CHAPTER TWO - CAROLINE
I showered quickly in the clubhouse just off the stables. As the water cascaded over my body, I could hear a couple of the other girls talking amongst themselves about the “hot new stable guy.”
“I wouldn’t mind a private lesson with him,” one girl was saying.
“Ride ‘em cowboy!” another agreed before bursting into a fit of giggles.
For some reason, it made me slightly nauseous to hear them talk about Dean that way. True, I had only just met him, but there was something about him that seemed different. I mean, I could tell he could be a total player if he’d wanted to, but the way I heard he’d sidestepped inappropriate comments from several female members so far, said he had a little more depth than his playboy image allowed.
I dried off and dressed quickly, trying to shut out the crude chatter around me. And people thought guys were dogs…
“Where are you off to in such a hurry?” a girl in my riding group named Lisa asked, her smile tight and her eyes narrowed.
“I’m meeting Stephanie for dinner inside,” I said simply.
“Oh,” Lisa said. “I wondered if you were going back to the stables.”
“Why would she do that?” another bimbo named Stacy asked with a frown.
“No reason.” Lisa shrugged. “Just thought she might have forgotten something.”
Lisa smiled at me in a knowing way that made my stomach churn. I fought the urge to roll my eyes and instead, forced a smile on my face and shook my head.
“I’ll see you ladies tomorrow,” I said as I strolled out of the room.
“Bye, Carrie!” Stacy called.
I waved and hurried outside. Stephanie would be waiting for me in the dining room and I was eager to meet her. She, unlike my other friends, was never judgmental or haughty. Despite her family’s abundant wealth, Stephanie managed to stay level-headed. It was one of the many reasons that she had been my best friend since we were kids.
I hurried into the dining room and stopped at the hostess stand. Melanie, the hostess I’d grown friendly with over the years, smiled and gestured behind her. My eyes followed her hand and I saw Stephanie sitting alone at a back table.
“Thank you,” I said to Melanie before I hurried over and plopped myself into the waiting chair with a deep sigh.
“Well, hello there,” Stephanie said. “Bad ride?”
“Not at all,” I said, shaking my head. “It was lovely, actually.”
“Then why the mood?” Stephanie asked.
“Lisa.”
Stephanie nodded knowingly and raised her hand to call over our waiter. He hurried forward with two menus ready.
We ordered our drinks and he hurried away, leaving us alone to talk and peruse the menu.
“Spill,” Stephanie said.
“It’s nothing,” I sighed. “Lisa’s magnetic pull toward drama is never failing. She saw me chatting with the new stable guy and decided it was a scandal. Mark my words, there will be a cryptic post on her blog about it within the hour.”
“Caroline Michaelson Slums It with Stable Hottie,” Stephanie said, her voice mocking.
“Don’t give her any ideas,” I groaned.
“Like I would ever,” Stephanie said. “Was he though?”
“Was who what?” I asked with a frown. Our waiter set our drinks down on the table and I took a sip of my lemonade.
“The guy,” Stephanie said. “Was he hot?”
“Yes,” I said without hesitation. “Ridiculously.”
“So, Lisa wasn’t wrong.” Stephanie grinned slyly.
“Lisa Parks is always wrong,” I said firmly.
“Of course.” Stephanie waved her hand. “But that’s not the point. Tell me about him.”
“He’s gorgeous,” I said. “Rugged. Tall, dark, handsome. Muscular without being veiny, you know? Basically, the complete opposite of every guy we grew up with.”
“Sounds delicious,” Stephanie said, licking her lips for emphasis.
“Ha. Ha.” I rolled my eyes. “He asked for my number.”
“And you gave it to him,” Stephanie said, as if it were a given.
“No.” I shook my head.
“Why the hell not?!”
“Because we only just met,” I said. “He’ll have to work a little harder than that.”
“Oh, I forgot,” Stephanie said feigning seriousness. “You’re the queen of England.”
“Stop it.” I snapped. “You know me better than that. He must have loads of women throwing themselves at him. He probably assumed asking me for my number was no big deal. I’d rather he work for it, so he’s knows I’m not easy.”
“OK, fine. So let’s say he shows he’s really interested. Then what?” Stephanie asked.
I shrugged and looked off into the distance. Our waiter returned and we ordered dinner. He hurried away, leaving us alone again to talk about boys. While I was still a virgin, Stephanie was not. She spent almost every Saturday night with a different guy. She always said it was better to play the field than get stuck with some lame guy who she didn’t even like. I couldn’t blame her. Since her parents were almost never home, she had more freedom than most teenagers. In a lot of ways, I was envious of her life, but I wouldn’t ever be able to be with more than one guy if I tried.
Dean wasn’t just handsome and rugged, he had an air of maturity about him that most guys I knew did not have. It was as if he’d seen things, as if he’d lived a real life. He wasn’t sheltered or privileged. He knew what it meant to work for something and that, more than anything, was sexy as hell.
“Caroline!” Stephanie snapped. She waved her hand in front of my face and I jumped.
“What?” I asked.
“You’re practically drooling over there,” she said with a laugh. “Are you still thinking about the stable hottie?”
“His name is Dean,” I said.
“Just go for it,” Stephanie said. “If he’s got you daydreaming about him already, then obviously he’s worth it.”
I giggled. “But, can you imagine my mother’s face? God, she would lose her mind if I brought home someone who works in the stables.”
“And?” Stephanie asked. “Since when do you care what your mother thinks?”
“I don’t know,” I sighed. “I don’t care. Not really. It’s just, with all this Yale madness, she already has my head spinning.”
“What’s going on?” Stephanie asked. “I thought she was happy you got accepted?”
“She is.” I nodded. “Too happy. She tells anyone who will listen that her connections got me in.”
“Bullshit,” Stephanie said. “That’s utter bullshit, Caroline. You got yourself in.”
“I know that!” I said. “My grades are flawless. My SAT scores were the highest at Manchester Academy and yet, she acts like my success is entirely hers. It would be one thing if she were proud of me but she isn’t. She’s always talking about the extra curriculars I need to involve myself in or the charity work I need to do. Nothing is ever enough. She’s always pushing for more, more, more. I can’t take it anymore.”
“Then fuck her,” Stephanie said boldly.
“Stephanie!” I said.
“What?” Stephanie laughed. “I’m serious, Caroline. You are the smartest, most talented person I know and yet, your mother is constantly beating you down. You can’t let her hold you back anymore. You just can’t.”
“It’s not that simple.”
“I know,” Stephanie sighed and reached across the table to take my hand. “In our world, it never is.”
There were so many reasons I hated my parents. They rode my ass about everything, always pushing me toward perfection. Nothing I did was enough and yet, I still wanted to please them. Deep down, I just wanted to be the daughter they could be proud of. But, I knew that would never happen. In the world of the Austin wealthy, the Michaelson family was at the top of the food chain. If I did anything to jeopardize that status, I would be ostracized without a second thought.
Dating the stable boy was definitely against the rules, but I didn’t care. As Stephanie and I ate our dinner, my mind drifted once again to thoughts of Dean. I pictured his strong body as he bent over to retrieve my water bottle. His ass was fit and when he turned around, I could see the outline of his six-pack through his shirt. Just the memory was enough to make my mouth water with desire. I shook my head and tried to force the thoughts away. I couldn’t stop myself from daydreaming about pulling that shirt over his head and licking the sweat from his glistening abs.
“There he is,” I said suddenly. Dean had just walked past the window behind Stephanie. She jerked around in her chair, her eyes wide. We both stared at him as he walked by, alluring and casual at the same time. His shoulders were broad, and his biceps bulged from cuffs of his tight white t-shirt. The dusty jeans sat slung low on his narrow hips and hugged his perfectly sculpted ass. I pressed my knees together as a tingle started in my core.
“Damn,” Stephanie said with a low whistle. “If you don’t, I damn sure will.”
I laughed and kicked her under the table. “Seriously Caroline, that hunk of perfection needs to be your first,” she said, shaking her head.
“Yeah, I’m sure he’s real interested in a girl who has zero clue of what to do in the bedroom,” I retorted.
“Oh, I bed he’d love to teach you,” she said with a smirk.
My heart thumped at the thought of it. What would it feel like to be underneath so much manliness? To have him touch me in places I’d only touched myself? To feel him spread me open and possess me? I shook my head.
Just imagining my parent’s reaction if I were to bring Dean home was enough to make my skin crawl. I could already see my mother look down her nose at him, glaring at him as if she could smell the poor on his skin. My father, always regal and composed, would simply ignore him. Either way, I knew they would never approve, and yet part of me didn’t care. I was attracted to Dean. More than attracted.
As I finished my dinner, I let my mind wander freely. Dean would be working at the country club all summer. That would put us in the same place more often than not. I smiled at the thought, imagining a few chance run-ins in the barn. It was enough to make my legs tingle and my nipples harden.
Stephanie and I charged our meals to our family accounts and said goodbye. As I walked to my car, I glanced around me, hoping to see Dean one last time before I left. It was no use, my car was parked on the opposite side of the stables, so I knew he wouldn’t be anywhere around. Still, my desire to see him again was so strong that it almost knocked me off balance. I couldn’t believe that, after one meeting, I was already so enthralled with him.
Still, the entire drive home consisted of thoughts of him. I pictured his face, his dark blue eyes and cocky grin. I saw his dark hair fall in his face and I grinned to myself. My mind was so busy that I barely noticed when I pulled into my driveway. I was halfway up the stairs before I even realized I’d made it home.
“How was your ride?” my mother asked from the first floor. I stopped on the steps and turned to face her, my smile still firmly in place.
“It was lovely.”