Way Down We Go

Grooms Tales part 1 - Arrival

The rest of their journey to the Hickstead International Show passed without much incident.
The weather was disgustingly hot as they passed from Wales to England. They had managed to pick the show that was on mid heatwave.

By the time they got there it was late in the evening and both they and the horses were exhausted.
They worked in silence to find the horses their stables, bed them down and feed them for the night.
They cleaned out the Lorry and readied to become their home away from home for the next couple of days.

The heat had been stifling, and both of them were damp with sweat and red faced.
Izzie felt nothing but sheer relief when Ethan rounded the side of the Lorry, "How about a shower, then we'll go for dinner?"
"Oh my god yes please." Izzie groaned.

They hurried to throw bags together and then they strode across the green together.
"Meet you back at the truck Iz."

They parted into separate shower cubicles, and as she stripped. Izzie was desperately aware of the fact that Ethan was next door.
She heard him turn on the shower and groan as the hot water hit his body.

Izzie tried not to imagine him under the warm water, slick and wet. She truly tried.

It was hard, and it was kind of hot if she was honest with herself.
In all honesty... what was a little fantasy? It wasn't like he was interested in her and even if he was, neither of them would ever act on it.

The worst she would do was think about him late at night, take a cheeky snap of him to send to some of the girls at the stables so they could swoon over him together.
She showered and brushed her teeth. Letting her hair out of the plait and into lazy curls.
Again she donned some make-up - a little bit more than she had earlier making her eyes darker and her lashes longer.

She had squeezed into skinny black jeans and tank top and a checked shirt - her signature look seemingly.
Grubby converse donned and off she went.

He was waiting for her by the Lorry, sitting on a bale of shavings smoking a cigarette.
"Well you smell better."
"Oh shut up!" Izzie laughed and threw her bag into the truck.

"C'mon then, there's a good pub just outside the show ground."
They walked through the show grounds and out the front gates.
Izzie was beside herself. Refreshed after she shower and looking forward to something substantial to eat, she felt a wave of excitement rush over her.
She was at fricken Hickstead!

"Hey Ethan?" She glanced up at him as they walked along side each other.
"Mmm?" He didn't look at her.
"Thank you. For bringing me - this is insane like seriously. I promise I'll try not to wreck your head!"
Then he did something that threw her off guard completely.
Ethan threw his arm around her shoulder as they hurried across the street.
"You earned it Iz. Wouldn't have it any other way. No one knows those horses like you do."

The closeness was intoxicating, and Izzie couldn't even think.
She was certain she was the same shade as the burgundy walls of the pub as they walked in.

The barman was from Northern Ireland. He and Ethan chatted for a bit before they ordered food and sat outside in the cool evening air.

"This is the life!" Ethan stretched out as he sat across from Izzie and the waiter dished up their food.
Izzie almost choked on her beer as his shirt rode up, oh of course he's got a fucking V good lord...

The little voice in the back of her mind asked her briefly what his skin would taste like?

Good lord Iz get over yourself.

They made small talk as they ate, and two drinks later found themselves wandering back through the dark to the Lorry.

Izzie watched Ethan as they moved through the darkness.
She wondered if it was because she rarely spent time alone with him outside of work, was he flirting with her, or was he just being his regular self.
Time would tell she supposed.

When they returned to the truck they each found a seat on the grass and resigned to have one more drink before bed.
With no food and both phones out of reach charging, their conversation grew more intense and meaningful.

Ethan asked her if she had heard from her ex and Izzie felt herself grow cold.

Izzie had had her heart torn asunder several months previously when her first real boyfriend proved to be a righteous prick.

She was a soft skinned creature, and he had hurt her in a way that even now she wasn't sure she would ever recover from.

"Um sometimes. Usually late at night, I guess when his new girl isn't around and he's bored." She admitted, squinting at her shoes through the inky darkness surrounding them.

"Huh... asshole! And have you answered him?" Ethan pressed, watching her carefully now.

"In the beginning I answered once or twice. But not anymore. I've taken him off my Facebook and everything, I try not to think about him to be honest."

Ethan was quiet for a minute.
"I was going to go after him you know. Lou stopped me." There was a seriousness in his voice that was comforting, he did care.
"I wish you had." Izzie admitted without thinking.
"So do I." Ethan agreed, a brief ounce of anger slipped into his words.
"When I found out what he did to you - he's a wanker Iz. He didn't deserve you."

Izzie paused, a little lost for words. Sure all her friends had told her this over and over again.
Yet to hear it from Ethan, it held a different meaning.

"I know." She muttered quietly.

Ethan studied her for another minute, and Izzie knew he was wondering if he had upset her.

"Well it's his loss I guess!" She threw out, trying to sound as though she didn't care.

Ethan seemed satisfied and downed the end of his beer.

They both got to their feet and arranged a time to get up in the morning.
"Goodnight busy Izzie." Ethan smirked, before leaning in to press his lips to her cheek.
"Night." She managed to squeak, before she clambered into the Lorry and curled up on her bed.

She would dream of him and him alone, and she didn't care.