“Ha, ha. Very
funny. And they Seven jeans,” I informed her, slapping her gently on the
shoulder. “They’re 7 For All Mankind. Why in the world does he have you
so…so…bamboozled?” I said, frustrated at my inability to procure a better word.
I didn’t give her time to respond before adding, “All I can say is
callow
.”
She shook her
head incredulously. “What does that mean?”
I glanced at the
guys, all of whom were totally engrossed in eating. “It’s the word of the day.”
She rolled her
eyes. “Oh, of course it is,” she said disgustedly. “Live a little. You might
enjoy yourself more.”
“It means
immature,” I called over my shoulder.
“Yeah,
whatever,” she yelled back.
A few minutes
later, I stepped out of my bedroom feeling comfortable and confident in my triangle
pocket, boot cut, stretch Hudson jeans. Ha! That would show him he wasn’t the
only one with an eye for expensive jeans. Against my better judgment, I’d
determined there was no way I could renege on his offer, or his demand rather,
that I go for a ride, so I’d slipped into my green windbreaker as well. As I
entered the room, they were cleaning up the last of the nachos and enjoying
another round of laughter while re-reading the note.
Noticing my
approach, Kai said, “Lexi, this card is so corny. Too bad Ash wasn’t the one
who sent you flowers. He probably would have included a nice melodic love song,
and I can promise you, it would have been worth reading.”
Skeptically, I
looked over at Ash. “Somehow, I doubt that very much.”
Kai shoved a
couple broken chips into his mouth and shook his head adamantly. Still chewing,
he said, “No seriously, Ash is a great writer. We have a band with my brother
and a couple of his friends, and Ash writes all our original stuff.”
“No way. That’s
cool!” Ben interjected.
“Oh yeah. We’re
not serious or anything, but we have a good time and play at parties – our
parties mostly,” Kai said. “We’re hoping to get a couple gigs at the local bars
this year.”
I glanced at Ash
who seemed unusually quiet. Drinking a Coke, he appeared to be studying the can
rather intently. “What instrument do you play?” I asked Kai.
“Oh, I play the
drums.” He made a few quick hand strokes like he was beating on some real
drums. “Ash sings and also plays the guitar. My brother Noa plays bass, and our
other roommates, Matt and Patrick, take lead guitar and keyboards.”
“What kind of
music do you guys play?” Ally asked.
Kai raised his
shoulders. “Mostly rock – a little bit of classic, hard, and modern. We have
several originals,” he nodded, “thanks to Ash’s brilliant writing.”
Ash shrugged and
said indifferently, “I don’t know about brilliant, but some of its okay.” In a
respectful tone he added, “All the guys have talent. That’s what makes the band
sound good. All the singer really needs is attitude.” He laughed at himself and
pulled me towards the doorway. “And we all know I have plenty of that. Later
guys. I promised Lexi a little danger and a lot of adventure.”
I gave Ally a
desperate look, but she just smiled and said, “Have a good time. Don’t do anything
I wouldn’t do.” She and Ben snickered.
Grabbing two
helmets off the floor, Ash handed me the royal blue one. “By the way,” he said
snidely, “nice jeans. Bet they cost you a pretty penny.”
“Not nearly as
much as yours,” I snapped and hurried outside.
“Touché’ – Miss
Feisty.”
I shook my head
with resignation. “So, where we headed?”
“You’ll see,” he
said, pulling on his helmet, a perfect color match to his bike. Then he
whistled. “Wow! Sweet ride. Is this yours,” he asked pointing at my Nissan.
“Yeah. So what?”
“So, the more I
learn about you, the more I like. You’re my kind of woman.”
“Whatever.” I
bit my lip. “Why a motorcycle?”
“Sports bike,”
he corrected. “A Kawasaki ZX-6R to be exact.” He ran his hand along the sleek
body. “Lots of reasons really: fun, precision, grace, danger, and freedom.
Freedom to think and explore. Of course, experiencing the elements can be a
rush too. I compose a lot of my songs while riding this baby.”
At least he was
gaining some yardage. “Nice,” I said. “But didn’t you forget speed?”
He pulled on his
gloves and said, “That’s a given. This is the fastest and most impressive 600
in existence.” Climbing on board, he motioned for me to sit behind him. “Keep
your arms wrapped tightly around me,” he commanded.
“Great. I’m at
the mercy of a maniac driver,” I mumbled but almost laughed. No guys in my life
for a year and now I had a maniac runner and a maniac driver. What were the
odds?
Obviously, he
had great hearing even with his helmet on, because he turned in the seat.
“Lexi, I assure you, I’m a safe driver. I only handle this bike with the utmost
precision,” he said earnestly before his lips curved into a wicked smile. “I
suggested you wrap your arms around me simply so I could enjoy your touch. It
had nothing to do with safety.”
I prayed he
couldn’t see me blushing under my helmet. He turned and cranked the engine. A
loud roar permeated my eardrums, and vibrations shook my body. He surprised me
by heading into the historic district of Fairhaven rather than straight out to
I-5. After a few minutes, I realized he was taking us along scenic Chuckanut
Drive – a slow and windy road that connected Bellingham to Skagit Valley.
Immediately, I
relaxed and let the wind carry my fears away. What did I really have to worry
about? My dance with death didn’t involve a motorcycle. No, it was set to take
place sometime in the near future…if I let it. I’d been thinking about that.
Ever since my encounter with Jason, I’d found myself reconsidering my options.
Dying was the easy way out; everything else was complicated. If I became an
Amethyst and was able to survive the encounter with the mountain lions, maybe
living with the snapshots would be bearable. Especially since I’d have Jessica
in my life, and maybe Jason…or Ash?
We zipped over a
bump in the road, and I flew a few inches off the seat. Startled by my sudden
movement, I inadvertently leaned deeper into Ash and gained instant security
from his solid body. With my arms encircled around his waist it was hard not to
think about his imperious and flirtatious nature. It was even more difficult
not to compare him with Jason. All too thrilling Ash, with his giant ego,
thrived on pushing the boundaries and seemed keen on physical contact. Gorgeous
and elusive Jason refused to share his personal space, but when he temporarily
let his guard down, I found myself yearning for more. Even though he was
shrouded in a veil of secrets, I wanted nothing more than to unravel each and
every one of them.
Getting nowhere
with my thoughts, I focused on the scenery. Evergreen trees intertwined with
colorful maples on one side of the winding seaside road, and on the other side,
views of coastal waterways and the San Juan Islands stole my breath away. After
driving for several miles, Ash pulled into a designated viewpoint and cut the
motor. Immediately, I withdrew my arms.
He pulled off
his helmet, shook out his hair, and sighed. “Puget Sound is awesome.”
“Beautiful,” I
agreed, tucking my helmet under my arm. “We’re really spoiled living here. We
always get a bad rap for all the rain, but if ya ask me, I think we have
perfect balance.” I put my hand on his shoulder. “Ash?”
He smiled
broadly. “Yeah?
“Thanks for the
slow-paced, scenic ride. I was sure you were gonna have us out setting new
speed records on the freeway, and I was wrong.”
He tapped my leg
with his hand. “If I expect you to go out with me again, I first have to show
you my softer side. What better way than a leisurely, romantic drive?”
I rolled my eyes
and shoved his hand off my leg. “This does not remotely qualify as any kind of
romantic rendezvous. Besides, how do you know I don’t have a boyfriend?”
He grinned
slyly. “While you were changing into your tight fitting jeans, I asked Ally.”
“Oh great,” I
moaned. “What did she say?”
“She told me you
were a fanatic and currently owned around 30 pairs – mostly designer.” I
whacked him in the back. “Okay, okay, she said you were sort of interested in
some guy, but it wasn’t serious yet. I informed her it wouldn’t be serious if I
have anything to say about it.” He looked at me with brash certainty.
“Which you
don’t,” I retorted. “And for your information, Ally doesn’t know everything.”
He looked out at
the panoramic view again and said in a witty voice, “Don’t worry, I’m patient.
Besides, once you realize what a catch I am, you won’t be able to keep your
hands off me. You’ll be begging me to take you out on my bike again. First,
you’ll just want a quick spin around town, then a leisurely picnic in the
park.” His eyes sparkled. “Finally, you’ll be pleading for a romantic road
trip. You’ll force me into a secluded area where we can…” Pausing, he looked at
me suggestively and wet his lips.
“Okay stop! Stop
right there. Right now,” I ordered and knocked my knee into him. “You are
totally delusional.” I kept my expression neutral for all of about two seconds
before I started cracking up. He joined me and luckily let the topic drop.
“Have you ever
been up to Blanchard Mountain?” he asked and motioned south.
I gazed that way
and said, “Nope, can’t say I’ve even heard of it.”
He nodded. “It’s
just down the road a ways. It’s one of the best places to hike, mountain bike,
or paraglide. The views are unmatched. Not only can you see all the way to
Vancouver Island on a clear day, but Mount Baker and the Twin Sisters are
visible in the east.”
“Do you hike
it?”
“Oh I’ve hiked
it and biked it, but paragliding from the top is incredible.”
“You paraglide?”
I asked incredulously; although, I shouldn’t have been surprised. His every
word and movement indicated he was an adrenaline junkie.
“Oh yeah, I
could teach you how.” He laughed and explained the basics. Eventually, he put
his helmet on, signaling it was time to go. I followed suit and instinctively
draped my arms around him. “Lexi?” he said. I squeezed him once. “You’re aware
that I have a dangerous side?”
I nodded,
feeling the heavy weight of my helmet.
“Do you think
you’re ready for a rush?”
With a flash of
uncertainty, I took a deep breath. “Sure. Bring it on.” Deep down, I trusted
him. It was also time to take Ally’s advice and live a little. I hadn’t been
doing enough of that lately, and I was curious if I’d like a fast bike as much
as a fast car.
“That’s my
girl.”
“I’m not your
girl.”
“We’ll see about
that,” he quipped. “When we hit the freeway, keep your arms wrapped tightly around
me. Not just because I enjoy the feel of your body next to mine,” he winked and
flipped down his visor, “but because I’m also gonna show you why this machine
is famous for speed.” With that, the thunderous engine ignited and our
conversation ended.
To be honest, I
enjoyed every minute of the ride. I was surprised when we got back to town and
he drove past my street, though. Soon after, we arrived at Marine Park, a small
tract of land with a long stretch of grass and a rocky, saltwater beach. After
hopping off the bike, he led me to the southwest corner of the park. The
railroad tracks were not part of the park, but they could be accessed by
climbing the fence and crossing the trestle. A big sign stated: NO TRESPASSING
ALLOWED.
“Ash, I don’t
think we should walk down the tracks. It might be dangerous,” I said
hesitantly.
He squeezed my
hand and said, “Oh come on, Lexi. Just a little ways down is a great little
spot with a view of some awesome rock formations and…”
As he was
talking, I felt my shoulders tighten up just as a sharp pain shot through my
head. I knelt down and pretended to examine a rock. I closed my eyes, and the
snapshots came on strong:
the “NO
TRESPASSING ALLOWED” sign
two teenagers
bent over the tracks
a train
barreling towards them
My eyes snapped
open. Ash was still talking and pointing along the coastline, trying to
convince me that the views were better on the other side of the trestle. He
didn’t seem to have noticed my momentary black out.
“Fine,” I said
hurriedly. “You’ve made me a believer. Let’s go.” He stopped talking, and I was
able to enjoy the look of complete astonishment that passed over his face.
“Well, what are you waiting for?” I asked, happy for once that my head had
stopped throbbing as soon as the snapshots dispersed. He mumbled something
about unpredictable females, and I hurried him along. Off in the distance, a
short time later, I spotted what I’d been looking for – two bodies huddled over
the steel rails. Pointing, I said, “What do you think they’re doing?”
He muttered, “I
don’t know, but I think we’d better investigate. Probably some teenagers
showing off, or to be more precise, doing something totally stupid.” We
quickened our pace, and when we came within shouting distance he called out,
“Hey, what’s going on?”
A young girl,
somewhere in her mid-teens, with a long ponytail, looked up at the sound of his
voice. “I dropped my ring, and he’s trying to reach it,” she said and motioned
to the boy. He was lying on the ground poking something in the space under the
rails.
“I’ve almost got
it…so close,” he said excitedly.
That’s when I
heard the train whistle – loud and distinct. I could even feel the tracks
vibrating. We all looked north simultaneously.
“No more time
buddy; off the tracks,” Ash commanded. Glancing at me, he let go of my hand and
gently shoved me away. Without thinking, I grabbed hold of the girl’s arm and
took her with me. Clumsily, we ran over the rocks. Once we were several paces
away I turned, expecting Ash and the boy to be close behind, but they were still
on the tracks.