylish and upscale. I had oysters and the lobster ravioli for dinner. Oh my gosh, so good. Ahmed toasted the team with such good spirits. But, I could tell he was down a bit.
We got back to hotel late. I took a bubble bath anyhow. Tomorrow we leave first thing to head back to Falaise.
Amy's Journal Day 106
Another early morning, getting the horses to transport, the team on the jet and a long flight home.
Back at the Chateau, we resettled the horses, with very light exercise, hand walking mostly. The grooms handled most of that work.
I spent the afternoon with Lorenzo then Rein, experimenting with their skill and ambition. Neither seem to be Olympic level jumpers but would be great lower level. I was surprised when Ahmed and Zeus joined Rein and me on our ride out in the fields. He was upset about his inconsistency in competition. We talked about strategies that he could employ. I asked him to really focus on Emir and their relationship. To try to keep all the other stuff at bay. I feel bad for him. But maybe our talk helped. Maybe I reached him.
I got home late and had dinner. Ahmed called to talk more about Emir and our upcoming competition in London. We leave in just two days.
"Of course. He called you at night." Ty muttered.
Amy's Journal Day 107
Inside a white enveloped clipped to the page was a picture of Amy standing in her underwear. It looked similar to the one she texted him. On the back, she had written, Abbott's Phone and a date.
Disguised, Ty muttered aloud, "Who the hell is Abbott?"
This may be the second worst day of my life. The first being the day I found out mom died.
The day started as a normal training day. I stayed late to work with Rein and Redmond in the inside arena. Afterwards, I watched the videos of the horses in the security office. When the cell phone sitting on the desk rang, I glanced at it. The call went to voicemail, I was shocked to see my picture light up as the screensaver. It was the picture with me in my underwear, the one that I texted Ty. It felt like my heart stopped, like I couldn't breath, like I was going to vomit.
I didn't know to do. I had no idea whose phone it was or how they got that picture. So I called Adela to come get me. I was upset, crying, probably a bit incoherent. Then for some reason, I took a picture of the phone and that stupid screensaver.
When head of security, Abbott, came into the office looking for his phone, I confronted him. I told him that I had seen the picture. I asked him to remove it from his phone. He just laughed. Called me a stupid piece of Canadian ass.
Then, Ahmed and Ali, his personal security, arrived. Ahmed asked if I was okay, asked what had happened. I told him the situation. Abbott denied it.
Ahmed took Abbott's phone then called it from his own. When he saw the picture, he became visibly upset. He slammed the phone on the desk smashing it. He said something to Abbott in Arabic. Abbott didn't respond.
Then he fired him, told Ali to send him back to Saudi Arabia to face the consequences. Abbott begged him to reconsider but Ahmed ignored him. Then he told Ali to investigate, to scan the phones of all staff.
Ahmed apologized profusely to me, asked me if I was okay. I said that I was. But, I couldn't look at him, I could hardly speak. I felt so ashamed, embarrassed, stupid, angry, everything emotion was coursing through me. I felt like my whole life was over. I wanted to crawl into hole and die.
Why did I take that stupid picture? Ty didn't even seem to care, didn't even mention it. All I could think was Lou telling me that she told me so, that I am so stupid, so naive. And, Adela telling me a lady would never do that. How could I have let this happen?
Ty was numb, he didn't know what to do, his heart ached for her. She never said a word, never let on that this happened.
Ruth start squirm, cry for food. "Okay girl." He said quietly. He carried her into the kitchen, got the formula out of the refrigerator, washed and prepared the bottle. He fed her as he leaned against the kitchen sink, his thoughts elsewhere.
"Ty? Are you sleep feeding Ruth?" Mrs. Bell touched his shoulder startling him.
"Oh. Mrs. Bell. Sorry. I didn't mean to wake you."
"You didn't. Sugarfoot had to go potty." She surveyed him. "Ty. Are you okay? You don't look so good. Have you been up all night?" She worried.
He nodded. "I have been reading Amy's journal." He admitted.
"Ty? Tell me. Did you read something that upset you?"
He nodded.
"You need to talk to her. Only she can answer your questions, relieve your hurt."
"Mrs. Bell. I let her down. I wasn't there when she needed me. I never asked. I didn't want to know."
"Ty? Did they hurt her?"
He nodded.
"Oh Amy. My poor, sweet girl." Clearly pained, Mrs. Bell then advised. "Ty, you have to go to her. Comfort her. Tell her you are sorry."
"Is too late?
"That's the thing. It's never too late to comfort a loved one, to say you're sorry, to make amends. Ty..." she was cutoff by Amy yelling, pleading from the other room.
"NO. Please don't." Amy repeated. "No. Leave me alone."
Hello Everyone. Hope you enjoy this chapter. Drop me a line and let me know.
New Small World chapter is almost done. It's next.
SBR
Be Safe, Stay Healthy.