Sawyer was straddling his bike, looking hotter than hell in his faded leather jacket and ripped up jeans. Between those two muscular thighs, I could see my helmet resting on the gas tank.
“Need a ride?”
I returned his playful smirk. “What kind of ride are we talking about?”
“Ah, such gutter talk,” he chuckled. “You really do have a dirty mind, don’t you?”
“Yes I do,” I confirmed, “and it’s fully one-third your fault.”
I didn’t need a ride home from work, but I could always come back for my car later on. And I sure wasn’t going to passup the chance to jump on his bike with him. Clicking the lock button, I slipped the remote back into my jacket pocket.
“Where are we going?” I asked, as I hopped on behind him.
“To meet a girl,” he answered smoothly.
I stopped, halfway through tucking my hair into the helmet. “A girl?”
“Yeah. You still in?”
I thought about it for a moment, then shrugged. “Depends on the girl.”
He laughed, and kicked the engine to life with one booted foot.
“That’s the spirit.”
With that we tore off, slicing into the rapidly gathering darkness. I thought about how much I hated it that the days were growing shorter, the nights colder. Sawyer’s back felt warm though, even through the leather. My hands felt safe and secure, interlaced tightly against his hard stomach as we leaned into the turns.
It wasn’t long before we arrived at our destination — some rosily-lit restaurant at the end of town. Sawyer locked our helmets to the seat, rather than carry them in. Then he was ushering me through the door, past the hostess, and through a maze of cozy, wooden tables covered in rich, fragrant Italian food.
I recognized her immediately, though I had no idea who I was looking for. She was a middle-aged woman, petite and well-kept, with short blonde hair and a warm, welcoming smile.
And of course, she lookedjustlike Sawyer.
“Hi mom.”
She stood and hugged him so tightly it made my heart melt. But it was her expression of true love and happiness that really hit home.
“This is Hayden,” Sawyer said, pulling me forward by the hand. “Hayden, meet mom.”
Her face lit up with a mixture of surprise and elation. I needed one of those hugs though, so I took it.
“So nice to meet you…” I trailed awkwardly.
“Sarah,” the woman finished for me.
Sawyer chuckled as we extracted ourselves from each other’s arms. “Guess I should’ve said that.”
“Yes, you should’ve,” his mother chastised him gently. “But that’s okay. You were probably too blinded by her beauty to even think straight.”
My complexion was strawberry red as I sank into the chair Sawyer pulled out for me. Sarah only smiled and gave me a reassuring wink.
“He sprung this on you, didn’t he?” she asked.
“Yes,” I confirmed. “You too?”
“Oh yeah,” she chuckled. “But that’s my son. Sweetly spontaneous, but unpredictable as a swirling wind.”
I grinned back my agreement. It was the perfect description.
