Monday, 02 November 2009

• MORE NOVEL WITHOUT A TITLE

  Go here for the beginning:
  
  http://kidzandk9z.xanga.com/713499810/novel-excerpt/
  
  ★    .Friday......mid-morning, noon            JODIE
  
      Jodie woke up before her alarm, but she did not groan about it, for today was Friday.  At the Double T, Friday was known as leisure time.  It was customary to give the horses a little time off before weekend competition, so most of every Friday was easy for Jodie.  She still made her morning rounds, but most of the horses would spend the day turned out to graze.  The few that were competing on Saturday would get a late morning workout, and then stall rest until time to leave.
      Tate had not given Jodie a definite on when he was to return.  She wanted things to be more than satisfactory when he got there, but she also knew that the Double T would be at a great loss if she did not take her ritual, and much needed break.  And so, as planned, Jodie Dawson pulled her old Ford Ranger onto the interstate.
      Jodie checked the clock on the newly added digital stereo.  It continued to look out of place in her quarter of a century old pick-up truck, but music was essential for her.  Jodie could not believe that she had managed to get the ranch in order, and clean herself up a little too, to still get onto the main road by noon.  Perhaps today would be one of those rare, good days.  Days were usually good days when they included lunch with an old friend.
      Ellen Crawford had known Jodie for more than half her life, but at age twenty-two, she was eight years younger than Jodie.  Ellen’s parents were friends of Timothy Tate’s, and rented out their condominium in Gulf Shores, Alabama to him once a year for the last thirty years.  Jodie and Ellen met at the Double T, the summer that Ellen was eleven years old and had gone more horse crazy than Jodie had in high school.  The only difference in the effect, was that Ellen’s parents could afford proper lessons and she never had to work for anything that she really wanted.
      Jodie taught Ellen to ride, and Ellen taught Jodie what it meant to have a best friend.  Ellen lived with her parents in Alabama, visiting Jodie as often as possible at the Double T.  Ellen’s family even took Jodie along on a family vacation weekend at the beach for a few summers.  Ellen moved to Atlanta to attend college, intended to become a large animal veterinarian, and never missed a Friday lunch with Jodie.
      Jodie thought on her relationship with Ellen, accepting the fact that the two of them were one of the only things that would be remaining of her soon to be left behind, ranch manager life.  Jodie was a solitary person, she found consolation in her ritualistic lifestyle.  She dealt with daily disasters at the Double T, but change made Jodie uneasy.  She knew that she wanted a life that was more centered on herself, instead of one based on herself being the center of someone else’s enterprise.
      Socially, aside from her friendship with Ellen, Jodie was far from a butterfly.  The people in her life consisted of a dysfunctional family who hardly spoke to her, and other employees at the Double T.  The only healthy relationship she had, going farther than random horse competitor conversation, was with Tate. Jodie had been on very few dates, all of them set up for her by people who hardly knew her.  If ever she knew love, beyond that of what she shared with horses, she loved Ellen.
      Ellen was graduating this year with a four year degree in biology, with a chemistry minor.  Ellen had direction, her next step in life was totally mapped out.  She had already signed a lease for an apartment in Athens, and was sitting on pins and needles in anticipation for her acceptance letter into vet school.  Although spoiled, Ellen was smart and down to earth.  She had traveled everywhere, spoke three different languages, had tons of friends, and dated often.  Jodie was not aware of any serious romantic relationships though.  All that aside, Jodie was her mentor and confidant, being with Jodie always made her feel inspired.
      Jodie drove on the interstate for a little more than an hour, exiting into an Italian restaurant.  She parked her primer colored truck across from Ellen’s burgundy Honda Accord, that was little more than a year old.  She saw a white lei around Ellen’s rearview mirror, and the back window had the Greek letters of Ellen’s sorority painted on them.  It was your typical expression of decoration for a college girl’s automobile.  Sometimes Jodie felt so much older than her friend. Ellen’s outward appearance had never matched her personality, but all of her was beautiful to Jodie, the anticipation of their meeting was huge.
                *          *          *
  
  ★    ASHLEY JO
  
      A.J. pulled the navy blue Ford Explorer that she and Jesse shared into a parking space, having drove the car around the lot twice, she was satisfied that this was as close as she could get to the front of the supermarket. She checked her denim backpack for money and the list, throwing the car keys into it before zipping it closed.
  
              “Ready Mommy?’.............a tiny voice asked from the backseat
  
      “Yes, I’m ready!”.........A.J. answered her with enthusiasm.
  
      Mallory was easily fooled, her mother was no more ready for this day than Mallory was to drive a car. A.J. placed her already running feet on the ground and grasped her hand, Mallory looked up at her mother and smiled.  That smile worked on Jesse in a way that got Mallory anything she asked for.  If only A.J. had a weapon like that.
  
      *          *            *
  
  ★    Friday......afternoon         TATE
      Tate stared at the beautiful body in bed beside him.  The white bed sheets covered her here and there, but there was no longer anything about her left to his imagination.  He was not sure how this whole situation was going to play itself out, but both of them had taken advantage of opportunity.........last night, and this morning, and this afternoon.  Tate nearly gasped as she sat suddenly up and leaned over him.  She supported her upper body with her arms and hands.  Her very large breasts floated just above his face, and he smiled at the way her hair spilled in all directions. Marisa pushed a few thick strands of black out her eyes and flipped them behind her ears.  Then all of her hair came tumbling into a pile onto Tate’s chest.  He reached up to pull her head towards him, laughing out loud as they embraced.
      “No wonder I’ve been here all night and all day”
  
      “What is?”....she asked, propped up on her elbow to nuzzle his scruffy cheek.
  
      “You remind me of my horses, and that reminds me of home”
  
      “Is that supposed to be romantic?”......she asked.
  
      “Like my horses, you are powerful, beautiful....you have all this black flowing mane, and
  
       there is this air about you that I am obsessed with”.......he explained.
  
      Marisa looked up at him, almost surprised.  Tate pulled her closer to him and kissed her hard on the mouth. Being physical with a woman was instinctive, but the emotional effect that this one had on him was unnatural, for him. His good fortune was almost unbelievable, he just wanted to be sure that she was becoming aware of that without offending her or seeming false. Three words came to his mine, but it was way too soon for that. He embraced her warmly instead, hoping that by osmosis alone she might catch on.
  
  
  

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