Inconsiderate son of a– Selena Parker was livid. Few things pissed her off as much as sitting around waiting for people, very few. One of those things just happened to be mosquitoes. When combining the two, the level of anger was more than a bit intensified. Selena was used to it though. Life may have dealt her a shit hand, but she kept her chin up and kept on playing, always hoping for that magical card.

   I’ll friggin’ beat him down when he gets here. Of all the damn nerve. She spoke sternly to no one, save a couple of unconcerned geese and a three legged dog appropriately named Tripod. The smacking sound she created by swatting at her uncovered arms, neck, and face had become nearly constant. “I fucking hate mosquitoes!” she roared into the dwindling light of the evening sky. This time the geese turned to acknowledge her, before going back to their business of whatever geese do. Tripod, Tri for short, lifted his head to investigate the loud noise as well. Obviously, this took a lot out of him since his head quickly fell back into the pillow his front paws formed over the dirt below.

   It wasn’t the first time Selena had waited for a veterinarian to come out for Destiny. You never know what you’re going to get when you start up with a new one. Hell, it’s almost the industry norm to be at least somewhat late, anyone that has a horse can attest to that. But not an hour and a half, not without a call, and not after she had sat out here the entire evening only three days ago with the same treatment, before leaving all pissed off.

   It’s not like it’s the Ritz out here, she spoke to herself about what had become fairly familiar surroundings.

   Davies’ Ranch had certainly seen better days. It was a bit run down and old, but board was cheap and cheap was good. And besides, Ms. Sally was amazing with the horses. Now getting a vet out here, obviously that’s a-whole-nother story. Selena began to consider the many possible ways to seriously injure said veterinarian. Thankfully for him, she was cut off by the sound of Faith Hill’s Cry.

   A “Hrmmph” escaped her pursed lips. She slid her hand into the pocket of her skintight jeans, extracting the scuffed up cell phone while the custom ring tone continued to play. It’s about damn time, she breathed to herself just before flipping the phone open and silencing ‘the modern day queen of country.’ She forced a half-smile to accompany her chosen version of the standard telephone greeting. “Uh…Hello?”

   “Hello, Selena? It’s Jay Walker. Listen, sorry I’m running so late. I ran into some problems on the call prior to yours, I’m really sorry. If you can hang out for another half-hour, I’ll go ahead and waive the call fee. If not, we can meet up some other time.”

   Now there was no way in hell that she was going to drive her ass out here for him a third time. No sir, not going to happen. And hell, the call fee alone was probably forty bucks or more. Besides, what did she have to go home to anyway? Only an abusive, unappreciative drunk and a growing list of bad memories. More often than not these days, Selena found ways to extend her time away from home.

   “No, no. I’ll wait. A half-hour…right?” She swatted at her forearm.

   “Half-hour, promise.”

   “Much longer and these things may eat me alive.” She slapped at her neck.

   “Vampire bugs, I tell yah. They’re bad out here too. I’ve got some spray you can use when I get there.”

   “Great, thanks. See you then.” Selena closed her phone before continuing, You lying bastard, half-hour my ass. She looked down at the time on the face of her phone. Almost seven thirty. Dammit, she had to call Johnny. She hated having to explain anything to him. He always found a way to make her seem like some lying, cheating tramp anytime things didn’t go exactly to his liking. He lacked confidence, and what was worse was he constantly tried to cover up that fact by being a jackass.

   She decided to secure Destiny’s stall door and head for the shelter of her piece of shit, ninety-six Probe, slapping herself all the while. Along the way, she noticed a ‘room for rent’ sign that hadn’t been there just days before. Two hundred dollars a month, and help with chores on the weekends, it read. Poor Ms. Sally must be getting too old and tired to handle everything around here. Two hundred dollars is cheap rent, no matter where you’re from, Selena thought before entering her car. She opened her phone and brought up the contact list, choosing her live-in boyfriend from the very short list of names. The ringing stopped halfway through its second verse followed by his voice.

   “Hello? What da fuck…where you at woman?” His voice trailed off at the end. His words were slurred badly. He had obviously been drinking. He sounded like someone on the painful end of a root canal, with that mouthful of gauze we all know and love. “Yer late, I’m hungry…hello?”

   “I’m here.”

   “Then answer me dammit. Where the hell are you?” He already sounded meaner than he did only seconds ago. That’s the way it went: it built up. Matters not what happens on her end. How she acted or reacted rarely had bearing on the outcome.

   “I’m at the ranch, waiting on the vet. Bastard is late, probably gonna be another–”

   “Come home.”

   “What?”

   “You heard me. I says come home, now. To hell with the vet, to hell with your stupid horse, to hell with that damn ranch. I’m tired of us havin’ to pay for boardin’ that damn animal anyways. I’m hungry…” He paused to take a swig of whatever it was he was drinking tonight, and then continued, “And I want my damn dinner!”

   The slurring combined with the growing anger made Selena think of the comical stereotypes she’d often seen of drunks in Irish pubs. Problem was–this wasn’t a comedy sketch.

   She hated who he had become. She hated who she was becoming, because of him. Deep down inside she knew that she should just tell him to fuck himself and move on. She had seen all the statistics on abusive men and the women that stay. There was little question whether she should be done with him. But she had nowhere to go, and no friends to help since he made her alienate damn near everyone in her life prior to him. She had even abandoned her family back in Deltona. So she sucked it up and played her role, a role in which she had become painfully familiar.

   “Johnny, baby, I really need to do this. I’m already three weeks late getting Destiny’s Coggins’ pulled and I missed the vet already once. If I don’t get it done, Ms. Sally’s gonna ask me to move him off the property. The guy’s supposed to be here in thirty minutes, I’ll be right home after and I’ll pick up some dinner along the way so you don’t have to wait for me to cook. Okay baby?” She quickly became silent. She thought to herself, Wait for it…wait for it…

   “Fuck that!” The volume of his voice increased ten-fold. “And who’s this fucking vet anyways? Some young dude you met on the innernet? You gonna suck his dick?” He elevated the pitch of his voice, as if to mimic her. “Oh mister vet guy, please fix my sick horse and I’ll suck yer dick…Wanna fuck me mister vet guy?”

   “Please, stop it Johnny.”

   “Hey mister vet guy, how much do I owe ya? Can I fuck you for it? Why don’t you just go head and fuck him you lil slut. Why don’t you suck his dick? Why don’t you just…”

   “Seriously, I mean it Johnny, stop. I’ve had enough.”

   “Oooh, whadda you gon do bout it, lil girl? Nothing, that’s what, same as always. You’re gon get in that piece of shit car a yours and you’re gon drive your sweet lil ass home to make me dinner and suck my dick, that’s what you…”