Recovery

II

"Well, here we are" I say as the Camaro idles in front of my garage door. A simple two-car garage, attached to the back of my apartment building: brick siding, with a dark grey door. "Can you grab the remote out of the glove box?" I ask, pointing at the dashboard.

She reaches in and grabs the black and silver remote, "Here ya go" and drops it into my open palm.

I grip the small device in my hand and use my thumb to press the Open button. The hum of a half horsepower engine starts, and the metal garage slowly slides up.

Once the door is completely open, the interior lights flicker on and shed light on the inside of the garage. Inside is an open space, then to the right of that sits a jet black crotch-rocket. Behind it, on the wall, is a workshop with tools, parts and other various items that go with fast bikes and cars.

I pull the rumbling Camaro into the opening of the garage and cut the monstrous engine. The garage echo's the last bit of sound from the engine and it fades away. I've always loved that sound.

"Nick?" Ashley whispers as I'm reaching for the door.

"Yeah babe?" I ask and open the drivers door.

"I'm getting a weird feeling about tonight" she says mysteriously as my left foot hits the Polymer coated concrete floor.

"What do you mean?" I reply, half listening. My mind is occupied with tonight's race. By now, I'm about to slam the door.

"Well, you know how I can almost "predict" the future?" she asks and opens her door as I'm walking past the chrome front bumper of the Z/28.

"Yes babe" I say. Still not entirely listening, but tossing the keys for the Z/28 onto counter and grabbing the GSXR's.

She completely gets out of the car, shuts the door behind her and walks over to the bike to block my path to it. "Nicholas Peter Jones, listen to me" she says concerned and partially sternly.

I sigh, and put my hands on her arms and look down to her. "I'm listening Sweetheart"

"I have a feeling something is going to happen tonight" she says and places her hands on my chest.

"What do you mean?" I ask, now I'm completely listening.

"When we were driving" she says and puts her forehead on my sternum. I wrap my arms around her. "I just saw you fish-tailing the bike, then in a ditch, then Mikey coming up and saying that your-"

"Shhhhhhh. Baby, it's okay. I'm right here, gonna do the race and win, and be done. Nothing's gonna happen. I promise" I say as she softly cries on my T-shirt.

"How do you know? Anything can happen!" she yells into my wet T-shirt.

"Ashley, calm down. I do this all the time. You've seen me win all the time, I've barely lost and never crashed" I explain.

"Yeah, and each time I've always had the feeling nothing was going to happen. But after your friend Fetzer went over that ledge in Nevada..."

"Ashley, it will be okay" I say again, and pull her away a little so I can look into her watery eyes.

"I don't need you dead, okay?" she says and gives me one of the best kisses she's ever given me. It slightly knocks me off my feet.

"I'll do everything in my power to stay safe Ash" I promise her. She squeezes me tightly for a moment, and takes a step backwards and forces a sad smile.

"Now, lets go. You can't be late for your race" she says and sniffles with a sad smile.

"You're right" I say, and I swing my leg over the bike. As the bike slightly groans with my weight, I slide the black Suzuki key into the lock. "Will you hand me my helmet, and go ahead and put yours on"

She grabs my black with GnR graphics, full face helmet off the counter and hands it to me. As I'm sliding it over my head, she's putting her pink helmet over her beautiful blonde hair.

It makes me smile to myself as I flip the key into the On position. The sound of the fuel injector softly echo's in the garage as the digital instrument illuminates and the analog tachometer flips on. The digital readout displays, GSX Ready, and I pull in the clutch.

"You might want to cover your ears" I say to Ashley and she points at the helmet on her head. "Oh" I chuckle and press the Start button.

At the touch of the ignition, the engine zooms alive. The Akrapovic exhaust system screams as I twist the throttle to warm up the 1000cc four cylinder engine. As its reving, I look down at the ground and see the red neon shining down from the undercarriage bike and onto the wheels and ground. It's a pretty sight to see. I typically don't like Japanese cars, but the 2003 Suzuki GSX1000R is a sexy bike.

Ashley climbs onto the tiny passenger seat behind me and hold onto my torso.

"Are you ready?" I yell back to her. She responds with a simple thumbs up, and and squeeze of my torso. "Ookaay" I say and shift down into first.

With the twist of the throttle, and the release of the clutch, the bike pulls forward and out of the garage. As the bike rolls away from the open garage, the door automatic door slowly slides down it tracks to cover the opening.

Once I see in the mirror that the door is shut, I shift up to second and accelerate out of the alleyway onto the main road towards the hangout.

*****

Rain.

Wet.

Speed.

Tires.

Spinning.

Engines.

Two.

Suzuki.

Turn left.

Too fast.

Headlights.

Slide.

Fishtail.

Ditch.

*****

"Shit!" I mutter and jerk the bike to left to keep from going into the guardrail. Our right legs barely miss the rail, and I slow down a little.

"Nick?" Ashley says after sliding up her face shield. "Are you okay?"

"Ummm, yeah" I say shaking my head to refocus on the road.

"Are you sure? We almost went into the rail" she says concerned.

"Yeah, I was just thinking of what you said to me. I guess it kind of got to me. I'll be fine" I say and drop the transmission down a gear.

Ashley says something, but its muffled by the wind and the exit exhaust.

I can't be thinking of anything except this race. Its how I prepare for every race I've ever participated in. I can't let a little superstition get into my head and mess me up. One screw up could be my last.