Page 7 of Forever C*cky

Chapter Three

Eliza

“Are you kiddingme?He…that arrogant man is the owner of the ranch? That asshole is the man that I am going to be interviewing?!” I’m flinging my wet clothes off in the spacious and pretty bathroom attached to the room I was escorted to. They make plopping noises as they hit the floor. Cringing, I look at my shoes. They’re soaked. Probably ruined.

Natalee calls out from the other side of the door where I can hear her unzipping my suitcases. “Eliza, please tell me that you packed something other than heels? You already fell and heels are not practical on a damn ranch.”

She rummages through my suitcase. I can hear the fabrics as they brush against the canvas and I roll my eyes, imagining her hands wrinkling my carefully packed clothes. “I packed a pair of Asics and a pair of flip flops for when I’m not filming. Both are in the medium suitcase, under the two pairs of jeans.”

I hear her sigh before she unzips another suitcase. She groans and reaches around the door to hand me a stack of clothes. She says from the other side of the wooden door, “You didn’t pack right! How are you going to manage with one pair of decent shoes and two pairs of jeans, Eliza?! You were given a checklist. You didn’t follow it. I told you I should have packed for you but you told me that you had it covered!” She mutters, “This shit I see in your suitcases is not covered!”

Pulling the door open, I glare at her as I twist my hair into a messy bun and clip it, just to get the wet strands off my neck.

She stares back and I sigh. “Well, I don’t wear that stuff. The list said comfortable shirts, including a few button-ups, sturdy boots, and durable pants…” I shrug. “My jeans cost $200 a pair! I don’t own any boots that don’t have heels, and I don’t think I own a single button-up shirt that isn’t made out of silk.

“I figured I’d just look spectacular every day and mostly stay near the house…”

It’s not my fault that I don’t own things that would fit in here…

I dress for my life and my life isn’t jeans, boots, and cotton shirts.

Natalee grunts. “Yeah, because that’s going to get to the meat of the story. Eliza, you know damn well that won’t work for the type of piece you’re doing. This is not like what you’re used to. You’re used to live audiences, audience preppers, production assistants, and commercial breaks.Youwanted something different…

“Thisis different. This isn’t Chat Time with Eliza McCormick. This isreal… This is shit that matters. This is what you wanted. And, you’ve already made an ass of yourself by wearing stilettos in Texas and falling badonkadonk first into a freaking horse trough.” She laughs and her hand flies to her mouth. She tries to stop her fit of giggles, but she can’t. I feel my own lips twist, but, I refuse to laugh.

That was not funny…

I fell into a horse trough. A freaking horse trough. With horse spit… and snot… and oh my God…

I fell into water that horses drink out of. There is no telling what is in my hair and all of the crevices of my body right now.

Gross!

Ok, I have to shower. Like right now.

Turning, I head to the tub. It’s a white claw foot tub with an old fashioned shower spigot mounted on a bar attached to the tub. I turn the water to warm and face Natalee again. She’s perched on the edge of the sink, looking at the tub, and smiling. “God, I love claw foot tubs. They remind me of the one my grandma had in her house. They’re so elegant.” She glances at me and smirks. “I was wondering if you were going to shower… I mean… you did go bottoms up into a huge basin of water that horses spit in all day. And… this is you.” She giggles and once again covers her mouth, but her eyes are still crinkling.

I shudder as I remember. I snap. “So happy that I can amuse you…

“IfMister Donovanhad been a decent host and caught me before I fell in, I wouldn’t have the need to shower horse stink off my body.” I grumble again, “What an asshole.”

Natalee grunts. “Exactly which Mr. Donovan are you referring to? The dreamy, Rowdy… or his sexy brother?”

I roll my eyes as I reach in to test the water. It’s perfect so I step into the tub, pull the curtain closed, and sigh as the warm goodness cascades over me. After thoroughly scrubbing at my skin, I pull the curtain back and mutter, “Either one… But, probably the elder brother more so than Rowdy. Rowdy was by the stairs… Mr. Donovan, the uncivilized one, could have stopped me from my unplanned afternoon swim… If he’d been more inclined to help and not use it for his humor.” I point at my toiletry bag, sitting on the floor by the sink. “Hand me my face wash and poof as well as my body wash, shampoo, and conditioner.”

Natalee bends down to grab the items I need before walking over and handing them to me. Her head cocks to the side as she says, “There was no way for Rowdy to get to you and Falcon only came around the corner as your feet left the ground. He did run to try to catch you, but he was too far away for it to matter.” She sighs. “Lord… what a man. Even his name screamsM…A…N…”

What a man? No, what a jerk!

Although, he is quite easy to look at if you ignore the fact that he’s an ass. Those deep brown eyes… that chiseled jaw…those strong, broad shoulders… those trim hips… the way he fills out those jeans…

Nope… I do not care.

So what if he’s sexy…

Los Angeles is full to the brim with sexy ass men. Refined, sexy men.

Some rough and ragged cowboy is not appealing to me.

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