"Outside!" I yelled. The gate swung open and the bull and I leaped out into the arena. Eight seconds was all I had to last. Four and a half seconds later I went sailing through the air and landed against the fence. I looked up to see the bull in a full charge headed right for me. I scrambled up and over the barrier just as his fifteen hundred pound mass slammed into the fence where I had been. I wasn't shaken too badly. This wasn't my first rodeo, nor was it the first time a bull had flung me through the air. At least this time, there were no broken bones and I wasn't bleeding.
I walked over to the refreshment stand and got a coke. As I was leaving, Shirley ran over to me. She wrapped her arms around me, spilling my coke. She ignored it. "Oh honey, are you all right? That bull really tossed you!"
"I'm Okay, but I'm thirsty," I remarked.
"Sorry about that. I'll go get you another one!" and she galloped over to the drink stand.
I sat down on one of the pen fences thinking about the next time. The next time would be in about thirty minutes. I had to score on the next ride or I'd be riding my savings account to the next rodeo.
"Here's your drink, hon," Shirley chirped. "When can we get together?"
"I've got another ride in a little while. I guess we can get together after that unless you manage to rope another cowboy."
She laughed, "I'm not out here to rope just any old bull. There's only one in my sights right now!"
I smiled at her and nodded. She kissed me on the lips and said, "The best comes later." She walked away toward the grandstand wiggling her hips for my benefit.
"There goes a nice little filly," I thought. "I better be careful!"
"Jesse Stockton riding Taurus." The loudspeaker announced.
I nodded, "Outside!" and I was off again. This time, I managed to cling to the bull for the required eight seconds. Taurus was one of the wildest bulls on the circuit and had only been ridden once before, so I scored in the money. It wouldn't be first place money since I had already bit the dust once.
I ambled off to my camp trailer. Shirley was waiting for me. It was kind of like an ambush.
"Hey cowboy, nice ride!" she remarked.
"Yeah, I lucked out again," I replied. "Do you want to come in?"
"Hell yes, that's why I'm here. I'm gonna see if your reputation is deserved."