by Elias Taylor
Just like that, step one of my seduction strategy was in place. I chatted with Phoebe later that night about the day.
“So, girl, spill the beans!’ she said. “I’m waiting. I know this has got to be juicy.”
“Actually, it was pretty uneventful. I wore that hot leather bodice, and he didn’t even respond to that.” I pouted over the phone.
“What? The one that makes your titties sit up?”
“Yeah. That one. Zilch.” I sighed.
“Hmm. I know from what Gareth said that Carter was pretty relieved when he got Gareth’s order. He might just have his mind on other things.”
I tapped my teeth as I sat at my kitchen counter. “I hope so. Time will tell. I find him so...”
“So what? Autumn.”
“I don’t know. There’s just something about him. It’s different.”
The one thing I knew was that Carter was proving to be a tough nut to crack. But I was up for the challenge.
Chapter Three: Building a Foundation
The custom bike build spurred me on to find more business. I wasn’t going down without a fight. Custom Made was here to stay. Magner was still working on Gary’s bike. This morning he arrived before me, which was another reason we got along so well. He possessed the same solid work ethic as me.
“Hey, bud, you’re in early.”
“Yeah. A part of the exhaust Gary wanted to put on is bugging me. I had to work on it. That shit woke me up in the middle of the night.”
I shook my head knowingly. Once you had a mechanics brain and were trying to work something out, it became hard to think of anything else.
“Anything I can help with?” Magner was stubborn like me, too. Sometimes we butted heads over things, but it came from the right place. I wouldn’t have been able to start Custom Made without him.
“Nah. I got it. Stumped me for a while, but I just had to make a couple of adjustments.”
“Cool.”
“How was the ride yesterday?”
“Real good. About thirty people came out, and it was a perfect day for it. Autumn was there. I didn’t know she rode. She looked amazing in this leather bodice corset thing she had on,” I told Magner, letting out a whistle. The problem was, I wasn’t in the mood to chit-chat yesterday. Worries about the shop were bringing me sleepless nights. I was holding onto hope by a thin thread.
“Whoa! She rides, and she wears leather bodices. Where were the whip and chain? You gotta get on that. Man. Ouch!”
I sighed and threw him a grin. “Yep, she’s sexy as fuck. I just have a few other things to get sorted out.”
“Man, what do you have to sort out? You missed it!” He put his hands up in exasperation.
Gareth requested for a lowered seat and a modified exhaust. I rechecked the suspension and gave it a test run on the road. It was much smoother. I ran a protective sheen over the new vintage handlebars, made sure the engine purred, and polished the chrome up. I figured if I did a good job on this one, maybe more business would pour in.
It took me about two weeks to get her in tip-top shape. I stood back and admired my handiwork. Not too bad, if I did say so myself.
Gareth strolled in during the late afternoon. “Wow! This is incredible. It looks nothing like what I brought her in like.” Gareth ran his hand over the bike.
“She was solid, though. Real solid, and that’s the main thing. I supercharged the engine for you as an extra. No charge.”
“Whoa. Thanks, man. This is so cool. I’ve been looking for someone to fix my bike for the longest time.”
“No problem. It’s what I do best.”
“Well, I’m impressed. Can’t wait to test it out.”
“Don’t thank me yet. Wait ‘till you ride her. If you have any problems at all, just call back in. She won’t be due for a service for another six months. Even then, it will be light.” I was always a stickler for good customer service. Word of mouth was a heavy advertiser for me and how I gained most of my business. I ran over a few particulars and collected the money for the bike.
A couple of months rent and Magner’s wage. A monkey off the back for now. I hoped more orders were coming. A couple of days later, my wish was granted. The phone started running hot.
“Hi, Custom Made, Carter speaking.”
“Ah, yeah, hi. Gareth, a buddy of mine, came in to get his bike fixed.”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
“Man, I tested that thing out. It rides like a dream. I got a Ducati. I know you work on Harleys, but since you did such a great job on his, I was wondering if you could take a look at mine?
“Sure. I specialize in Harley’s, but I can fix most bikes. Bring it in. I’m here ‘till six.” I got off the phone and grinned. Hard work paid off. Dan always told me that, and it turned out, he couldn’t have been more right.
“The tide rolls in, and the tide rolls out. Just like a business. Just do a good job, and customers will do the work for you,” he had said.
Now I understood what he meant. I loved working for that guy. Sad when he passed away at ninety years young, and he took a world of knowledge and wisdom with him. He was like a second father to me in a lot of ways. My father was a little more hard-nosed than Dan. But I loved him, just the same.
“Hey, is that more business?” Magner looked hopeful. He’d just about finished working on Gary’s bike.
“Sure is.” Just as I was about to get into a conversation, the phone rang.
“Hey. Is Carter there?”
“This is Carter.”
“This Derek from San Francisco Ryders. We are affiliated with your chapter down there.
“Oh, hey, how are you doing, brother?”
“I’m in need of some serious help.”
“Ah, okay. If you let me know what you need, I may be able to help.”
“I heard you’re the man when it comes to Harleys.” I chuckled a little. I was a humble guy, but hey, I learned from one of the greats. The guy kept going. “I also heard you trained under Dan.”
“You knew Dan?”
“Sure did. I used to ride with him.”
Magner saw me flipping out on the phone and gave me a puzzled look.
“This is surreal. You knew Dan...” I paused for a minute. “I’m sorry, I’m wigging out over here. Back to how I can help you.”
He laughed, and he sounded like a heavy set guy, either that, or he had a breathing problem. “That’s all right, my man. Take a minute. Dan was a great man and a pillar in the riding community. Everybody loved him.”
“They did indeed.”
“So, we had a pile-up on our ride last weekend. We got some bikes we loaned with damages. I’m going to send the pics across to you. I know you’re the man for the job. We got ten bikes that need repair. The jobs yours if you can do it. I don’t care about the cost. Right now, we got the budget for it.”
I needed to sit down for this. The business was back in the clear. I blew out a breath and asked more questions to see what was coming into the shop. I was ecstatic. What a turn around. From work drying up to being in possible overload. Just from my jotted down estimates alone, it would put us four months in the clear. Off one job. I stepped out of the office, rubbing my head.
“Man, we just got one of the biggest jobs ever. The guy knew Dan. He’s from San Francisco Ryders, and he’s got ten bikes coming our way. He’s bringing him up on the trailer in two days.”
“Are you fucking serious? That’s huge!” Magner said.
“I know! You ready?”
“Yeah. Bring it on.”
I felt the relief flood through me.
“What happened with the bikes?” he asked.
“A wheelie pop went wrong. It was one of those freak accidents. Took out some bikes, four of them, actually. The rest have been sitting, collecting dust, and need some love.”
“I’m glad to hear nobody got hurt. That’s the main thing.”
My thoughts circled back to Autumn. She looked mighty fine when I saw
her on the ride. Now I had more clarity in my business, and things had eased up considerably, so I decided I would make an attempt to add icing on the cake. I headed up to The Red Gorilla for lunch and saw that Gareth’s girlfriend was behind the bar. They had the same steady flow of customers and seemed to be running a pretty good business. Autumn was doing well for herself.
“Hey, good lookin’. Great job on Gareth’s bike. He’s happy.” Phoebe said.
“I’m buzzed I got to work on it. He had a nice base to work with.”
She smiled at me warmly.
“Autumn in today?” I cut right to the chase.
“She’ll be in a little later in the evening. Probably around four.”
I nodded my head casually. I played with the coaster at the bar for a minute, twirling it in my hand.
“Same as last time?” she asked.
“Yep. Same as last time.” I cast my eyes around the bar and picked up a few peanuts.
“So, Phoebe, can I ask you a question?”
“Sure, go ahead.”
“By any chance, is Autumn single?”
Phoebe grinned cheekily. “Why on earth would you be asking that?” She slid my beer down the counter and didn’t give me time to reply. “As a matter of fact, she is. If you wanna talk to her, she’ll be around later in the evening like I said.”
“Okay.” I left it at that. Phoebe would probably tell her, anyway. Women get that way when they’re talking about men. Like a gaggle of geese. Thoughts of my mother and her nagging popped in my mind.
“When are you gonna give me some grandbabies?” she’d asked over and over again. “I’ve been waiting for you for a while now. You can’t just live and breathe that shop, you know.”
I avoided my mother like the plague. Sometimes, she gave me a guilty conscience.
I ordered a beer. I was only there to scope out the situation with Autumn, but I didn’t want to look too eager. When I arrived back at the garage, I had two more calls for bike repairs. When it rains, it pours, I guess. Any more, and I would need to start a waiting list. By the time I raised my head from working on the bikes and kicking around with Magner, it was quarter to five.
“Are you going to be chicken or go ask her out?” Magner whipped my arm with a rag.
“I’ll give it a go. It could be a lotta fun. I could blow off some steam, you know.”
Magner grinned at me. “Then what are you waiting for?
“You’re right. Are you staying? Lock up if you are. I plan on having a couple to celebrate.”
“I’ll be here for a bit. I’ll lock up.”
“Okay, thanks.”
For the second time, I headed back to The Red Gorilla. I saw her long wavy chestnut hair hanging halfway down her back and her shapely ass with curves in all the right places. That was her, all right. She was talking to a staff member and pointing.
“Just raise the platform a little on the stage. Mindy complained about it last night. She said she lost tips over it.”
I snuck up on her. “Working hard?”
She jumped, and her hair swung around, part of it whipping me in the face. Not that I minded. She was wearing a cute summer dress and heels. “Oh! Hi. You scared me. We’re just getting ready for the changeover.” She batted her long eyelashes at me. The naked desire between us made my blood heat up.
“Can you drink at your own bar? Wanna celebrate with me?” I coaxed. She seemed taken aback, but I saw her face change pretty quickly.
“Sure. I’m the boss. If it’s a celebration, then we need a shot to get the party started. Don’t worry, it can be something smooth.” She paused and laid her eyes on me. “Like you.”
Women didn’t come much bolder than Autumn.
“Feebs, give us two bloody mary shots and a chaser beer each.”
“Roger that, boss. Then I’m knocking off.”
We both sat up at the bar. The atmosphere changed after five. The music was louder, and the clientele changed. Men in corporate suits were perched up at the bar. Women came to watch, too. Strippers floated in and out of the back rooms with all sorts of props, ready to go on stage at six. Horny men craned their necks to catch a glimpse of the pre-show.
“For sure. I’ll be here ‘till the night staff comes on anyway. You’re good to go.”
Chapter Four: Date Night
“Guess who has a date tomorrow night?” Of course, as soon as I checked my staff in for the late shift, I had to ring Phoebe.
“No. Shut up! You’re going out? You didn’t go back to his place?”
“You think so lowly of me,” I replied innocently. On occasion, I was known to take a guy from the bar home. Only if I thought he was packing the goods and it would be a good night, though. She tutted through the phone. I was standing at my refrigerator, deciding whether to make tacos or just get take out.
“Not at all, my friend. Just that you’re...”
“You’re what?”
“A femme fatale.”
I tossed my hair back. And I had to admit, I loved the title. Men had their purpose, and if they couldn’t lay the pipe right, they had to go. A gal’s got her standards, after all. “You’re incredible. That’s what you think of me?”
“Yes! Not such a bad thing. At times, I wish I had your liberation.”
“Lady, we stripped together. How much more liberated do you want to get?’
“You win. So down to the real business. What are we wearing?”
I put Phoebe on speakerphone and pulled out some eggs, tomato, and avocado. I was opting for a healthy omelet instead. “We? Please explain that one sister.”
“Well, you need a stylist, and I have to do your hair. This is Operation Carter, right?”
I laughed so hard I started snorting. “A girl after my own heart. Of course I need your help. Is it coming from your closet or mine?”
“I know just the dress, actually. I’ve seen you in it once. I think it’s time for it to make a re-appearance.”
“Girl. I like the way you think. I’m curious to know what dress you’re talking about. My date is at six-thirty.”
“I’ll see you at five, then. Trust me, you’ll know the dress when I pull it out of your closet. Lucky that my boss gave me a day off tomorrow.”
I laughed. “Bye, girl, and see you tomorrow.”
“You betcha.”
I loved Phoebe. We danced together back when I first started stripping, and I recalled some of the things she told me when I first started.
“So no touching. If they try to get grabby, tell Roscoe.”
“If they want a private lap dance and touching, charge them through the nose.”
“Careful with the wealthy bankers, unless you want a sugar daddy. They have separate arrangements with certain girls here. Stay away. There have been a few girls that go missing. Sometimes, when something appears too good to be true, it is.”
One Friday night, one of the patrons waited for me in the parking lot, offering me money to spend the night with him. He was a big, muscle-bound dude. He held his hand on my car door handle and wouldn’t let me in. I didn’t know what to do. Phoebe came out, guns blazing.
“Hey, beat it, you fat fuck!” She pulled a switchblade out of her pocketbook, and the guy ran. It was a crazy night. The girl was gangsta when she needed to be.
I woke up the next day in the best mood ever. I had a date with sexy Carter. I had to go into The Red Gorilla first for half a day to take care of business, but other than that, I had the afternoon free to put together my best outfit. I made myself a coffee and a bowl of cereal and skipped out of the door. What was even better was that California was pouring on the sunshine. Superb date weather.
By the time five o’clock arrived, Phoebe was already rummaging around in my closet, making me do a runway show for her. She sat on the bed as I tried on five dresses. I know Phoebe had one in mind, but I wanted to be sure of it myself. I had this navy number that showed just enough leg and a little bit of cleavage. I had my heart set on it.
/> “Nope. That’s not the one.” She was sitting on my bed, eating Cheetos.
“What?” I stomped my foot. “Are you serious? This is the fifth dress I’ve tried on. Come on, Feebs.”
She jumped up, and a few of the Cheetos joined her. “That’s the one I was looking for.” She plucked my red showstopper dress from my closet.
“Might be too racy. Carter didn’t respond at the club, so I don’t see the point. I might need to switch it up. After all, we’re headed to Joey’s and Channy’s”
“Oh, yes, you can, and you will. We want Carter drooling on the floor when you walk into the restaurant.”
The dress was a banger. It was a skintight, red dress and stopped just above the knee. It had a V-cut in the front and back. I would pair it with some silver slingbacks, and that would be done. Minus the face, but Phoebe would take care of that.
“Look. You want this guy or not?”
I held my knees together. “Bad.” I snickered.
“See. I told you. Femme fatale, go with it.”
I twirled around in the outfit. If Carter didn’t notice me before, he certainly would tonight.
Phoebe straightened my hair and made sure my makeup was on point. She admired her subject when she was done.
“This Carter guy won’t know what hit him. You are dressed to kill. Slay, all day! As Marvis would say.” She gave me a sassy pout.
“Ha! I want him alive, not dead.”
She waved her hand from side to side. “Same, same, but different. You know what I mean.” She gave me a quick hug before saying, “Good luck, and have a ball.”
“Thank you!” I said as I walked Phoebe to the door.
Carter texted me earlier in the day to let me know the location. I gathered my handbag, re-applied my lipstick, and headed out the door to the cab I’d called, knowing I wouldn’t be driving tonight. Joey’s and Channy’s was this cute little Mexican restaurant that had the best tacos in town. I arrived, and the place buzzed with life. People were conversing in Spanish and laughing. Everyone was having a ball.
Carter was seated at one of the outdoor tables out in front of the restaurant. He was fidgeting a little and tapping the glass of a beer he had. A few other ladies, I noticed, were ogling him. I smiled. He was wearing a dark blue collared shirt, jeans, and a clean-shaven face along with a blingy stud in his ear.