My phone dings just as Asher takes the biggest bite of his burger I’ve ever seen. I pull my old phone out of my pocket and see that Harriet’s nephew has messaged me back,fuck yes. He’s willing to do a payment plan and is throwing in two helmets for free. I can pick it up tomorrow.
It’s going to pull from my emergency fund, but this constitutes as an emergency in my mind.
“What’s got you smirking?” Roxie asks.
“I just bought a motorcycle.”
“You what?” they both say in unison, abandoning the TV to look me in the eye.
“I bought a motorcycle from Harriet’s nephew. It’s not new or flashy, but I have it and a way to get around.” There’s a hitch of excitement in my voice. There’s a certain level of freedom that I’m going to have now. I can take Roxie wherever she needs or wants to go. I can get away from my six block radius and fly on the backroads. If I’d had the bike when Roxie was gone, I’d have had a way to get to her. Bring her back to me sooner.
Maybe before that fucker ever touched her.
No, Ty, don’t go there, I close my eyes and shake my head. Every moment I think about what she’s been through, I want to light Mickey on fire and watch him burn.
Soon, my inner thoughts turn dark quickly and I can’t say that I’m mad about it. He deserves to hurt for what he’s done.
“How?” Roxie asks me, gently–like she doesn’t want to offend me, but she’s aware enough to know I’m not swimming in cash. Asher looks at me over her head and I can see the shock in his eyes too.
Okay, okay, I’ll admit it is a little out of character for me to make a purchase this big, especially when I have to send money home.
Well fucking worth it if I can get Roxie away from Mickey for good.
“I’m working with Harriet’s nephew on a payment plan. He understands where I am and why I need the bike. It’ll take me a while to pay off, but it’s mine.” Asher might not understand just yet, but he will. We’ve been talking about how we needsomething to get around. And while I know he was thinking about a car, this is what I can swing right now.
“License? Registration? Fees?” Asher asks, always the one to think through the legalities even when I just told him Igot a fucking motorcycle.
“I’ll figure it out.” I shrug, popping a fry into my mouth, winking at Roxie who blushes slightly.
She likes this.
Her eyes are dark and raking over me like she’s picturing me on it, helmet on, grabbing her tightly as I drag her to me and have her straddle my lap.I have to stop thinking like that or I’m going to get hard.
“I can see it,” she whispers, voice full of innuendo like she can see directly into my mind and knows the dirty, dirty things I want to try.
“Oh yeah?” I smirk, setting the box down and leaning into her space. My arm slides behind her head as I stare her down with a look that matches the heat in hers.
“Oh yeah, Ty.” She grabs the collar of my shirt and pulls me in for a kiss that I already know is going to quickly get out of hand. My hand drags up her thigh and hers goes to my hair.
“Seriously? I’m right fucking here,” Asher snaps, and I groan.
“Why are you always right here?”
“It’s my apartment!”
“It’s mine too!” I snap back.
“Go fuck in your room, I do not need to see it.” He throws a fry at us, and I sit back, reluctantly pulling my lips from Roxie’s.
“Do you seriously think I would let you see an inch of her like that? Hell no.” I roll my eyes at him before pressing a kiss to her forehead. Roxie’s smirking, but the smile she’s giving me isn’t one of teasing or heat, but more…thankful. And like she wants to thank me by sucking my dick again.
“Let’s eat,” she says softly, picking up her burger and diving in, letting Asher and I follow her lead.
“Alright man, she’s all yours,” Devin, Harriet’s nephew tells me the next day, handing me the keys after I handed him a stack of cash. It’s a little less than half, but it was enough for him to work on a plan with me. “Do you know how to ride?”
“I mean…” I don’t. I really don’t. Luckily, it’s an automatic so I don’t have to learn about switching gears and clutches at this point in time. The red paint is a little worn, but nothing to write home about, and the engine is strong. That’s what matters. Devin did say that in a year or so I’d need to put on fresh tires, but if I was just using it a little here and there, I’d be able to get away with stretching that further. “How hard can it be, right?”
Devin’s eyes widen and I can see that he’s about to lecture me. But instead he just swallows a laugh and crosses his arms with a look of ‘go-ahead-and-find-out’ that’s so similar to Harriet’s I can’t help but smile.
