Virgil stepped out of the truck and stretched his legs. He took the half empty cup of coffee from the cup holder and dumped the cold remains into the grass. He never did drink the full thing, coffee made him jittery and the bitter taste wasn't his favorite but milk and sugar helped with the taste and it woke him up in the morning. He placed the now empty cup back into its place and shut the door.

Pal nickered from Patton's trailer parked next to him. Bucephalus answered and Logan's mare, a beautiful bay named Ada Lovelace, added to the noise. Virgil smiled at the horse's antics. At first Virgil had been cautious about leaving the horses in the trailer for so long but as long as they had water they always did fine. Another nicker interrupted the others. Virgil glanced over to see another trailer, this one pulled by a white pickup. So another rodeo person had decided to stop in here.

Virgil headed for the door dismissing the trailer. He didn't really know any others from the circuit. Remus and Dallas had an old beater that Remus refused to trade in and called a 'classic'. Dallas went along with it deciding that that was not a battle that he would win. Dallas had his own pickup but it was often left back at the trailer house that the couple shared but rarely frequented. They transported their horses together, Dallas's dappled gelding named Scales and Remus's appaloosa gelding named Old Spice. They usually took a different route and showed up at the arena hours later than anyone else due to their spontaneous adventures. Virgil was happy to leave them to it and hang out with Logan and Pat at these times.

A bell rang overhead as he opened the door. A small sign welcomed him and told him to pick his own seat so he looked around for the familiar pair. He heard Patton's overwhelming giggles and made his way in that direction. He faltered as he approached the table.

Sitting in the booth just across from Patton and Logan was Roman. He was wearing jeans and a normal shirt without all of the bling he had had on last night. With a smile he turned and met Virgil's eyes. Virgil quickly looked away and made his way towards the table.

"Virgil!" Patton called. "Glad you made it. We invited Roman along with us today. He doesn't believe that they serve the best tenderloins in the state right here." Virgil nodded and sat down in the only empty spot right next to Roman. He picked up a menu but only glanced at it.

"Patton's right, they are the best. No use in even ordering anything else," Virgil agreed. He didn't dare look in the direction of Roman. He wasn't sure how to react to what had happened last night. Their talk, the dance, the kiss. It was all too much to handle and he wasn't sure how to appropriately discuss that with anyone. Luckily he didn't have to do much talking, Patton kept up most of the conversation with Roman. Logan and Virgil added points every now and then but mostly kept quiet and exchanged glances with each other once in a while. This was normal for them, Patton had always been the talker.

Finally the food came and they eagerly waited as Roman took his first bite of the best tenderloin in the state. He chewed slowly, testing the flavor and texture before swallowing.

"I must admit that is pretty good, probably the best I have ever had," he said before taking another bite. "How did you guys ever find this place though?" Virgil took a bite of his own food and decided to let Patton explain.

"We always try to find the local joints whenever we travel to the next show. They usually have the best food. This place has been one of our favorites for a few years. The first time we brought Virgil here he didn't believe us about the tenderloins either."

"It didn't seem likely but I'm a fan now," Virgil replied. "But they still aren't as good as the fried chicken at that one place in Hamilton."

"Or the jam from Crofter's after the last rodeo last year. That one is still my favorite," Logan added.

"So you guys do this often?" Roman asked. They all nodded.

"After every rodeo we stop and get lunch together. It's nice to hang out before everything gets crazy later this afternoon and it gives us a good break from riding in the truck," Logan explained. Roman turned to Virgil.

"What about your other friends, Dallas and Remus?" Virgil shook his head.

"I don't like third-wheeling them. They get their lunch dates in during this time and you know how embarrassing Remus can be in public. I like this much better. Plus Logan and Pat are my best friends." At that Patton smiled brightly.

"I can understand that," Roman said. He looked over at Virgil who quickly looked away. There they were again, his wild horse eyes. Roman vowed to try to catch them as many times as he could.

They continued eating and talking like old friends do. Virgil had been impressed with how well Roman had gotten along with Dallas and Remus last night but he seemed to flawlessly fit in with Patton and Logan. They sat there in that booth for over an hour, letting the conversation and the sweet tea flow before Logan announced that they should be on their way if they were to make it to the arena in time. They walked out and parted ways, as Logan and Patton drove away, Virgil checked on Bucephalus once more.

"So see you at the arena then?" Roman asked hopefully.

"Of course. I've got a bull to ride tonight," Virgil answered. And I've got a number to get, Roman thought. He nodded as Virgil turned away from his horse.

"Well I guess I'll see you there then." Roman turned and made his way towards his truck. Virgil did the same but waited until Roman had left the parking lot before laying his head down on the steering wheel. He still had no clue what the kiss had meant and now he just wanted to see Roman's face even more.