Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 63842 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 319(@200wpm)___ 255(@250wpm)___ 213(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 63842 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 319(@200wpm)___ 255(@250wpm)___ 213(@300wpm)
“Around my waist,” I called out over my shoulder over the deep rumble of the machine. “You’ll want to hold on. Don’t move your feet from the pegs. The pipes are hot.”
Her arms came around me tentatively at first, barely touching. But when I rolled the throttle and the bike lurched forward, she tightened her grip instinctively. I felt her chest press against my back as we pulled out of Haven’s lot and onto the street.
The afternoon air hit us as we picked up speed. Nashville’s warehouse district rolled by in a blur of brick and concrete. I kept the speed moderate, aware of Jade’s first-time nerves. After a few minutes, I felt her relax slightly, her death grip around my waist easing to something more comfortable for both of us.
I took the route along the industrial edge of the Cumberland River, where the old shipping warehouses were slowly turning into overpriced lofts and craft breweries. We continued to a small pier just off the main drag but still fairly close to the road.
I slowed and pulled into a small parking area beside a wooden wharf that jutted out over the water. The engine cut off, and suddenly the world was quiet except for the gentle lapping of water against wood pilings and the distant hum of a boat motor somewhere downriver.
“You OK?” I asked as Jade unwrapped her arms from around me.
She nodded, a hint of a smile playing at the corners of her mouth as she removed the helmet. Her hair was flattened on one side, wild on the other. “That was…” She paused, searching for the word. “Freeing.”
I smiled back. “Yeah. That’s why we all ride.”
We walked out onto the wharf, our shoes thudding against the weathered planks. At the end of the pier, we sat, our legs dangling above the murky water. For a while, we just sat in silence.
“Thanks,” Jade said finally. “For bringing me here.”
I nodded. “Need to get out myself sometimes.”
“How’d you find this place?” she asked.
“My grandfather used to take me fishing here when I was a kid. Before everything went to shit.” I didn’t elaborate on what “everything” meant. She didn’t ask.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been fishing,” she said.
“It’s boring as hell most of the time. But that’s kind of the point.”
She smiled. A real one this time that lit up her whole face. “What’s your favorite food?” she asked suddenly.
The question caught me off guard with its normalcy. When was the last time anyone had asked me something so simple? “Rare steak,” I answered. “And good whiskey, if that counts as food.”
“It doesn’t,” she said, but she was still smiling. “I’ll allow it, though.”
“What about you?”
“Peanut butter and jelly. No question.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Wouldn’t have guessed that.”
“I’m full of surprises.” There was a hint of the woman she must have been before. Playful, confident. It vanished pretty quick, but I’d glimpsed that brief transformation and wanted to see it again. Permanently.
“Music?” I asked, keeping the conversation in safe territory.
“All kinds. Sometimes classical when I need to think. Rammstein when I want to hit something. Country. Grunge. You?”
“Classic rock. Zeppelin. The Stones.”
She laughed softly. “The basics.”
I shrugged. “Simple tastes.”
“Nothing wrong with that.”
“Hobbies?” I wanted to keep her talking as long as she would.
She looked out over the water, swinging her legs gently. She looked like she weighed whether or not to answer. “When I was in high school, I loved to take pictures. I spent my weekends wandering around with an old camera, trying to capture things nobody else noticed.”
“You still take pictures?” I asked.
She shook her head. “Not for a long time. Eric…” She stopped herself, ducking her head and tucking her hair behind her ear. I decided that was a tell when she was uncomfortable. “I haven’t had a camera in years.”
I nodded, letting the mention of Eric’s name pass without comment. “Club could use someone to photograph the bikes in the custom shop Tiny’s getting started,” I said casually. “Knight’s shit at it. Everything comes out blurry and I’m pretty sure he does it on purpose.”
She looked at me sideways. “Are you offering me a job?”
“Just throwing it out there.” I shrugged. “You know. If you’re interested.”
She was quiet for a moment. “Maybe,” she said finally. “I’d have to see if I still remember how.”
“Like riding a bike, I bet.”
“Or a motorcycle?” A small smile played at her lips again and my heart clenched.
“Exactly.”
Our shoulders brushed occasionally as we sat there. Each time, I expected her to pull away, but she didn’t. The sun began to sink toward the horizon, casting an orange glow across the water that turned the muddy brown into something almost beautiful.
I glanced over and caught Jade looking at the sunset with an expression I hadn’t seen on her face before. She looked almost peaceful. Her profile outlined in gold light, she looked like someone remembering who she used to be.