Chapter 5
After arranging a time with Mendelssohn for Jessica to ride Tempest the next day, the three women had their driver take them to a lodging house in Hamburg that Mendelssohn had recommended. After checking in, and agreeing to meet in 30 minutes for dinner, they each made their way to their assigned rooms and settled in. Jessica showered and changed into dress slacks and a lightweight sweater, and returned to the Inn’s dining area.
Liz and Charlotte were waiting for her at a table, and she approached them and took the empty seat.
“Well, Jess, what do you think of your competition?” Charlotte asked.
“Are you kidding me?” Jessica responded. “Michael Stafford is one of the best dressage riders in the world. How can I ever compete against him?” Jessica felt overwhelmed with this most recent turn of events. In just a matter of hours, her feelings of excitement and anticipation turned to anxiety and discouragement.
“This isn’t over, Jess,” Liz said. “I know Michael Stafford is a great rider, but he hasn’t ridden an international class horse in nearly a year. In fact, he hasn’t even competed for quite some time,” Liz continued. “On top of that, rumor has it that he doesn’t have the funds to purchase Tempest. If that’s the case, he has to convince Mendelssohn to sponsor him. We, on the other hand, have the funds to purchase Tempest and can assure Mendelssohn that with your USET backing, there’s a near certainty that he will compete on the international stage within months after the purchase. I don’t think Michael can make that promise. All is not lost.”
Jessica looked skeptically at Liz. “I watched him ride today, Liz, and you did too. Did you see anything that makes you think he’s in any way rusty? He was magnificent, and Tempest was putty in his hands. I’ve never seen anything like it, and he was riding the horse for the first time.”
"I admit that he’s a very talented rider, Jess, but you’re a brilliant rider in your own right, and I’ll be right there with you tomorrow. You can do this.”
“If you say so, Liz, I have to believe you. I’m not giving up.” Jessica sighed and perused the menu then placed her order with the waitress serving their table. She turned to Liz. “I’m counting on you to keep me grounded tomorrow. There’s a good chance Michael and his friend will be there to watch us, and I will be a nervous wreck. If Tempest senses my nerves, he’ll react accordingly. I need you to keep me grounded and focused, or I’m not going to perform at my best.”
“Absolutely, Jess,” Liz said. “Let’s start by going over what your plan is for riding Tempest tomorrow.”
“I thought it would be best for me get on him first, to take some time to get him warmed up and gauge his reactivity and sensitivity to the aids. That way, I’ll be better able to guide you through your ride.”
“I like that plan. I was hoping you would agree to ride him first. I’ve never ridden a stallion before, and any insight you can give me would be priceless.”
“Stallions aren’t that much different from mares really. You always have to establish you’re the leader. With a mare, like Callie, you need to gently lead. With a stallion, you have to be certain to establish your dominance early, or he’ll try to take control and bully you. After I’ve had a chance to ride him, I’ll have a better idea how much strength you’ll need. I know Michael didn’t seem to be working very hard to control Tempest, but he’s got long, muscular legs and he’s accustomed to riding a stallion, so his ride may not be very helpful to us.”
“I just don’t want to let you down, Liz,” Jessica responded. “I know how much you need the funds we can earn from competing well at the Olympics to rescue your farm from foreclosure.”
“Don’t worry about me, Jess. If this doesn’t work out, I’ll figure out some other way to save the farm.”
“Not if your soon-to-be ex-husband has anything to say about it. From the way he’s been behaving, Rick wants to see your dream destroyed in the worst possible way. Why else would he be so persistent about forcing you to sell the place and pay him off to the tune of a quarter million dollars?”
“I don’t want to talk about Rick right now. Let’s talk about tomorrow,” Liz said, hoping to distract Jessica from this very painful subject, at least for now. The last thing Liz needed was to be reminded about how angry and vindictive her husband had become in past few months. “We have to be as prepared as possible. The best thing we can all do is get some rest. I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling some significant jet lag. A good night’s sleep is essential if we’re going to be at our best tomorrow.”
“I agree,” Charlotte said. “I’m exhausted. Let’s go up to our rooms, get some sleep, and I’ll see you both tomorrow morning, bright and early.”
The three women, having finished and paid for their meals, made their way back to their rooms. Jessica placed a call to Hailey to check in with her and make sure she was all right. Hailey confirmed that everything was fine, so Jessica changed into her pajamas and settled in for the night.
~ ~ ~
Michael and Lionel had been provided rooms at a guest house on the Mendelssohn farm property, and Mendelssohn had invited his famous guest and his friend to his home for dinner. Although it would have been to his benefit to spend more time with Mendelssohn and press his case for sponsorship, Michael felt as though he needed some time to himself to contemplate the events of the day. He asked Mendelssohn if he could have dinner delivered to his room this evening, and Mendelssohn had agreed. Lionel, on the other hand, decided to take advantage of Mendelssohn’s hospitality, and joined him for dinner.
Michael made quick work of the meal Mendelssohn provided—simple but satisfying German fare consisting of whole grain bread, cheese, and deli meat, with mustard and pickles, and a smooth, rich German lager to quench his thirst. He stretched his full length out on the bed in his room. He linked his hands behind his head and looked up at the ceiling, thinking back to his encounter with Miss Jessica Warren, the women he was competing with for Tempest. Even though he had only just met her, and they had only spoken a few words, Michael knew that she was different from any other woman he had ever encountered.
Since his Olympic success, Michael had met several young, attractive women who clamored for his attention as a dressage trainer, and many times as a sexual partner as well. When he was engaged to Emma, Michael tried as best he could to gently distance himself from encounters with the women he soon came to understand weren’t nearly as interested in learning dressage from him, but were more interested in bragging to their friends that they had “hooked up” with the famous and very good-looking Michael Stafford. However, this young woman, although about the same age as many of the “groupies” he had encountered, was different. She was so serious she initially appeared much older than she was.
When he and Lionel had returned to their rooms after his ride, Michael had searched the internet and learned that Jessica was only 26 years old. He also read a recent profile of her in Dressage Today magazine. He learned that Jessica had lost her parents in an automobile accident 5 years ago. The accident had also so severely injured her sister Hailey’s legs that they both had to be amputated below the knee. No wonder Jessica carried herself in such a mature way. She had been forced by circumstances to grow up quickly. At the very young age of 21, she had become the legal guardian of her disabled sister, and the sole means of financial support for their small family. His respect for Jessica grew with that knowledge. She was, definitely, a remarkable young woman.
Just from their brief interaction earlier today, Michael sensed that Jessica Warren was not only intelligent and beautiful, but she carried serious burdens no one her age should be carrying. Her face was careworn and her eyes showed a hint of sadness even when she smiled and interacted with her mentor and trainer and the sponsor’s sister. Now he knew why. He was surprised to realize that a part of him instinctively wanted to find some way to help her, and bring some happiness to her life. If only he could step aside and allow her to have Tempest for herself. Michael shook himself from his reverie and chuckled to himself. Unfortunately, he needed Tempest and the funds he could earn from showing him, to help Ian. Not to mention the fact that Michael Stafford was the last person to help someone fix their problems. He had way too many of his own.