New Horse: "Separate Ways"
An abrupt departure from the picnic and a twist in the plot. What's caught Kimi's attention?
An insistent jangling that might have been a music clip suddenly interrupted the conversation, and Kimi stopped to answer his phone. Clay was just out of earshot but could see the young stallion bobbing his head and laughing. A moment later, the call ended, and Kimi trotted to catch up with Clay.
"Claymore, I'm so sorry, but I have to head back into town. One of my classmates called and I have to, I have some urgent business to attend to. I'm so sorry, can we do this another time?"
Outwardly, the Clydesdale's expression didn't change from the pleasant smile he'd worn on the drive out of town; his voice remained even and friendly. "Sure, that's fine, some other time, buddy. Got things I need to do around the shop anyway." Inside, far away from prying eyes and careless blows, his heart felt slightly hollow.
"Beer sounds pretty good right now," he thought as he strode to the passenger side of Kimi's little ecomobile. "Good strong beer. Several pints of it." In the refrigerator at home such beer was waiting him, as faithful as an old Black Labrador Retriever and nearly as strong and dark. Might be a day to catch up on some gardening too; but first, the beer.
The ride back to the diner was uneventful, with Kimi chattering excitedly about the coming school year and his interest in the field of business. Apparently his Business Calculus course was particularly intriguing for some reason, but Kimi was coy regarding details. In an unusual display of discretion, Clay chose not to probe for information. His demeanor was pleasant, even jovial, but those who knew him better would have called him reserved.
"All right, Kimi, thanks for the lift," Clay neighed as the ecomobile pulled up to the diner. He extended his hand, which Kimi took with both his front hooves.
"Clay, I'm really sorry to bail like this, I'm gonna get this taken care of and we'll do this again soon, okay?" His voice trailed off, an apologetic smile on his muzzle.
"Don't worry about it, colt. Manure happens, right?" Clay clambered awkwardly out of the vehicle, a tight fit even for someone of his smaller-than-typical Clydesdale stature. "Take care of yourself, Kimi, and I'll see ya soon." His voice was steady and sincere, his smile well matched to his words and tone, but it was the presentation he'd honed in years of dealing with the public. The words were sweet to the ear, but almost completely empty.
"You're the best, Clay, talk to you later!" Kimi neighed as he drove off. Waving politely, Claymore waited until the car was out of sight before hopping into his truck. What the hell was I thinking? he grumbled silently to himself, jamming the key into the ignition. As usual, the old S10 kicked over a couple of times before catching. Might want to do that tune-up before I grab those beers, Clay thought, signaling and pulling onto Quaker Street. There was a Napa store on the way home, sometimes open on Sunday during tourist season. Clay hit a button on the radio, and part of an old 'Journey' song came blaring from the speakers as he drove north toward the auto parts store.