The dingy motel room was dark, and the only sounds that could be heard were the guttural moans of two people in the throes of passion. Two sets of clothes, strewn about the room in no particular order, led up to the king-sized bed. Boots, one pair scuffed and dusty and the other bright red, lay by the door, followed by a well-worn pair of jeans and petite red knit slacks. The shirts tossed on a nearby chair were about as unevenly matched: a ratty, denim shirt half-covered by a red soft silk with a scattering of rhinestones on it. The tiara on the red western hat sparkled in the dim light from the neon sign outside, and the ragged brown felt hat next to it seemed poor in comparison.

“God, baby. Yes.” A woman, straddling her lover, swayed her hips, her head thrown back. Heavily teased, dark hair cascaded around her shoulders. Her body glistened in the faint light. One hand from the body beneath her slid up her torso, the short nails raking at the woman’s skin. She rocked again, and the person below moaned as well. The feeling of a callused hand squeezing her breast was the woman’s undoing. She gasped and fell forward, spent. After a moment, she slid off to one side and rolled over onto her back. “You’re good at that.”

“Haven’t had any complaints, yet.” Rising to a sitting position, Shelby Fisher reached for the cigarettes on the nightstand and pulled one from the pack. “You want one?” Her own short hair, dark and in disarray, barely touched her neck. She propped herself up against the headboard and took a long drag on the cigarette.

Still out of breath, the other woman shook her head. “No, I can’t. It might darken my teeth.” She got up from the bed and walked into the bathroom, well aware of the appreciative glance she received from her bed partner.

“I never could understand rodeo queens, more concerned about how they looked than how they felt.” Shelby took another deep drag, watching in a disinterested gaze the smoke rings that floated around her head.

#

One tanned hand snaked out from under the covers to turn off the alarm clock before its shrill buzzing could start. Rebecca Starrett yawned and stretched, excited about the day ahead. She sat up and brushed her hand through her hair, then swung her legs over the side of the bed and hurried to the bathroom. Glancing out the window while brushing her teeth, she decided that it would be a wonderful day.

 Today she would load up her horse Patches in a borrowed trailer and compete for the first time in the local rodeo. At twenty-six, she’d probably be the oldest ‘new’ rider there, but Rebecca didn’t care. The one thing that mattered was that her dream would come true today, and nothing would ruin it. She hurried through her morning ritual so that she could take care of her chores. Her thick, red hair fought with the heavy brush as she tried to bring some order to it, so it took Rebecca a little longer than usual to head downstairs.

 Rebecca lived in an apartment above stables where she took care of other people’s horses in return for room and board for Patches. She worked full-time at the small western wear store in town and considered herself lucky to have found this job at the store and lodgings at the stable. Although her parents lived in town, she wanted to be on her own, and this option allowed for that. Her life was just like she liked it, and she was happy with her choices.

 It didn’t take long to feed the other horses, and then she was at the stall where Patches quartered. “Good morning, girl. We’ve got a big weekend planned.” Rebecca rubbed the velvety nose of her best friend. The horse had been a gift from her father when she was twenty-three, and expressed a desire to learn to barrel race.  “Do you think we’re up to it?” The mare seemed to be, and Rebecca just hoped she was, as well.

 #

 The indoor arena was empty except for a few performers milling around. Early matinees wouldn’t begin for a couple more hours, and most of the performers were putting last minute touches to equipment and taking care of animals. The dust wasn’t too bad yet, and for that Shelby was thankful. By the early evening, the noise and dirt would be heavy in the air. She slapped her leather bull rider’s glove against her thigh and kept an eye out for someone in particular. Passing a few other women, she nodded. “Ladies.” Her eyes continued to scan the area, and she didn’t pay much attention to the circle of women she’d just ambled by.

 Tittering and a few grumblings could be heard. One voice in particular stood out from the rest. “That Shelby thinks she’s God’s gift to women.”

 “From what I’ve heard, that’s not too far off,” another high-pitched voice added. All heads turned to watch the bull rider move away, and more lewd comments were whispered.

Two cowboys, leaning against the arena gate, watched the scene, bemused. “I don’t know why, Rob, but women flock to that gal like flies to a pile of manure.”

His companion, Rob Sanger, was a man who was more handsome than smart. He shook his head. “I don’t understand it myself, Henry. Maybe it’s that damned quiet way of talking she has. Women seem to love it.” He spit a stream of tobacco into the dirt, then studied the passing form of the bull rider. She was slim and the denim jeans she wore fit her like a second skin. “Or, more’n likely, it’s that tight little ass she has.” Rob laughed, although his smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. This was the third rodeo in a row where he had seen Shelby Fisher this year, and he was tired of her beating his score every time. Although the women didn’t compete with the men, it didn’t stop some of the guys from picking on Rob when her score was higher. “Damned unnatural. Women don’t belong in rodeos. They should be at home, cooking, cleaning, and having kids. Like my mom did.” He glared at her retreating form until it disappeared toward the barn adjacent to the arena.

 The air in the barn held a strong smell of hay and manure, although the stalls were cleaned out two to three times a day. The few people present were busy with their own animals and tack. After checking a few stalls, Shelby finally saw who she had been looking for. She walked up behind her target, and put her arms around the buxom woman. “Hey, beautiful.”

 Natalie fought off the arms and spun around. “What do you think you’re doing?” She quickly looked around to see if anyone had noticed what Shelby had done. Satisfied no one had seen, she patted her fluffed hair to make sure it was still in place. So much hairspray had been used to get it in that condition, there wasn’t much that could budge the teased mess. “Keep your hands off me, Shelby.”

“I thought you said you enjoyed last night.”

“We can’t be seen together. It would ruin me.” Natalie Wheeler was the Rodeo Queen, and she didn’t want any kind of scandal to cause her to lose the tiara that she wore so proudly upon her western hat. The honor had cost her father a lot of money, especially since she was older than the runners up. Her hair was teased out as wide as her shoulders, and the expensive green outfit was just as gaudy as the red one she’d worn the night before. “Last night was fun, but that’s all it was. I thought you understood that.”

Shelby’s jaw clenched. She should have known better. Some things never changed, and she had yet to find anyone that was different from what her father had warned her about. She couldn’t understand what Natalie’s problem was. They’d enjoyed a night of what she thought was mind-blowing sex, and here the woman acted as if they didn’t even know each other. Even though she herself was a woman, Shelby decided she’d never understand the rest of her gender. She struggled to keep from yelling at the superficial woman before her and tried to save face the only way she could. “It might have been fun for you, but I’ve had better.” When Natalie raised her hand to slap her, Shelby nodded in the direction of a pair of boys who were cleaning nearby stables. “Uh-uh. Wouldn’t want your adoring public to know you’re not only a whore, but a bitch, too.” She tipped her dusty brown hat at Natalie and pushed by her. “Have a nice ride, tonight, Your Majesty.”

 Shelby was so angry that she didn’t even notice where she was going. She stomped ahead, turned past some stalls halfway through the barn and slammed into another woman. They both fell back onto the sawdust covered floor. Shelby picked up her hat which had fallen off in the collision. “Why don’t you watch where you’re going?” She stood and dusted her hat against her leg, and was suddenly eye-to-eye with an angry redhead.

 “Me? You’re the one whose hat was so low that she probably couldn’t see her damned feet,” the other woman snapped. She was almost the same height as Shelby’s five feet, eight inches, but where the bull rider was thin, this woman was much more curvaceous. “I think you owe me an apology.”

 Still mad at Natalie, Shelby crammed the hat back onto her head and pulled the brim low over her face. “Okay, fine. I’m sorry you’re such a klutz,” she muttered, sidestepping the upset woman and going on her way.

 “Why, that, that—”

 “Bitch,” a woman who ran up to her helpfully supplied. “I saw what happened, Rebecca. Are you okay?”

 Rebecca wiped the hay from her clothes and was thankful she didn’t land in a pile of something more fragrant. “I’m fine, Paula. Pissed as hell, but fine. Who does that woman think she is?” She had already changed into her “rodeo” outfit, and used her hands to brush off her bright blue spandex jeans. The white silk shirt she wore didn’t seem to have any stains on it, and Rebecca decided that the woman who ran into her better be thankful for that fact.

 “That was Shelby Fisher. No one really likes her, unless they’re in bed with her. Then, I hear, they just tolerate her long enough to enjoy the ride.” Paula helped brush off the back of her shirt and pants. “Not that I have any practical experience, mind you. My husband would kill me if I even thought about it.” She shook her head. Only five years older than Rebecca’s twenty-six, nothing Paula Fay Winger heard or saw shocked or surprised her anymore. Curious as to what her friend thought, she couldn’t help but add, “She’s really kind of cute, when she’s not being such an evil bitch.”

 “Paula!” Rebecca wasn’t sure what shocked her more, the way Paula casually talked about the sexual escapades of Shelby Fisher, or the fact that no one seemed to mind that there was a lesbian ‘carrying on’ right in front of them.

 “Well, it’s true. I heard one of the other girls talk about her. They say when she’s cleaned up and not hiding under that hat, she can be almost attractive.” She stood by while Rebecca rubbed hard at her saddle and gear, for the third time that day. “You’re going to wear all the leather off if you keep that up.”

 Embarrassed, Rebecca stopped. “I know. I can’t help it. This is my first rodeo, and I want to look good.” She’d been practicing for years and had gotten the entry money she’d needed from her parents. The hard part was to get up her nerve to compete. Rebecca checked all her gear again, then placed it carefully back where it belonged. “And as for Ms. Grump, I don’t care how attractive she is under that hat. She’s rude, crass, and just plain mean. And I’m not looking for a quick jump in the sack with some old dusty rodeo rider, anyway.” Especially a woman. Have all these people gone mad?

 “Suit yourself. But I kind of like that dangerous type. Just ask Buddy.”

 “Ah, right.” Rebecca was barely able to hold off her laughter at the thought of the cherubic Buddy being dangerous. Paula’s husband was the least dangerous person Rebecca had ever met. He was short, pot-bellied, and had the friendliest smile in the world. His balding head didn’t help his case much, either. Since Paula was the short, dumpy type, they were a match made in rodeo heaven. “You just keep living that dream, Paula.”

When Rebecca had arrived at the barns a few days previously, the gregarious couple practically adopted her. Paula and Buddy had both taken Rebecca under their wing, and Paula felt a certain duty to make certain their charge was taken care of. And that meant warning Rebecca against the likes of Shelby Fisher, as well.

 Rebecca was older and a lot less naïve than she looked. She was ready for a little excitement in her otherwise dull life, and hoped that this rodeo was it.