Chapter Text
Cherry Valance wasn’t a big drinker, but this was a social event, a beer or two wouldn’t kill her. She and a couple of gals she barrel-raced with were invited to a little rodeo afterparty on the fairgrounds. She followed along just for the sake of not being left out. It wasn’t too much of a party, anyway. It was just a small group of people outside of the event chatting and drinking beer.
She sipped her bottle of Budweiser slowly, not really listening to the conversation that was going on around her. She laughed when everyone else did, but she wasn’t really sure what they were laughing at. Her mind was mostly on Bob. He was supposed to be here to watch her while she rode, yet she hadn’t seen him all night. To make matters worse, he was her ride home. Marcia had dropped her off, but couldn’t stay to race because of some prior commitment with her parents. So now Cherry was left hoping he’d got caught up with something else but was still on his way to get her.
Though she doubted it, and took another long sip of her beer.
She was leaning up against the wall of the stable, on the outskirts of the little social circle. No one really seemed to notice she wasn’t a part of the conversation.
“Cherry Valance,” A low voice came from beside her. Her head whipped around, and she soon rolled her eyes in annoyance.
“What do you want?” She sneered.
“Just came to say hello,” Dallas Winston smiled down at her.
“I don’t want to talk to you,” Cherry turned her head away from him.
“I thought you didn’t drink,” He leaned up against the wall beside her.
“I don’t get boozed up,” She corrected.
“So I could get you another beer?” He gestured to her almost empty bottle with his own drink.
“I wouldn’t take anything from you,” She side-eyed him. “You should know that,”
“I’m just tryin' a be friendly,”
“What are you doing over here?” She finally turned to look up at him, her brows furrowed. “You’ve got some nerve talkin’ to me after what happened last time,”
“Just wanted to compliment you on your barrel racing,” He shrugged, a small smile still on his face. “You’re good at riding,”
She opened her mouth to say something to him, but no words came out. She felt her face grow warm, so she just finished off her beer.
“I’ll go get you another one,” Dallas got up from leaning on the wall, and walked off before she could protest.
“Hey, Sherri,” Cherry looked back towards the group when her name was called. She noticed most of the people had already left. The party’s over, she thought. Carol, a fellow barrel-racer, approached her. “We’re all heading to a party down at the river. You wanna join?”
Cherry really did not feel like hanging around a bunch of drunks right now. “Oh, I wish,” She lied. “But my boyfriend is on his way to pick me up right now. We’ve got plans after this,”
“Oh, okay,” Carol offered her a small smile. Both girls knew that Cherry’s boyfriend was late, but no one was going to say anything. “Well stay safe out here. I’ll see ya next weekend,”
“Bye, Carol,” Cherry waved goodbye and watched Carol and a couple of other people get into their car and drive off. She just sighed, wondering where the hell Bob was. For all she knew he was down at the river getting boozed up with his buddies. It made her blood hot thinking about it.
How would she get home?
“Where’d your friends go?” Dallas Winston was back, and he handed her a beer. She took it without thinking twice.
“They’re not really my friends,” She admitted, mostly to herself.
“Yeah?” Dallas sipped his own beer.
She shrugged and followed suit.
“What are you staying here for?”
“I’m waiting for my boyfriend to come and pick me up,” She felt stupid even saying that.
Dallas laughed. “I don’t think he’s coming at this point,”
She knew he was right, but she didn’t need to hear him say it.
“I’ll give you a ride home, doll,” He offered.
“Absolutely not,” She didn’t fully mean that, but she knew a ride home with Dallas Winston wouldn’t be any good for her. She could barely stand to be alone with him now.
“I’m not gonna bite,” He jokingly put his hands up in defense.
“I don’t believe that,” She glared up at him once more. The way he was looking at her, with that stupid smile on his face, made her face feel hot. He could tell, too, because he only seemed more amused.
“Maybe you’re right,” He leaned a little closer to her, and now she could smell the thick cigarette smoke that clung to his denim jacket.
There was a flutter in her stomach as the distance between them closed. She was quick to push him back before he got too close. He didn’t seem discouraged, though.
“What are you getting at, Dallas?” Her voice wasn’t as stern as she intended it to be. Cherry wanted to blame the alcohol, even though she was only on her second beer.
“Last time I spelled it out for you, you threw a coke in my face,” His voice was low and soft, and it made her knees weak.
“I’ve got a boyfriend,” She spat out in defense.
“Not a good one, by the looks of it,” He was awfully close to her now, and she didn’t bother to push him away again.
“No,” Her voice was almost a whisper. She was caught in his gaze at this point, wishing to herself he’d just leave so she wouldn’t do something she’d regret.
“So, can I give you a ride home?” He asked her again.
She was quiet for a moment, surveying the now almost empty fairgrounds. By this point, it was either a ride from Dallas Winston or a long walk home in the dark.
“Alright,” She finally agreed.