The Rampage MC #4: Max and Briony

Chapter 31 (Max): A Hotel Room

Copyright © 2024 by GroveltoHEA

"So, I looked into the festival some more and was wondering if you'd want to head out Friday night and stay over Saturday. I'd get two hotel rooms, one for you and Rie and one for Guard and me, and then that way we'd be close and wouldn't miss the inflation and launch and we could stay for the night glow. They start early since winds are usually calmer first thing in the morning. Otherwise we'd have to be on the road between four-thirty and five to make it there in time to see the good shit."

"I think that's a great idea, Max," she said, and I couldn't stop smiling. Extra time with Bri was always a bonus.

"There's supposed to be five hundred balloons so it should be pretty amazing."

"Someone's done his research," she teased me with that sweet tone in her voice.

I had, but I'd done more than research because I wanted everything to be perfect. So Friday night, Briony was on the back of my bike and Rie was on the back of Guard's and we rode about an hour and a half before we stopped for dinner. 

"Guard seems to have gotten his head out of his ass where Rie's concerned," I leaned down and said softly into Briony's ear as we walked out of the restaurant several yards behind them. "He made it through dinner without sticking his foot in it or getting stabbed."

"He needs to show her that and keep showing her that," she whispered back. "He was really good, considerate and respectful so that just did wonders for his life expectancy."

I wasn't exactly sure what that meant, but before I could ask, Rie turned around and asked Briony a question. We rode the last half hour to our hotel, and after checking in, Guard and I walked Briony and Rie to their hotel room door, and I thought about how much nicer it would be to share a hotel room with Bri than with Guard. I have no doubt that he probably thought the same thing.

We got up early on Saturday to have a quick breakfast and make it to the festival on time. Bri didn't know it, but we had some place in particular we needed to be by seven-thirty. As promised, Rie and Guard went their own way when we were on the grounds, but not until Briony, oddly enough, told Guard to hang on tight if they took a balloon ride or even a tethered ride.

"Hold on the whole time, Darren," she emphasized for the third time. "Don't let go, OK?"

Rie rolled her eyes and smirked at Briony, and then Guard, after some what the fuck side eye at me, promised her he would, all while shaking his head. They went their way, we went ours and as we wandered along the rows of balloons just beginning to inflate, Briony kept up a running commentary that made me want to hug her close it was so damn adorable. 

"Oh, my gosh -- that Darth Vader balloon is amazing! Aww! Max, look! It's right next to the Yoda one! Look at the Converse one! So perfect! The details are amazing! It even has shoe strings!"

Fifteen minutes later, we came to the giant Harley Davidson balloon that was just starting to be inflated.

"A Harley! How awesome is that?" Briony exclaimed. "That's incredible. I love this! It might be my favorite one yet!"

"How would you like to go up in it?" I asked her.

"Really?" Then she looked at me. "We're not jumping out of it with parachutes or anything, are we? We can just stay in it the whole time? If so, then yes, yes, yes!"

I burst out laughing and fuck me, but I wanted to pull her close and kiss the hell out of her.

"We can stay in it the whole time. Promise."

"I was going to ask later after they all launched if you wanted to go up in one of the tethered balloons, but I never thought we'd be going up, like up-up, in one ourselves. This is so exciting. And scary. But mostly exciting!"