by Hope Stone
“I was born ready, baby.” I smiled.
“I hear you talking, let’s see what you got.” I turned up the heat a little. I had to walk past him to get the right angle on the ball I wanted to pocket. I strolled behind him and pinched his ass as I went past. It brought a smile to his face. I leaned forward, being sure to stand on my tiptoes as I lined up the ball I wanted to hit. I missed the pocket to the left on purpose.
“I know what you’re doing,” he said and I grinned at him.
“Is it working?”
“Yes. But that’s not going to be enough to throw me off.” He nibbled my ear on his way to his shot. An adrenaline rush of wanton desire hit me. Okay. Time to up the ante. This whole thing felt like foreplay. I watched as he pocketed two more balls. “You sure you don’t want any tips? I can give you some pointers on that last shot,” he said as his eyes searched my body.
“Sure, go ahead.”
He stood behind me and grabbed the stick and my hands. I had to keep my breathing level. I was struggling.
“If you look at the ball through an eye-level view it will help you hit the target.” I knew he was talking about pool but it didn’t feel like it. The way I heard his voice was as if he was singing me a lullaby. His husky, rich voice sent shivers down my spine.
“Uh-huh. I got it,” I said.
“Okay, go for it.”
I poked my tongue out. Two balls were lined up vertically in the top left pocket. I leaned back and let my stick do the work. The bangs clinked two balls together as they rolled in one after the other.
“Seems my lesson paid off.”
“Seems like it.” His small was in the way of one of my bigs. I needed a diagonal hit. I bounced the white ball off the corner, knocked his out and my ball went in. Now his beautiful white teeth started flashing and he smirked.
“So it’s like that, huh?” He flicked his tongue around the inside of his mouth and stared at me.
“What?” I shrugged. We had a little bit of an audience. Two other guys from another table saw my shots and were watching from afar. Pizza came out to our stool table. Diego pointed to the slices.
“You know what... Wanna slice before I kick your butt?”
“I mean, sure.” I sauntered around the table and picked up a slice. The cheese dripped a little down my chin. Diego didn’t waste any time scooping it up with his finger. I giggled.
“You’re cute.” He gave me a quick peck on the lips. “Still your turn. Do your worst.”
“Oh, I plan to.” I ran my fingers along the edge of the table and positioned myself. Time to show off. I placed the stick behind my back and perched on the edge of the table, knocking in another big. Diego closed his eyes and shook his head. Sound effects came from the background as I grinned.
“Ooo, she got you good, man.”
Diego turned his head to the fan on another table. He groaned. “Don’t encourage her.”
The guy laughed. I was on a roll. I had two more balls on the table; one was a long shot. I bounced it off the left-hand corner, hoping it would connect with my purple big on the right. Missed it by an inch.
“Okay. No mercy now.” He brushed past me; the white ball was right near my shoulder. “Are you moving or are you gonna stand there?”
I turned in to him; we were so close his breath was on me.
“How about no.”
He let out a throaty chuckle.
“Okay,” he breathed and I wanted to melt into the floor. He shot the ball straight past me and I heard it hit the pocket. “How about that now?” He grinned. I grinned.
I didn’t end up winning. But it came down to the black ball so I gave him a run for his money, that was for sure. The end of the night came and I didn’t realize the time, I was having so much fun. We packed up the pool table and headed out into the freshness of the California night. We strolled back to our respective cars hand in hand. Smiling together. I shivered a little.
“Cold?” Even in the dark, I could see the desire in his eyes.
“A little,” I replied. We reached his car and he pulled me to him on the back of the hood. He cupped my ass and took possession over my mouth. Hot, feverish energy ran through me and I wanted him to take it further. But my mind held me back. Remember your promise to yourself. Take it slow. I tunneled my hands through his hair. It was surprisingly soft. His three o’clock beard grazed my chin lightly. Took another minute before we surfaced for air. His arms were firmly wrapped around my waist and we were eye to eye. I was straddled between his legs.
“When can I see you again? Do you want to come to my place next time? I’ll cook for you.” His gentle sexiness hit my eardrum.
“Sounds good. I’d really like that.”
“Good, come on, I’ll walk you to your car.” Not many people were in the parking lot and the lighting was dim. He saw me to my car safely and we kissed again before I slid in the driver’s seat.
“I’ll call you.” He winked. I blew a kiss to him and started my engine. Now it was a game to see how long I could keep my legs closed.
Seven
Diego
Two weeks passed and I’d managed to sort all my furniture out and have it delivered to me. My chaise lounge and video games with my large flatscreen TV arrived. The bachelor pad was complete. I was now sitting in downtown Merced at the real estate office.
“Thanks, Sue. You’ve been great and I’m glad you managed to get that fifteen percent off for me.”
She pursed her lips together and brushed me off. “No problem. It’s been on the market a while, and we're glad to have a tenant in there.” She smiled and moistened her lips. Oh yeah, she had the hots for me. I took a sneak glance at her legs. Not bad for an old broad. I signed the last of the paperwork and she handed me the keys to my new future. I’d already started advertising and ran a local ad for repairs in the paper. From my research, there didn't look to be too many bike repairs in town. I strolled out of the realtor’s with a broad smile on my face. I rode straight over to the warehouse.
The first thing I did was run my fingers over the dusty windows. Nothing a little hose-down wouldn’t fix. I unlocked the padlock and switched on all the lights. My phone started to vibrate in my pocket as I moved around in the space.
“Hello, Diego speaking.”
“Ah, yes. Hi. My name’s Rick. I saw your ad in the paper for motorcycle repair. I’ve been waiting to get mine repaired. I got a lowrider, can I bring it in?”
I breathed a sigh of relief. Not that I was hurting for money but nobody wants to start off on the wrong foot in business. “Yeah, sure, bring it in. You’ll be my first customer.”
“Man. I’ll be glad to. When you opening up?” His tone was urgent.
“Anxious to get her back on the road, huh?” I asked.
“Yes, I am. It’s been a good little while. I want to take her out to the national park. Been dying to go. Me and a few fellas love that.”
“Come in. I want to start getting a few rides together, now I’m in town too. I’m part of a club called Outlaw Souls. I don’t know if you’ve heard of them.” I figured I would recruit via word of mouth. That would be the best way to get the chapter on track.
“Small world after all. I got a cousin who’s part of the La Playa chapter. Loves it. Says he should have signed up years ago,” he chuckled.
“Rick, my man. We got a lot to talk about. Bring your bike by tomorrow. I’ll be here from nine a.m.”
“No problem. Look forward to seeing what you can do for her,” he replied.
I didn’t even ask him what the issue was. I knew I’d be able to fix it. I had my tools which I had shipped up. I used to fix bikes in my backyard when I was a kid. I remembered my time with my father.
“Hey, son, pass me that wrench over there, would ya?” Such fun memories. Dad and Mom had since retired to San Bernardino. Both of them were the wild and free hippie types. My father used to always say to me, “Let your soul be free, kid, let it be free.”
My phone ran
g again. I didn’t recognize the number on the screen. I answered as I surveyed what I’d need to get the place ready for business.
“Hello, it’s your favorite retired stripper,” a sultry tone said on the other end of the line.
I grinned. “Crystal, baby. How you doing?”
“I’m good. I wanted to take you up on your offer to hang out. I need to get away for a little bit anyway,” she admitted. Guilt set in on me. I didn’t for a million years think Crystal would actually come all this way to see me.
“So why are you calling now, Crystal?”
“I know. I just-” She stopped speaking abruptly.
I was leaning on the sink with my arms crossed, listening. “You just what?”
“Umm. I want to see you for old time’s sake. I don’t want anything from you. I just wanted to see if we could build a friendship somehow. I realize we’re not together. Just a friendship, that’s it.”
She rambled on as I looked down at the scuff of my biker boots. The laces were undone. That was how I liked them. “Look. I’m seeing somebody now and if you’re coming up here, you gotta know that. So just chill when you get here,” I said firmly.
“Awesome. You can tell me all about her. I want to tell you what I’m doing now. I can’t wait to see you! How does your calendar look in a couple of weeks? We can do brunch.”
I smiled. Her bubbly nature was always one of my favorite things about her. “Okay, Crystal. You’re on. I’ll take you to a cool burger spot. You’ll like it.”
“Awesome. See you, Diego.”
I hung up and shook my head at the randomness of the call. Just as I was about to change clothes and get to work cleaning up the place, Ryder’s number popped up on the phone.
“Hey, Diego. I wanted to be the first to congratulate you,” his rich deep voice boomed. Ryder was the epitome of a rider, a muscular, proud man with a strong profile and real presence. He was the right man to lead the charge at Outlaw Souls.
“Thanks, Ryder, so far, so good. I met a guy today who’s bringing his bike in tomorrow. He’s interested in the chapter. I didn’t catch the name but he has a cousin who's part of La Playa.”
“That’s great news. Listen, I was talking to the guys in the last meeting. We want to come up there and support. Help you get some movement going. We thought we might do a community opening and introduce ourselves. What do you think? If we come up there in a few weeks, would you be ready?” Ryder asked.
“That timing would be good. I’m confident I can get a few things moving by then as well.”
“I know you can. I haven’t taken that ride up there for almost a year, would you believe. Might ride along the coastline,” Ryder mused.
“I wish I rode the coastline. I’m kicking myself,” I said.
“Yeah, you should have, it’s real pretty. Next time though. It’s not going anywhere,” Ryder advised.
“For sure. I’m here in the warehouse right now, cleaning up and getting things set up.”
“Okay, great. We got some funds in the kitty for those platform lifts you need. Invoice the club for them and purchase on the credit card I gave you. We raised the funds from the community drive last year,” Ryder said.
“Okay, done. I’ll get that up tomorrow and shoot you an email.”
“Sweet. And good job, Diego. We’re happy to have you as part of the chapter.”
“Me too. I’m loving it here.”
“Glad to hear it. Take care ‘til next time.”
“You too. Thanks, Ryder.” Once the phone clicked off, I set to work wiping down benches. There was one platform bench already set up, but I would need a whole lot more. It already had built-in shelving, so I just needed to fill it. As one person, I could only do what I could. Once a few more people came on board I could hire a couple of guys or they could volunteer and help out. My mind drifted to Misty. It hadn’t been that long since I’d seen her, but my mind kept thinking of her. I’d called her a few days ago.
“Hey, sexy man,” she’d answered.
“Right back at you, minus the man part,” I said. “Is there anything you don’t like to eat? I wanted to see when you’re free for dinner at my place.”
“Can we do mid next week? These exams coming up have my nerves frazzled.”
“C’mon! You’re gonna ace it. I know you will. I’m not taking no for an answer. So anything you don’t eat?”
“Ok yeah, sorry. Maybe a break from studying will do me good. My mind is just a bit scattered right now. I’m in the library. No. I’m a meat eater, nothing too crazy but I’ll eat anything... I have a Spanish appetite.”
“Good. I’ll surprise you then.”
“Wow. I didn’t know you could cook. You get points for that,” Misty said.
“Oh, do I? I hope I can get a few more points with you.” My bold response made her laugh.
“Haha. We’ll see. I gotta go to class right now. But I can’t wait to see you.”
“Me too. Bye, mamacita.”
“Mwah.”
As I hit the backstreets of Merced to my apartment, I felt like I’d done a good day's work. I got in the door and grabbed a well-deserved beer from the fridge. I guzzled it down and prepared to hit the shower. Misty was arriving in a couple of hours. My apartment was neat and there were no things I needed to take care of. I liked space and clear areas. I wasn’t a messy dude. I showered and got all the ingredients out for the recipe I wanted to impress Misty with. I turned on some soft melodic music to set the mood. I breathed easy as I retrieved the bowls and plates for preparing the ingredients. The dish of the evening was shrimp carbonara. I had on a fresh navy blue collar shirt with the sleeves rolled up and jeans with bare feet. I even ran the brush through my hair. It stayed blonde on top because of the California sun. In winter it turned a few shades darker. I cut my beard down to a number one. I was almost clean-shaven.
The doorbell rang a couple of hours later and I sang out, “Speak now or forever hold your peace.” No sound came from the other side. “Hello?”
“Well, you said forever hold your peace. It’s Misty,” she replied jovially. I opened the door and a goddess stared back at me. I breathed in her soft perfume. Her thick auburn hair framed her face and hung level with her breast line. Her denim jeans hugged her curves in the right places and her tight white top shone in the dark. She fingered her gold necklace as she waited to be invited in.
“Damn, you look good,” I said with a wooden spoon in my hand.
She pointed to it and stifled a laugh. “So do you with that spoon in your hand.”
I hid the spoon with one hand behind my back, leaning forward to kiss her. “Come in, beautiful.”
She entered and looked around, sniffing. “Hmm, something smells fantastic. I’m a foodie so I’m excited about what you’re cooking.”
“Might not be what you think. No Spanish flavors tonight. I’m cooking shrimp carbonara. Any objection to carbs?” I asked, skimming my eyes over her body.
She returned the favor. “Nope.”
“Can I get you a drink? Do you like red wine?” I asked nervously.
“Yes I do.” I poured her a glass and she continued to look around my apartment.
“Go ahead, take a look around. I’m putting on the fettuccine now and stirring the sauce.”
“Okay.” She scooped up her glass and moseyed through the rooms. She returned a few minutes later, sitting at the kitchen island in front of me. “Are you going to decorate a little bit? It’s kind of bare.”
I let my eyes linger on her. “I will. I have a few photos of my parents I want to put up. Plus a few other motorcycle posters I have to get out of boxes.”
The water bubbled as the fettuccine came to the boil. “Can I help you with anything?” She licked her lips and it made me want to taste them again.
“Yes. You can chill out and enjoy your wine. You’re my guest and I want you to have fun.” Amusement played in her eyes.
“Okay.” She twisted the bottom of her wine glass in
her hands. Even her long slender hands were sexy.
She propped her hand underneath her chin and continued scanning me. I spoke as I watched her right back. “Any patient you have will be in trouble.”
She frowned. “What makes you say that?” She sat up a little straighter.
I turned to her from the sink and looked her in the eyes. “Because you might cure them of one thing, but how will you cure them from heartbreak?” I grinned.
She threw back her head with laughter. “Mr. Funny Guy is back again. That was the corniest line ever.”
“Yeah, but it worked. You’re laughing,” I retorted.
“That’s true. Good point.”
“Not long now. I just gotta fry up the shrimp.”
“Okay,” she replied chirpily. “I’m enjoying the wine. It’s smooth. I like it.”
“Thank you. I’m not too bad a pick with my wines.” I pulled out my frying pan and sliced the knife through the butter, melting it in the pan. I sprinkled a little sea salt in, adding chopped garlic and laid down the shrimp, watching the pan sizzle.
“Can you smell that?” I sniffed. “Let the aroma hit you.” I smiled.
She giggled and took a sip of her wine. “Smells so good.”
I stirred in the rest of the ingredients and let the mixture simmer as I touched the tender pasta.
“Wow, I just noticed you laid out candles and everything. So sweet.”
“Hey, I’m a sweet guy. What can I say?”
“So far so good,” she responded.
“You’re worth thinking of.” I turned to see her reaction. She was playing with her hair, running her hands through it. Her magical mouth held a mysterious smile as she sipped her wine.
“Thank you. Let’s toast.”
“Good idea. Let’s toast to new beginnings.” We lifted our glasses in the air and clinked them together. Once I mixed all the ingredients for the sauce and drained the pasta, I plated up two dishes for us. “Plenty more if you want, so don’t worry. My guests never leave hungry. Have a seat at the table, beautiful.”