Taken By The Bull

“Well.” Staci shifted her weight from one foot to the next, feeling the sting of her blistered feet. “I’m still working on that. But let’s just say – I think we’ll be stopping by that ranch, tomorrow.”

“Aw, hell no!” Mikey groaned. “I gotta be back in Jackson by eight! I’m due to be… Meeting someone.”

Staci cocked her head to the side, narrowing her eyes playfully. “Mikey got a date?”

“Hell yeah, Mikey got a date. Sort of. Look, all I know is, I really like the guy and the last thing I wanna do is show up late. So whatever you’re planning – have a heart, and don’t break mine.”

“Don’t worry!” She replied, airy, reassuring. “It’ll all be just fine. Come on, let’s get ourselves to our rooms for the night, so you can get your beauty sleep.”

*****

There was something about a clean, bright hotel room that always made her feel as if she were a princess, or a CEO; in this day and age, perhaps they were much the same thing.

Her phone felt pleasantly warm against her ear as she listened to the sound of the ring-tone on the other side. With a sigh she collapsed across the white linens spread across the double bed, bare legs crossed at the ankle. After a few beats, the call was answered.

“Hey, Tina! This is Staci Wilder.” Studying the ceiling above, she noticed that the plaster had been smoothed into the shape of sea-shells. Pretty. “Is Mr Minas in tonight? I’m out in the field, and there’s something I need to ask him.”

Moments later she was again listening to the sound of the dial-tone, before a familiar, lightly-accented voice answered. “Staci! I wasn’t expecting to hear from you, this late.”

“Hey, boss.” Despite herself, she grinned a little. The head of JMN News had never been anything but kind and warm-hearted towards her; more like a father, than an employer. “I know it’s late. I’m sorry about that. But there was something I wanted to ask you.”

“And what would that be, my dear?”

“Well – it’s about this story. The bull-rider guy, remember? Now, it might be nothing, but the more I think about it, the more I think it might be something. And I was wondering if Mikey and I might be allowed to stay on a few more days, to follow it up.”

“Go on. I’m listening.”

She drew a cautious breath. No matter how well she got along with the boss, he wasn’t the kind to throw money away on a story that wouldn’t be worth the run-time; she had to sell the possible story to him, and sell it well. “This guy – Steve Law. Now, he’s a real charmer, don’t get me wrong. Kind of a sweetheart, and his brother, too. But, when I was interviewing him, there was something… Something not quite right there. And I’m not the only person to notice.”

“Ah. I see. What kind of ‘not right’ are we looking at here? Drugs? An affair?”

“Better’n that.” I think I got him hooked. Now…. Just gotta reel him in… “Just about everyone we interviewed said the same thing. “He’s such a natural, he makes it look easy.” And we ran into his girlfriend – well, ex-fiancee – and she said something about how he’s not half the man he pretends to be.”

“Interesting.”

Staci rolled over onto her stomach, almost tangling herself up in the hotel bathrobe. “Then, we hear about how he runs a local cattle-ranch with his brother. He rides cows, he tends cows – well, bulls. Same thing! And I’m starting to think. Maybe there’s something more, to all of this.” Her fingers tapped lightly on the coverlet as both her words and her thoughts began to race. “This winning streak and all this success – our home-town hero might be finding a way to tip the odds in his favor. Can’t be entirely sure, but – I think, his ex knows more than she was letting on. Maybe he’s cheating his way into the finals.”

A brief pause on the other end of the line. “A fallen hero. Professional misconduct. It’s always something worth following up on.”

Alone in her room, Staci grinned triumphantly; Mikey might have to miss his date tomorrow night, but it was all for the good of the story. She was sure he’d understand once the accolades rolled in.

“Thanks, boss!” Having gotten clearance to follow up the story, her mind was already busy planning out her next move. “If Steve Law really is a cheater, I’m going to find out. And I’ll tell the world exactly what he really is.”