‘This is the hard part. She is trying jumping but sometimes she bounces out of the saddle,’ he said worriedly.
Carlotta held her breath as Alexia and Cookie moved towards the first jump. Just as they were about to take it, the other rider came flying up in the opposite direction and jumped the hurdle, knocking into Cookie. Alexia went flying off the horse. Chris jumped the fence and ran towards her. Carlotta felt enraged and ran up the side of the area to speak to the rider. ‘Excuse me,’ she yelled.
The rider turned around. It was Jessica Berconi.
‘Jessica, what the hell do you think you’re doing? You could have killed her?’
‘I didn’t see her. Sorry,’ said Jessica, smirking at Carlotta.
‘Yes you did, and those jumps weren’t even set up for you,’ she said angrily.
‘Those jumps were the size of what I was getting over when I was ten. Anyway, it’s not like she is going to do any more damage,’ laughed Jessica. ‘She’s already a gimp.’
Carlotta drew in a sharp breath. What a little bitch, she thought. ‘You are a piece of work, Jessica Berconi. I will speak to your father about this.’
‘Speak to me about what?’ she heard, and turned to see John standing behind her.
‘Your daughter deliberately knocked off another rider,’ she said to John.
‘Well, I don’t think she meant it and no harm done, it looks like,’ he said, looking at Alexia who was now back in the saddle on Cookie.
‘No thanks to Jessica,’ argued Carlotta.
‘Well, it’s not really the place for a cripple is it?’ said John easily. ‘I am sure there are other places she could ride instead of infecting this place with her disability.
Carlotta was shocked at his attitude and realised Jessica was exactly like her father. ‘You disgust me,’ she said. ‘And I won’t be needing your money for the horse show. We have another sponsor.’
‘Fine, I was going to pull out anyway. A conflict of interest, you might say,’ said John, as he smoked his cigarette, ignoring the no smoking signs.
Carlotta didn’t wait to find out what he meant but instead ran over to Chris. ‘What a pair of assholes,’ she said.
Chris looked at her, surprised. ‘Fragrant speech, Ms de Santoval,’ he said, looking up at Jessica and John at the other end of the area.
‘I say it as I see it,’ said Carlotta, crossing her arms.
‘Indeed you do,’ laughed Chris.
After Alexia’s lesson they got into the car to travel back to the city and Carlotta was astounded by how easily Alexia laughed off the incident with Jessica.
‘She hates me because I am a better rider than her, even without legs that work,’ laughed Alexia.
‘Alexia!’ admonished Chris.
‘It’s true,’ said Alexia from the back seat again.
‘I can see she likes to say it as she sees it too,’ said Carlotta to Chris as Alexia answered her cell phone.
‘Yes, her mother was just the same. I seem to love women who have no trouble saying what they are thinking,’ he laughed.
‘Can Carlotta stay for dinner? Please?’ she begged.
‘It’s fine with me, but you should ask her yourself,’ said Chris.
‘Please, Carlotta? Will you stay for dinner?’ said Alexia from behind her.
Carlotta laughed. ‘OK, I will. I mean thanks, that would be lovely.’
She smiled at Chris who smiled back at her and caught her eye.
