Love Songs: The Wrong Note - A Collection of Short Stories

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Harbor found he liked this new unpredictable Jess.

Now seemed to be the right time to drop a bomb on her that he'd been pondering, but was sure she'd pooh as the dumbest thing he'd ever suggested.

She jumped on it with as much enthusiasm as Harbor could have hoped.

Jess and Harbor bought a motorcycle.

***

The couple decided to see the sights, explore areas of the country they'd always dreamed of visiting. And that meant taking backroads, stopping at small greasy spoons, and tasting the cuisine the different areas were famous for.

"You look so sexy in black leather," Jess said.

"I do. Don't I?"

They stopped at Jimmy's for some SOS.

The diner was a throwback to the fifties. Jess and Harbor immediately felt at home. When the gum-chewing beehive-haired waitress placed the plates in front of the two, Harbor politely thanked her, looked at the plate in front of him, and shot Jess the look that she was only too familiar with.

"What are we gonna do, hon? I know what SOS stands for, but maybe they should rename it Slime on a Shingle instead."

Jess looked at the greasy mess on her plate.

"Well," she said, "we're going to pay for this, so I say let's not waste it. It's food, after all."

She looked at her husband. He seemed unconvinced.

"So," she said, "let's eat it but talk about something else. Maybe, it will slide right down if we get out minds off it."

"What do you suggest?"

"You know, Harbor," Jess said, the hint of a smile tracing her lips, "when you first suggested a motorcycle, I had my doubts."

"That I couldn't drive it?"

"No," she said. "My concerns were elsewhere."

It was working. The food was disappearing from their plates.

"Elsewhere where?" Harbor asked.

"My lady parts," she said, noting that Harbor choked on that bite.

Her smile broadened.

"Flattened out on that seat for such long periods of time, I just didn't know how they'd fare. But, I'm happy to say, they have not seemed to be bothered by that at all."

Harbor began shoveling in the last bites off his plate for all he was worth.

"Come on," he said. "Let's get back to the motel. Leave a big tip. Let her think she's made our day."

Harbor looked at Jess and gave her his most beguiling wink.

"Cause," he said, "she has."