Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Chapter One: Part Two - Out of Sorts


“Fancy meeting you here.”
 


I opened my eyes, turned around  and saw Johnny.
“Oh, hi Mr. Johnson. I mean Johnny.”

“Have you been enjoying town so far?”
“Yes. It’s a nice town.”

As we continued to make small talk, I could feel my heart beating faster. My palms began to sweat and my mouth went dry.
 
What is wrong with me? I’m acting like…Oh my gosh! Surely I don’t like him?!
 
It was like the blinders had been taken off my eyes.  I looked at him and noticed he was looking at me the same way he had when I was playing the piano earlier.

Could he also like me?
 

 
“This is a great place to watch the sunset. Were you meeting someone here?” His question startled me.
With that I started to panic.  If I say no then there’s a chance he’ll ask me if I’d like to watch it with him. Which I would! But then there’s the whole he’s my boss thing.  If I tell him that I am meeting someone and he stays around, then he’ll see I really wasn’t meeting someone and I might offend him.  Think Amanda! Think!
“Actually, I was just going to go home.  With it being my first day at work tomorrow I don’t want to be too tired.”



Real smooth Amanda!
“Oh, okay. Well I’ll see you tomorrow then.”
“Yup. See you tomorrow.” I turned away and scurried off.
Why do I act like such an idiot when he’s around? He’s going to think I’m some kind of weirdo and he’s definitely not going to think I’m a good employee with me being all uncomfortable around him.
I knew one thing, I was definitely not going home.  I needed a drink.  I hailed a cab and headed to Varg’s Tavern.

I walked inside and saw an upstairs area where no one seemed to be hanging out.

Perfect! That way I can enjoy my drink alone.

I walked up the stairs and ordered a drink at the bar.  I felt like having a Martini but the bartender informed me that this was a tavern and they only sold beer.
 
 
Alright then. “I’ll have whatever’s on special tonight.”

After getting my beer I headed over to the railing and watched the people down below.  There was a guy playing foosball, a girl flirting with a guy near the restrooms and another bartender.  I started watching the flirting couple.  They seemed to know each other pretty well. They made me think about the cowboy I had always dreamed about.

Just then, the outside door opened. I switched my attention to the door.  In walked a tall, dark-haired cowboy.  He was wearing a cowboy shirt, jeans, boots, a brown hat and he was slightly tan from working outside..  Even with all his clothes on, I could tell he was built.
 
I watched him as he crossed the room and then to my surprise, headed upstairs.  As he passed me, he tipped his hat and then strode up to the bar.
 
“Give me a Bud will you, Pam.”

“Sure thing, Chuck!”

Chuck. So this handsome cowboys name is Chuck.

I continued to stare at him. He was definitely a sight to behold and was probably what every city girl dreams of when they dream of a hunky cowboy.  I watched him and was mesmerized by him drinking his beer.  He then noticed me staring at him.  I quickly looked away and pretended to look at the guy playing foosball downstairs.

I heard him get up from his stool and walk towards me.


 
“Howdy. Don’t reckon I’ve seen you in these parts before.” His voice was smooth and had a slight accent. 

Just remain calm Amanda. Just because this guy could end up being your dream cowboy doesn’t mean you need to get all nervous.


I turned around. “No. I just moved here from the city.  It’s my first day here.”  Those eyes! He had the lightest blue eyes I had ever seen.  He really was a heavenly sight!

“Oohh. You’re a “city” girl. No wonder you look out of sorts.”

“What do you mean “Out of sorts?”

  “Well, you know. You definitely don’t look like you’re from here. I mean, look at you. You’re wearing a strapless top, a tight short skirt, and really high heels.  Not exactly what most women here wear.”


“Well I’m sorry if I don’t meet your standards. I had no idea the fashion police would be here tonight. If I had known, I could have put on a Stetson and spurred boots.”

“Whoa! I wasn’t trying to offend you. Just making an observation.  My name’s Chuck. Chuck Hobble.  What’s your name?”

“I’m Amanda Salisburg. Sorry if I got a little upset. It seems that most people like to point out that I’m a city girl and it’s starting to get a little old.”

“Well that’s probably because we don’t get many people that move here from the big city. I’m sorry if I offended you. What brings you to Appaloosa Plains?”

“Thanks. I’ve always wanted to live in the country.  My parents recently passed away and left my sisters and me money so I thought now would be a good time to break free and pursue my dreams.”

“I’m sorry about your parents. What happened?”

I took a deep breath. I hadn’t really talked to many people about what happened to my parents. It was still pretty painful.


 
“They were on their way home from a holiday party and my dad had a heart attack while driving.  Their car crashed into a tree.  He died instantly, Mom was rushed to the hospital and died a couple of days later.”

“Oh my gosh Amanda, that’s horrible. I can’t imagine having that happen.”

“ It’s still pretty painful to think about. I miss them so much and would give anything to talk to them again. What’s your story? Did you always want to be one with horses and watch tumbleweeds blow in the wind?”



“Ha ha. No. I actually used to be a rodeo rider. Wasn’t bad at it. I got tired of being on the road so I decided to move in with a guy who’s a good friend of mine.  We share a horse ranch. Where do you live?”

“I live off of Pomona Promenade.”

“Oh! Did you move into the house near the festival grounds? That’s not far from where I live.”

“Yup. That’s the one.  So…This friend of yours, is he platonic friend or…”

“Oh no! Yes! He’s just a good friend of mine. I like to date the female species.”

“Ha ha. Good to know. Seeing anyone in particular?”

“Kind of. Nothing really serious. We just started dating.”

“Gotcha. So do you work on the ranch.”

“I do but only in my spare time. I’m actually the town traffic cop.”

“Wait, you’re the traffic cop? A cowboy traffic cop. Never thought I’d see that.”


 
“Well, I’m a guy with many talents.”

Was he flirting with me? I couldn’t really tell. But he said he had a girlfriend so probably not. Despite a rocky start, I found that he was an easy guy to talk to. It was nice to find someone that I could hang out with.

“Well, it’s almost closing time and I have to get to work bright and early to direct traffic.  Can I walk you out?”

“Sure.”

We walked out of the tavern together and he hailed me a cab.


 
“It was nice to meet you Amanda.  Hope you have a good night.”
 
“Thanks Chuck. It was nice to meet you too. Night.”

The cab pulled away and headed towards my house. What an interesting first day it had been. 

19 comments:

  1. Awww poor Amanda, getting told she's a city girl all the time. I'm glad she let the cowboy talk after that though, would have been a shame if she'd have just been mad and stormed off. Uh oh... too bad he kind of has a girlfriend. LOL!

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  2. "So…This friend of yours, is he platonic friend or…" LOL! Too bad he's dating someone, maybe they will break up and Amanda can hook up with him. >=) I actually prefer him over Johnny.

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  3. Hi! Thanks for commenting Emerain!

    Lol! Yea, I thought along with her asking if he was single that might be a good thing to know...

    I'm glad you like Chuck. He grew on me after awhile. Amanda really likes Johnny though

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  4. Yay a cowboy! And a cute one! Poor Amanda though, she does stick out like a sore thumb a little bit, everyone keeps calling her a city girl. LOL

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    1. I was so excited when she met him! I was really surprised at how good looking he is since he's a sim already in the game.

      I felt bad for Amanda too. She's resilient though. :^)

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  5. She's indecisive when it comes to Johnny, but seemed to talk freely with Chuck. I think that though Chuck is appealing to her, her heart/brain is liking Johnny better .... Chuck was right about her clothes.... She needs to get into some jeans and sweaters *L*

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    1. Amanda is very much aware that Johnny is her boss and that dating your boss is usually looked down upon. That's part of where her indecisiveness comes from.

      Cowboy Chuck! Amanda and Chuck are completely different yet can talk like they've known each other for years.

      She definitely needs new clothes! Lol!

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  6. Amanda is definitely a city girl (don't tell her I said that...)! She's so blunt. I love it! I'm a city girl and I think I'd act just like her in a new town. Oh, I see a love triangle happening here...

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    1. Yes she is (and I won't tell her you said that but since you're a city girl you might be able to get away with it). Lol!

      I'm the same way; grew up a city girl so there's a little of me in Amanda. Although I am not anywhere near her level of obliviousness...I think I just made up a new word. : )

      Thanks for commenting!

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    2. New vocab word! I might have to use that in a real sentence this week...I'll let you know how it goes.

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    3. LLOL! I'm pretty sure I've used it before and I'm pretty sure my hubby just smiled at me and shook his head. : )

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  7. Hmmm now I'm torn. I'd always choose a cowboy (just so I have an excuse to say y'all occasionally) but Johnny is super smooth. Gee Amanda - can I come and room with you, so much man candy!

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    1. Amanda also would have chosen the cowboy, but that was before she met Johnny. It's interesting to see how things unfold.

      Hahaha! There are definitely some good looking guys in Appaloosa! :)

      Thanks again for reading and commenting!

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  8. Too bad Chuck kinda has a girlfriend. He is definitely what Amanda thinks she wants; although she seems to be more interested in Johnny. But it's usually never a good idea to date your boss. I think Amanda could change her clothes and still be called a city girl it takes a while to change how you think and do things.

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    1. It does stink, doesn't it since he is what she's dreamed of. But you're right, she's more interested in Johnny right now. Dating your boss could get really messy so hopefully she'll avoid doing that.

      lol! It's going to take her quite a while to pass of as something other than a city girl. Maybe she'll get to that point. :)

      Thanks so much for reading and commenting, DandyLion!

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  9. Aw... Amanda has a crush. Seems like a nice guy. A cowboy traffic cop! There's a new one. Loved this chapter!

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    1. She most definitely has a crush and he is a very nice guy. Even after all these years I still have a soft spot for Johnny. :)

      At this point in my story writing, game play was dictating the direction of the story and Chuck Hobble is a traffic cop who owns a ranch in Appaloosa. Lol! Only in Appaloosa!

      Thank you and thanks for reading and commenting!

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    2. Lol. Only in Appaloosa. I was playing in AP once and I met a bot builder who lived on a ranch.

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