He batted his lashes and brushed a hand over his head. “Why, thank you. My sister did it this morning. I needed the change and she needed a guinea pig for her new in-home salon… What are you up to?” He gestured to my clothes with the motorbike helmet in his hand. “You look very professional.”
“I’m an admin assistant at my mom’s real estate agency, hence the clothes.” I waved a hand over the black slacks and light blue blouse. “I was supposed to go to work this morning, but after the weekend, I didn’t really feel like talking to her just yet.”
“I take it mission intimidate Oliver didn’t go as planned?” he cringed.
“No, it went as expected,” I laughed nervously. “And my entire family is not impressed.”
Seb screwed up his face but then smiled, nudging my arm with the back of his hand. “What are your plans for the rest of the day?”
“This.” I motioned to the books and the empty mug and plate. “Why?”
“I’m dropping this off to Mr Intimidating himself,” he said, lifting the bag of takeaway. “You could come if you like. We’d just be hanging out at the garage.”
I shrugged one shoulder. “I guess it wouldn't hurt."
Gathering the shopping bag of books and my shoulder bag, I joined Seb on the short walk to where his bike was parked around the corner. Suddenly my father’s voice was in my head as I looked over the matte black Yamaha, reminding me of all the motorbike accidents he had attended as a police officer.
“Do you have a second helmet?” I asked, nervously eyeing the one in his hand.
He lifted it. “Just the one. And it’s all yours for now.”
I folded my arms. “Seb.”
“I’ll go slow.” He wagged his eyebrows and lifted the helmet a little higher. “Put it on. You know you want to.”
I pressed my lips together to keep the smile at bay as I rolled my eyes and took the helmet. “Fine.”
This seemed to increase his excitement as he smiled broadly and climbed onto the bike, offering to hold my shopping bag while I pulled the helmet on. It muffled the sounds of the city, felt snug against my head, and smelt like brand-new car seats.
I climbed on behind him, holding his shoulder for support as I lowered myself to the seat.
“Unless you want to fly off, you’re going to want to hold on tighter than that,” he chuckled, motioning for me to wrap my arms around his middle.
“Oh, right.” I adjusted my bag strap to sit across my body, and then pulled my arms around him, taking hold of the separate bags containing the takeaway and books so that my hands were in clenched fists.
“Alright. You ready?” he asked, fingers pinched around the key in the ignition.
“Yep.” The reality of what I was doing started to set in, so I tightened my grip a little.
Seb’s smile was reflected in his side mirror as he turned the key over. The bike instantly hummed to life beneath us, knocking my heart into my throat. I couldn’t help the grin that spread across my face, pushing my cheeks tightly against the inside of the helmet.
With a kick of the stand and a turn of the handlebars, he directed the bike away from the curb. Checking it was safe to go before he stepped on the gas.
I squealed as the bike lurched forward and took off into the steady flow of the traffic. Very faintly, through the thick layer of the helmet and the engine, I could hear Seb’s laugh as I doubled my arms around him and held myself closer to his broad back.
Surprisingly, it wasn’t awkward being this close to him compared to yesterday morning with Dean. With Seb, it felt like a hug from a long-time friend or the brother I never had. The fact we were speeding through streets, with nothing around us for safety, helped to push aside any reservations I usually had about sitting this close to someone.
We coasted into Bensonhurst in no time. Passing through the main street and weaving through a couple of back roads, before we were soon slowing to a stop outside a four-garage, brick building at the end of a dead-end industrial street. A large, faded, blue sign hung on the front of the shop with Auto Repairs written in red across the middle.
It wasn’t until Seb turned off the bike engine, and I awkwardly stumbled from the back of it, that a new kind of nervousness settled in my stomach. The kind that fluttered.
“How was that?” Seb asked happily as he kicked down the stand on the bike.
I carefully pulled the helmet off and brushed my hair away from my cheeks, smiling breathlessly. “It was fun. Terrifying, but fun.”
I hooked the helmet onto the handlebars and checked the shopping bags I still had looped over my arms. The takeaway was still intact and none of the books had flown out.
Seb accepted the takeaway bag and then tipped his head to the garage. “Come on. I want to see his face when he finds out I’ve brought company.”
