“I’m getting hit too,” Marduk said. “But don’t worry, they won’t affect the ride.”
I didn’t think anything as small as some bug juice would bother him, but I’m glad he said that.
“Remember when we hit that swarm in Oregon?” Danzig asked. “That was the worst.”
“What happened?” I asked.
“We were so covered that we were dripping green juice,” Marduk said.
I made an exaggerated gagging sound. “That sounds horrible.”
“It felt good to get into a shower at the end of the ride,” Danzig said. “And then I took my gear off!”
The mental image of Danzig walking into a shower with all his clothing and motorcycle jacket on made me grin.
Marduk and I were riding in front and Danzig was behind us. The freeway followed the coast, and I could smell the briny seaair as we zipped along. Marduk skillfully moved through traffic but never made me feel unsafe.
I knew one word from me would slow him down or have him pulling off the road to give me a break. It made the ride feel like I wasn't simply a passenger but a participant even though I wasn't in control of either one of the bikes.
“This is amazing!” I said as we caught a section of freeway without too many cars and Marduk twisted the throttle, sending us sailing forward.
“We should take you into the mountains,” Danzig said. “That’s way more fun than the freeway.”
“Let's do that after lunch!” I said.
“Deal!” both of them answered at the same time.
As we rode, the brothers kept up a constant chatter, identifying cars changing lanes, spotting holes in the traffic, and a few snide remarks about drivers who weren’t paying attention. Some of the things they said, like the term “cagers” referring to people riding in cars, made me laugh.
By the time we parked in front of a popular cafe with a view of the ocean, I was ready to pull the helmet off. The ride had been fun, but I’d never worn anything more than a bicycle helmet before and the braid I’d put my hair up in was hurting.
“Oh, that’s better!” I sighed the moment Marduk helped me get it off. I tugged at the elastic holding the braid together and unraveled it.
“Did the helmet hurt?” Marduk asked at the same time as Danzig rushed off his bike to tug the helmet out of Marduk’s hand and examine the inside.
“There’s no scorpions in there,” I said with a grin, running my fingers through my loose hair. “Today I learned not to wear a braid with a motorcycle helmet, that’s all. Or at least not a French braid. It made a pressure point at the top of my head and was uncomfortable.”
They both nodded, and Danzig spoke. “I’m sorry, I didn’t think of that.”
Impulsively, I grabbed his jacket front and tugged him down. I gave him a quick kiss on the lips. “We live and learn. I’m sure it’ll be fine now that the braid is out.”
He looked surprised and pleased by the kiss, putting his fingers to his mouth as if we hadn’t kissed so deeply that we played with each other’s tonsils last night at the party.
"That's the first time you’ve voluntarily kissed me,” he murmured. “You weren't teasing or trying to distract me. You kissed me to show affection.”
I felt a little guilty. Sure, the guys had been obnoxious before, but now we had an understanding.
I took his hand in mine. “There'll be more kisses in the future.”
“Do I get a kiss?” Marduk asked.
I crooked a finger at him, and he leaned over. I gave him the same kiss, then grabbed his hand in my free one. It felt as good today as it had last night.
“Oh hell yes, you go girl,” a woman passing by shouted at us.
I snorted and the men beamed.
“Let’s get food, I’m starving!” I said, and we all walked into the cute cafe together.
