Disguised In Lavender

Part Six

While Paperwork was more for the business majors, it still made Lauren's heart skip as the photos of horses scattered across the table. She hardly felt Ann's gaze on her as she dug into the pile, in her own world reading the reports in an adoring tone. "You really love this don't you?" Lauren had forgotten the trainer was even there until she'd come to the end of the photos and looked up. "So much. My dad owned a farm and it was all I did when he stopped caring for it." Ann set her chin on her palm, shifting her weight on top of one leg as Lauren began sheepishly folding the file back into place.

"What's it like to ride?" She asked calmly, tapping the taller girl's hand on accident as she passed the folder back. "You've never ridden? How can you train if you've never felt what it's like?" Lauren burst out laughing, covering her mouth with a hand apologetically at Ann who simply shrugged. "I know how everything looks but Km terrified of any creature larger than a dog. So what's it feel like? What's that feel like?" She pointed to a framed photo of Lauren sitting with a steel dappled mare as water poured around them.

Vivid paintings couldn't capture what poured from Lauren as she stood to heal the picture and set it before Ann. How her tone spun in pitch as if she were a bird humming the story of a million songs. Every detail etched perfectly into her mind and rumbling out of her mouth in glorious memory. The feel of the waterfall and skitter if the mare's houses on the mossy rock, Ann felt herself thrown back to five years ago with Lauren. When she finished there was a longing gleam in her eyes, but it wasn't focused on the photo.

Those glowing foxy eyes were piercing Ann with all the tenderness of a sharpened blade. "I'll take you to the lake one day. I can't have you living without knowing what it feels like, it's practically treason, I can say that much." Lauren waved her hand in front of her face as Ann opened her mouth to protest, warning a chuckle of endearment. "If you can get me to even set foot up on a saddle I'll do whatever you ask of me for as long as I live."

Silence fell between them as Lauren examined her up and down, Ann's smile fading as she tilted her head. "What?" She asked with a nervous sigh, leaning against the back of her chair and letting Lauren sweep her fully. "No, nothing, I'm just wondering how many of your life choices we need to go over. Seriously, I hope you know you've entrusted your life with a very caffeinated college student who can't pay off her debt." Lauren shrugged, motioning to the trash bin beside the door that was piled high with cans of coffee and Ramen cups.

They both broke into fits of laughter, Ann leaning forward and nearly tumbling off her chair. "Stop, I cant breath." Ann begged hysterically, wiping the tears from her eyes and holding her breath, Lauren did the same. Their eyes met slowly with their cheeks puffed up with air and convulsed into laughter again. "No more, oh my god." Lauren held up her hand, one arm wrapped around her stomach as she glared up at the ceiling. "Right, we have work to do." Ann nodded, touching her aching cheeks with a breath to calm herself, running her fingers through her hair.

Lauren's smile faded in an instant, her eyes washing over Ann's face as her hair folded around her cheeks. She was pretty even in the dim luminescent and fading light filtering through the curtains. "Who's that?" The rider blinked to break her stare and turned to where Ann pointed her chin, towards Zack's side of the dorm and his pictures. My idiot roommate, he framed those as soon as I told him I was having someone over." She rolled her eyes, getting off her bed to flip them over, squishing her cheeks between her hands as she sat back.
"You should meet mine, she'd never let me leave." Ann laughed lightly, self consciously twirling a lock of hair around her pointer finger, busting herself with spreading out the contents of each folder.

It took a few minutes if organizing until Lauren could somewhat gauge which horses were ones she'd even dare ride. "Mr. Terence mentioned some sort of show within the next two months, closer to the end of December. I want a good shoulder but a strong one that can take some Utah snow and still look nice cantering an oxer." Ann explained, pulling out a buckskin gelding, bay mare, speckled made, and Robison mare with a black gelding at the last second.

Lauren examined each choice, her brain switched into serious mode as she leaned closer to Ann to see the pictures. Neither noticed his close they were until Lauren pushed up a roan gelding and set him aside with the buckskin. She glanced over and instantly ducked further back, grabbing the Eve of the table to steady herself. Grateful that Ann either didn't notice or was too shy to say anything, Lauren didn't care which.

"I like the buckskin, he's got a nice build and is apparently pretty easy to ride, needs work on halt and gait switch though." The shorter blonde was cut off by her stomach rumbling, giggling nervously. "Hungry?" Lauren smiled, half glade for the excuse to stand but perhaps more endeared as Ann gazed up at her with bright eyes. "I can eat when we're done, I'm alright." She insisted even as the rider picked up the phone and started dialing the number to the only delivery service on campus. "It's fine, what do you want?" Lauren perched the landline on her shoulder and picked up the Chinese menu, flipping it to show Ann.