Cowgirl Don't Cry

Oh dear god. What had I just said? I was slightly horrified that I just shouted that last sentence out. I had spoken without thinking, and it had been a very rude and brash way to put how I was feeling. Granted, I had a reason to think that. Athletes had a stereotype. I had gone to college; I had been around those ‘big shot’ hockey players; I knew what they were like. And in college – their ego’s were big, obnoxious, and honestly a pain in my butt. I had been a cocktail waitress at a big time bar right off campus, and they had taken to harassing me, not liking that I had no interest in sleeping with them in feeding their ego.

Vincent’s face was a mixture of shock and disbelief. I couldn’t really blame him – I’m sure he was used to girls throwing themselves at him, not denying him and refusing him sex, especially right after he cooked them a delicious dinner. It was as if he didn’t know what to say or do. Again, I guess understandable. His mouth opened once and then closed. And then repeated the motion again. He looked like a handsome, very confused, fish of sorts. That or he was just deadpanned that I had called him out. I have a feeling that was another thing most of these hot shots didn’t get very often – straight up honesty. I almost felt bad; bad enough to explain my harsh reaction.

“I just don’t want you to think I’m the kinda girl whose going to sleep with you just because you cooked me dinner.” I shrugged and turned to climb out of the hot tub, figuring that he wouldn’t want me around any longer. I mean, why would he? Assuming he was that kind of guy who was only looking for a quick lay, and I had just completely shut him down. What would he need with a girl who wasn’t going to sleep with him, but that he had to put effort into? Most athletes seemed to think that they were unnecessary.

I felt a hand on my arm and I turned back to see Vincent looking much calmer as he too had stepped out of the hot tub. His hand moved to my back and he gestured for me to head back to the hot tub. There could only be two reasons for these actions. One was that he had heard me say no, and had registered it as a challenge – the same way all those nimrod hockey players in college, hitting on me incessantly, thinking I would change my mind. Or he simply was going to refute my thoughts on the matter, and attempt to tell me that he ‘wasn’t like the rest’.

“I didn’t make you dinner so that you would sleep with me. If I was looking for some random fuck, I would go to a bar. I cooked you dinner because, like I have told you before, I want to get to know you. I was kissing you because you are sexy as hell and I rather enjoy it.” His voice was strained and slightly raised as if he was frustrated, trying to explain his side of an argument. It was a slight alteration from what I had thought his two options were. He wasn’t telling me that he was different; he was telling me that I was different. But why should I believe him? He must have noticed my skepticism. “You don’t have to believe me now, but at least try to give me a chance to prove it to you.”

I shrugged my shoulders and adverted my eyes, as to not make direct eye contact with him. I was still a girl. And all girls love hearing things like that. And how could I say no? If he was out to prove it to me, why should I stop him? It’s not like it could hurt me. I had resolved to stop listening to what men said, and focusing on what they did. Therefore, it made sense for me to give him a chance.

“Sorry. I guess I have a stigma in my mind about athletes.” The corner of my mouth turned up in a tiny smile, and I moved my eyes back towards him from across the hot tub. He had to understand that. If he was who he was trying to persuade me he was, he would definitely understand, even appreciate, my apprehension. He shook his head and smiled.

“Well, I guess we earned that stereotype. And I can’t say I don’t know the type of athletes your talking about. But I never had time to be that kind of guy. And now I’m over the time when I would be like that. So. No, I’m not out for a quick fuck. I really do want to get to know you.” He leaned back against the wall of the hot tub, looking across the entire span at me. A smirk playing on his lips. “I’m not going to lie to you and say I didn’t do the whole ‘bring home a random girl from the bar’ thing, but I’m over it, have been for a long time.” He shrugged and made steady eye contact with me, as if challenging me to not believe him. It was easy for me to meet his eyes. It wasn’t a challenge. It was just has I had thought before his speech, I would give him a chance. But I wouldn’t believe what he said, until he proved it through what he did.

“Yeah, I’ve been around quite a few athletes. You hockey players had quite the rep at Minnesota.” I smiled softly, relaxing visibly across the hot tub from him. It was true. I had been warned of the athletes at Minnesota. Coming from an SEC centered, football area, I had always thought that football players were the ones to beware of, but when I arrived at Minnesota I learned that that was not the case up north. The basketball players and the hockey players took the award for douche-bag jocks. And boy had I realized that in my due time.

“My teammate Ben played at Minnesota for a couple years, a while back. He only has good things to say about it.” Vincent grinned, shaking his head. He must be thinking about some shenanigans that the boys had gotten into in their years playing together. It was good to chat like this, it was light, and the lack of seriousness really helped me to relax. I honestly didn’t know why I had gotten so worked up when things had gotten heated.

We fell into a relaxed silence at this point. We had gotten past that first little road bump that comes at the start of every relationship. Its normally figured out through a lot of pondering on both sides as to whether the ‘relationship’ was actually going to turn into a real relationship, or if it was going to be a fuck and done type deal. I didn’t normally go about it so bluntly, I definitely hadn’t in my previous relationships, but with him being so high profile, and me already dealing with the drama that came with a simple date in a bar, I felt like I had to just get it over with. I didn’t want to sit and over analyze it with Maria for hours and hours for the next week. At least now I knew that his intentions were good – or so he said.

“I should go, Vinny. Sorry for the bluntness earlier.” I stood in the hot tub, relishing the feel of the water sliding off of my body. I waited for a moment, smiling softly at the young man who looked so relaxed on the other side of the extra large hot tub. He really was handsome. His large brown eyes peered up at me, a slight twinkle in them telling me that he really didn’t mind about the bluntness.

“Better to get everything out in the open now.” He stood up as well, and it was all I could do not to jump him then and there. He looked stunning. He had the body of a Greek god, chiseled and perfect. Water droplets covered him from the chest down, illuminating his abs, and highlighting his sex arrow. I couldn’t help the soft intake of breath that came when he shook his head, ridding his medium length hair of the little bit of water that hadn’t already drained out. The shaking of his head caused his abs to flex and bulge sexily. A sly smirk fell on his lips as he watched me shamelessly check him out, in turn running his eyes over my bikini-clad body. I had to check my self, and use effort to force my eyes to travel to his face, where a smirk still graced his lips. “So can I see you tomorrow?”

“Depends on what the plans are. I have an event coming up soon, so I need to be at the stables a good bit.” I had forgotten all about the impending event. It was coming up quickly and I needed to be well prepared, it was my first CCI** event with Tie, and we were getting closer and closer to that CCI**** level that indicated the Olympic level. While I had always dreamed to be a doctor, I had also always dreamed to ride at the four-star level, even to attend the Olympics. I knew I had the ability as a rider to do it, I just didn’t know what opportunities would come my way, and my opportunities with Tie, Em and Dray were opportunities I would never have even imagined.

“Well how about I take you to lunch and then I could go to the stables with you? I’d love to meet your horses, though I have to admit, although I’m super interested in them, horses kind of scare me.” He shuddered visibly and looked at me with a goofy grin. It didn’t really surprise me that he was afraid of horse, for some reason most guys were. Maybe it was the fact that the animals were so much bigger than them. And bigger is an understatement. While Tie and Em weren’t that massive, Dray was an absolute beast. He was going to end up, once he finished filling out, at about 17’3, which in non horse speak is just under six foot at his back, and well over 7 foot at the top of his head, not to mention the fact that he was going to weight close to two thousand pounds. When I had picked him out as my prospect as a weanling, I had never imagined him getting to be this large, in all honest he had been the runt that year – but boy had he grown leaps and bounds since then.

“That works. I’ll drive then, do you want me to pick you up here or do you want to meet me at my place and we can go from there?” I was almost excited for Vincent to meet my horses and to see me in my element. It also said a lot that he was willing to brave the smelly, dusty, dirty environment to spent time with me. Plus, animals were known to be a good judge of character, so it would be very telling to see how Tie, Em and Dray responded to the tall, handsome, French-Canadian.

“I can meet you at your place, because I need to go skate and stuff in the morning. I think I can remember how to get to your place, it was pretty easy last time.” We had made it up to where our towels were laying, and we were simultaneously drying off. Even in the Tampa Bay heat, a slight breeze when your wet can cause a chill to overcome you. I didn’t even bother to change back into my clothes from earlier once I was dry, there was no need, I now had no one to impress, and really just didn’t feel like it. So we headed into the house finalizing our plans for the next day.

When we made it to the car, Vinnie opened the door for me, leaning against the frame and smiling down on me from where he stood, so much taller than me. I absolutely loved when the man I was with was tall enough to look down on me, it made me feel so petite and feminine. He leaned down and brushed his lips softly over mine. It was impossible to deny the connection that we had. The physical attraction was absolutely electric. Just the feel of his lips against mine made goose bumps erupt on the back of my neck. My lips begged for more, and I definitely didn’t resist as he pressed his against mine in a firmer kiss.

It’s like our bodies melted together, as his strong arms wrapped around me and pulled me against his muscled torso. The kisses were innocent; I had the feeling he didn’t want to press me after my reaction earlier in the day. The truth was that I wasn’t afraid of things getting heated up, or even sex, but I was scared of getting used simply for sex. Athletes were known to do that. I wanted the person I was having sex with to want me, and only me. Which was a hard trait to find in men, but especially in men who were used to getting whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted it.

Our innocent kissing only lasted a few minutes longer before we said our goodbyes and I drove away, back to my small two-bedroom apartment, where I’m sure my roommate would be out for the count – it was midnight. I was excited at the prospect of getting a full nine hours of sleep, something that med school students rarely got. The drive flew by, partly because of the lack of cars on the road, and partly because my mind was on the boy I had just driven away from, and the fact that he really was making an effort to spend time with me, despite the odds that were stacked against him.

It didn’t take me long once I got home to change into more appropriate sleeping apparel – bikini’s really aren’t that comfortable to sleep in – take off my makeup, brush my teeth, and slide into my bed that looked somewhat like heaven with how tired I was. It was amazing how you could be wide-awake when doing something fun, but as soon as that is over your exhaustion hits head on like a freight train. Now that Vinny and I had figured out what we wanted, and I had made it pretty clear I wanted to take things slow, I’m sure I would fall asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

I plugged my phone in, checking it one last time before I fell asleep, and to my surprise, I had gotten a text message just a few minutes before, and upon reading it, a smile graced my face – now there was no doubt in my head that the handsome French-Canadian hockey player would be the center of attention in my dreams that night.

Just so you know, I was serious about getting to know you. I don’t plan on seeing anyone else. Sleep well, see you around noon. :)