The world blurred past us in streaks of green and gold.Wind whipped my hair around my face, carrying the scent of pine and the cool tang of the nearby lake.We probably should have been wearing helmets, but I wanted this experience exactly like this.
We rode deeper into the mountains, each bend in the road revealing new vistas in glimpses of the valleys spread below us, distant ridges wreathed in morning mist and the occasional flash of a waterfall cascading down some unseen cliff face.I lost track of time, lost in the experience of speed and closeness and the strange freedom of hurtling down the road with nothing between us and the world but Oktober’s skill and the machine beneath us.
I’ve never felt so alive.
When Oktober slowed the motorcycle, turning onto a narrow dirt road, I had a moment where I felt a bit like the first person (usually a woman) to die in an eighties slasher film.The road he’d turned off onto was little more than a wide dirt trail.After another quarter mile, he pulled to a stop beside a weather-beaten wooden sign marked “Falls Trail - No Maintained Path.”I climbed off first, my legs slightly wobbly after the ride, while Oktober secured the bike and retrieved our small picnic from the saddlebags.He’d brought a couple of sandwiches, chips, and a thermos.Nothing fancy.But I’d never looked forward to a meal more than I did right then.
“Not many people know about this place,” he said, slinging a small backpack over his shoulder.“Found it by accident a few years back when I was exploring.”
“I should really get a creepy vibe, but for some reason, I’m not.”He gave me a startled look before raising his hands and taking a step back.
“Baby.Mia.”
I waved him off with a grin.“No.I don’t mean I think you’re going to hurt me, Oktober.I don’t.”
He looked away, shaking his head.I hadn’t seen this side of him before now.He looked almost resigned.Sad in a way that said he expected my disapproval.“I’m sorry.I never even considered --”
I took the step separating us and covered his mouth with my fingers before leaning up and kissing him lightly.“I didn’t either.I’m not scared of you.I don’t believe for a moment you’d hurt me.”Then I grinned up at him.“But if you prove me wrong and decide to off me, do it after the picnic.Because I’ve never really been on one before.”
He barked out a laugh.“Verdammte Hölle.You’re a singular creature, little Mia.”
I peered into the dense forest where a faint trail disappeared between the trees.“How far is it?”
“Not far.Just down the hill.We’ll be able to see the bike from there but still have plenty of privacy.”
He took my hand and led the way down the narrow path.Reclaiming that joyful mood he’d been in didn’t take long, and I’d never been more grateful to see a smile on a man’s face.Oktober.He seemed to take such pleasure in the simple feeling of the sun on his skin.More than once I caught him looking up as a ray of sunshine shone down on him.He’d close his eyes for a brief moment and smile before continuing.
The forest around us teemed with life.Birds called from unseen perches, the occasional rustle of small animals in the undergrowth, butterflies dancing in the dappled sunlight that filtered through the canopy all had me forgetting everything beyond the past few hours.I was keenly aware of the man beside me.And of the pleasurable way my pussy ached from the previous night’s activities.
“Almost there,” Oktober said as we climbed a slight incline, still on the wide trail but out of sight of the path.“Worth every step, I promise.”
The sound hit me before we reached the small clearing.We stepped out from the tree line and just to the left a small waterfall fell from a modest height, the pool of water beneath crystal clear and inviting.
“Oh my God,” I breathed, taking in the pristine beauty of the place.“It’s incredible.”
Oktober watched my reaction with undisguised pleasure.“Told you it would be worth the short trek.”
We picked our way down to the water’s edge, where Oktober selected a large, flat rock jutting out over the pool.He unloaded the backpack, spreading out our picnic with surprising care.
“Is that coffee?”I asked, settling beside him.
“Coffee with benefits,” he replied with a wink, unscrewing the cap and pouring the steaming liquid into two collapsible cups.The rich aroma of coffee mingled with the unmistakable scent of whiskey.
I took a sip and felt the pleasant burn as it went down.“Breakfast of champions.”We ate while we talked, feet dangling in the cold water, shoulders touching.
“How did you become a reading specialist?”he asked, passing me the last strawberry.
“My mom couldn’t read.Not even a little.She wasn’t stupid or anything, just never learned.”I took another drink.“I don’t know why.She never talked about her past, only said that not being able to read kept her in the gutter.She said if you could read and do simple math, you could build a life for yourself.So she pushed me.And pushed me.”I looked out over the gently rippling water.
“Hmmm,” he mused.“Doesn’t sound very… soothing.”
I couldn’t help but laugh.Surprisingly, it wasn’t a bitter sound.“No.My mother was many things but soothing wasn’t one of them.”I took another pull of my coffee.“Anyway, as I got older, I knew my mother wasn’t stupid.So I knew there had to be a reason she could never learn to read.By the time I got to high school, I knew she probably had dyslexia or something.Something that, if I studied hard and took the right classes, I could figure out how to help her learn.”
“Did you?”He tilted his head curiously.
“No.She left the night of my graduation.I have no idea if she saw me walk across the stage with all my awards and scholarships.”
“I’m so sorry,Kätzchen.”He placed his hand over mine.
