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“You’re only saying that because she’s right here!” Patrick points at Liv, who slaps his finger away.
“If you don’t get along this way with your woman, you don’t know what you’re missing, Patrick!” Liv says. “By the way: what’s your marital status again?”
“It’s complicated…” Patrick scratches the back of his head, and Liv and I both laugh. “Alright, I’d ask you to come with me to see the girls riding the mechanical bull, but you got the missus right here…”
Liv and I look at each other again, with a complicity of only those who wish to be lifelong couples can achieve. “Maybe I’ll give mechanical bull a go!” she says, promptly standing.
“Not if I try first!” I say, standing up as well.
I finish my beer and the three of us go to the main attraction right at the center of the bar. Bella is on it right now, taking a spill and falling face first into the padded area.
“Boo!” I go, and Bella flips me the bird. “Get outta there!”
Liv puts our names on the line, and we stand on the counter while we wait for our turn.
“Did you ever ride a real bull?” Liv says, catching me by surprise.
“My expertise stops at horses!” I say, half-coughing.
“But you said you used to go to rodeos!” she says.
“Yeah, to watch it! My father likes them,” I say, and she smiles, understanding that was my way to bond with him.
“James and Linda are so nice,” Liv says, filling my heart with joy.
“Thank you,” I say, kissing her hand. “I love Lylah and Jeff too.”
“Are you sure your parents are okay taking care of Iris tonight?” she asks, worried. This is the first time she’s been away from her this long since she was born.
“The only thing that’ll bother them is sharing her withyourparents,” I say, and that’s the truth.
Our little Iris Amelia Winters was born five months ago, and I just can’t get enough of her. Still, this is our first night away from her, and while I am concerned, Liv is concerned threefold.
“Maybe I should call Linda…” she takes her phone out of her pocket.
“Maybe you should relax and trust my mother,” I say, kindly, taking her phone and putting in my own pocket. “It’s 11 PM, Liv. They’re all sleeping.”
She sighs and lets her shoulders slump, defeated. “Alright… Oh! I think they’re calling your name!”
I glance at the machine operator, and sure enough, he’s bellowing “Alex!” for the whole world to hear. I jump ahead, remove my boots as requested, and then get settled onto the metal, plastic, foam and fake hide that forms the mechanical bull.
It starts slow, as it does for everyone. The objective is to withstand eight seconds, just like in a real rodeo, and when this thing picks up the pace, I feel like it is hell bound on making me fall.
I hear Liv’s voice calling my name, and I search for her, to blow her a kiss and tell her I got this, but turns out I didnothave this, and I fall on my side over the rubber.
Defeated, I return to Liv’s side, to put on my boots and fix up my hair.
“I think it’s your turn now,” I say, to diverge the subject away from my performance.
“You did great!” She kisses me and leans down to remove her own shoes.
Liv goes skipping towards the bull, has some difficulty mounting it, but remembers my riding lessons and gets up like a pro soon enough.
I’m standing right in front of the operator, and I watch it as he starts the machine, slowly, then frantically, and she holds on like none other.
She’s wearing my cowboy hat, and waves it above her head, squealing and well pleased with how she’s doing.
And then, the signal on the wall announces the eight seconds are up, and the jerk of the operator shakes the bull like a maniac to finally drop her on the mattress.
