by Piper Stone
She tried to gently suggest Regina might let her have a look at her old will, regardless of its current state.
Tight-lipped Regina always replied, “When I’m ready to show it to you, I will.”
Still, once or even twice a month, between trips to Europe or New York, Regina would make an appointment with Lauren for one of the long, meandering meetings about estate planning. Regina wasn’t in a rush to complete the trust document. Over time, Lauren understood what Regina really wanted was a sounding board, someone to talk to in confidence, who would listen to the stories about her family without judging. Most importantly, someone who would be professionally bound to keep everything she heard confidential.
Lauren almost felt guilty when she billed for hours that seemed little more than social visits. When Regina paid all her bills promptly, without comment or complaint, it indicated that she thought the charges were fair.
Regina had elevated Lauren’s status so much in the firm that she’d been rewarded with an office of her own, a south facing one with a big window overlooking busy Fort Street. Lauren didn’t want to lose that prized position. So she worked almost every weekend, looking into questions that fell outside the strict lines of legal advice. If Regina wanted to leave money to a charity educating girls in Africa, then it was up to Lauren to research the charity to ensure the bulk of the donations were reaching the intended beneficiaries.
The Sunday morning after she met Richard, Lauren picked up her notes from her latest appointment with Regina. This week Regina wanted to leave money to a charity that was trying to save the Great Bear Rainforest and protect the Spirit Bears. Lauren turned on her computer, opened the billing software and was about to start her meter running when her phone buzzed, announcing an email.
Taking Chances
It was Dan from TruBiker.com. There was a course starting that Wednesday evening and someone had just cancelled. It would be the last course before spring. Did she want to take that slot? If she could get her learner’s license before Wednesday, it was hers.
This was meant to be, she decided, typing her acceptance quickly.
Dan phoned to discuss the classes further, reassuring her that all students learned on their 250cc Safety Council bikes. They couldn’t teach a class of beginners if everyone was on something different.
The course started with two nights in the classroom, studying theory, followed by two full days of practical training on the speedway by Bear Mountain. After that there were two evening sessions of night rides for on-road experience.
Before next Saturday she’d need to have her own helmet and gloves, along with a warm jacket and heavy, closed-toe footwear. If she didn’t own those things, she could go Freewheelin’ Bikes and they’d give her a fifteen percent discount because she was a TruBiker student.
Delighted to have everything fall into place exactly as she wanted, she gave Dan her credit card details. Before she hung up, she had her receipt to take to the bike shop for her discount.
She sighed with pleasure as she picked up the receipt from the printer. Here it was, proof that she was changing directions. She was taking a challenge and she couldn’t wait to tell Regina. This was daring, something no one would expect of her.
She wouldn’t admit to anyone, though, how much that smile and wink from Richard the night before had set something off in her, something deep, dangerous, and primal. She craved adventure.
This was something she wanted to do, she told herself. She liked cycling, and motorbiking was a natural progression from that. When she had her license, maybe after she’d bought her bike and done a few good rides, she’d share her new life with Sara. She didn’t plan to tell her parents, ever.
Putting aside all thoughts of motorbiking, she opened Charity Navigator, and typed in the name of the Bear Rainforest charity. An hour later, her phone rang.
“You’re at work, right?” Sara asked.
“How’d you guess?”
“Because you don’t do much more than work or do HIIT workouts. I can’t hear any workout videos blasting, so you must be in the office.”
“You know if I want a crack at making partner, I’ve got to put in the hours.”
“Yes, I know. I’ve heard it all before.” Sara yawned. “Terence and I have rounded up some friends and we’re going to Chinatown for dim sum. Wanna join us?”
“Who’s going?”
“Some of the people from last night. Come on, Lauren. You gotta get out more.”
“I don’t like being the third wheel all the time.”
“You’re not the third wheel. You’re a majestic unicycle and Terence and I are your training wheels.”
“Ha.” Lauren smiled in spite of herself. “So I don’t need to go home and change?”
“Not for these people. They’ve all seen you in your bikini, remember?”
Lauren laughed for real this time. She always wore a cover-up. No one could see much of anything.
In Chinatown, the usual Sunday crowds swamped the sidewalks and shops. Lauren found Sara and Terence settled at a prime table near the door to the kitchen in the restaurant. Lauren had eaten there three times before and never scored such a good position. But she’d never eaten there with Terence.
She didn’t know why they had a table for ten. There was only one other couple with Sara and Terence.
“Somebody cancel?” Lauren asked.
“No, I think some people are moving a bit slowly today,” Sara said.
Terence was speaking to one of the cart ladies in Mandarin or maybe it was Cantonese, Lauren couldn’t tell. The woman lifted the covers on the different dishes on her trolley. Terence pointed to something. The waitress uncovered two wicker dishes of translucent dumplings and placed them in the middle of the table. Then she stamped the bill card and moved on.
Terence offered one of the dishes to Lauren. “Har gow?”
The steaming shrimp dumplings made Lauren’s mouth water. “For sure.”
“By the way, Lauren, I invited someone I don’t think you know, to join us today,” Terence said. “He’s new to Victoria. You might like him.”
Lauren frowned at Sara. “I thought you said I knew everyone who was coming.” She’d met Richard, so it wasn’t him. She tried to hide her disappointment at that thought.
Terence laughed. “She didn’t know. I invited him after my workout this morning. He’s a trainer at my gym.” Terence glanced at his watch. “He should be here soon. Save the seat beside you for him.”
Two other couples from the Saturday night gang joined them. The noise in the busy restaurant rose to a deafening level as tables filled with fragrant dishes. When a tall man with a square face and blonde hair stood at the entrance to the restaurant for a minute, searching the room, Terence stood and waved. “Hey, Ned!”
When Ned smiled, the severity of his chiseled face changed. He went from fierce-looking to handsome with a single flash of a blinding smile. Lauren didn’t feel anything close to the rush she got from Richard’s teasing grin the night before, but she tried to stay hopeful. There was nothing to lose.
Ned took the seat beside her. When he sat down the slight scent of lime wafted over. His hair was still wet as though he’d come straight from the shower. He wore skintight jeans and a black tee shirt that emphasized his toned body.
Terence continued to order for the whole table, making sure everyone got lots to eat. Being near the kitchen door, they had a full selection of everything that was available, plus a few things that weren’t.
The main topic of conversation was Maui. Everyone at the table, other than Lauren and Sara, had been before.
“You’ve got to drive the road to Hana,” Terence said.
“Better still, rent a bike and ride it.” Ned said.
“How long is it?” Lauren asked.
Ned frowned. “Sixty miles or so? There’s a lot to see along the way.”
“Sixty miles one way?” Lauren reached for her teacup.
“Yep.”
“Th
at would be a one hundred and twenty miles round trip. That’s some heavy bike riding for a holiday.” She sipped her tea to wash away Ned’s ridiculous suggestion.
Ned laughed. “Not a bicycle. A motorbike. You lead a sheltered life, don’t you?”
Another biker, Lauren thought. That’s the way life is, when the universe blows one new thing your way, more of the same follows.
“I don’t,” Lauren said. “I’ve just never ridden one so I don’t think that way. I’ve got a bicycle so I’m okay on two wheels.”
“I’ve got my bike here today. Wanna go for a ride after lunch?”
Lauren thought about the Madden trust file sitting on her desk in the office and the as yet unanswered questions about the Great Bear Rainforest. She remembered the contracts and property settlements she had to process that week. But outside the sun was shining brightly as golden leaves danced on the autumn breezes. If the weather bureau was to be believed, rain was around the corner.
She looked into Ned’s sea green eyes and said, “Sure. Why not?”
“Oh, Lauren,” Sara said. “Are you sure you can do that? Won’t the entire legal world implode if you don’t put in a ten-hour Sunday?”
“Sarcasm is the lowest form of humor,” Lauren grumbled.
“What do you do?” Ned asked.
“I’m a lawyer.”
“So if someone wants to sue me, should call I you?”
“Yeah, but why would they want to?”
“Don’t people sue each other over anything these days?”
Lauren smiled. “I can’t complain. It helps me pay my rent.” She picked up a barbecued pork bun and nibbled it. “Been in Victoria long?”
“A couple of months.”
“Why Victoria?”
“I was born here actually, but we left when I was two. I don’t have much family and my brother’s here. Basically we’re all each other has.”
“Where did you live before Victoria?”
“Mom was a gypsy at heart. You name a major city or town and I’ve probably lived there. Even Montreal.”
“Even Montreal? What does that mean?”
“It means I can’t speak French and it wasn’t the best time of my life. It’s hard to score when you don’t got the lingo.” He bounced his eyebrows at her in a comical way.
She giggled and saw that he liked that. She’d reacted exactly as he’d hoped she would, which made her feel slightly manipulated. Oh well, lots of people had their little tricks they used when meeting others for the first time. As a personal trainer, he probably had hundreds of jokey, bullying, entreating, flattering ways to get people to do what he wanted.
She ate some more of her bun before speaking again. “So you’re back to your home town. Terence said you’re a personal trainer. Done that long?”
“A couple of years now. After I did a degree in Business Admin in Toronto, I got a job with a big corporation and stayed there for a while. But I hated it. Office work is not my gig. My love was always fitness. Finally, I stopped fighting it. I’d been doing CrossFit for a couple of years, so I took the course and became a coach. Then I found that I didn’t like working for other people, so I started looking for a place where I could get partial ownership. The StrongCorps franchise near the university came up. My dad had left me a bit of money, so I bought that gym. Now I’m a trainer who owns the joint, so I have a personal interest in keeping people happy as they work toward their goals.”
As he spoke, he pressed his knee against hers. She stole glances at him as he helped himself to garlic gai lan, Chinese broccoli, from the lazy susan. His hair was shaved on both sides, in a vee shape, with a shock of blonde floating across the top. It looked casual, sexy, and expensive. Both his arms were tattooed with trees that rose out of dotted mists at his wrists, filling into full forests halfway to his elbows. They were rich works of art. Also expensive, Lauren thought. She’d been toying with the idea of getting ink for a long time. So far she’d resisted because of the price. Only one of his ears was pierced, with a small sapphire. This was a guy who either had money or liked to spend what he had.
Lauren admired the way Ned deftly handled even the smallest morsels with his chopsticks. She added that skill to her mental checklist of what she liked about him. First and foremost, he owned his own business, which meant he had some drive. He was well groomed, polite, and friendly.
More importantly, he couldn’t have blown into her life at a better time. He arrived just as she was yearning, more sharply than ever before, to be in a relationship. Plus she was about to learn to ride a motorcycle and now she knew someone who owned one. The universe was definitely speaking to her.
“What sort of bike do you have?”
“A V-strom 1000. Does that mean anything to you?”
“Nope.”
He finished his last stem of Chinese broccoli before speaking again. “It’s a Suzuki, an adventure bike. It’s good on pavement and even more fun off it.”
“Why did you get that one?” Men and their machines, she thought.
Ned launched into his motorcycling history from when he was a kid going out on a small dirt bike with a family friend, until he bought his first street legal bike when he was sixteen.
When the meal was over, the group filed out of the restaurant. They stood on the crowded sidewalk, between the greengrocers and the trading store with its faded mahjong sets in the window.
“Anyone want to walk down to the harbor and watch the dragon boat races?” Sara asked.
“Sure,” Terence agreed.
Ned looked at Lauren.
She shrugged.
“Naw,” he said, placing a hand on the back of her neck. “This pretty lady is mad enough to get on a bike with me.”
Lauren liked him claiming her like that. She told herself that researching the Great Bear Rainforest wouldn’t take that long to finish. There was always tomorrow.
First time
Lauren followed Ned through the narrow alleys of Chinatown to a parking lot a few blocks away. His bike was parked beside the attendant’s booth. Ned unlocked a side pannier and pulled out a silver helmet, which he handed her. “You can borrow this for now but if you’re going to keep riding with me, you need to get your own safety gear. Don’t look so worried. My brother owns a bike shop and I can get you twenty percent off there.”
Lauren looked into the helmet he’d given her and pulled out, first, one curly red hair, then a long, thick black hair. She tried not to think of the many women who’d worn it before her. She set it down on the saddle of the bike while she took her hair out of its high ponytail and braided it into a single plait. Considering what she’d picked out of the helmet, she was glad that she hadn’t bothered washing her hair that morning.
As she did that, Ned took out gloves and his own helmet from the other pannier. He watched as she attempted to pull the helmet over her head. “Wait a second. First put it flat on your head, then pull out these side tabs to open it as you slip it on. Right. That lets the pads at the bottom wrap around your neck for protection. Now shake your head.”
Lauren shook her head. The helmet stayed in place, pressing on her temples.
He reached over and wiggled it. “Tight,” he said. “Well, I’ll make it a short ride. If we see each other again, you better get one of your own. This one’ll give you a headache.”
He climbed on the bike, flicking up the kickstand with his left foot. She stood, feeling ignorant and excited at the same time. He balanced the bike, leaving the face shield of his helmet up so he could talk to her.
“Ground rules,” he said. “First, you never get on the bike until I tell you to. Second, don’t lean into turns, not in either direction. If you do that you might throw us off balance. Basically you’re luggage, and I’m controlling the lean of the bike. Lastly, don’t hold on to my waist. It looks sexy but it’s dangerous. Got it?”
“Sure,” Lauren said.
“Okay get on. There’s a passenger grip behind you. Hang on to that.” He cl
osed his face shield and waited.
Lauren slid between the tiny backrest in front of the panniers and Ned’s back. Aware that she had her legs spread with her pussy separated from him by a few layers of denim excited her. She wondered if he was aware of how close her sex was. In the next second she thought about the second helmet he carried and how well rehearsed his instructions were. Knowing she was only one in a long line of women who’d ridden in this position took the edge off her excitement.
A twist of the throttle and the motorbike glided out of the parking lot. Ned drove the harbor front road, past the tourists and day-trippers. Lauren saw Sara, Terence, and the rest of the group from lunch. She waved as they passed them, but none of them waved back. Lauren realized the motorbike was giving her anonymity. No one she knew was into motorcycles. As long as she didn’t tell anyone she was getting one, they wouldn’t be looking for her riding.
As Ned threaded through the tourist buses and horse-drawn carriages, Lauren couldn’t stop smiling. She’d never felt freer. She loved the thrum of the engine under her. She loved the nimble way the bike moved through traffic, the way it leaned into the curves of the road. Some of Ned’s maneuvers worried her a bit but she told herself fear was a good thing. Fear kept a person alive.
Only one thing that could have made the moment perfect – if she’d been riding behind Richard. She’d met lots of guys since she’d moved to Victoria but none of them had stuck in her mind, gotten under her skin, like he had. Remembering how he’d said Ashley would regret it if he ever spanked her sent a fresh spike of desire through Lauren.
As Ned drove along the beachfront, she wondered if he liked to spank his girlfriends too. If he did, she’d be much more interested in seeing him. Should she ask?