Chapter Text
It was a beautiful autumn day, the sun was shining and I was in a good mood. It was Friday, I was walking across campus and had an awesome weekend ahead of me.
Someone touched my shoulder as they ran up behind me. It was Jennifer Madison. Her dark blond hair was tied up in a ponytail and her green eyes were shining. Everyone thought she was very pretty. She was single. "Hi Brad, enjoy your weekend! I'll see you on Monday."
I nodded and smiled, "Yeah, thanks. You too." If I didn't already have a girlfriend, I could easily have her. She wanted me. I could tell. Who wouldn't? I'm the hottest on campus, I thought cockily.
A group of freshmen girls standing under a tree watched me as I passed by them. I flashed them a Brad Townsend smile, that would make any girl weak in the knees. They smiled back, waved and started whispering and giggling.
That's when I saw her. Lavinia. She was walking with great determination toward me. I smiled broadly. I couldn't believe she was here. Probably to surprise me. She looked amazing. She was wearing a light blue top and a white miniskirt. Her blond hair flowed like silk through the autumn breeze. I couldn't wait to spend the entire weekend with her.
"I'm breaking up with you. I've met someone else," she said. The way she said it sounded so off. Like someone standing up at a wedding, clinking their glass with the purpose of making an announcement. Was she even looking slightly bored?
I, on the other hand, was not bored. She had my full attention. "You're what? You can't break up with me!" I couldn't believe what I was hearing.
She looked up at me impatiently, her eyes flashing. "I can and I am. It's over."
I decided to try another approach. I had to. I couldn't let her get away with this. If someone was breaking up with anyone, it would be me. Nobody had ever dumped me before. That wasn't entirely true, but that's the way I looked at it. "I don't understand… Why? I thought we had a good thing going on," I said. I started to notice people looking our way when they were passing by. Thank God, nobody stopped to stare.
"I've gotten sick and tired of the way all the other girls look at you. It's all the time and everywhere. I can't and won't ignore the constant flirting anymore. It bothers me," she said honestly.
It bothers me that you're breaking up with me, but yet here we are, I thought.
"Babe, that can hardly be my fault. I only have eyes for you," I lied. I hope she buys it.
It backfired. She looked at me with a mixture of frustration and amusement.
"You have got to be kidding me, she said, slowly." She wiped a strand of hair from her face, squinting her eyes as the sunlight hit her face. God, she looked gorgeous. "Well it doesn't matter. Nothing you can say will make me change my mind. I've met someone completely different from you," she said as she threw her expensive handbag over her shoulder and turned away. "Good-bye, Brad."
I didn't reply. Just stood there rather bewildered. What the actual fuck had just happened?
Driving home I thought about what she'd said. I've met someone completely different from you. What was that supposed to mean? "You met an ugly boy scout, Lavinia," I found myself saying out loud a grin creeping up on my face. It quickly disappeared as it all began to sink in.
I turned into the long gravel driveway of Townsend Acres. I was beyond pissed. I was driving way faster than I was supposed to and the gravel flew to the left and right under my Ferrari. I didn't care. As I turned into the parking lot I saw several stable hands looking my way and quickly returning to their work. I noticed Mike's beaten up pick-up truck and it didn't have a positive impact on my mood. It seemed like he was here all the time now.
Ashleigh and Mike were standing outside the office. They looked deep in conversation and I noticed, even though I could have cared less about them, how close they stood. Mike moved closer to Ashleigh and reached out to touch her hip as he noticed me. I groaned inside.
Ashleigh looked at me anxiously and took a step towards me. "Brad, have you seen your father? I was hoping to speak with him –."
"Get out of my way!" I cut her off and pushed myself through and into the office. I threw my stuff on an armchair and hurried out between them, avoiding her eyes.
"Brad!" I heard her call after me, but I was already out of her sight. The first groom or whatever he was I saw, I yelled, "You. Get Phantom and tack him up. I'm taking him out."
Riding has always improved my mood. The grounds of Townsend Acres and the trails were incredible and in the last ten minutes of my ride, I was once again beginning to appreciate it. Townsend Acres was very impressive. One day this will all be mine, I thought. One day. Not now and I felt that I was growing more impatient by the day.
I hardly had time to dismount Phantom before I heard my fathers deep voice thundering across the yard, "Brad! My office. Now!" I winced. Damn it.
I closed the door to the office and my father began to speak. "Brad, you took out Phantom on the trails? You know he's racing this weekend. What has gotten into you?" My father said, looking at me with disappointment. He sat down behind the large oak desk that had been passed down from generations. It was the only old piece of furniture in the office. Everything else was modern and up to date.
I kept standing. I felt very exposed under my fathers stare. "I don't think a short gallop is going to hurt his chances," I said.
"You were gone for an hour, Brad."
I didn't have a smart reply. Normally I would have. In any conversation or argument I would know exactly what to say. My father had that effect on me. It might be because I respected him so much. Or because of the reason that he simply was my father.
He looked at me for five long seconds and his face began to soften. "Look, I know that Phantom isn't in the Prince's league but taking him out today was irresponsible. And I know that these past few weeks have been difficult for you, but I would appreciate it if you tried to handle it with a bit more maturity."
I knew he was right. He knew that I knew, that he was right. He was waiting for me to say it. "Your're right. I apologize. It won't happen again." The sooner I admitted it, the sooner I could get the hell out of there.
My father smiled. "Good. Since you're here, I wanted to tell you that Ashleigh came by to discuss Wonder's 4-year-old season."
"What about it? I thought she would retire after her Breeder's Cup win? You even brought it up," I blurted out.
My father looked hesitant as if to be choosing his words wisely. "I know, I did. But she's fit and healthy and frankly there is no reason to retire her when she could have another good year of racing ahead of her. It would be hasty to breed her at this moment." My father stood up and grabbed his car keys and said pleasantly. "I'm heading into town. See you tonight or are you going out with Lavinia?"
I wanted to stop him and discuss Wonder's future but hearing Lavinia's name I became completely paralyzed. He was out the door so fast that all I could say was, "See you tonight."
"And please drive nicely on the property. I don't appreciate having to repeat myself," my father called after me.