Page 3 of Bull Riders Don't Swoon

Jamieson nods as he swallows, his mouth full, and it’s not just a nod to acknowledge your sentence. That nod is of understanding because he’s been there. It’s a powerful thing when someone can justknowwhat you mean without saying much more.

“Okay, you got me there. But Kissing Ridge is so small the town knows what I’m doing before I do.”

We both laugh and I hold up my glass for a toast. “Here’s to small-town boys making it big one day.”

“Cheers to that! It’s always been my dream to be a bull rider. I’m on a rodeo scholarship and I don’t intend to fuck it up and let my grades slip. Some of the rodeo team don’t really care. They’re all about the parties and rodeo and don’t care if they flunk. What about you?”

After swallowing some of my burger, I nod in agreement.

“I’m on an academic scholarship. Taking my bachelor’s in psychology. I want to be a social worker when I grow up.” We both laugh, and Jamieson frowns into his glass of beer.

“I’m in education. Teaching kids has always been something I like. My dad wanted me to take over the family business, but he’s a pharmacist. No way do I want to take that on. Not to diss my dad or anything, but I’d rather wipe kids’ noses than recommend hemorrhoid creams to seniors and count pills all day.”

I laugh when Jamieson makes a gagging noise as he reaches for another chicken wing.

“Pharmacy is cool, though. A family business would be something. How come you’re not interested? Other than the counting and creams.”

We both chuckle, and he shrugs as he licks off a finger.

“I guess I like bull riding too much.”

“I mean…why can’t you do both?”

“Probably because I don’t want to spend all my time counting pills for people when bull riding is over. It’s fucking boring.” He laughs and takes a swallow of beer. “Seriously, though? I’m not that smart. It’s only my second year here, and I barely got through my first year of education. Like…it was almost-kicked-off-the-rodeo-team bad. If I tried a pharmacist program, I’d flunk for sure.”

“I can help you. We probably have some classes in common, or if it’s something I understand, I can help. I’m the academic scholarship, remember?”

His lips turn up in a giant smile. “Really? I’d fucking love that! I had a tutor last year, but they weren’tvery patient with me. You seem like a guy with infinite patience. I’ll pay you in beer and chicken wings.”

“I won’t turn down free food, but I’d do it for free. I mean, teaching someone is a great way to reinforce your own knowledge. And since you actually want to teach someday…”

I let my words hang as he nods in thought, and I hope I don’t come across too nerdy.

“You sound like a professor.”

My cheeks burn, and I raise my beer to my lips. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be. I like you, Griff. I think we’re going to be great friends.”

Jamieson and I trade stories of our first year here, what it’s like back home, and what our goals for the future are. I love how we just flow together, and being friends with him is easy. He was right when he said we had a vibe, and I like it.

I kept to myself in high school. Most of the kids in my town had the sole ambition of getting high as often as possible. I steered clear of that because I wanted a better life than what I had.

Not to mention, there weren’t a lot of gay guys around. If I ever wanted to discover that side of myself, leaving town was the only option. After spending what I like to call my formative years alone in our double-wide trailer with my dad passed out drunk on the couch most nights, I wanted better and I wasn’t about to hide who I was.

Before I get far more attached to Jamieson, I need to know where he stands with having a gay friend. No sense waiting. That would just suck more, and I’d hate to have him brush me off because he doesn’t want to hang out with a gay dude or protect some kind of macho bull rider image.

“Have you ever gone to the themed nights the LGBTQ+ club hosts here?”

My voice doesn’t waver, and I hold his gaze while I wait for his answer.

Jamieson smiles, and my shoulders relax. “Once. It was rodeo themed, and they brought in a mechanical bull. How could I say no?”

“Ha, I suppose that would be hard to turn down. I was at that one.” Swallowing, I lay it on the table. “I wasn’t about to miss sexy cowboy wannabes in cut-off shorts. Even went home with one.”

Sort of. We kissed outside before he told me his mom was picking him up soon, and that sort of killed the entire mood for me.

Jamieson nods and studies me for a beat. “So, is this you telling me you’re not straight?”

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