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His words were cut off with a loud siren taking over the entire bar. The music stopped and everyone started looking around. Thankfully, it didn't sound like an emergency beacon. More like someone had just won the jackpot or something.
Then lights came on in a room at the side, illuminating the red padding on the floor. There, in the very middle of it, was some drunken cowboy climbing onto a mechanical bull. I sucked in a breath to laugh, but Tanner tugged me that way.
"Let's watch this," he said.
Everyone else seemed to be having the same idea. Together, Tanner and I headed to the railing around the safety padding, but it was crowded. Making room, he pulled me in front of him, then dropped an arm on either side of me in an almost protective way. To my left, a group of cowboys were calling out jeers. To my right, a cluster of cowgirls were giggling.
And then the mechanical bull started moving slowly. The guy on its back clearly didn't have a clue what he was doing. From the way his eyes were glazed over, I was pretty sure he was completely trashed. That meant this was going to be good.
The controller slowly began to tilt and lean the thing, and the drunk guy managed to stick with it. Then it spun. When it began to do both - still slowly - it was more than the cowboy could take. He leaned a little too far forward and that was it. Across the room, his friends cheered, but I just laughed, turning in place to see Tanner.
"You should do it!" I said.
"Me?" He shook his head. "Oh, no."
"Bet you'd be better than that," I teased.
A little smile had his lips curled to one side. "Ok, but you're gonna owe me one."
"Yes!" I squealed, slipping out from his arms to head over to the controller. "One more," I told the guy, pointing back at Tanner.
"He drunk?" the operator asked.
I shook my head. "Nope. He's also done this before, so don't be too easy."
Granted, Tanner had said he was bad at it, but the ground was padded, and I was sure this would hurt a lot less than getting flung around by a bull. So, handing over the twenty bucks for the ride, the operator promised me he wouldn't be too nice. I waved for Tanner to get on.
"Your turn!"
He tossed his arms up in defeat, but the grin on his lips convinced me he was having fun with this too. Plus, unlike a real bull, this one had a permanent handle and places to rest his feet. Tanner swung up on the fake-bull's back like he was mounting a horse, then nodded at the controller.
Music began to play, just like at the PBR. It was the same sort of down and dirty stuff that wasn't meant to last for very long, and the bull jumped up. Tanner hung on to it. The mechanical bull turned, and I could see Tanner tilt a bit, but he wasn't done yet. Then it started bucking and spinning. At first, Tanner looked good. Compared to the drunk guy before, he wasn't doing too bad, but when the operator tilted the back end up, it was all over, save for the laughing.
Tanner slipped, letting go with his hand. The next spin sent him off the side, and he crashed down to the mats only to lie there laughing for a moment. Me? I was clapping and cheering.
"And," the operator said into the microphone beside him, broadcasting it to the entire crowd, "to help this young man out with his pride, how about a free ride for his girlfriend?"
"What?" I asked, turning back.
The man was grinning at me. "I'll take it easy on you," he promised.
"C'mon, Cody!" Tanner yelled. "Cowboy up, girl."
"But..." I tried.
Tanner just pointed to the mechanical bull. "You owe me eight seconds."
It was his grin that convinced me. I'd never seen him look that happy - or as devious as J.D. - before. So, giving in, I headed over and shooed him out of the area. Then I climbed up on the thing, surprised that it was a lot like the barrel-bulls my daddy had originally trained me on. In other words, hard, stiff, and easy to ride.
"You ready, lil' lady?" the operator asked.
I shoved my hand into the handle, palm up, and nodded. Immediately, the thing began to jiggle. Around the side, I could see Tanner heading over to the guy, but this bull was just rocking like a child's toy. Then Tanner said something, and the bull started to even out. Bigger highs on the front end, and steeper angles when the back came up, but it was still nice and slow.
"Look at that, ladies and gentlemen," the operator said. "This lady seems to know a thing or two."
And then Tanner yelled. "Spur, rookie!"
The bull started to go faster. Then it began to spin. I pushed my hips into my hands, rocking with each movement, keeping my chin tucked and my eyes on the handle - since this bull didn't have withers. Faster, then faster still, and I had this. The thing leapt up, kicked high in the back, and changed directions. The whole time, I just rode.
