Awakenings - SF1 (53 page)

"You want to take a drive in my car?"

"Nope. Just be there."

At 11:30 on the dot Ryan was sitting on her front porch. She walked over to the Porsche and inspected Jamie's outfit. She was wearing a distressed brown leather fleece lined bomber jacket, a taupe colored turtleneck and faded jeans. As she got out of the car Ryan nodded her approval at her ankle length brown boots.

Ryan was wearing her usual jeans, a crew necked sky blue sweater and her black leather jacket, along with her low heeled black boots. She gave Jamie a sly look as she said, "I know just the prescription for boredom. Come with me, little girl."

She led Jamie over to the Harley and handed her the spare helmet. After her own was secured she got on and helped her friend hop on. Jamie immediately slid her arms around her waist and got ready to take off.

Moments later they were heading over to Route 1. Even though she had been on the bike several times, they had never gone very far or very fast and she found that she loved the excitement of the higher speed. Ryan drove the bike just like she drove a car. She went as fast as possible, while being as careful as she could be. When traffic slowed she would straddle the line between the number one and two lanes and slide right between the stalled cars.

Jamie knew that she should feel some level of fear or trepidation to be so thoroughly exposed at such a high rate of speed. But she had never felt calmer or safer. Every bit of anxiety left her body as they flew down the highway. She forgot all about her fights with Jack and her unhappiness with her parents. All she felt was warm and protected and safe. The wind was really quite intense and she found herself tucking her head down and nestling it into Ryan's broad back. From her little cocoon she truly felt impervious to the outside world. Her world was just Ryan's protective body, the bike thrumming between her legs and the freedom of the open road.

She wasn't at all sure where they were going but eventually she saw the Golden Gate bridge looming in the distance. They crossed the structure and continued on, staying on Highway 1 the whole while. The scenery was absolutely beautiful at this time of year. There were very few cars on the road as they passed the forested acres around Muir Woods. They kept going and eventually the road wound down to Stinson Beach. When they reached the sea Ryan pulled the bike off the road and hopped off. "Let's go for a walk," she said as she held out her hand to Jamie.

After Ryan had secured their helmets they crossed over to the sea side of the road and began to walk along on the hard packed sand. Even though the day was beautiful there was not another soul on the beach. The sun was bright although the wind was stiff and cold as it blew in from the ocean. "I'm glad you told me to dress warmly," Jamie said as a chill shot down her spine.

Of course, Ryan noticed this and held her arm out in an inviting gesture. Jamie shot her a shy grin but snuggled up against her anyway. They walked along in companionable silence for at least a mile before Ryan turned around and guided her back.
I would feel odd talking so little with anyone else. But with Ryan the silence is never uncomfortable. Even when we don't speak I feel like we're communicating. Like now, she just wants me to feel free. She brought me here so I could feel how huge the world is, and maybe that would make me feel less confined.

When they were almost back to their starting place Ryan broke the silence as she asked, "Are you ready?"

"To leave?" she replied with a winsome look on her face. "I guess so," she said, even though that was the last thing in the world she wanted to do.

"No," Ryan said with a twinkle in her eyes. "Are you ready to get started?"

"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 3
^rd
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.