"Uh..." Tanner glanced over at J.D. "Max, I'm suspended."
"And I would like to represent you officially," Max explained. "In music and modeling, they usually call it a manager. My job will be mediating with the PBR on your behalf, making sure you're legally covered when you need it, and threatening anyone who, say, tries to suspend you for no reason."
"Then yes," Tanner said. "Yeah, I could really use a rep, Max."
"Then we'll sign contracts when the three of you make it to Nashville," Max said. "And Tanner? Ask Jorge and Isaac if they're interested as well? I'm not asking anyone else, but you three have been good to me, and I know Jorge and Isaac are a part of your group, Tanner. I want to make this work. That it could help my two favorite - current - clients? Well, here's hoping this ends up as a win-win situation."
"Oh, I have a feeling they'll be on board," Tanner assured him.
"Good," Max said. "I can email them contracts, but you three? I would prefer to sign them in person."
"Nashville," J.D. said. "We'll be there, Max. And congrats, my man. About fuckin' time you did something for yourself. Also means I can get ya a whole lot of business."
"But my favorites come first," Max said, sounding like he had the biggest smile. "Now go celebrate, you three. Tonight, Cody did something. Might not be what she expected, but she still made everyone notice her. I'll send you the links for the videos once I find them."
"Thanks, Max!" I said.
"Thanks for making my job easy, Cody," he told me. "And stay in front of the cameras all weekend. You're good at it."
"Yeah, she is," J.D. said. "That's why this girl ismyrookie. I mean, one of us has to be a media darling, and we all know it ain't me."
Chapter 18
We madeit into the bar, but the music wasn't blaring. The place wasn't packed. The music was playing softly over the speakers and the specials were written on a blackboard behind the bar. I knew we were early, but notthatearly. Then again, tonight's show hadn't exactly been exciting, so there was nothing to celebrate.
J.D. headed for the bar to start a tab. Cody and I found a table. When J.D. returned, he had a beer in one hand, a margarita in the other, and a waitress was making her way over with a massive pitcher of water.
"Can I get you three anything else?" she asked as she put that and a glass down on the table.
J.D. passed the beer to me, slid the margarita over to Cody, then ordered nachos. Yeah, he had a serious case of the munchies and probably some dry mouth. He wouldn't say it, but he'd been worried tonight. It had started before the first rider went out. When the rookie had gotten hurt, J.D. had started making trips out of sight to hit his vape.
When Cody had thrust her fist into the air, he'd done it again. Then more when she'd vanished from sight. He hated that he couldn't protect her right now, and seeing the entire PBR grindto a halt? Well, vaping a little THC was a lot better than throwing things like he had before our girl had turned him gentle.
But the other riders showed up before his nachos did. Cody and J.D. were talking excitedly about Max starting his own business. I just watched them. She was this strange mix of beautifully delicate and mentally strong. Nothing about her screamed "girly," and yet her mannerisms were all so feminine even if she might be one of the most driven people I'd ever met. I loved the contradictions. To me, it made her so wonderfully unique.
Then there was him. J.D. was all man, from the way his eyes raked over her - or me - to how his hand gripped his glass as he guzzled water. And yet, the way he laughed was so soft, sweet even. Side by side, they were amazing - and more similar than different. Yes, he was her mentor, but J.D. never babied her. Then again, he didn't baby me either.
I was sure I looked like an idiot, unable to tear my eyes away from them like I was. Every bull rider had to see it, but did I care? A month ago, I would've been willing to bet they'd beat the shit out of me. Today, I wasn't so sure. More than that, I didn't care.
Because these two had my back, and that changed every-fucking-thing.
"You're drooling," Ty said as he dragged a fourth chair over and joined us.
A chuckle behind me proved he wasn't alone. Looking back, I saw Renato hauling over another chair. A tip of his head encouraged me to scoot over, moving me closer to J.D.
"So, this strike," Renato said as he sat down. "What are we doing?"
"Didn't you two start it?" Cody asked.
My head was whipping back and forth between them, but Ty looked over at me. "We're not going to ride until we get the wolfpack back," he explained. "The question is how long this shit's going to last."
"Won't be fast," J.D. said. "The PBR is stubborn like that."
"Kinda what I was thinking," Renato said. "Look at how long they put off making helmets mandatory."
"Still not," Cody pointed out.
"Are for those who joined the PBR after a certain date," I told her. "Now, knowing when someone joined? Not easy. It's their way of 'phasing it in.'"
