Chapter 3

Ulrika frowned at the photograph as she let her mind wander. She’d been with Toni at the time, a part time beauty consultant at Debenhams, it was Toni who volunteered to do her makeup. Their relationship had been reasonably secure she thought at the time but once she began travelling to different events the cracks began to show. Toni just couldn’t get time off work to come with her and because competing meant staying in hotels in various parts of the country it had become a bone of contention that finally exploded.

In the bitter aftermath she’d discovered that love and hate were but two sides of the same coin, both fuelled by emotion. In Toni’s case she’d gone on a six month binge, touring pubs and clubs and falling in and out of bed with women and surprisingly enough one man. Ulrika however had gone the other way, throwing herself into the team and whilst she’d certainly had at least one serious offer from an older girl she’d kept her eye on the goal and stayed celibate.

As a result, her performances had steadily improved because she wasn’t distracted by emotional entanglements. Her status in the team rose until finally she was invited into the BBC studios for a ten minute slot to talk about women’s status in sport and her career so far. It had been a carefully scripted interview. Her team manager had prepped her relentlessly for three days beforehand, and her advice and pop quizzes had paid off.

The interview was a resounding success but it had one other unreported benefit, her one night stand with the makeup girl, Lorraine had finally broken the ice. And whilst it was just one night, Ulrika now found herself taking more notice of other women because now she was a celebrity and in a somewhat ironic twist of fate she bumped into Toni in a London club. Toni was alone, again but Ulrika was with Loura, a statuesque blonde who was a rising star on the pop scene. The look on Toni’s face was priceless.

The ringing phone roused her out of her reverie and she glanced at the name before answering the phone.

“Hey mama, I got the job.”

“Jättebra,” her mother used the Swedish word for very good and then switched to English, “when do you start?”

“The day after tomorrow,” she replied.

Her mother wanted to know all the details and Ulrika did her best to fill her in but left out some things such as Amelia’s curiosity about homosexuality, somehow it seemed trivial and when she finally hung up Ulrika returned to her musing as she took to cleaning the flat. Amelia might have been reticent about the identity of the younger woman questioning her sexuality but she’d broadly hinted that it might be her niece. One didn’t need to be psychic to read the room, but that didn’t mean Ulrika was interested, indeed, it could be argued that it forbade any involvement lest it lead to something else entirely. Ulrika filed it away by the time she went to bed and when she awoke it almost seemed like a distant dream.

Romantic fantasies put aside, Ulrika had never considered herself to be much of a teacher, she was more of a performer and if she was honest, the job description had been a little daunting to say the least. This was especially noticeable when she discovered that Amelia had assembled a team of riders to take part in events at some point in the future. Knowing the amount of work that needed to be put in to merely qualify, Ulrika found it hard to believe she was serious. Brian however assured her that whilst Amelia might have big dreams, she was also a realist.

“We’ve got an exhibition coming up in six weeks time,” he told her that first week, “it’s just a country fair near Perth and we’ll be just one of the events alongside sheep dog trials, shearing and a few other farm orientated things.”

“How many riders do we have taking part?” Ulrika asked him.

“We’ve got twenty potential competitors but we have to prune that down to seven due to the size of the ground, it’s a health and safety thing.”

With that in mind, Ulrika was kept busy for the next couple of weeks, putting the riders through their paces and she soon managed to select seven riders. There were a few upraised eyebrows when she chose six women and one man even though most of the applicants were female.

“You’re not choosing Harry?” Amelia queried her when she submitted her final list.

“He’s eager to please but he’s easily distracted,” Ulrika stretched out her feet, “he spends more time looking at the girls than his mount.”

“It’s his age,” Amelia shrugged, “he’s only just turned seventeen.”

“He’s certainly motivated but I need to spend more time with him, plus he’s at a disadvantage because he doesn’t actually have a horse of his own.”

“And Joanne?” Amelia eyed her, “she’s got what it takes?”

“She’s certainly got talent, I only have to show her something once and she picks it up almost straight away.”

“She gets that from her mother,” Amelia replied, “Joanne is a natural mimic. She also plays the guitar and she only needs to hear a song once and she can play it on her guitar almost perfectly, her mother is the same but just not with music.”

Ulrika nodded as Amelia scanned the list once more.

“All right,” Amelia looked up, “so, do you think you can get them ready in four weeks?”

“Yes,” she replied, “I can do that.”

“Excellent,” she put the list down.

“I was hoping you’d pick her,” she went on, “it’d take her away from that shit of a boyfriend.”

“She hasn’t mentioned him in my presence.”

“Jason is a little shit,” Amelia picked up her coffee, “his father and my husband are the best of friends, Jason’s father seems to think it’s a match made in heaven and I can’t help but shudder at the thought of Joanne marrying that little cunt.”

She smiled at Ulrika.

“And yes, the word does fit Jason,” she put the cup down.

“Why?” Amelia looked at her, “are you interested?”

“I um,” Ulrika felt the colour rising in her cheeks.

“It doesn’t bother me,” Amelia smiled crookedly, “she’s well above the age of consent and it’s not breaking any employment rules.”

“I’d rather she focused on this exhibition to be honest,” Ulrika replied, “not that I don’t like her, it’s just that,” she trailed away.

“Whatever,” Amelia shrugged, “but I get your point.”

“So the list is all right?” Ulrika glanced at it.

“The list is fine,” Amelia inclined her head as Nina stepped into the room, “what is it honey?”

“Can I play Minecraft?”

“Have you finished your homework?”

“Aye,” she perched on the edge of the couch.

“All right, you can play Minecraft until dinner.”

“Thanks, mum,” she nodded at Ulrika, “how’s your new job?”

“It’s going well, thank you,” Ulrika replied a moment later, “so, what level are you on?”

“It’s not really levels, it’s world building,” Nina shifted in her seat, “you build worlds and fight the swarms trying to destroy them. I’m forming an alliance with Katie, my best friend.”

“How about you go play Minecraft,” Amelia nudged her.

Once Nina had left the room Amelia spoke again.

“She’s a good kid, but I have to watch her with Minecraft, she’d be on it all day.”

“Is she into riding?”

“Oh, she loves riding but it’s a hard choice between riding and Minecraft.”

“Would you like me to teach her or is that going too far.”

“It’s not going too far but I’m concerned that she could take you away from this team.”

“Well, I’ve got Brian helping out. There can’t be anything wrong with having her riding as well, we’ve got a separate riding area for younger kids, or I could always put in some extra time here for some one on one.”

“I’ll think about,” Amelia replied, “she does have lessons at the weekend but because she lives here it’s kind of hard to get her motivated to do her lessons.”

“Well, it’s no pressure,” Ulrika shrugged, “if she wants to just hang around that’s okay and if she wants to ride that’s okay too.”

She glanced at her list.

“And this list is fine?”

“The list is good,” she glanced at her watch, “I’ve got some business to attend to.”

“Of course,” Ulrika rose, “and thank you for your input.”

It sounded trite and almost forced but Amelia didn’t seem to notice and Ulrika spent the rest of the afternoon seeing to her own horse and going over the routines with Brian. Despite Amelia’s vote of confidence however Ulrika still felt unsure with all this responsibility but thankfully Brian was a capable boss and before too long they’d set up a good training program for the ‘Bothy’ team. The name had been chosen by Amelia not long after Ulrika started although she confessed that it wasn’t a very inspiring name.

One positive aspect of her new task was the fact that the routines she was teaching them kept both Ulrika and the others focused on the job and thus she was able to put any fantasies to bed, for now and for the next few weeks she was kept busy with her new team. Nina appeared some two days after the talk with Amelia and whilst she didn’t do any riding that first day it seemed as if she’d become somewhat fascinated by the routines Ulrika was putting the riders through. Ulrika did her best to explain the reasoning behind these movements.

She thought it had gone over her head but the second day Nina saddled up her horse and led him out to a smaller section reserved for children and thus Ulrika was forced to split her time between the new team and Nina. Thankfully however, Brian was able to help out with lessons and Ulrika was surprised to see that the younger girl was actually quite adept at riding, leading her to surmise that perhaps there might be a spot on the team for her.

“Maybe not just yet,” Amelia told her a week or so later, “but if she’s keen enough I might just see how she gets on, I’m more concerned with Joanne. How is she going?”

“She’s doing well,” Ulrika replied, “she’s got natural talent although she’s been a bit distracted the last few days.”

“There are reasons for that,” Amelia handed her a cup of coffee, “boys are as much a distraction for girls as girls are to boys.”

“I know the feeling,” Nina replied, “but with me it was girls who distracted me.”

“And how did you cope?”

“I ended it finally, my ex girlfriend was too, clingy,” she sipped her coffee.

“Maybe she should do the same with that little shit, Jason. He’d make a great politician, he’s never done a day’s work in his life but the way he talks you’d think he works fifteen hour days.”

Little did Ulrika know as she drove home that night that she would become the catalyst that would lead to Joanne breaking up with Jason.

Prior to Jason’s sudden arrival at The Bothy some five days before the team début at the fair Ulrika couldn’t have told you anything about Jason at all. Even Joanne didn’t say much about him apart from the times she’d said that she’d be dropping in on him. Judging by her lack of enthusiasm, it was hard to characterise it as a traditional relationship. Amelia’s use of the word cunt to describe him seemed to conjure up images of some alpha male or maybe a weedy-looking guy and indeed the former turned out to be closest to the mark when he turned up in a BMW convertible late one Friday afternoon.

Ulrika had seen it cruising past the Circle as she was observing her team practising a routine she’d been teaching them for the last few weeks. She turned to look at the black convertible as it turned into the carpark and then disappeared.

“What’s he doing here?” Brian turned around.

“Who?” Ulrika turned back to the riders.

“Jason,” he replied, “he never turns up here. Amelia cannae stand the sight of him. She actually ordered him off the property three months ago after he upset Joanne.”

“Well, he’s probably here to see Joanne,” she squinted at the younger woman as she executed a perfect pass as the riders trotted around the circle. The movement they were practising involved a complicated overtaking manoeuvre whereby the rearmost rider wove their way along the line to give the appearance of a serpentine movement. They were followed by the next rearmost rider and the next until the original rear rider resumed their position at the rear. It had been chosen by Ulrika as being the perfect way to introduce the locals and the press to this new team.

“How do I treat him?” Ulrika glanced at Brian.

Brian however didn’t reply as a tallish young man dressed in an open-necked white shirt and black trousers strode around the corner of the building. He was trailed by a Rottweiler and Brian stepped forward as the dog darted past Jason.

“For fuck’s sake, Jason. Keep the dog away from the horses.”

Jason’s eyes shifted and he reached out to grab the dog but he was too slow and thus Ulrika found herself in the path of the Rottweiler as it followed its herding instincts. She spread her arms wide to make herself look larger and spread her legs slightly. The dog slowed and she was able to grab the collar and gain control of it.

“Thanks,” Jason reached her, “I haven’t seen you before.”

“I’m the team captain, Ulrika,” she let go of the collar.

“I’m Jason Cameron,” he introduced himself, “I’m here to see Joanne.”

“You’ll need to wait for a few minutes,” Ulrika straightened up, “they haven’t finished their routine.”

Satisfied that he had control of the dog she turned back to the riders but Joanne was peeling off from the line and trotting towards them. She had a fixed smile on her face as she came to a halt and looked down at him.

“What’s the matter wi’ you?”

“It’s private,” he struggled to keep the dog from pulling away from him.

Joanne let out a sigh and Ulrika inclined her head.

“If you need to take a break.”

“Fine,” she swung out of the saddle and Ulrika gestured to the others to come to a halt as well, “but I don’t see why you couldn’t just text me. It’s what normal people do, Jason.”

She slid between the railings and they moved away, heading towards the carpark. Jason was still trying to keep the dog under control and Ulrika glanced at Brian.

“I hope she’s all right.”