Everyone talked amongst themselves while my brothers went to go help their women. My Liz’s head was on a swivel, and I saw the calculating look in her eye. She still looked for threats. Still assessing danger as if she were back in the military. I wanted to ask her so many things. But I simply allowed for her vigilance. Sometimes that kind of thing made someone feel better.
Like they had their control back.
My Liz was exceptionally quiet, however. Instead of peppering me with questions, she simply went over to her things and packed them up. I stood there with my hands clasped behind my back as I watched her hands. They moved with precision, like everything about her movement was down to an efficient science.
I hadn’t witnessed this side of her yet.
Up until now, she simply wasn’t strong enough to exude it.
“You gonna come help me, or what?”
Her voice snapped me out of my trance and I grinned. “If you wanted me touching your panties, all you had to do was say so.”
She wrinkled her nose and giggled. “Ew. Don’t say that word again.”
I tilted my head. “What word?”
“Panties. Such a weird word.”
I narrowed my eyes playfully as I slowly talked toward her. “You don’t like the word panties?”
“Or moist,” she said as she continued packing her things with hairline precision. “Or doughnut. A doughnut is neither dough, nor is it in the shape of a nut. I mean, I don’t know about you, but I’ve never seen a ballsack with a hole in it, you know what I’m saying?”
Goddamn it, this woman was perfect. “It’s named after a lugnut.”
She paused and looked off at the wall before nodding slowly. “Huh. I suppose that makes more sense. But, still.”
She didn’t finish her sentence, however. She just went back to packing.
Did I miss something? “But still… what?”
She flickered her gaze to me. “Doughnut is still a weird word and I don’t like it.”
I chuckled as I walked over and dropped a kiss on top of her head. “I’ll go get your toiletries packed up.”
“You just wanna feel all up on my tampons.”
I couldn’t help the bark of laughter that escaped me, despite the moment we found ourselves in.
Was this more of my Liz?
Beautifully calm in the midst of a storm?
It didn’t take us long to pack her up, and then we were out by my bike. Some of the guys had already loaded up. Others helped their women onto their bikes. I walked Liz over to mine stashed off to the side, my bright red chopper custom-built for passenger relaxation with extra storage compartments on both sides of the saddle bag. It took us no time to pack her things up in a way that equally distributed the weight. She worked with an efficiency and a structured intelligence that I hadn’t seen in action yet.
I was positively enamored.
“Well?” she asked as she turned and offered me her hand. “You going to help me up like a gentleman?”
“Of course, My Elizabeth,” I said as I took her hand within mine.
I tugged her toward me and gripping her waist.
“Whoo!” she exclaimed as I picked her up and placed her onto the passenger princess seat.
Her eyes were wide as I stayed at her side, reaching for the straps and clasps I had added for extra protection.
Hey, I planned to have a passenger princess in my life at some point.
