* * * *
“Mann, Harry and I are meeting a couple of girls in town.” Barton came out of the bathroom, zipping his jeans and smoothing back his hair. “We’re having dinner withthem.”
I looked up from the boot I was polishing. “Just don’t make an all-nighter out of it, Barton. The first rounds start early tomorrow.”
The corner of his mouth curved. “Don’t worry. This is important to us too. We’ll be back before midnight.”
They left, joking about showing the girls what very excellent riders they were.
Mention of dinner made me realize how long it had been since lunch. I stood my boot beside its partner beneath my riding togs in the small closet, and then washed my hands and went down to the communal dining hall.