Our waitress comes over and we place our orders for burgers and fries then I sit back and watch Kane as he texts someone.
“Why did you take off your cut to drive then put it back on when we got here? Why not wear it while driving?” I ask when he pockets his phone.
“Club rules,” he says as an explanation. “If we aren’t riding our bikes, we take them off.”
“Oh. So, what happens if you forget and wear it?”
“If you get caught, the club will fine you. The fine is set pretty high to deter you.”
“Wow, that’s hardcore. I bet you learn quick when money is involved.” I’m amazed by this, it’s like they have their own society and laws to go by. I’ve done some work for clubs before, but never really looked too much into the way they govern themselves.
He chuckles and grabs for my hand across the table. It’s like he can’t stop touching me or I might disappear before his eyes. I feel the same, but I don’t want to come off as clingy.
“Tell me about this racing business you’re involved in. Help me understand why a knock-out of a woman wants to put herself in dangerous situations.”
“When I moved to Seattle with my dad, he bought me a beat up Civic that was pretty much on its last leg. I didn’t have any friends so on the weekends we’d spend our time working together to fix it up. Seven months later, she was running like new. He taught me how to change everything out and even how to paint a car. We really bonded over it. I learned how to appreciate that time with my dad. He wasn’t always around growing up because his job had him travelling a lot so this really brought us close.” I’m so glad that I moved and stayed with him. I feel like I learned a lot of valuable life lessons with him and not all material possessions like my mother had.
“My final year in high school, I found out about a secret race and slipped away to watch. I knew after seeing it that I was meant for racing, and the rest is history. I’ve won more than I’ve lost and made a good chunk of change doing it. I purchased Ghost Princess my junior year at MIT and souped her up so that she purrs better than my first two cars. She’s my baby. I love the feel of adrenaline I get when pushing her limits. It’s very freeing to be out on an open road knowing that any minute you could be caught.”
“I feel the same about my bikes. It’s freedom, that’s the only way to describe it,” he says, and I nod in agreement just when our food comes and we dig in.
“So is that your job? Racing?” he asks after chewing a fry. “Is that why you were up in South Dakota at the rally when we first met?”
“No, racing’s my hobby. My other job is something a little more complex than that. In fact, I need to talk business with you, but I don’t want to ruin our mood now. Can we talk tomorrow after I meet up with Beckett?”
Something passes over Kane’s face, and he closes his eyes while scrubbing his face in his hands.
“Shit, Raegan, I’ve completely lost my mind. This is going to divide my club if I don’t approach it right.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Being with a brother’s girl is a massive no go in our club. With him being my VP it makes this even messier.”
“Whoa, whoa, wait a minute. First of all, I’m not his girl and haven’t been for over six years. He has no claim to me and if he says otherwise then I’ll set him straight.” Beckett has no reason to be in this equation with me and Kane.
“Let’s not worry about it right now,” he says.
“Speaking of, what are we now? Are we together or friends with benefits that see other people?” I ask, trying to gage how he sees this playing out.
He reaches over the table and his hand tightens around mine.
“We’re not seeing other people. Especially, that fucker Hastings,” he reiterates glaring a hole through me. Something tells me that Kane was the type of child that didn’t share his toys well in school.
“Oh-kay, I won’t see him romantically, but I’m still going to keep him as a friend. Our mothers are best friends and we constantly have to meet up. In fact, this Sunday I have to go to some garden brunch over at his mother’s house.”
“Garden brunch?” he questions, and we both burst out in laughter.
“I know, I have no idea what it is.” I shrug.
“Raegan, I’m not going to tell you who you can and can’t be friends with, but I do ask that when I say something or someone is not in your best interest you listen to me.”
“Sounds fair enough.” I’m totally digging this compromise gig. “So, boyfriend, are you taking me for dessert now or what?”
I see a mischievous smile play across his face.
“I think dessert is exactly what we need right now.”
He stands, throws some bills on the table, then escorts me out of the diner back to the car. We start down the main drag and pull off into a neighborhood like the one Ian took me to when we visited his sister, Allison. We drive towards the end of the street pulling into a driveway then park the car. I realize now that this is in fact the same street as Allison’s because I can see her house sitting diagonal from where we are.
