The Rampage MC #3: Atlas and Joy

Chapter 10 (Joy): Happy Birthday

"I've heard it said that people come into our lives for a reason..." ~For Good, Wicked: The Musical

"You're limping a little," Stian said to me as he helped me out to his motorcycle.

"Oh, I hurt my Achilles tendon a while back and yesterday was my last day in the boot, so I'm babying it a little today. I appreciated the hand to help me out here."

"My pleasure."

We reached his bike, a monster one, like all of the men in this MC seemed to prefer.

"OK, what do I do?" I asked him.

"You've never been on one before?"

That seemed to confuse him given Kit's proprietary reaction, but Kit's reaction had confused me, too. I just shook my head at Stian since that seemed easier than explaining to him that the man I'd fallen for and thought I'd had something going on with had refused to give me a ride on the back of his bike because his bitch seat wasn't reinforced. Because he sure didn't say no to giving Brandie a ride. Had he been worried about Beard hearing about me being on the back of his bike, he could have just said he was taking me on an errand, too.

"I'm going to get on first," Stian was instructing me, "and once I'm on, put your hand on my shoulder, step up onto that peg and swing your right leg over the seat. Both feet should stay on the foot pegs while we're riding."

Before I knew it, with a few more instructions once I was on and a helmet he'd handed back to me, we were off. My arms were around his waist, and I lost myself not in the man but in the sensation of flying down the road.

In the sensation of feeling free.

It was exhilarating.

It was addicting.

It was amnesia on wheels, allowing me to just forget and to simply enjoy.

Maybe for the first time in my life.

I couldn't have told anyone how long our ride had lasted. Maybe hours, maybe days, maybe weeks? But eventually, Stian was slowing down and pulling into a small parking lot that surrounded a small building. He stopped the bike, and told me how to get off the back, and then he swung his leg over the seat. He helped me off with my helmet, and he grinned at my smile.

"You liked it?"

"Oh, yes! It was awesome!"

"Let's get some ice cream to celebrate your first ride." 

We walked inside the small shop and, after a few minutes, made our selections. I got a hot fudge sundae and Stian got a turtle sundae, and we took them outside to eat at one of the small tables.

"Atlas and you have something going? He was pissed you went with me." Well, that was one way to jump into the deep end of the conversational pool.

"He shouldn't be," I answered honestly. "We have no claim on each other. He made that very clear. And he gave another girl a ride on the back of his bike -- right in front of me -- not very long ago. That told me all I needed to know."

"He sure seemed to think he had a right to stop you from getting on the back of my bike."

"He doesn't. I've always wanted a ride on a bike because it seems like a way to fly and be free, and Kit had six months to offer...but he never did."

"So you accepted just to piss him off?"

"No. He had nothing to do with my decision. I accepted because I'm done waiting for my life to start. I'm done waiting on men to give me something that they're not capable of giving me. I'm done waiting on someone to love me and make my dreams come true. I'm going to make my own dreams come true, no more waiting."