"Get started doing what?"
"Having your first lesson, of course," she explained patiently.
"In what?" Jamie asked, even though she would gladly take a lesson in breathing or walking from Ryan.
"Your first lesson on how to ride a motorcycle," she said, as though it was obvious.
"What!!"
"I don't know of a better way to get your blood pumping than to put 80 cubic inches of power between your legs," she purred.
"Uh...uh..." Jamie stuttered as she tried to decide what was more stimulating: the thought of driving the bike or considering the clear sexual tone of Ryan's invitation.
"Come on," she urged as Jamie's feet seemed unable to propel her forward. "Once you've ridden on a Fat Boy you'll never be the same."
"Fat Boy?" she gulped as she thought, Is there a sexual allusion to every part of motorcycle riding?
"That's the style of bike I have, it's a Harley Softail Fat Boy."
"And you want me to drive it," she finally got out.
"Yep. Your blood is going to pump so hard you might have to open a vein," she teased.
"Or several," she squeaked out, as she pictured her broken body strewn across the pavement.
"I guarantee you'll enjoy this," Ryan reassured her. "And I've never lost a student."
"Okay," she gamely agreed. They crossed the road and approached the bike. Ryan pointed to a small paved road that gently led up into the hills.
"I thought that would be a good place to start," she told her. "I haven't seen a car come down that road the entire time we've been here. I'll move her over there and we can get started." She started the engine and rolled the big bike onto the blacktop. The road was relatively flat for a long while, but there was a hairpin turn about ‡ mile out. It then began a rapid ascent up into the hills. But you could easily see and be seen from where they were.
Jamie trotted behind her and waited patiently as Ryan slapped the helmet on her head. "Buckle up tight," she warned. When she was ready Ryan began the lesson. "Do you know anything at all about motorcycles?"
"Just that they're fun to ride on," she admitted with a grin.
"That is the most important factor," Ryan agreed. "But there are a few more little details. Have you ever watched me shift?"
"Yeah, I think you use your right foot. Oh, and I know that you brake with your hands, kind of like on a regular bike, and I know the throttle is on the right hand thingy."
"Excellent! It really is quite a lot like being on a regular bike. Just like on your bike, it's important to stay balanced with your center of gravity right over the seat. It's important to brake with both hands and not hit the front brake too hard. There's a lean angle on both types of bikes. If you stay above the angle you won't tip over. On this bike the angle is 28 degrees. Can you picture that?"
"Yeah," she said with surprise. "That's really low. I have a hard time imagining going that low."
"Wanna see?" she asked with a devilish gleam in her big blue eyes.
"Uhh, not just because I dared you," she said quickly. "I know you can't resist a challenge."
"No, I feel really comfortable on my bike. I'll just show you how low you can go. It might reassure you."
"Okay," she said hesitantly.
"Don't worry," Ryan said easily. "Just watch me."
She put her helmet on and brought the beast to life. She took it up the flat part of the road and went about another ‡ mile, and then she turned around and began to roar down the hill. Jamie could see her perfectly well from her angle. When Ryan got to the hairpin turn she leaned the bike over so far that Jamie's heart flew to her throat. Ryan's knee was nearly touching the pavement but she made the corner and straightened up easily. She skidded to a quick halt right in front of her open mouthed student. "That was awesome," she said. "But you're out of your mind if you think I'm ever going to do that!"
"You never know," she drawled.
"Oh, I know, Ryan, I know," she assured her. "But I would like to go for a nice, safe, smooth little ride."
"Okay. The first step is making sure you can hold her up. I bought this bike from a woman who had the suspension lowered about 2 ‡ inches. She wasn't much taller than you so I think you'll be able to handle it."
"How much does it weigh?"
"With the stuff I have on it, she goes about 640," she said easily.
"640 pounds!!" Jamie shrieked. "I can't hold up 640 pounds!"
"You don't hold it up, Silly. The wheels do that. You just have to help it balance. I couldn't hold it up if it got below a 40 degree angle while it was stationary. Let's give it a try," she urged. "I'll scoot back, you come up here and sit in front." She patted the seat in front of her as she beamed an encouraging grin at her tentative friend. "Come on, she won't bite."
Jamie struggled to throw her leg over since she had limited room, what with Ryan sitting in the back. She finally got up with a great deal of assistance from her friend. "Whoa!" she said, as she quickly let the air out of her lungs. "This is sweet." She placed her hands on the hand grips and shifted around in the seat until she felt comfortable. It was particularly comforting to have Ryan nestled up against her back, and she realized that she felt really good sitting in front.
"Okay, I'm going to stand up a little and let you feel what it's like to hold her up. I'll be right here if you have any trouble. I promise," she vowed as she began to stand.
Jamie's heart began to thump in her chest but she concentrated and held on tight. She found to her amazement that it wasn't really that hard to balance such a huge weight if you stayed centered. "I feel okay," she said slowly.
"Great! Now I'll show you how to shift." She provided a basic lesson in shifting and let her practice a few times; going through all of the gears one at a time. "Why don't we go for a little spin? I'll keep my hands on yours and guide you up and down the hill. All you have to do is shift when I tell you."
"That's all? You're sure?"
"Yep. Believe me, Jamie. I will not trick you into doing something you're uncomfortable with. I'll tell you what you need to do and I swear I won't expect you to do one thing more than that. Okay?" she asked as she leaned over to make eye contact.
"Okay," she agreed, now completely reassured.
Ryan brought the bike to life and sat back while Jamie got comfortable. "Are you ready?" she asked as she glued herself to her back. A small nod was her answer. "Okay, put her into first gear," she instructed. As Jamie did so Ryan's large hands covered hers, gripping the brakes firmly. "Now I'm going to let the brakes off, so the bike might move a little. I'm going to give it a little gas. Just relax and let me guide you," she said confidently.
Her stomach leapt to her throat but she did her best to stay relaxed as the bike began to move. Ryan really was driving but sitting in the front was a very heady experience. And the experience was made even headier by having her friend covering her body almost totally. Ryan's chin was hanging over her shoulder and her chest was pressed tight against her back. Her warm pelvis was snuggled up against her butt, sending jolts of feeling down and between her legs. Ohh, I hope I don't have to walk anytime soon. I know my legs are completely useless.
As they slowly climbed the small grade Ryan called out when she wanted her to shift. By the time they reached the turnaround point she was up in 3rd gear, and she felt proud of her small accomplishment. Ryan was very enthusiastic in her praise and Jamie was excited about the trip back down. She paid rapt attention to how Ryan's hands worked the throttle and the brakes and by the time they reached the bottom she was ready to go up again. They made the little 1 mile loop 3 more times. Jamie was having a ball and was more than happy to keep her knowledge right at this level. But Ryan raised the stakes when she said, "I think you're ready to move on."
"What do you mean?" she asked suspiciously.
"This time, you take the throttle and the brakes. I'll scoot up and shift for you so you don't have too many things to think of."
"I don't know, Ryan," she demurred.
"I have total confidence in you, Jamie. I know you can do this easily," she insisted.
Somehow Ryan's confidence was enough to bolster her own and she finally agreed. Ryan had to scoot even closer to comfortably reach the shifter, but Jamie was not about to complain. She rested her hands on the grips and prepared herself mentally, and then she nodded to show her readiness. Ryan kept her feet on the ground until the last moment to help balance the big bike. Jamie slowly turned the throttle and the bike smoothly began to roll. Ryan kept her promise and kept her own hands down by the grips by her butt...letting Jamie have complete control. Jamie could feel her warm body pressed against her and she was reassured by the relaxed posture that her friend maintained. If she's relaxed I should be, she thought. Within seconds they were at the turnaround and she performed her next little test very well. She slowly squeezed the brakes and brought the bike to a smooth halt.
Ryan's arms circled her waist for a quick hug as Jamie turned and beamed at her. "More!" she demanded as Ryan laughed heartily.
"It's addictive, isn't it?" she teased.
An enthusiastic nod was her clear reply. Ryan took the controls to negotiate the sharp turn, but quickly turned it over to her happy friend. They made 3 more complete circuits before Ryan's deep voice rumbled through her back, "Wanna go all the way?"
God, how does any woman refuse her? Oh that's right, no one does refuse her! she thought wryly.
"O… o… okay," she stuttered. Ryan sat back an inch or two and let Jamie have full control. She put the bike into first and let her go one more time. The increase in sensation was small but significant. Now she was really in charge. If she hit the accelerator too hard or grabbed the front brake alone they could easily be on the ground. But the responsibility didn't frighten her at this point. The slow buildup had reassured her at every step of the way and now she just felt confident. They did 3 more circuits just the same way, but before they began the fourth Ryan said, "This time, you negotiate the turn on your own."
Jamie gulped noticeably but she nodded slightly and started up again. Her heart was pounding when she neared the top but she smoothly downshifted just like she had seen Ryan do. When the bike was going nice and slow she turned the wheel and leaned over just a tiny bit, turning the bike perfectly. When they reached the bottom Ryan squeezed her until she had trouble getting a breath. "I'm so proud of you!" she said with a high wattage grin. "You were so smooth and controlled. I really think you could do more if you're up to it."
"Like what?" she asked, both flushed with accomplishment and hesitant.
"Let's go further up this hill. You can practice leaning into turns a little bit."
"Okay," she said with only a moment's resistance. As they climbed past their previous stopping point she could hear Ryan begin to hum over the drone of the engine. After a few moments she recognized the tune and began to hum along with her. They rode for at least two more miles, humming the whole way. After they had begun the song for the second time Ryan began to sing. Jamie didn't know all the words so she just let that rich deep voice rumble against her back.
She didn't start at the beginning of the song, instead picking it up right where they had left it.
"Wendy let me in I wanna be your friend; I wanna guard your dreams and visions.
Just wrap your legs round these velvet rims and strap your hands across my engines.
Together Wendy we'll break with the sadness, I'll love you with all the madness in my soul."
"Will you walk with me out on the wire? Cause baby I'm just a scared and lonely traveler,
And I wanna know how it feels. I wanna know if love is right, and I wanna know if love is real."
Ryan then began to hum the instrumental part of the song and Jamie happily joined her. Moments later they reached a wide point that looked like a perfect place to turn around, Without even waiting for permission she smoothly downshifted and glided the big bike in a perfectly executed turn. Ryan signaled her pleasure by squeezing her thighs and patting her on the leg as she began to sing again.
She was signing at full voice by the time they neared their starting point. Jamie had heard the song hundreds of times on the classic rock station but she had never had anyone sing it to her while astride a motorcycle. Particularly a very sexy woman who had her strong thighs wrapped tightly around her body. Between the intense concentration needed to ride the bike and the focus needed to ignore Ryan's body, she hardly heard a word. But Ryan had timed the song perfectly and as they pulled up she wailed out,
"Come on Wendy, tramps like us, baby we were born to run!
Ooooh, oooo, ooooh o... o… o... oooh, tramps like us were born..."
Ryan dropped her feet to hold the bike up while she performed an impromptu drum solo/congratulations on Jamie's back. "That was so awesome, Jamie!" she yelled. "You are a total natural!"
Jamie could not help but catch the enthusiasm of her friend. She jumped off as Ryan tipped the bike a bit to give her better egress. She threw her arms straight into the air as she ran around like a 2 year old. "I am sooooo pumped!" she shouted.
Ryan had secured the bike on its stand and she threw her arms around Jamie's small waist and picked her up as she began to twirl her in a tight circle. "Wasn't that the most wonderful feeling?" Ryan demanded as the world flew by.
It took all of Jamie's willpower not to shout. No, this is!
An hour later they were negotiating dinner. "Look Ryan, you took me all the way out here just because I was bored. I would really like to buy you dinner to show my appreciation."
"But you don't seem to get my point," Ryan explained for the 3rd time. "I do things for you and with you because I enjoy them I can't tell you how much fun it was to teach you to ride. It was like learning all over again for me. I got to experience the thrill through your eyes. That was an awesome gift!"
"Okay," she said as she changed tactics. "It's just 5 o'clock and there's no way we want to be crossing the bridge at rush hour. I'm starving because I didn't have lunch and I bet you didn't either. We need to waste about 2 hours to avoid bad traffic. We can either do that in some crummy little place or we can go someplace that I really love. It's a lot more expensive than you like to go for, so why not let me treat us to a great meal just because I can?"
"So this is not a payback dinner?" she asked suspiciously.
"Nope. It's just a 'hey, I want to go to the Lark Creek Inn. Oh look, there it is. Oh, Ryan's with me. That's okay, it's more fun if I have someone to dine with' kind of thing."
"I'm sold. But are you sure we're dressed up enough?"
"Yep. We can sit in the bar and watch basketball on TV while we eat. It's really pretty casual."
"Let's go," she agreed as they made their way along the tiny streets of Larkspur to the restaurant.
It was nearly 9 when they reached the City. Dinner had indeed been wonderful and Ryan was terribly glad that she had let herself be talked into it. As they approached the Marina district Ryan pulled over and turned in her seat. "Do you mind if I stop by Tracy's apartment for a second? She's supposed to fly in this afternoon and I told her I might come by tonight."
"Geez, Ryan, we didn't have to stay at the restaurant that long! I don't want to interfere with your relationship."
As she turned even more fully in her seat Ryan locked her eyes onto Jamie's. "There's not one minute of this day that I would cut out. Don't demean our relationship like that," she said emphatically. "My friendships are just as important to me as my relationship with Tracy."
"Ryan, I'm sorry," Jamie said quickly. "I certainly don't demean our relationship. It's incredibly important to me," she stated firmly.
"I just can't stand people who immediately drop their friends when they get into a serious relationship," Ryan admitted. "I like to nurture my friendships just as much as I do a sexual relationship." She allowed her face to curve into a crooked grin as she started over. "Do you mind if I stop by Tracy's for a second?"
"Not at all," Jamie said happily.
>
A few moments later Ryan was buzzing the apartment. They walked up to the third floor unit together, even though Jamie felt a bit uncomfortable. Tracy was a little surprised to see Jamie, but she greeted her warmly. "Well, well," she said as she looked them over. "What do we have here?" she asked as she wrapped her arms around Ryan for a very friendly kiss. "You've already had dinner," she said as she narrowed her eyes a bit. She leaned in for another kiss which they held for a bit longer than Jamie was comfortable with. "And dessert," she added.
If she starts looking for what kind of toothpaste she uses, I'm out of here!
"So where were you little scamps all day?" she asked. "I called your house and your pager, Ms. O'Flaherty," she said as she placed her hands on her hips.
"Did you really?" Ryan asked as she pulled the device from her waistband to check it. "I didn't get a page, Tracy. Did you need something?"
"No, I didn't really. I called to tell you I wouldn't be home until about 9. I actually got in right before you got here."
"Good. I hate to inconvenience you," she said apologetically. "But the answer to your previous question is that we were up in Marin by Stinson Beach. I taught Jamie how to ride my bike," she said proudly. "And she was an excellent student," she added.
"Ohhh, tell me all about it," she demanded as she pushed Ryan down on a chair. "Let me get you both a drink first. Do you want a beer or some wine?"
"I'll take some wine," Jamie said.
"Water for me," Ryan added.
A few moments later Tracy came back to the living room with wine for she and Jamie along with Ryan's usual water. There was seating for 7 in the spacious, well decorated apartment but Tracy chose to sit on Ryan's lap. "I've missed you," she said quietly as she placed another kiss on Ryan's lips.
Ryan gazed up at her with a sweet, shy smile. "I missed you too," she replied as she sat up for another warm kiss. They were obviously used to sitting in this position because Ryan looked completely comfortable. She was sitting on a deep overstuffed upholstered chair and Tracy was leaning against her chest with her legs draped over the arm. She had her arm behind Ryan's neck and Ryan's arm cradled her back. All in all they looked very comfortable and relaxed with each other. It didn't seem to bother either of them that Jamie was there, even though she was still a little uncomfortable.
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