Chapter 39-Oh, another installment of this cross-FF story is up! Hope you enjoy it, thanks for reading and for the feedback!
Matt lay in bed that night, mulling over his selection to lead the annual running of the bulls in Cicely. He had agreed to participate with the other men in the annual ritual but that was before he had been chosen to lead the pack. Meaning that he had to run up in front where he would be the first man seen by the audience of mostly women.
C.J. nestled closer to him and stroked his chest.
"Houston, you still can't be worried about the selection," she said, "You know it's an honor to be chosen."
He sighed.
"Maybe but Maurice just sent out a press release all over the country and if the L.A. gossip columnists get wind of this…"
She chuckled.
"They'll for sure put it on their social calendars," she said, "It will be great for the town and Ed's film."
After selecting him as the head bull so to speak, Maurice had announced to the town that after the festival honoring those who participated in the run, the premiere of Ed's film would be shown at the movie theater. Ed had of course been excited, though in his usual low key way and C.J. had felt so happy for him.
Too happy to notice Matt's apprehension about the press release at least until they both got home and ate some dinner and spent some time cuddling together. C.J. had been reminded once again at how Matt really had very little modesty at all when it came to getting in the altogether. After all, People Magazine had caught a great shot of him once sitting in his hot tub wearing only his hat amid the bubbling water. That issue had sold out in two days. So she really didn't know what his problem appeared to be now.
She leaned up on her elbow and arched a brow.
"You know you have nothing to be embarrassed about," she said, "You're a very sexy man in so many ways."
"But the cold…"
She snorted at him.
"Oh Houston that's a myth," she said, "You'll be just fine and like I said, there will be plenty of brandy and warm food afterward."
He knew that and she had promised to keep him good and warmed up before the event. As part of his athletic preparation she had told him.
"I know but what if it's like 20 below?"
"Of course it's going to be cold Houston," she reasoned, "We're in Alaska after all but no one's died yet in all the years they've done it."
"Maybe they have and just were never missed…"
She rolled her eyes.
"Houston, Joel's doing it again," she said, "And he's not even complaining."
That got Matt fired up to thinking about it. After all, Joel appeared to be a bundle of inhibitions and since Chris had already said he was looking forward to it…
"Houston, I mean look at me," she said, "Do I look bikini ready right now?"
He stroked her rounding abdomen and smiled.
"You look perfect," he said, "I can show you how perfect in a minute…"
She pushed at him playfully.
"I'm sure you can but I'm not what society or most men would call centerfold material."
Matt's eyes narrowed.
"They'd better not look at you that way," he said.
She stroked his chest.
"You know what I mean," she said, "and it doesn't really matter anyway. It's how we feel about ourselves that counts."
He digested that.
"It's not that," he said, "I'm just more of a hot weather person. Running around in the cold…"
"Just imagine that you're running around naked in the desert," she advised.
He gave her a look.
"When I have my clothes off, I don't feel like running anywhere," he drawled.
He drew her closer to him and kissed her slowly.
"I see your point," she added, coming up for air.
"All right, this meeting is coming to order."
Everyone looked up at Ruth Ann who was proletarian of the group of women who were assigned to do detail for the running event.
"I already offered to donate the refreshments," Shelli offered, "But only if Maggie gives me her cookie recipe."
Maggie scowled from the back.
"I'll think about it," she said, "My mother would probably come back and visit and then burn another one of my houses down."
Ruth Ann nodded at the both of them, holding her gavel still.
"Okay what about you Eve?"
The redheaded woman looked up from where she had been talking to the toddler sitting on her lap.
"Adam refuses to participate in these events," she said, "It's very unsanitary to run unprotected in the outdoors."
"No more than wandering around in the forest all the time," Maggie grumbled.
"That's fine Eve," Ruth Ann continued, "He can help out the women folk with the refreshments."
Eve made a face.
"He'll think that's an affront to his masculinity, but I'll try to put him back in his place."
All the other women nodded approvingly. C.J. half focused on the meeting and found herself thinking about the conversation she had with Matt last night before well…they stopped talking for a while. She knew that he had ridded himself of most of his concern about the event. The irony of men feeling concerned about having their bodies on display when usually the women filled that role wasn't lost on her. And he in his own way helped her deal with some of her burgeoning insecurities about the changes involving her own body since she'd gotten pregnant.
Every day she looked in the mirror and she had changed. Her clothes fit differently or not really well at all and even her balance had shifted a bit. But he always made it clear whenever he could how attractive he found her, despite all the changes. She needed to do the same for him and truth be told, she couldn't wait until the day of the running and festivities.
"C.J. you will be handing the brandy…"
She looked up suddenly, lost.
"Well, yes I could do that," she said, "I'll be more than happy to help."
Ruth Ann checked that item off of the list.
"Well let's move on to the course outline…"
Matt sat in the Brick with Hollings and Maurice, who were arguing about something one of them had said to the other some 20 years earlier. Sometimes it was difficult to remember that the two old pioneers were lifelong friends and if the rivalry in the past had been fierce, at least now it appeared friendlier.
"Barbara's coming up the day before," Maurice said.
"She's making sure she has a front row seat," Hollings asked.
Maurice nodded, sipping his Scotch.
"She understands how important it is for the town's morale after a long, dark winter."
Hollings poured himself more Scotch in his glass. He gestured towards Matt who shook his head.
"You know Matt it might sound strange," he said, "But this gives us a chance to allow our skin to breathe after being covered up all winter with the clothing that's necessary to keep us alive."
Matt nodded.
"I understand that," he said, "And it's not that strange. It's just that we usually take a cold dip in an icy lake not go running in the streets."
Maurice tilted his head.
"We used to do that, a group of NASA flyboys and myself," he said, "It truly separated the men from the boys."
Matt thought it had been done to improve brandy sales at a bar near the spot in Malibu where it had been done. But that had been back in his younger days.
Maurice brightened.
"You know I've gotten so much in the way of enthusiastic responses from the media I emailed releases to," he said, "A lot of them appear interested in our Texan transplant right here."
Matt's eyes widened.
"Come again," he said, "Surely they have better news to focus on reporting."
"Apparently not," Hollings said, "My phone's been ringing off the hook from the major magazines and networks asking for temporary lodging."
Maurice smiled broadly and looked over at Matt.
"This could be the most media exposure we've ever had," he said, spreading his hands apart, "I can see it now, bill boards advertising the annual event in Cicely…with you front and center."
"I don't even live here."
Maurice shook his head.
"It doesn't matter," he said, "It's you they clearly want to see and that's great to boost tourism in our own town."
Matt didn't seem so sure that he liked where Maurice was going. The last thing he wanted was the media and paparazzi coming up to photograph him running naked in the streets. Contrary to what many people thought, he didn't savor being the center of attention in the gossip magazines and society columns which featured his exploits. He had left that part of his life behind him. After all, he was about to become a father and once C.J. let down her guard, he was going to make her an honest woman.
As Maurice and Hollings kept talking excitedly building up this event to epic proportions, Matt sat wondering how he was going to handle the pressure of renewed stardom.