by Annette Mori
“Ahhhhh.” It felt good to empty her bladder after the sparing trip in the middle of the night. Normally she got up several times a night, but after learning the consequences of her poor judgment, she’d avoided a second or third jaunt with her sore muscles.
Olivia knew there was no way she could move fast enough to take a nice hot shower and certainly not a heavenly bubble bath, so she pulled herself up using the edge of the vanity. Bracing herself against the sink, she rummaged around in the drawer, selected a hair tie, and gathered her thick mop into a messy bun. As she stood in front of the mirror with her feet wide apart to provide the necessary balance, she managed to brush her teeth.
She hoped Deb would take pity on her and give her some time to sooth her sore muscles in a hot shower, as she attempted to make herself a bit more presentable. When she heard the doorbell, she hobbled to answer it.
Deb was smiling when she handed her a purple gift bag with yellow tissue paper poking out of the top. It felt heavy.
“Please tell me you’re a little sore. My ego needs a bit of stroking, and it would help for you to admit that. I don’t care if you lie to me, in fact, please lie to me, because you look entirely too chipper and well put together this morning.”
Deb chuckled. “The bag contains some healing bath salts. Kathleen called me this morning. Bri let the cat out of the bag you might not be up early. Go on, I see you haven’t showered yet. Take a bath, relax, and I’ll go out and get us some nice, rich coffee. We can still make brunch and have plenty of time to thoroughly check out the bikes.”
“Aren’t you sore at all? Not even a tiny bit?”
“My legs are okay, but I wouldn’t even let you, as hot as you are, go anywhere near my crotch. God, I swear if you want to make it easy on someone to stay celibate, send them on a thirty-five-mile bike ride,” Deb confessed.
“Oh, thank God. Well, I mean sorry about your, um…sensitive parts, but at least you aren’t iron woman. I guess I can be thankful for the nice wide seat on my bike. Too bad I’m horribly out of shape. Thanks for the bath salts. Are you sure you don’t mind the delay?”
“Not at all. I woke up early and took my own bath. It really does help. I’ll be back in half an hour. Will that give you enough time?”
“It might take me that long to walk back to my bathroom.” Olivia laughed.
“Oh, okay, how about…”
“I’m kidding. See you in thirty minutes. I owe you big time.”
Deb waved and started walking back toward her car. “My pleasure.”
Olivia kept the door open and watched Deb walk away. The slight sway seemed to mesmerize her, and she had to shake her head to remind herself she was not on the market. Friends, just friends.
†
Siera noticed her mom seemed less stressed than in the last few days. When she told them to have a good time, she smiled her real smile and not the fake one she sometimes put on when she was being polite. Siera had gotten up early and made her own breakfast, before rolling her bike out of the garage. Her dad checked over everything and pronounced the whole kit and caboodle was in good working order. He’d pumped up her tires, oiled the chain, and told her to have a good time.
Since Siera only had a small basket in front, Bri offered to put the picnic lunch in the large bag she attached to the rack on her trike.
They were moving along the trail at a leisurely pace. Siera was glad Bri didn’t mind going slow. She knew she had a long way to go to be able to keep up with Bri, and she wanted to ride a lot more to build up her stamina. Her dad said the more she rode, the easier it would get. He always talked about doing exercise at the firehouse to keep his stamina up so he wouldn’t let others down. Siera didn’t ever want to let Bri down.
Bri talked about the long ride her aunt, Deb, and she had taken yesterday. She said she was glad they wouldn’t go as far today, because even though she took her bike everywhere, it was a lot more miles than she normally journeyed.
Halfway to the park Bri offered to let Siera try her special bike.
“You’re the same size as me. I wouldn’t have to adjust anything if you wanted to try it out.”
“Really? I would love to,” Siera answered.
When they entered the park where Bri usually spent her early evenings after work, Siera dismounted and flipped down the kickstand with her foot. She was eager to try the trike, because it looked a lot more comfortable and easier to ride than her own cruiser.
Bri showed her how to straddle the bike, grab the tube in the middle, and fall back into the seat. It was awkward, and Siera sat too quickly, rattling the trike.
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t break it, did I?”
“Nah. It’s really sturdy. Just put your feet on the pedals now. The bars on your right and left move so you can steer.”
Siera pushed on the pedals in front of her and moved a few feet forward. She experimented with the handles on her right and left, moving them a little to turn.
“The brakes are on the handles you steer with,” Bri shouted out, as Siera began to travel farther away.
Siera started to pick up speed and lost her tentative touch, as she careened around the parking lot.
“Wheeeeee. This is so much fun,” she said, as she whipped around the black top and passed Bri. After she’d completed three large circuits in the lot, she squeezed hard on the brakes and flew forward as the bike came to an abrupt stop. Although her behind lifted out of the seat, she managed not to fall too far forward and injure herself on the tube sticking up in the middle.
“I guess I shouldn’t pull on the brakes too hard.” Siera giggled.
“Did you like it?” Bri asked.
“Oh yes. It was a lot more fun than my old bike. I want to save up my money and buy one for myself.” Siera scrunched up her face. “Was it very expensive?”
“Yeah, it was. It was important to have a way to get to the clinic on my own. My hours are different from Aunt Olivia’s. I didn’t want to take the bus. I don’t like busses.” Bri frowned.
“Why? The bus drivers are really nice here.”
“They weren’t nice where I grew up. They never smiled. They would yell at me to hurry up. I like being independent. When I bought the bike, a whole new world opened to me. I don’t have to depend on anyone anymore. I can go wherever I want. Whenever I want. Except, I don’t ride late at night.” Bri smiled.
“Doesn’t it get too cold in the winter?”
Bri shook her head. “I have winter clothes. As soon as I start riding, I warm up a lot. When it’s really cold, Aunt Olivia gives me a ride and closes the clinic early. That’s only for a couple of weeks in the winter. She knows I’d rather get there on my own.”
“I know what you mean. I had to convince my mom that taking the bus was safe. Dad says she’s overprotective. I want to be more independent, too. I guess it’s hard on my mom seeing me grow up. She says I’ll always be her little girl no matter how old I get.”
“That’s what Aunt Olivia says too. She told me even when I’m fifty years old, I’ll still be a kid to her. I don’t think she meant that in a bad way. I know she loves me. She gives me a lot more responsibility than my mom ever did. Do you think if you lived with your Aunt Deb she would let you go out on your own more?”
“Probably. Aunt Deb is a lot of fun. She treats me different than Mom does, but I don’t want to hurt my mom’s feelings. Maybe someday we can live together on our own?”
“I’d like that. It can be kinda tricky getting off the trike. Do you need some help?” Bri asked.
Siera nodded.
“Give me one of your hands. Use the other one to grab the bar in the middle and push up.”
“Okay.” Siera offered her right hand, and Bri grabbed it, pulling at the same time Siera held onto the tube in the middle. “Thank you for letting me try out your trike.”
“You’re welcome. Are you hungry yet?”
“Uh huh. I hope you like the sandwiches I made. I brought some apples and brownies. Do you li
ke brownies?”
“I love them. They’re one of my favorite desserts. Aunt Olivia and I make them all the time.”
“Me too. Mom and I made them last night, after our day at the spa. I got a pedicure. Do you wanna see?”
“Uh huh.” Bri unzipped her bag and removed what Siera had packed for them. She carried everything to one of the empty picnic tables in the park.
Siera walked over to join her, sat on one of the benches, and removed her shoes and socks. She lifted her feet off the ground and pointed to her toes. “I picked out this pink color. It’s my favorite.”
“That’s really pretty. It goes with your t-shirt,” Bri said.
Siera swiveled around to face the picnic basket Bri had set on the table, while Bri maneuvered herself onto the bench and sat next to her. Siera began pulling all of the food out of the basket and setting it in front of them. The two girls eagerly dug into their sandwiches, as the sun beat down on them.
“It’s hot out today. I put the water in the freezer so it would still be cold when we stopped for lunch.” Siera had pulled the extra water from the basket earlier and now handed one to Bri.
“Wow, that was really smart of you. The water bottle on my bike is kinda warm now.” Bri unscrewed the cap and took a large swig of the water. “It’s still cold,” she exclaimed.
“I’m having the best time. Is this our second date?” Siera asked.
Bri blushed. “I think so.”
“Do you think it’s okay to kiss on the second date?”
Bri shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess. Do you want to kiss?”
Siera blushed and nodded.
“Okay. I think we should kiss at the end of the date. Isn’t that what you’re supposed to do?” Bri asked.
“I don’t know. I guess I should have asked my mom. Maybe there’s some kind of dating book we can get. I feel kinda funny asking my mom about it.”
“I can ask Aunt Olivia. She told me I could ask her anything. I’ll bet you could ask your Aunt Deb.”
“Okay. I’ll call her tonight and ask. Maybe we should wait to kiss until we both ask our aunts.”
“That’s a great idea.” Bri grinned and took a big bite of her sandwich.
†
By the time Olivia and Deb arrived at Go-Bent Bikes in Wenatchee, it had reached ninety-five degrees and the sun blistered down on the blacktop in the parking lot. A variety of trikes and two-wheeled recumbent bikes lined the outside, and Deb jumped out of the car excited to try one. She watched, as Olivia grimaced and grabbed the edge of the roof to pull herself up, enabling her to slowly emerge from the car.
“Ow, ow, ow. That hour and a half drive did not do my body any favors. I didn’t think my legs could stiffen any worse than when I woke this morning, but I would be wrong about that.”
“The bath didn’t help much did it?” Deb asked.
“Oh no, it did. Without the bath, I wouldn’t have agreed to come at all. Just give me a few minutes to walk a bit and stretch my legs.”
Olivia hobbled after Deb, as she walked over to the bikes that were on display outside.
Deb ran her hand along a recumbent tandem bike and smiled. “Hey what do you say to giving this tandem a shot?”
“Oh, I don’t know about that. What if my stiffness causes us both to crash? I’ve never ridden a recumbent before. I’ll bet they take getting used to. The trikes seem more my speed, because there isn’t any risk of toppling over. I like the idea I’ll be able to ride one of those well into my eighties.”
“Spoilsport. Maybe they have a tandem trike.” Deb looked up as a burly man opened the front door and smiled broadly at them.
“Are you ladies interested in a tandem? That one right there is a sweet ride. I’m Jerry, the owner of this fine establishment.”
“Hiya Jerry, I’m Deb, and my chickenshit friend here is Olivia. You wouldn’t happen to have a tandem trike we could try out, would you?”
“As a matter of fact, I do. It was a special order, but the customer decided to go with something else. I almost convinced my wife we should buy it ourselves, but she nixed my suggestion. It’s an absolute blast to ride,” Jerry said.
“Sold, well not sold as in we’re going to buy it. But can we take it for a test ride along the path?” Deb asked.
“You bet. I’ll get my assistant to help take it down and pump the tires. We’ll have to get you two fitted, and then you can take it for a spin.”
Jerry walked back into the store, and Deb grinned at Olivia. “This should be fun.”
“Just remember, you have a semi-cripple to contend with. If I don’t contribute as much to our forward propulsion, you’ll understand, right?”
“Of course, but I think it’ll only take a few minutes for you to warm up, and then we’ll be cruising along with the breeze in our hair, enjoying this fine summer day.”
“It’s kinda hot today. Are you sure we should be going for a long bike ride in this heat?”
“You’re one of those glass half empty types, aren’t you?” Deb grinned.
“I am not. I’m a realist. Do you think he has some cold water or Gatorade we can buy? You’re a nurse, you know how dangerous dehydration can be.”
“I don’t know, let’s check.” Deb opened the door and burst inside the bike shop. When she looked around and saw the glass refrigerator filled with plain water, vitamin water, and Gatorade, she smiled and turned back to inform Olivia.
Olivia was pushing open the door and taking small steps as she limped inside.
Deb pointed to the case full of beverages. “Ta da. Your wish is my command. What would you like?”
“You drove. This is my treat. Better pick out several. I have a feeling it’s only going to increase in temperature today. I’ll take some vitamin waters. I’m not too picky about flavors, so whatever you want. It’ll probably take me half an hour to get to the case and grab them, so I’ll let you do the honors while I stumble to the counter to pay.”
The tandem hanging from the ceiling was a massive machine. Jerry and a young woman were struggling to bring it down. Deb estimated the trike was a least ten feet long. It was similar to Bri’s, but a double with a coupler in the middle to connect the two trikes together. It was ingenious engineering, and she couldn’t wait to try it out. She was almost afraid to ask Jerry how much it cost. She’d been pricing trikes, and they could run as much as six thousand dollars for a single. She suspected this one would be nearly the cost of an inexpensive car. Yet, if buying the tandem would guarantee more time with Olivia, she’d whip out several credit cards in the blink of an eye. Kathleen always railed on Deb’s impulsive nature, but life was too short. In Deb’s opinion, you needed to grab life by the horns and hang on, lest you miss out on something wonderful.
When the bike owner had finally wrangled the bike from its loft, Deb tossed out her question, “So, Jerry, how much does that tandem run?”
“Eleven thousand and some change,” he answered.
Deb whistled. “Yikes! I could buy a Korean car for that.”
“Greenspeed is the Cadillac of recumbent trikes. They’re made in Australia, and you won’t find a better bike in the market. It’s an investment for avid cyclists who want to enjoy the sport well into their golden years. After you take a spin on this, I’ll put you on another trike. You’ll definitely feel the difference.”
“Another tandem?” Deb asked.
“No, that’s the only tandem trike we have, but I can let you ride the recumbent two-wheeled tandem that’s on display outside.”
“That looks fun, too.” Deb was grinning from ear to ear.
“So, which one of you lovely ladies will be in the back? That’s where all the power and control comes from. The rear seat is not only the power-rider position, but that’s the person who will steer the bike.”
“Well, I don’t know if I like Deb having the control—she has that evil glint in her eye—but she definitely has more power than I do, especially since my very bad decision to ride thirt
y-five miles on a crossbike I haven’t been on in years,” Olivia interjected.
“Ouch, got a little lactic acid buildup, huh?” Jerry asked
“That, my friend, is an understatement.” Olivia smiled. “Just push me into the seat. I’ll pray I land in the middle somewhere and can wiggle my butt into position.”
Jerry’s deep belly laugh filled the cramped store. “Come on, I’ll help you climb aboard, and we can adjust things while you’re sitting. Mary, can you grab some helmets for them?”
“You do realize once I’m sitting in that bike it will take an act of congress to remove me,” Olivia joked. “And, I’ll have helmet hair when you transport me to the nearest hospital for a psych evaluation on my ability to make good decisions,” she added.
Deb grabbed her hand and pulled her next to the bike. “Come on, I promise I’ll be good when I give you that rub down tonight. I have a very special ointment I guarantee will provide some relief.”
“I’ll roll the bike outside, and you can take off from the parking lot. There’s an entrance to the bike path right around the corner,” Jerry said.
Once they were outside, Mary provided a helmet for each woman to secure to her own head. Jerry and Deb each took one of Olivia’s elbows and eased her into the reclining seat. She groaned as she settled in.
Deb pulled a twenty out of her pocket and handed it to Mary, who was standing to the side watching the comedy of errors with a smile on her face. “Would you mind terribly grabbing several bottles of vitamin water for us? I noticed there are multiple bottle holders on the trike, and I want to make sure we stay well hydrated.”
“Hey, you distracted me from my mission. I thought I was paying for the beverages,” Olivia argued.
Jerry waved his hand in the air. “On the house, girls, I’m hoping to make a sale today.”
Deb chuckled, “Okay. If this bike or some of the others we’re about to try out are as comfortable and fun as I hear they are, you probably will sell me a bike today.”