Macon
subdivisions, I practiced the oft-repeated instruction that you didn't turn the wheel, you leaned into the curve. I leaned the whole time it flew off the
road, depositing me squarely into a ditch on top of a concrete pipe covered
with blackberry thorns, the damn cycle on top of me, still running, while gas
leaked out of the tank and sent clouds of vapor into the air. I'd been certain
the whole thing was going to explode into flames all around me in the three or
four minutes it had taken Scott to realize I wasn't behind him and come back to
check. He said it was three or four. I didn't know. It felt like an eternity.
To his credit, even he shut up about me becoming a lady biker after that.
I looked at
the Harley and back at Chad.
"Oh,
shit," he said. "I'm sorry, it didn't occur to me you were scared of
motorcycles. I'll see if I can catch Spike, and if I can't, we'll go rent a
car, no big."
"I
didn't know you rode motorcycles," I said.
"I
don't have to, baby girl, not with you."
"But
you really like 'em, don't you? I mean, this is some serious bike, isn't it?"
"Oh, yeah."
"Like
a real biker's bike?"
"Oh, yeah."
"Like
a Bikers' Week in Daytona bike?"
"Bikers'
Week is great, precious, but not one of the things I can't live without. You're
the only thing in that category. Well, along with air and water and food, I
guess."
I laughed
and moved to the back of the Harley, unsnapping the bungie cord holding the
helmet.
"And
it would never upset you if all I want to do is ride with you and I never,
ever, want to learn to ride one alone?"
"Nothing
you want to do will ever upset me as long as it's with me, baby girl. I think
we've both had enough of doing things alone."
"Then
let's go!" I said, fastening the helmet strap under my chin.
"You sure?"
"I'm
sure."
"Then
here, you'll need this, too." He unlocked the back compartment and pulled
out leather jackets. Black, of course. We climbed on
and maneuvered out of the parking lot. We hit the open road and he opened the
Harley up. I wasn't fool enough to think he was letting it do anything near its
top speed, and not fool enough to think he wouldn't be close to top speed if I
wasn't on it, but it was fast enough. And it was wonderful. I laughed into the wind and tightened my arms around his
waist, and that felt wonderful, too. And the last vestiges of the old Ariel
blew away in the wind.
Chapter Nineteen
We blew by
the "Welcome to Las Vegas" sign and
into Las Vegas
proper. At the first light, I leaned forward and shouted in his ear.
"Let's go ahead and get the marriage license first thing."
"Right
now?" he shouted back.
"Right
now," I affirmed. "Marriage License Bureau's on
Clark Street .
You know Vegas?"
"Pretty
good, yeah, but why right now?"
"Don't
know. Just do it."
He shrugged
and started off when the light changed, weaving through traffic towards the
requested destination. Gotta love Vegas. The Marriage
License Bureau stayed open 8:00 a.m. to midnight, seven days a week, and all
you needed was $60.00 cash and a valid ID. Gotta love the
internet too.
Our mission
accomplished with the speed of an assembly line, we walked back out with the
license tucked safely in my jean pocket. I couldn't pin why I'd become intent
on the immediate acquisition of that license but one thing I'd become
increasingly convinced of over the last few weeks. When an inner voice started
talking, I'd best start listening.
"Shit!"
Chad
exclaimed suddenly.
"What?"
"My skip. Right there. On the
corner. Getting into the car with—double shit! My other skip !"
"Well,
what are we waiting for?" I ran towards the Harley and grabbed for the
helmet.
"I
didn't want to do this now! I didn't want to do this first !" Chad
grabbed for his helmet.
"Stop
complaining and follow that car!" I'd always wanted to say that but never
thought I'd have the actual opportunity.
"I can
track 'em later and—"
"Later
you might not find 'em! There they are, now go!"
"This
isn't
subdivisions, I practiced the oft-repeated instruction that you didn't turn the wheel, you leaned into the curve. I leaned the whole time it flew off the
road, depositing me squarely into a ditch on top of a concrete pipe covered
with blackberry thorns, the damn cycle on top of me, still running, while gas
leaked out of the tank and sent clouds of vapor into the air. I'd been certain
the whole thing was going to explode into flames all around me in the three or
four minutes it had taken Scott to realize I wasn't behind him and come back to
check. He said it was three or four. I didn't know. It felt like an eternity.
To his credit, even he shut up about me becoming a lady biker after that.
I looked at
the Harley and back at Chad.
"Oh,
shit," he said. "I'm sorry, it didn't occur to me you were scared of
motorcycles. I'll see if I can catch Spike, and if I can't, we'll go rent a
car, no big."
"I
didn't know you rode motorcycles," I said.
"I
don't have to, baby girl, not with you."
"But
you really like 'em, don't you? I mean, this is some serious bike, isn't it?"
"Oh, yeah."
"Like
a real biker's bike?"
"Oh, yeah."
"Like
a Bikers' Week in Daytona bike?"
"Bikers'
Week is great, precious, but not one of the things I can't live without. You're
the only thing in that category. Well, along with air and water and food, I
guess."
I laughed
and moved to the back of the Harley, unsnapping the bungie cord holding the
helmet.
"And
it would never upset you if all I want to do is ride with you and I never,
ever, want to learn to ride one alone?"
"Nothing
you want to do will ever upset me as long as it's with me, baby girl. I think
we've both had enough of doing things alone."
"Then
let's go!" I said, fastening the helmet strap under my chin.
"You sure?"
"I'm
sure."
"Then
here, you'll need this, too." He unlocked the back compartment and pulled
out leather jackets. Black, of course. We climbed on
and maneuvered out of the parking lot. We hit the open road and he opened the
Harley up. I wasn't fool enough to think he was letting it do anything near its
top speed, and not fool enough to think he wouldn't be close to top speed if I
wasn't on it, but it was fast enough. And it was wonderful. I laughed into the wind and tightened my arms around his
waist, and that felt wonderful, too. And the last vestiges of the old Ariel
blew away in the wind.
Chapter Nineteen
We blew by
the "Welcome to Las Vegas" sign and
into Las Vegas
proper. At the first light, I leaned forward and shouted in his ear.
"Let's go ahead and get the marriage license first thing."
"Right
now?" he shouted back.
"Right
now," I affirmed. "Marriage License Bureau's on
Clark Street .
You know Vegas?"
"Pretty
good, yeah, but why right now?"
"Don't
know. Just do it."
He shrugged
and started off when the light changed, weaving through traffic towards the
requested destination. Gotta love Vegas. The Marriage
License Bureau stayed open 8:00 a.m. to midnight, seven days a week, and all
you needed was $60.00 cash and a valid ID. Gotta love the
internet too.
Our mission
accomplished with the speed of an assembly line, we walked back out with the
license tucked safely in my jean pocket. I couldn't pin why I'd become intent
on the immediate acquisition of that license but one thing I'd become
increasingly convinced of over the last few weeks. When an inner voice started
talking, I'd best start listening.
"Shit!"
Chad
exclaimed suddenly.
"What?"
"My skip. Right there. On the
corner. Getting into the car with—double shit! My other skip !"
"Well,
what are we waiting for?" I ran towards the Harley and grabbed for the
helmet.
"I
didn't want to do this now! I didn't want to do this first !" Chad
grabbed for his helmet.
"Stop
complaining and follow that car!" I'd always wanted to say that but never
thought I'd have the actual opportunity.
"I can
track 'em later and—"
"Later
you might not find 'em! There they are, now go!"
"This
isn't
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