Ok, sorry I didn't post a comment on the first chapter, but I forgot and
now that I got some reviews up I don't want to repost it and lose them.
Anyway this is just a story I cooked up after thinking how hot Roger looked
in western gear in the Nickelodeon episode who's title escapes me, but it
was where Doug got put on a western kiddie show. This story is just a fun
frolic on my imagination and it actually could put Roger and Judy (and Doug
for that matter) in ANY age group you really want. They don't have to be
burdened with the forever cartoon age, they could be, but they could also
be in their 20s if that is what you want them to be. I just made them in a
'whatever' age in this. As for the real age thing, toss it out the window.
Disney seriously messed that up and let me explain because if they paid
attention to the reality of the matter Roger and Judy technically are two
years apart age wise. In Nickelodeon's episodes Roger stated he was held
back three years in school. Well, if Doug was 11 in those episodes that
would make Roger 14 since he'd be three years older then Doug. When Doug
turned 12 Roger should have followed a birthday and became 15, but he
didn't, they for some reason kept him at 13 or 14. Judy on the other hand
suddenly gained a few years. In Nick and a mention in the Disney ones,
she's 16. She got her drivers license in the Nick eps and in one Disney ep
Mr. and Mrs. Funnie both mentioned '16 years of parenting paid off.' but
she's suddenly off to college? I don't think she's that much of a brainiac
for that. Ok, so how is it that Roger decreased in age, Judy increased
age, but Doug aged normally? Idiots at Disney screw everything up, but I'm
not going there since I do work for the Rat and he'll probably shorten my
cheese ration for saying that. Back to the story. It's just a simple plot
that Roger's just being a jerk and selfish in his intentions, but as the
night goes on he learns more things as does Judy and everything will turn
out ok in the end. I got the remark from a reader about cutting back on
Rog's bragging about doing Judy. Well, Ladybird summed it up right, Roger
IS a jerk and would do just about anything to make Doug squirm regardless
if it was true or not. Yes, Roger's in love with Judy, but I tried to base
some of his personalities off my real life boyfriend who sometimes acts the
same way. He'd much rather say something dirty or crude instead of being a
romantic, but I know he's not serious. It's all in good fun and I thank
those that wrote me with such positive comments. This should be about a 10
chapter story, but I'm not sure exactly. I had this done last year but my
computer freaked and ate it so I had to start over. Actually, I just went
on from where I left off and then restarted to get to that point. I got
side-tracked and lost interest, but thanks to some kind words as of recent
I got the inspiration to finish and post it. I'm just taking my time and
leave my loyal followers something to look forward to until it is done.
Thanks!
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As the limo pulled up the long drive, Judy peered over the rims of her sunglasses at the huge mansion that loomed before her. "Wow, I think this place is even bigger then yours...or even Beebe Bluff's for that matter!" She exclaimed, obviously impressed and began to gather up her things as the limo came to a halt.
"Yeah, Mrs. Keane's big on horses too. You'll see." He was about to reach for the door handle and open it since his chauffeur was being so slow, but it slipped from his fingers and opened, the driver standing attentively on the curb. "It's about time, pokey!" Roger growled and got out of the car and waited for Judy to join him. He brushed off his clothes and adjusted his hat then smirked as Judy stepped out and went to his side, her glasses still lowered and she was still gawking at the mansion. "Impressed, girly?" he asked, boldly snaking his arm around her waist.
"I believe so," she replied almost cringing from his touch so out in the open, but she knew he was just trying to impress those around him so she reluctantly gave in and followed him to the long set of cement stairs leading up to a velvet rope where a tall, bored looking man stood.
"Invite, sir?" the doorsman droned, holding out his white gloved hand.
"Oh! Yeah, hold on a minute," Roger released Judy and fumbled around his vest looking for and finding a small bit of parchment with golden lettering on it and handed it to him.
He looked it over, gave a casual glance to the couple almost as if to verify their status then opened the velvet rope allowing them passage. "Enter, your hostess is out in back near the pool area."
"Thanks, pal. Shall we?" he asked Judy offering her his arm. She stared at him for a moment then slowly linked her arm with his. She wasn't used to him being this bold with contact out in the open, but yet she also wasn't so used to him being so considerate and polite. It was a nice change, one she could definitely get used to, but she knew that deep down he was still an obnoxious punk and always would be. At least he wasn't faking his actions now and that was a definate plus in his favour.
As he lead her into the house, Judy couldn't help but notice the amount of picture frames hanging in the long hallway. She glanced at them as they walked by and she noticed almost all were of a woman and horses in a variety of activities. Mostly, it was dressage, but there were quite a few of some thoroughbred horses after a race, trophies at their side and a wreath of roses about thier necks.
Impressive, she thought and only wished she could stop and look at them more intimately and to ask questions about them, but Roger obviously wanted to get to the festivities quickly so she had no choice but to follow. She could only hope that during the evening she could talk to their hostess about the horses and perhaps get a few new ideas for a play involving such a life. It did seem like a fascinating topic to say the least and probably would have sort of a romantic theme to it if done correctly.
They walked through a large kitchen and out through some glass double doors and onto a patio where many people were gathered, all dressed in the themed western wear for the evening. Roger then paused, squinting at the crowd obviously looking for someone. He then grinned and pulled Judy with him by the wrist towards a tall woman dressed in a gingham dress and a straw hat. Judy instantly recognized her as the woman in the pictures and she smiled as well.
Just as Roger got to her, the woman turned, smiled broadly and immediately hugged the rich bully. "Roger Klotz I do declare! You made it!" she pulled back and held his shoulders, looking him up and down almost in the same fashion as his mother did earlier and as with then, Roger winced from the attention. "Well, lookie you! How handsome you are."
She then set her sights on the almost mortified girl at his side. Judy never thought she would see the day where a rich person would talk like such a bumpkin and act so hyper . It certainly wasn't what she had expected, but at the same time it was much welcome for now she knew this wasn't going to be a snooze fest. "My my, would ya look at you?" Mrs. Keane stated to her. "You must be Judy? Roger's told me all about you."
Judy felt her cheeks burn with embarrassment. "He did, huh?"
Roger snickered and rubbed the back of his neck hoping he wouldn't be humiliated, but Mrs. Keane just shot him a wink and smiled warmly at Judy. "Yes he did and I must say never did I see such a fine filly as yourself. Now Roger, you take good care of her, ya hear?"
"Don't worry, I wouldn't have it any other way," he found himself saying now sounding like the sap he hoped to avoid.
The hostess nodded and turned her attentions back to Judy. "I am Mrs. Keane in case you haven't figured that out already. I'm also big on horses, but I'm sure that's obvious too. It's good to finally meet you, I did hear loads about you. Roger, your horse is waiting for you in the corral. Why not take your little lady there and get her a horse and then get saddled up. Go take a ride, go have fun. Just don't forget that supper'll be served right before sundown."
He nodded and hastily pulled Judy from their hostess before she started asking a million questions and they'd never get out and riding. He knew how chatty Mrs. Keane could be and right now wasn't the time because if she managed to strike a note in conversation with Judy they'd never get any time to themselves. "No prob, Mrs. Keane, we'll see you later."
"Ta-ta and ya'll have fun ya hear?"
Roger winced and gave a short wave and made his way through the crowd, around the pool and snack table and towards the corral which wasn't too far from the mansion. Judy couldn't help but snicker. "My goodness, Roger, she certainly doesn't seem the type of person you would hang around. I mean she's so not rich acting or snobby. How on Earth did you meet up with her?"
"My mom did her hair at the shop a few times and Mrs. Keane mentioned that she could use some help here while her one hired hand was hurt or something. Of course my mom volunteered me to help out. I was ticked off, but I found out that I kinda liked the horses so even after that loser groom got better I still came here to ride and sometimes help."
Judy arched her eyebrows and stopped walking forcing him to stop as well. "You? You came here to actually help someone? For how much money?" she added sarcastically with a smirk.
He shrugged and started to walk again and muttered quietly, "For nothing really...just get to use the horses when I wanna."
Judy blinked in surprise behind her sunglasses. "Are you feeling ill or something? I didn't think you would do anything that didn't involved money or some kind of payment."
Roger didn't answer for a bit and at first Judy thought she struck a nerve and maybe he wasn't fully giving her all the details like perhaps he was the one that hurt the groomsman and working here was his payoff for the damages or lost time. After a few moments he softly replied, "I just like to ride, that's all. It's relaxing."
Judy smiled to herself and didn't comment although she was bursting to say something sarcastic. Instead she just nodded, but inside her mind things suddenly shifted. Could it be that the bully really did have a soft side to him that she never observed? Granted, the young man had loads of talents ranging from guitar playing, painting, and the occasional ballet dancing, although that depended on his role, but she never thought that he'd turn out to be an animal lover as well. All their time together and she still didn't even know him to the fullest.
She sighed a bit and that caught Roger's attention. He glanced at her, but didn't question it. He just assumed that she was becoming bored. "Umm...you ever ride a horse, girly?" he asked hoping to break the silence between them.
"Once or twice, but it wasn't a big deal." She then looked up and saw the corral and the few horses that were roaming around in it. Actually, what she rode were ponies at one of her childhood birthday parties, but she wasn't about to tell Roger that and come out looking like a fool.
Roger pulled his arm from hers and put his index finger and thumb into his mouth and let out an earsplitting whistle. In response a large black horse with a white zig-zag stripe down his face whinnied back. "Good, she did bring out Zeus after all," he said with a snicker and quickened his pace towards the horses in the corral.
"Zeus?" Judy laughed as she followed him. "Don't tell me you named him?"
"No way. Mrs. Keane names all her horses. I used to ride one named Hermes, but he was much too fast and a bully at times so Mrs. Keane sent him off to get trained for some hack horse races at county fairs and junk. Zeus here sorta chose me as his rider...just came up to me one day and just follwed me around."
Judy quirked a brow as Roger climbed onto the fence and stroked the black horse's muzzle. "And which of these fine steeds shall I have the pleasure of riding?" she inquired, reaching out to touch the sleek neck of Zeus then couldn't help but snicker to herself thinking about Roger being bullied by a horse. A bully being bested by another bully, too funny, she thought.
"Oh! I think I'll get you Zeus' newest friend, Hera."
That got a snort laughter out of Judy, but she clamped her hand over her mouth to stifle it. "Someone really was up on their Greek mythology weren't they? Maybe a bit too much?"
Roger shot her an annoyed and slightly hurt look. "If it weren't for these dopey names I wouldn't have got an interest in myths and probably wouldn't have aced that stupid essay I had to do for my creative writing class. Besides a few spelling mistakes I did really good."
Judy lowered her head a bit knowing this time she really hit a nerve with him this time. He's been trying so hard to improve academically for her and all she did was shoot him down, half the time without knowing it. "Well, ahhh, where is this Hera at? I would really like to see her and get going on a trail ride with you. If that's all right?"
He glared at her and at first she thought he was going to tell her he wasn't in the mood anymore, but a smirk appeared on his face and he nodded. "Yeah, that's all right. Now, let's find your horse and get her and Zeus saddled." Roger jumped off the fence and patted his hand on the top rail making Zeus follow him to the gate. He then opened it and reached up to grab the horse's halter. "Here, hold him like this and I'll go get Hera."
Judy took the halter and watched as Roger went into the corral and up to a dainty white mare, patted her neck, and brought her to where Judy waited with Zeus. She smiled and exchanged horses with Roger. "Well, aren't you the pretty one?" she asked the horse, getting a nuzzle against her arm in return. Judy then looked at Roger over the rims of her sunglasses. "Now we have the horses, but what next? They aren't exactly saddled and ready to go and I don't see any stable hands around to help us."
Roger snickered and began to lead his horse towards the stables. "We don't need one of those losers, girly. I can do it myself and show you how if you want."
"You? You know how to tack a horse?" she questioned with an amused tone.
He shot her a nasty look, but continued walking. "There's a lot you don't know about me, girly girl. Maybe someday you'll give me that chance to show you if I deem worthy enough for you," he replied in a way mocking her manner of speaking.
Judy chewed on her lower lip after hearing the offended tone in his voice. She didn't mean to upset him, but it was just that she wasn't used to the rich punk being so knowledgeable on mundane things like saddling a horse or liking those it for that matter. Seeing she insulted him, Judy knew now wasn't the time to question his other interests or abilities because he would only be a smart-ass. Hoping to break the uncomfortable moment between them she did asked, "So, what makes Zeus so special to you anyway? I mean, I'm sure you have your pick of steeds, but why him after Hermes? I know he sort of chose you, but you could have shooed him away."
At first she thought he wasn't going to answer since it was a stupid and quickly thought up question on her part, but slowly and softly he responded. "Before Hermes I used to ride one named Apollo. Apollo went lame, though. He was super fast and a neat dappled gray in colour. He ran himself totally into the ground so they put him out to pasture. He's here someplace, but not for riding. I then got Hermes and he had his need for speed drama. With the bad luck I seemed to be having with horses I didn't think I'd ever get a good one again. Zeus sort of adopted me and we've been pals ever since." Judy just nodded and said nothing as she was still displeased with herself for teasing him. "Well, let's get these horses ready so we can get out of here and start having some fun," Roger told her, a sudden uplift in his voice and he nudged her in the side.
"That sounds very good to me. What would you like me to do?" Judy questioned with a laugh as Hera butted her playfully with her head. Judy patted the mare's neck and got pushed again. "What is she doing, Roger?"
However, Roger was all ready gone and coming back with a saddle that he put on a post then turned his attentions to Judy and Hera. "Eh, she's just eager to get out of here, that's all. It's not every day that she gets to be ridden by the most prettiest girl around." Seeing he blurted that out he quickly made his way back to Zeus and grabbed a blanket off a peg hoping to distract Judy from his comment.
"Umm...you gotta put the blanket up here on the withers then drag it down along the horse's back so the hairs lay smooth under it," Roger quipped and demonstrated. He was obviously flustered by what he had said and he hoped that Judy didn't hear, but she did. However, she maintained her somber attitude and ignored the comment, or so she thought. The compliment Roger blurted out did way more to her then she was letting on to both him and herself. At first she was rather bored in watching him show her how to properly prepare a horse for a ride and on checking the hooves for stones or anything lodged in the area strangely called a frog.
However, when Roger pulled the saddle off the post where it rested and carried it to Zeus, Judy suddenly noticed how well formed Roger's muscle definition was. She blinked behind her sunglasses. That couldn't be right he was far too young to be built like that! Still, the vision remained. Roger was very muscular under his gray shirt, biceps were well formed and his chest was highly defined. He felt eyes looking at him and as he lifted his head his hair was suddenly long and flowing past his shoulders. How could this be?
Judy squeezed her eyes shut and when she reopened them Roger was standing before her, his shirt suddenly gone, muscles in full view that were quite developed and rippling. He was taller then she remembered as well and so stunningly gorgeous that she found it hard to turn away or resist. "Are ya learnin' anything, girly?" he asked her seductively, bending down close to her, his nose almost touching hers. Numbly she nodded as he picked her up into his arms. "Good, now let me teach you why suede is not a good idea to wear when taking a tussle in the hay. So, pay attention!"
Judy furrowed her brow as he shouted and looked up at her seducer and instead of the mature and powerful Roger with flowing hair it was the regular cocky punk standing before her, an impatient leer on his face. "Huh? Wh-what?" she stammered, feeling highly embarrassed by what she was thinking and hoping she didn't say or do anything out of context in front of Roger.
He rubbed the back of his neck and sighed, slightly irritated by her sudden aloofness. "Joeycookamonga girly, pay attention! I ain't teaching you all this junk to waste my breath and hear myself talk ya know."
She blushed more and turned her attention to her skirt and started brushing at it then suddenly realized it was suede and that made her blush again as she thought back to her little dream sequence. What in the world made her lapse off into some childish fantasy and of Roger of all people? Her feelings were strong for him, but not like that! No matter, it must have been the scent of the hay surrounding them or maybe the leather from all the tack or even the fumes from the saddle soap that caused such a strange hallucination.
Or maybe it was the fact that Roger actually knew what he was talking about, was skillful in what he was doing and had a small rivulet of sweat trailing down the side of his face giving him an almost rugged appearance. Judy stared at him for a moment and suddenly began to feel slightly warmer then usual. Uncomfortably she tugged at the collar of her blouse and muttered, "Uhhh...well, that was all so informative, but I do believe we should be heading on our way. I'm starting to get quite hot...I mean parched! I could use a cool drink most definately."
Roger smirked at her and pulled her away from Hera and led her into the tack room. "Not until you showed me how much you were paying attention by tacking your own horse."
"Tack my own horse? Roger, that's insane. I'm wearing suede so I don't think that's a good idea for me," she protested, but didn't resist him handing her a small saddle and blanket.
"You'll live. Now, come on, I'm thirsty as well," Roger snickered and grabbed a bridle and walked out of the room and back towards Hera leaving Judy standing in the doorway still not quite sure what to make of her fantasy or why Roger was making her saddle up Hera. With a frustrated sigh Judy followed him and dropped the saddle on the post near her ride. "There, now what?"
"Whaddya mean now what? Didn't you learn anything when I was getting Zeus ready to ride? You were gawkin' at me long enough. I'm sure something had to sink into that head of yours."
Judy suddenly blushed taken by surprise that Roger even noticed that she was staring at him while he was getting Zeus saddled up. She wasn't even going to attempt to figure it out or dwell on it for that matter. Shooting him a nasty look she grabbed the blanket off the saddle and put it on Hera's back. "I know exactly what you did. Remember, I'm an actress and I can study and remember minor details since that is essential to memorizing plays and lines."
Roger just rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Quit the yap and prove it to me then, girly."
She blinked behind her glasses at his sudden attitude and tone of voice, but seeing a sly smirk spread on his face she knew he was just taunting her into doing what she was supposed to do. That was one thing that was growing on her about him was his ability to tease someone just enough to motivate them to do something. Although it was mostly only with her, she could imagine him being very persuasive when he'd get into trouble and getting out of it.
Showing that she did hear what he was telling her about the horses, well, at least some of it anyway, Judy placed the blanket neatly on Hera's back and smoothed it down before she got the saddle. Even though it was light enough to pick up, she didn't realize it was just a bit heavy to actually lift up and put on the horse. Roger watched her for a moment as she struggled before he stepped forward and helped her. She was just about to snap at him, telling him she could do it herself, but that powerful man from her fantasy came back to her, gently assisting her with a heart warming smile.
Maybe she was looking at Roger in the wrong light after all the years of knowing him. The fantasy was probably her mind's way of telling her he could be possibly everything she wanted if only given the chance. Taking a breath to calm herself, Judy allowed him to lift the heavy saddle onto the horse's back. "Thank you," she said quietly and reached under Hera's belly for the strap on the saddle. She pulled it up and into the buckle and then felt Roger's hand on hers.
She jumped, but he just smiled at her, "Gotta pull it tight, girly. Horses like to hold their breath during this for some reason. You're not gonna hurt her and as long as you can get about three fingers between her belly and the strap you know it's just fine." He pulled the strap for her and demonstrated how lose it should be so the horse wouldn't be too uncomfortable.
Reaching behind him he then handed Judy the bridle. "You can do this yourself I think."
Judy patted the white horse then moved the bridle up to the top of the horse's head and pushed her down slightly while positioning the bit in front of Hera's mouth. Hera was so calm and gentle she just stood quietly while Judy attempted to do this to her. The horse snorted when it was over, adjusted the bit in her mouth and gave a slight toss of her head with a stamp of her back foot almost as if saying hurry up, it's not that difficult. Judy smirked, "You sound like my mother. Always rushing me to do something I'm not sure about."
Roger couldn't help but laugh. "You knew what she said? Oh man, I'm dating Dr. Doolittle!"
That comment made Judy blush, but she completed her task none-the-less. "To hear all one must do is listen! Anyway, did I pass?" she asked the smirking punk at her side.
Roger looked over the straps on the bridle and saddle then nodded, "You just gotta check her hooves and we'll be all set to ride on outta here."
Judy ran her hand down the horse's front leg until she got to the fetlock and tickled the horse slightly there making Hera lift her leg for Judy to hold it and examine the hoof. She smiled to herself seeing that the hoof was fine and clear of any problems so she set it down and repeated the action on the remaining three hooves.
As she completed her job, a dusty farm hand appeared. She smiled slightly at him and then walked around to Hera's left side and patted her neck. It was then that she saw Roger glaring hatefully at the man. He was practically bristling just looking at him and she wondered what was wrong.
"Ya'll need any help?" the man inquired gently returning the soft smile Judy had given him, but he was purposely avoiding contact with Roger's eyes and it was obvious they weren't exactly fond of each other.
Roger snarled at him, "Does it look like we need any help now you loser?" He then realized what he had said and in what tone and almost instantly he felt Judy's eyes burning an imaginary hole in the back of his head as she stared at him through her dark sunglasses. This wasn't how he was supposed to impress her! Insulting people for no good reason wasn't the plan to fully win her and he possibly just blew it all in such a big way by saying something so stupid. He flinched, cleared his throat and replied. "Why, uhhh no, Larry. We're quite fine, thank you. Please excuse us, we are off for a bit of riding before Mrs. Keane's dinner begins. Good night."
Larry warily looked at Roger almost expecting the rich punk to haul off and slug him, but all he got from him was a phony crooked smile. Giving Judy a slight nod, Larry slunk backwards and disappeared back the way he had originally came.
Feeling proud of himself for how he handled things, Roger puffed out his chest and grinned broadly at Judy almost seeming to try and turn on his fake attitude towards Larry onto her. "Shall we be off then, my sweet?"
Although Judy didn't appreciate Roger's treatment of Larry, she didn't let it show. She was very disappointed with him to say the least, but kept her comments to herself. He was trying so hard to be good and that was obvious, but it seemed almost painful for him not to get his ego inflated or to not insult someone. Still he was allowed one mistake so she decided to let this all be pushed aside and forgotten.
Judy sighed and mounted her steed, her hands gripping the reins as she adjusted her seat. It wasn't exactly easy to sit on a horse while wearing a skirt, but she managed. It also was a big change in the little ponies she rode long ago. Judy lightly squeezed her legs against Hera's sides and prodded her into a walk. "Well, where are we off to then, Rog?" she simply asked doing her best to maintain her composure.
He shrugged and climbed aboard Zeus. "Eh, we can just let the horses take us where they want. The trail is a bit long from here to where she's going to have the party set up. Believe me, Mrs. Keane's got a lot of land and loads of barns and junk. If you think what you saw now was big, wait'll you get a sight of what is past the trees ahead. This area is just the corral and tack room area with a few little stalls for something like an emergency. Mrs. Keane still got rows of stables, feed barns and barns where she stores her equipment and junk. You'll see, if you can catch me!" and with that Roger poked Zeus' flanks with the heels of his boots prodding him into a brisk trot.
"Catch you? Dream on dear Roger, it should be more like you need to catch me!" She shouted after him and goaded her horse into a swift run that took her past Roger and Zeus. Roger shouted something behind her, but that only made her coax Hera into a faster run. Now she knew that this was going to make Roger chase her, but that is what she wanted. If he wanted to race her, then that's exactly what she was going to do for him. She knew her horsemanship skills weren't all that fantastic, but they were good enough and she started to realize that what she needed to allow herself to have already was fun.
To be continued....
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As the limo pulled up the long drive, Judy peered over the rims of her sunglasses at the huge mansion that loomed before her. "Wow, I think this place is even bigger then yours...or even Beebe Bluff's for that matter!" She exclaimed, obviously impressed and began to gather up her things as the limo came to a halt.
"Yeah, Mrs. Keane's big on horses too. You'll see." He was about to reach for the door handle and open it since his chauffeur was being so slow, but it slipped from his fingers and opened, the driver standing attentively on the curb. "It's about time, pokey!" Roger growled and got out of the car and waited for Judy to join him. He brushed off his clothes and adjusted his hat then smirked as Judy stepped out and went to his side, her glasses still lowered and she was still gawking at the mansion. "Impressed, girly?" he asked, boldly snaking his arm around her waist.
"I believe so," she replied almost cringing from his touch so out in the open, but she knew he was just trying to impress those around him so she reluctantly gave in and followed him to the long set of cement stairs leading up to a velvet rope where a tall, bored looking man stood.
"Invite, sir?" the doorsman droned, holding out his white gloved hand.
"Oh! Yeah, hold on a minute," Roger released Judy and fumbled around his vest looking for and finding a small bit of parchment with golden lettering on it and handed it to him.
He looked it over, gave a casual glance to the couple almost as if to verify their status then opened the velvet rope allowing them passage. "Enter, your hostess is out in back near the pool area."
"Thanks, pal. Shall we?" he asked Judy offering her his arm. She stared at him for a moment then slowly linked her arm with his. She wasn't used to him being this bold with contact out in the open, but yet she also wasn't so used to him being so considerate and polite. It was a nice change, one she could definitely get used to, but she knew that deep down he was still an obnoxious punk and always would be. At least he wasn't faking his actions now and that was a definate plus in his favour.
As he lead her into the house, Judy couldn't help but notice the amount of picture frames hanging in the long hallway. She glanced at them as they walked by and she noticed almost all were of a woman and horses in a variety of activities. Mostly, it was dressage, but there were quite a few of some thoroughbred horses after a race, trophies at their side and a wreath of roses about thier necks.
Impressive, she thought and only wished she could stop and look at them more intimately and to ask questions about them, but Roger obviously wanted to get to the festivities quickly so she had no choice but to follow. She could only hope that during the evening she could talk to their hostess about the horses and perhaps get a few new ideas for a play involving such a life. It did seem like a fascinating topic to say the least and probably would have sort of a romantic theme to it if done correctly.
They walked through a large kitchen and out through some glass double doors and onto a patio where many people were gathered, all dressed in the themed western wear for the evening. Roger then paused, squinting at the crowd obviously looking for someone. He then grinned and pulled Judy with him by the wrist towards a tall woman dressed in a gingham dress and a straw hat. Judy instantly recognized her as the woman in the pictures and she smiled as well.
Just as Roger got to her, the woman turned, smiled broadly and immediately hugged the rich bully. "Roger Klotz I do declare! You made it!" she pulled back and held his shoulders, looking him up and down almost in the same fashion as his mother did earlier and as with then, Roger winced from the attention. "Well, lookie you! How handsome you are."
She then set her sights on the almost mortified girl at his side. Judy never thought she would see the day where a rich person would talk like such a bumpkin and act so hyper . It certainly wasn't what she had expected, but at the same time it was much welcome for now she knew this wasn't going to be a snooze fest. "My my, would ya look at you?" Mrs. Keane stated to her. "You must be Judy? Roger's told me all about you."
Judy felt her cheeks burn with embarrassment. "He did, huh?"
Roger snickered and rubbed the back of his neck hoping he wouldn't be humiliated, but Mrs. Keane just shot him a wink and smiled warmly at Judy. "Yes he did and I must say never did I see such a fine filly as yourself. Now Roger, you take good care of her, ya hear?"
"Don't worry, I wouldn't have it any other way," he found himself saying now sounding like the sap he hoped to avoid.
The hostess nodded and turned her attentions back to Judy. "I am Mrs. Keane in case you haven't figured that out already. I'm also big on horses, but I'm sure that's obvious too. It's good to finally meet you, I did hear loads about you. Roger, your horse is waiting for you in the corral. Why not take your little lady there and get her a horse and then get saddled up. Go take a ride, go have fun. Just don't forget that supper'll be served right before sundown."
He nodded and hastily pulled Judy from their hostess before she started asking a million questions and they'd never get out and riding. He knew how chatty Mrs. Keane could be and right now wasn't the time because if she managed to strike a note in conversation with Judy they'd never get any time to themselves. "No prob, Mrs. Keane, we'll see you later."
"Ta-ta and ya'll have fun ya hear?"
Roger winced and gave a short wave and made his way through the crowd, around the pool and snack table and towards the corral which wasn't too far from the mansion. Judy couldn't help but snicker. "My goodness, Roger, she certainly doesn't seem the type of person you would hang around. I mean she's so not rich acting or snobby. How on Earth did you meet up with her?"
"My mom did her hair at the shop a few times and Mrs. Keane mentioned that she could use some help here while her one hired hand was hurt or something. Of course my mom volunteered me to help out. I was ticked off, but I found out that I kinda liked the horses so even after that loser groom got better I still came here to ride and sometimes help."
Judy arched her eyebrows and stopped walking forcing him to stop as well. "You? You came here to actually help someone? For how much money?" she added sarcastically with a smirk.
He shrugged and started to walk again and muttered quietly, "For nothing really...just get to use the horses when I wanna."
Judy blinked in surprise behind her sunglasses. "Are you feeling ill or something? I didn't think you would do anything that didn't involved money or some kind of payment."
Roger didn't answer for a bit and at first Judy thought she struck a nerve and maybe he wasn't fully giving her all the details like perhaps he was the one that hurt the groomsman and working here was his payoff for the damages or lost time. After a few moments he softly replied, "I just like to ride, that's all. It's relaxing."
Judy smiled to herself and didn't comment although she was bursting to say something sarcastic. Instead she just nodded, but inside her mind things suddenly shifted. Could it be that the bully really did have a soft side to him that she never observed? Granted, the young man had loads of talents ranging from guitar playing, painting, and the occasional ballet dancing, although that depended on his role, but she never thought that he'd turn out to be an animal lover as well. All their time together and she still didn't even know him to the fullest.
She sighed a bit and that caught Roger's attention. He glanced at her, but didn't question it. He just assumed that she was becoming bored. "Umm...you ever ride a horse, girly?" he asked hoping to break the silence between them.
"Once or twice, but it wasn't a big deal." She then looked up and saw the corral and the few horses that were roaming around in it. Actually, what she rode were ponies at one of her childhood birthday parties, but she wasn't about to tell Roger that and come out looking like a fool.
Roger pulled his arm from hers and put his index finger and thumb into his mouth and let out an earsplitting whistle. In response a large black horse with a white zig-zag stripe down his face whinnied back. "Good, she did bring out Zeus after all," he said with a snicker and quickened his pace towards the horses in the corral.
"Zeus?" Judy laughed as she followed him. "Don't tell me you named him?"
"No way. Mrs. Keane names all her horses. I used to ride one named Hermes, but he was much too fast and a bully at times so Mrs. Keane sent him off to get trained for some hack horse races at county fairs and junk. Zeus here sorta chose me as his rider...just came up to me one day and just follwed me around."
Judy quirked a brow as Roger climbed onto the fence and stroked the black horse's muzzle. "And which of these fine steeds shall I have the pleasure of riding?" she inquired, reaching out to touch the sleek neck of Zeus then couldn't help but snicker to herself thinking about Roger being bullied by a horse. A bully being bested by another bully, too funny, she thought.
"Oh! I think I'll get you Zeus' newest friend, Hera."
That got a snort laughter out of Judy, but she clamped her hand over her mouth to stifle it. "Someone really was up on their Greek mythology weren't they? Maybe a bit too much?"
Roger shot her an annoyed and slightly hurt look. "If it weren't for these dopey names I wouldn't have got an interest in myths and probably wouldn't have aced that stupid essay I had to do for my creative writing class. Besides a few spelling mistakes I did really good."
Judy lowered her head a bit knowing this time she really hit a nerve with him this time. He's been trying so hard to improve academically for her and all she did was shoot him down, half the time without knowing it. "Well, ahhh, where is this Hera at? I would really like to see her and get going on a trail ride with you. If that's all right?"
He glared at her and at first she thought he was going to tell her he wasn't in the mood anymore, but a smirk appeared on his face and he nodded. "Yeah, that's all right. Now, let's find your horse and get her and Zeus saddled." Roger jumped off the fence and patted his hand on the top rail making Zeus follow him to the gate. He then opened it and reached up to grab the horse's halter. "Here, hold him like this and I'll go get Hera."
Judy took the halter and watched as Roger went into the corral and up to a dainty white mare, patted her neck, and brought her to where Judy waited with Zeus. She smiled and exchanged horses with Roger. "Well, aren't you the pretty one?" she asked the horse, getting a nuzzle against her arm in return. Judy then looked at Roger over the rims of her sunglasses. "Now we have the horses, but what next? They aren't exactly saddled and ready to go and I don't see any stable hands around to help us."
Roger snickered and began to lead his horse towards the stables. "We don't need one of those losers, girly. I can do it myself and show you how if you want."
"You? You know how to tack a horse?" she questioned with an amused tone.
He shot her a nasty look, but continued walking. "There's a lot you don't know about me, girly girl. Maybe someday you'll give me that chance to show you if I deem worthy enough for you," he replied in a way mocking her manner of speaking.
Judy chewed on her lower lip after hearing the offended tone in his voice. She didn't mean to upset him, but it was just that she wasn't used to the rich punk being so knowledgeable on mundane things like saddling a horse or liking those it for that matter. Seeing she insulted him, Judy knew now wasn't the time to question his other interests or abilities because he would only be a smart-ass. Hoping to break the uncomfortable moment between them she did asked, "So, what makes Zeus so special to you anyway? I mean, I'm sure you have your pick of steeds, but why him after Hermes? I know he sort of chose you, but you could have shooed him away."
At first she thought he wasn't going to answer since it was a stupid and quickly thought up question on her part, but slowly and softly he responded. "Before Hermes I used to ride one named Apollo. Apollo went lame, though. He was super fast and a neat dappled gray in colour. He ran himself totally into the ground so they put him out to pasture. He's here someplace, but not for riding. I then got Hermes and he had his need for speed drama. With the bad luck I seemed to be having with horses I didn't think I'd ever get a good one again. Zeus sort of adopted me and we've been pals ever since." Judy just nodded and said nothing as she was still displeased with herself for teasing him. "Well, let's get these horses ready so we can get out of here and start having some fun," Roger told her, a sudden uplift in his voice and he nudged her in the side.
"That sounds very good to me. What would you like me to do?" Judy questioned with a laugh as Hera butted her playfully with her head. Judy patted the mare's neck and got pushed again. "What is she doing, Roger?"
However, Roger was all ready gone and coming back with a saddle that he put on a post then turned his attentions to Judy and Hera. "Eh, she's just eager to get out of here, that's all. It's not every day that she gets to be ridden by the most prettiest girl around." Seeing he blurted that out he quickly made his way back to Zeus and grabbed a blanket off a peg hoping to distract Judy from his comment.
"Umm...you gotta put the blanket up here on the withers then drag it down along the horse's back so the hairs lay smooth under it," Roger quipped and demonstrated. He was obviously flustered by what he had said and he hoped that Judy didn't hear, but she did. However, she maintained her somber attitude and ignored the comment, or so she thought. The compliment Roger blurted out did way more to her then she was letting on to both him and herself. At first she was rather bored in watching him show her how to properly prepare a horse for a ride and on checking the hooves for stones or anything lodged in the area strangely called a frog.
However, when Roger pulled the saddle off the post where it rested and carried it to Zeus, Judy suddenly noticed how well formed Roger's muscle definition was. She blinked behind her sunglasses. That couldn't be right he was far too young to be built like that! Still, the vision remained. Roger was very muscular under his gray shirt, biceps were well formed and his chest was highly defined. He felt eyes looking at him and as he lifted his head his hair was suddenly long and flowing past his shoulders. How could this be?
Judy squeezed her eyes shut and when she reopened them Roger was standing before her, his shirt suddenly gone, muscles in full view that were quite developed and rippling. He was taller then she remembered as well and so stunningly gorgeous that she found it hard to turn away or resist. "Are ya learnin' anything, girly?" he asked her seductively, bending down close to her, his nose almost touching hers. Numbly she nodded as he picked her up into his arms. "Good, now let me teach you why suede is not a good idea to wear when taking a tussle in the hay. So, pay attention!"
Judy furrowed her brow as he shouted and looked up at her seducer and instead of the mature and powerful Roger with flowing hair it was the regular cocky punk standing before her, an impatient leer on his face. "Huh? Wh-what?" she stammered, feeling highly embarrassed by what she was thinking and hoping she didn't say or do anything out of context in front of Roger.
He rubbed the back of his neck and sighed, slightly irritated by her sudden aloofness. "Joeycookamonga girly, pay attention! I ain't teaching you all this junk to waste my breath and hear myself talk ya know."
She blushed more and turned her attention to her skirt and started brushing at it then suddenly realized it was suede and that made her blush again as she thought back to her little dream sequence. What in the world made her lapse off into some childish fantasy and of Roger of all people? Her feelings were strong for him, but not like that! No matter, it must have been the scent of the hay surrounding them or maybe the leather from all the tack or even the fumes from the saddle soap that caused such a strange hallucination.
Or maybe it was the fact that Roger actually knew what he was talking about, was skillful in what he was doing and had a small rivulet of sweat trailing down the side of his face giving him an almost rugged appearance. Judy stared at him for a moment and suddenly began to feel slightly warmer then usual. Uncomfortably she tugged at the collar of her blouse and muttered, "Uhhh...well, that was all so informative, but I do believe we should be heading on our way. I'm starting to get quite hot...I mean parched! I could use a cool drink most definately."
Roger smirked at her and pulled her away from Hera and led her into the tack room. "Not until you showed me how much you were paying attention by tacking your own horse."
"Tack my own horse? Roger, that's insane. I'm wearing suede so I don't think that's a good idea for me," she protested, but didn't resist him handing her a small saddle and blanket.
"You'll live. Now, come on, I'm thirsty as well," Roger snickered and grabbed a bridle and walked out of the room and back towards Hera leaving Judy standing in the doorway still not quite sure what to make of her fantasy or why Roger was making her saddle up Hera. With a frustrated sigh Judy followed him and dropped the saddle on the post near her ride. "There, now what?"
"Whaddya mean now what? Didn't you learn anything when I was getting Zeus ready to ride? You were gawkin' at me long enough. I'm sure something had to sink into that head of yours."
Judy suddenly blushed taken by surprise that Roger even noticed that she was staring at him while he was getting Zeus saddled up. She wasn't even going to attempt to figure it out or dwell on it for that matter. Shooting him a nasty look she grabbed the blanket off the saddle and put it on Hera's back. "I know exactly what you did. Remember, I'm an actress and I can study and remember minor details since that is essential to memorizing plays and lines."
Roger just rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Quit the yap and prove it to me then, girly."
She blinked behind her glasses at his sudden attitude and tone of voice, but seeing a sly smirk spread on his face she knew he was just taunting her into doing what she was supposed to do. That was one thing that was growing on her about him was his ability to tease someone just enough to motivate them to do something. Although it was mostly only with her, she could imagine him being very persuasive when he'd get into trouble and getting out of it.
Showing that she did hear what he was telling her about the horses, well, at least some of it anyway, Judy placed the blanket neatly on Hera's back and smoothed it down before she got the saddle. Even though it was light enough to pick up, she didn't realize it was just a bit heavy to actually lift up and put on the horse. Roger watched her for a moment as she struggled before he stepped forward and helped her. She was just about to snap at him, telling him she could do it herself, but that powerful man from her fantasy came back to her, gently assisting her with a heart warming smile.
Maybe she was looking at Roger in the wrong light after all the years of knowing him. The fantasy was probably her mind's way of telling her he could be possibly everything she wanted if only given the chance. Taking a breath to calm herself, Judy allowed him to lift the heavy saddle onto the horse's back. "Thank you," she said quietly and reached under Hera's belly for the strap on the saddle. She pulled it up and into the buckle and then felt Roger's hand on hers.
She jumped, but he just smiled at her, "Gotta pull it tight, girly. Horses like to hold their breath during this for some reason. You're not gonna hurt her and as long as you can get about three fingers between her belly and the strap you know it's just fine." He pulled the strap for her and demonstrated how lose it should be so the horse wouldn't be too uncomfortable.
Reaching behind him he then handed Judy the bridle. "You can do this yourself I think."
Judy patted the white horse then moved the bridle up to the top of the horse's head and pushed her down slightly while positioning the bit in front of Hera's mouth. Hera was so calm and gentle she just stood quietly while Judy attempted to do this to her. The horse snorted when it was over, adjusted the bit in her mouth and gave a slight toss of her head with a stamp of her back foot almost as if saying hurry up, it's not that difficult. Judy smirked, "You sound like my mother. Always rushing me to do something I'm not sure about."
Roger couldn't help but laugh. "You knew what she said? Oh man, I'm dating Dr. Doolittle!"
That comment made Judy blush, but she completed her task none-the-less. "To hear all one must do is listen! Anyway, did I pass?" she asked the smirking punk at her side.
Roger looked over the straps on the bridle and saddle then nodded, "You just gotta check her hooves and we'll be all set to ride on outta here."
Judy ran her hand down the horse's front leg until she got to the fetlock and tickled the horse slightly there making Hera lift her leg for Judy to hold it and examine the hoof. She smiled to herself seeing that the hoof was fine and clear of any problems so she set it down and repeated the action on the remaining three hooves.
As she completed her job, a dusty farm hand appeared. She smiled slightly at him and then walked around to Hera's left side and patted her neck. It was then that she saw Roger glaring hatefully at the man. He was practically bristling just looking at him and she wondered what was wrong.
"Ya'll need any help?" the man inquired gently returning the soft smile Judy had given him, but he was purposely avoiding contact with Roger's eyes and it was obvious they weren't exactly fond of each other.
Roger snarled at him, "Does it look like we need any help now you loser?" He then realized what he had said and in what tone and almost instantly he felt Judy's eyes burning an imaginary hole in the back of his head as she stared at him through her dark sunglasses. This wasn't how he was supposed to impress her! Insulting people for no good reason wasn't the plan to fully win her and he possibly just blew it all in such a big way by saying something so stupid. He flinched, cleared his throat and replied. "Why, uhhh no, Larry. We're quite fine, thank you. Please excuse us, we are off for a bit of riding before Mrs. Keane's dinner begins. Good night."
Larry warily looked at Roger almost expecting the rich punk to haul off and slug him, but all he got from him was a phony crooked smile. Giving Judy a slight nod, Larry slunk backwards and disappeared back the way he had originally came.
Feeling proud of himself for how he handled things, Roger puffed out his chest and grinned broadly at Judy almost seeming to try and turn on his fake attitude towards Larry onto her. "Shall we be off then, my sweet?"
Although Judy didn't appreciate Roger's treatment of Larry, she didn't let it show. She was very disappointed with him to say the least, but kept her comments to herself. He was trying so hard to be good and that was obvious, but it seemed almost painful for him not to get his ego inflated or to not insult someone. Still he was allowed one mistake so she decided to let this all be pushed aside and forgotten.
Judy sighed and mounted her steed, her hands gripping the reins as she adjusted her seat. It wasn't exactly easy to sit on a horse while wearing a skirt, but she managed. It also was a big change in the little ponies she rode long ago. Judy lightly squeezed her legs against Hera's sides and prodded her into a walk. "Well, where are we off to then, Rog?" she simply asked doing her best to maintain her composure.
He shrugged and climbed aboard Zeus. "Eh, we can just let the horses take us where they want. The trail is a bit long from here to where she's going to have the party set up. Believe me, Mrs. Keane's got a lot of land and loads of barns and junk. If you think what you saw now was big, wait'll you get a sight of what is past the trees ahead. This area is just the corral and tack room area with a few little stalls for something like an emergency. Mrs. Keane still got rows of stables, feed barns and barns where she stores her equipment and junk. You'll see, if you can catch me!" and with that Roger poked Zeus' flanks with the heels of his boots prodding him into a brisk trot.
"Catch you? Dream on dear Roger, it should be more like you need to catch me!" She shouted after him and goaded her horse into a swift run that took her past Roger and Zeus. Roger shouted something behind her, but that only made her coax Hera into a faster run. Now she knew that this was going to make Roger chase her, but that is what she wanted. If he wanted to race her, then that's exactly what she was going to do for him. She knew her horsemanship skills weren't all that fantastic, but they were good enough and she started to realize that what she needed to allow herself to have already was fun.
To be continued....
