by Piper Stone
He drove to the top of Mount Doug where he stopped and turned off the bike. Lauren climbed off, grateful not to have the cool autumn air blowing through her thin denim jacket any longer.
Locking the helmets into the panniers, he asked, “What do you think so far?”
“I love it! It’s brilliant!” She hadn’t had an adrenaline rush like that in years.
She bit back the impulse to tell him that she was starting riding lessons in a few days. Her professional life had taught her well in the keeping of secrets. If she turned out to be a crap motorbike rider, the fewer people who knew, the better.
Ned looked into his side mirror to comb the shock of blond over his forehead just right. Lauren hadn’t been with a guy who primped like that before. She wasn’t sure she liked it.
He held out his hand, so she let him lead her to the top of the hill. They had a view of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, all the way to the Olympic Mountains in Washington State. Family groups and hikers wandered around them. Everyone smiled, as if a warm fall day delivered universal happiness to the world.
Ned and she hiked a few trails, stopping to take in the views from different angles. He pointed out all his favorite places. No, she hadn’t seen the fall salmon run. It was her first full year in Victoria.
“If the weather’s looking good next Saturday, would you like to go out there for a picnic?”
“I’d love that,” she said before remembering her two-day motorcycle course. “Only next weekend’s terrible for me. I’ve got commitments all day Saturday and Sunday.”
“Playing hard to get?” Ned smiled like the challenge was a welcome obstacle. “An evening date instead then. But if you’re going to keep riding with me, you gotta get your own helmet. You cool with that?”
“Sure. Who knows? Maybe I’ll even get a bike of my own one day.”
“No need. You can be my backpack any day.” Ned’s grin was more of a leer. “Let’s go to Freewheelin’ and get you a helmet. Then, if you’re very nice to me, I’ll let you make me a cup of coffee.”
Settling
Lauren ignored the comment about being a backpack. She wasn’t sure which she liked less, being called a backpack or being told he would let her make in a cup of coffee.
Let you make me a cup of coffee. The words rang in her ears. She smiled politely before climbing back on the bike.
Don’t expect perfection when you first meet a guy, she reminded herself. Give it time for things to develop. She was hot and cold on Ned. He had one thing in his favor; he was the only one who’d shown any interest in her since she moved out west. She wouldn’t blow him off. She’d give him the benefit of the doubt for the first few dates.
Besides, she needed a helmet before next weekend and he could help get one, with an even better deal than the one TruBiker offered.
He drove her to Freewheelin’ with more heart-stopping lane changes and abrupt turns than ever. Once there, they had to wait for a big Harley to drive off to get a parking spot. Customers packed the shop. It was a big store with rows of expensive orange bikes lined up at the front. A huge clothing section occupied the middle of the store.
A guy at the cash desk with a massive beard and hair tumbling over his shoulders waved and called to Ned. “Hey, bro.”
“Hi, Seth.” Ned waved back, walking over to him.
Ned and he shook hands. “My friend here needs a helmet. I told her you’d give her family and friends rates.”
Seth said, “For sure, man. We got some new Arais in this week.”
Lauren followed Ned to the helmet section.
Once there, he started telling her what she should buy and why. “Like I said, you gotta have a full face mask.” He picked one off the shelf. “Most accidents involve some impact to the head. You wouldn’t want to damage that beautiful smile, would you?”
He uttered the empty compliment reflexively, like a con man. Tell a girl she’s pretty and she’ll think you mean it. Lauren wasn’t flattered.
She tried to slide the black helmet over her head, but it wouldn’t go on without being forced, so she handed it back to him.
“You want to think about weight, noise, and aerodynamics, as well as its safety features.” Ned took down a pink model.
Lauren waved it away. “Not pink,” she said. She’d overdosed on the color as a young child and had refused to wear it ever since.
“Try it. You don’t know, it may be the most comfortable helmet in the shop for you.” Ned pushed it toward her.
“No means no,” Lauren said, trying to hide a spark of irritation.
Anger flickered through Ned’s eyes as he heard her deeper meaning. He covered it quickly with an arch smile, but that flash of temper had chilled her.
Lauren forced a smile as she looked at the other helmets.
Seth came over. “Are you looking for anything in particular?”
“She’s got a fat head,” Ned said with a slight curl of his lip.
“The rest of her looks just fine.” Seth smiled, making Lauren wish, for just a second, that she was with him and not Ned.
“Hands off, bro,” Ned said to Seth, reaching for a helmet on the top shelf.
“Maybe not that one.” Seth looked harder at Lauren. “I don’t think your head is big, so much as it is oval shaped. I have the same problem. Here, try this.”
He handed her a black and red helmet with white accents.
The contrast in Seth’s approach made Lauren think, not for the first time, that Ned’s manner left a lot to be desired. It was early, she told herself. No one else was lining up to take her out. Be grateful; he was probably a bit nervous too.
She finally found a helmet that fit comfortably. It was modular which meant the face shield lifted to make conversation easier. Bluetooth ready, it gave her the best peripheral vision of all the helmets she tried on. It also cost slightly more than twice what she’d expected to pay.
“Best helmet in the shop,” Seth said, ringing up her purchase with the promised discount.
When she insisted on wearing it immediately, Ned gave an indulgent smile, which she disliked.
As he pulled on his gloves he said, “I’m ready for that coffee now. Where do you live?”
“Hey, I’m sorry. When I stopped for lunch, I expected to get back to work within an hour or two. Now I’ve blown the entire afternoon and I’ve still got to put some time in on a file.”
“You can’t even make me coffee after I’ve shown you around and got you a great deal on a helmet?”
“Yeah, that’s the brutal fact of life.” Lauren smiled. She had no intention of being alone in her apartment with him, not yet. He might be relationship material, but he was going to have to pass the test of time first. “Can you drop me at my office?”
Ned hesitated a second before saying, “Okay. You may as well try out your new helmet. Climb on.”
That moment’s hesitation told Lauren more than she wanted to know. Ned had picked her for an easy lay. He had a lot to learn before they went much further.
Lauren had barely climbed back on the bike when Ned slammed it into gear. As they left the parking lot, a battered pickup truck pulled in. It had a big touring bike in the back, held in place with tie-down straps. When the driver stepped out of the car, he looked at Ned, then at her, and scowled. Lauren would have recognized that handsome face anywhere. It was Richard and he was alone. He was also far better looking than she remembered.
Grateful to be hidden behind the helmet, she didn’t wave at him. Not that he’d recognize her anyway.
For some reason, Lauren didn’t want Ned to know where she worked. She had him drop her at the parking lot in the building next to hers. Ned peered into the darkened windows. “Looks pretty quiet in there,” he said. “They got a coffee machine?”
“Of course.” Lauren slid off her helmet. “But I don’t have time to visit right now.” She stepped back from him, so he couldn’t try to kiss her. Fishing in her bag, she brought out a business card. She scribbled her cel
l number on it. “Call me?”
“Sure. How about an evening picnic Saturday night?”
“Can we make it Friday? I have a standing thing with my sister on Saturday.” No way Lauren would invite him to the Maui parties yet. Sara hadn’t even invited Terence until they’d dated a couple of weeks.
Ned sniffed. “Sure,” he said with barely concealed annoyance. “Whatever you want, princess.” He revved his bike a couple of times before gunning it down the street. The roar of the V-strom spoke for him.
Lauren trotted next door to her office. Inside, she leaned against the locked door and tried not to think about the many red flags that had gone up in the few hours she’d spent with Ned. They hadn’t even gone on a true date yet and he was already pissed with her. What was he going to do if she didn’t want to sleep with him when they finally did go out?
She worked until eight that night, only dragging herself home when she was too hungry to concentrate. All the way down the hall to her apartment, she kept looking over her shoulder, waiting for Sara to jump out and demand the details of her afternoon with Ned. Luck was with her, right until she slid off her shoes and placed the new shiny helmet on her kitchen table. Then four rapid knocks on the door said Sara had been lying in wait.
Sara brushed past her. Pointing at the helmet she said, “Wow!” She walked past Lauren and tried pulling it on her own head. “Did you get this just to ride with Ned? What did it set you back? Ouch, how do you get it on?”
Lauren helped her try it on, hoping to distract her without saying much about Ned.
Sara went into the bathroom to check out how the helmet looked. Coming back into the living room she slipped it off and held it up for further inspection.
“So, give. Anything going on with you and him?”
“It’s early days. I just wanted to have my own helmet so I wouldn’t have to wear the same one that dozens of girls before me have worn.”
“About that.” Sara poked the pads inside the helmet, watching them spring back. “Terence said Ned’s an okay guy as far as he knows. He hasn’t owned the gym long. But Terence has him pegged as a ladies’ man. Said to warn you not to get too serious.”
“Thanks, I appreciate the warning. I’m going to take things very slow with him.”
For the first time, Lauren was grateful for Ned’s appearance in her life. Now she had a cover for why she’d bought the helmet. She’d keep him around until she’d done her motorcycle course. After that she’d reassess his role.
“Are you going to invite him to next Saturday’s party?” Sara asked.
“No way. I don’t want to make it official yet.”
“But you bought this helmet? All so you can go out with someone you’re not even sure about?”
“That’s an investment in my own personal safety,” Lauren said sharply. “I need good protective gear.”
“You do. You deserve that and more. But I liked that Richard guy who was here last night. He seemed to have his eye on you. What did you think of him?”
“I don’t mess with guys who are spoken for.”
“Well he’s a biker. If he ever gets interested in you, you’ve got your own helmet and everything. Hey have you eaten? I just made some goulash if you want some. I think it’s the best I’ve ever made.”
Lauren accepted the offer happily, glad to listen to Sara talk about the party the night before, the afternoon watching dragon boat races, and what they might serve at the party the next week. For a fleeting second, Lauren was tempted to tell Sara about the motorcycle courses, but she stopped herself in time.
While Sara chattered on, Lauren decided she could settle for Ned for now, given his role as her motorcycle cover story. But he was going to have to show a lot more promise if he ever wanted to get past her front door.
Back to School
The next morning, Lauren was the first person through the doors of the motor vehicle office. An hour later, she walked out having completed her written test with a perfect score. She had a motorcycle learner’s license tucked into her wallet and the growing fever that she’d never wanted anything more than to ride a bike. Wednesday couldn’t come fast enough.
She made it to work on time for another appointment with Regina. For the first time since they’d met, Regina arrived at Lauren’s office looking like a proper grandmotherly matron. She wore a pencil skirt, dark hose, and heels, topped with a pale blue twin set. Her hair was slicked into a neat roll. Her jewelry was modest, understated. The only familiar part of her appearance was the brown satchel.
Lauren smiled, handing her a cup of coffee.
“Aren’t you going to say anything?” Regina asked.
“Like why are you wearing this disguise?”
Regina threw back her head and laughed. “You’re good for me. Do you know how the lawyers at my old firm would have answered that?”
“No idea.”
“First of all, if they’d noticed anything different about me, and that’s a big if, they would have pussyfooted around it, saying something like… Is your hair different today? I like you, Lauren. You’re observant. You’re direct. Most of all, you’re not a sycophant. Men must love you or hate you.”
Lauren thought about how peeved Ned had been the night before and grinned. “That’s true,” she said.
Regina narrowed her eyes at her. “There’s something different about you.”
“Like what?” Lauren wondered if Regina could tell she’d been on a motorcycle.
“You’ve met someone, haven’t you?”
Lauren’s thoughts flew to Richard and how he’d made her wet, with a single smile and an overheard conversation. Even after going out with Ned, she couldn’t forget him.
“This guy you’ve met. He’s taken isn’t he?”
Lauren lifted her cup to her lips, inhaling the rich coffee smell. “Why do you think that?”
“I’m a witch. Haven’t I told you that before? It doesn’t work with everyone, but people I get close to? I can read their hearts like the morning headlines.”
“You never said why you’re dressed like an church elder,” Lauren said to change the subject.
Regina explained she was off to do battle with a staid scholarship committee. The last time they’d met, she’d been accused of being too bohemian for their taste. Lauren listened happily, wondering what Richard had done to her in a few minutes that Regina could read it so clearly.
During the week she and Ned exchanged a few texts about their plans for Friday night. In his favor, he wasn’t one of those guys who asked where she wanted to go. He had ideas of his own. He asked if she had any food favorites and said he’d pick her up at her place at six. She put the date on her calendar and didn’t give it a second thought. Friday was on the other side of Wednesday and Thursday, motorcycle school.
The classroom sessions were held in ramshackle offices at the speedway. She was the only woman. However, all the others were either wearing wedding rings or were too young or too old. There are lots of bikers out there, Lauren assured herself. This was only a small sample.
She applied herself to the classroom sessions with the same vigor that had taken her through law school, absorbing the course material like a sponge. Saturday was shaping up to be an excellent day, even after it started raining on Thursday with no end in sight.
Friday morning a text message arrived from Ned as she was picking up her coffee at Stella Jay’s. 2 wet for a picnic. Movie instead?
It was the excuse she’d been hoping for. Kind of jammed with work. How about a rain check?
Ned didn’t answer right away and Lauren didn’t care.
After work Friday night, Lauren went back to Freewheelin’, grateful that she’d already been there once with Ned. At least she wasn’t walking into a totally unfamiliar place. Still, she looked over her shoulder the whole time, praying that Ned wouldn’t be shopping that night. She didn’t see Seth or anyone else she recognized.
A woman named Deb helped her pick out gloves and boots. Lau
ren fingered a leather riding jacket and pants while Deb talked about the safety features of the clothing.
“You don’t want that jacket.” A distinctive raspy voice said from behind them.
She and the salesclerk spun around to find Richard standing there. He wore tattered blue jeans and a long-sleeved tee shirt. His right cheek was slightly smudged with black oil. It looked sexy, like war paint. He nodded at Deb. “I’ll help Ms. Myerson from here.”
Deb smiled at Lauren. “Your gloves and boots are behind the counter when you’re ready.”
“Thanks,” Lauren said before turning to Richard. “How did you know my last name?”
“I have my sources.” He raised a single eyebrow, daring her to ask.
She wasn’t taking the bait. He must have got it from Sara or maybe Ashley. It bothered her that he knew more about her than she did about him. All she knew about him was the fact that he was scorching hot and, by his own admission, delivered serious spankings. At least he said he did. That last thought made her stomach flutter.
“You work here?” She attempted to sound indifferent.
“I help out from time to time.” He took the jacket from her.
Lauren resisted the temptation to snatch the jacket back. “I like that one,” she said. “Deb said it has good body armor.”
“It does.” He pushed it back onto the rack and flipped through the other jackets. “I didn’t realize you were going to take my suggestion to get leathers quite so seriously.”
It was more of a question than a statement. He waited for her answer.
A wave of warmth washed over Lauren. He remembered saying that she’d look good in leathers. For some reason that seemed enormously important.
“I have a friend with a bike now.” She glanced around, hoping Seth wouldn’t walk in and say something about her being there last Sunday with Ned. She’d prefer that part of her life to remain mysterious. “I thought I should be properly dressed, even if I’m only a passenger.”