Betting on Love

by Alyssa Linn Palmer

  The elevator at the bottom of the fifty-floor skyscraper opened, and she stepped on board, pushing the button for the twenty-fifth floor. A television prattled business news in the top corner, and she glanced up, then away again. The elevator dinged and the doors slid open. Elly checked her reflection in the mirrored glass and took a deep breath.

  At the reception desk, she gave her name and the receptionist indicated a chair. “I’ll let Melanie know you’re here.”

  After a short wait, an older woman with bobbed bottle-blond hair came clacking down the corridor, stopping in front of Elly. “Eleanor Cole?”

  Elly rose and held out her hand. “Ms. Miller? Nice to meet you.”

  “Please, come this way.” Ms. Miller led her back down the corridor and into an office. Another woman sat at a table with several chairs, and Elly could see her own resume at the top of a pile of papers. “Thank you for coming with such short notice. We had a cancellation in our schedule today.”

  “It’s no trouble at all,” Elly said. She took a seat, when Ms. Miller indicated a chair, and unbuttoned her suit jacket, then smoothed the wrinkles in her trousers. She hoped her nerves didn’t show.

  The other woman looked up. “Good afternoon, Ms. Cole. I’m Ms. Terry. We’ve reviewed your resume, and we decided to have you come in.” She fixed Elly with a firm, hazel-eyed gaze.

  “I appreciate the consideration.” Elly tried to keep her voice from sounding stiff, but the formality of the situation intimidated her. She was used to super-friendly HR staff, and Ms. Terry had a cool demeanor that seemed unbending.

  “You’re not the usual sort we get in for this position,” Ms. Miller said. “We like our applicants to have previous experience in reception, and with oil companies, but given your education…”

  “I am a fast learner,” Elly replied, “and I’ve worked with many different sorts of people, so I’m sure I could adapt easily.”

  “That’s good to hear,” Ms. Terry said. She made a note on Elly’s resume. “Why is it that you left your previous employment?”

  “The diner?”

  “The graphic design job,” Ms. Terry clarified.

  “I was made redundant, unfortunately, as the firm restructured because of the recession.” She didn’t know how to put a positive spin on it.

  “And then you went to work at a…diner?”

  “My parents passed away and I had to deal with their estate, their farm. I needed something to tide me over.”

  Ms. Terry frowned. Ms. Miller’s expression became a bit strained. “Do you have much knowledge of the oil and gas business?” she asked.

  “As much as anyone who has lived in Calgary,” Elly said.

  Ms. Miller smiled. “You’re willing to start at the bottom? As you don’t have specific oil and gas experience, you’d quite possibly start in the mailroom. Isn’t that right, Ms. Terry?”

  “Quite likely,” Ms. Terry replied. She made another notation on Elly’s resume.

  Their next questions were conversational, easy, and she began to relax. By the end of the interview, Ms. Terry seemed to have lost some of her coolness and Elly took that for a good sign.

  “Thank you for coming in,” Ms. Miller said, rising from her chair. “I’ll show you out to the elevator.”

  “Thank you,” Ms. Terry said, glancing up only briefly from her stack of papers. “We’ll be in touch.”

  Elly rose from her chair. “I appreciate the opportunity.”

  Elly stepped into the elevator and, when the doors closed, let out a breath. This could be her chance. Getting a foot in the door here could mean promotions, raises…She’d put in the hard work to move up. The sky would be the limit.

  *

  At home, Elly took off her suit and flopped onto the sofa in her yoga pants and T-shirt with a sigh. She glanced at her watch. Alex would be at work by now. A tingle started in her belly at the thought of Alex, of her in her riding leathers. She’d love to see Alex, but the thought of going to the bar for another evening, so soon after the last, made her feel more tired than she had after her interview.

  She pulled out her phone, read Alex’s text again. They could do a meal on Thursday before they went out to the farm, if Alex still wanted to. Elly smiled at the thought, remembering their delicious evening the night they’d met. Would Alex want to recreate that?

  Thursday for something to eat, then to the farm? she texted.

  Alex was surprisingly quick to reply. How about the diner in the town near your place?

  The diner? Elly debated it. If she took Alex to the diner, tongues would wag. Or at least, would wag more than they usually did. An intended romantic evening would turn into having to introduce Alex to the entire town, or whoever stopped by their table just for a chat. She rubbed her eyes.

  How about dinner on the way there?

  Sounds perfect. Gotta get back to work.

  Thursday, 3pm?

  Will be there. Wear jeans.

  Jeans. Elly swallowed. She knew what that meant. Alex wouldn’t want to take her car out. Maybe she should hope for rain. The idea of speeding down a highway had her stomach churning with anxiety. She shuddered. It just wasn’t safe. But yet…she had a feeling Alex might not come at all if she didn’t get on the bike.

  Chapter Six

  On Thursday afternoon, Elly heard Alex before she saw her, the growl of the motorcycle apparent from a couple of blocks away. She watched the green and black bike pull up to the curb, Alex dressed in all black leathers and black jeans. She pulled off her helmet as she walked up to the door. When the buzz came, Elly let her in, and heard her clump up the stairs. She opened the door.

  “Hey, babe,” Alex said, leaning in for a kiss.

  “Hey.”

  “You ready to go?”

  “Almost.” Elly frowned. “I was thinking we could take my car.”

  “But I brought the bike.”

  “I know, but what if it rains?”

  “The forecast is clear, and even if it does rain, I brought rain gear for you.”

  “Oh.” Elly couldn’t think of another excuse, though she wanted to.

  Alex paced into the living room. “What are you bringing with you? We’re only staying a night, aren’t we? I have to work tomorrow.”

  “I just have a small bag,” Elly said, indicating the soft-sided gym bag laying by the door.

  Alex eyed it. “That should fit in my saddlebag. Or you can wear it cross-body if it doesn’t, though that’d be a bit awkward.” Alex shrugged. “You’re going to love this, El. The wind in your hair, the open road…” She grinned.

  “You won’t go too fast, will you?”

  “But that’s the whole point! C’mon, El, let’s go.” Alex scooped up the bag and waited by the door while Elly grabbed her leather jacket and a pair of gloves. “We’ll have to get you a proper jacket soon too.”

  “Proper?”

  “One with better protection, though that’ll do.” Alex held the door open. “After you.”

  Protection? Elly’s stomach churned, and all she could think of was falling off the bike. She took a deep breath. She wouldn’t fall. She’d hold on so tightly that she’d never fall.

  Beside the bike, Alex opened the saddlebag on one side, pulling out a mass of folded black leather. Alex handed it to her, and she held it uncertainly as Alex shoved her gear into the space left by the leather and pushed down on the lid of the saddlebag until it clicked and closed.

  “You need to put those on,” Alex said, indicating the leather. “Can’t go riding on the highway without them. You’d freeze. And this.” She handed Elly a light wool buff for her neck.

  Elly shook out the leather and found herself holding a pair of leather chaps like the ones Alex wore. They were heavier than they looked, and she couldn’t quite figure out how to put them on. She unbuckled the belt, then paused in confusion.

  “Unzip them first,” Alex said, bending to undo one leg. Elly bent and unzipped the other, pulling apart the snaps at the bottoms.
She buckled the belt and Alex helped her to zip the leather around her legs, starting from the top down. She was dimly aware being dressed in leather would be sexy if she’d relax. She wondered if her nerves were as much about Alex, about her refusal to stay the night, about the niggling sense that they were after very different things, as about riding a motorcycle. Too late to back out now.

  The chaps sagged around her waist, though she’d buckled the belt as tight as it could go. “Is there any way to make it smaller?” Elly asked, tugging the chaps up so they’d sit where they were supposed to.

  Alex frowned. “Might be able to tighten the laces in back. Hold on.” She moved around and Elly felt her fumbling at the small of her back. “Dammit. No. It’s as snug as it’s going to get.” She came back around, taking the buckle in her hand. “If I had an awl, I could punch another hole in the leather, but I don’t. They’re not too loose, are they? I guess I’m a lot bigger than you are.”

  Elly hitched up the chaps again. “I’ll be sitting most of the time,” she reasoned, “so it won’t be too bad, I guess.” She pulled the scarf over her head, pushing her now static-charged hair off her forehead.

  “That’s the spirit.” Alex chuckled. “I should have thought about this ahead of time, but chaps aren’t cheap.”

  “How much are they?” Elly took the helmet Alex handed her and held on to the chin straps, ready to put it on.

  “A couple hundred bucks for the cheaper ones.”

  A month’s groceries, easily. “That’s a lot of money.”

  “It’s not too bad. Better to spend that money than to not have anything between you and the road.” Alex put her helmet back on. “Let’s go. It’s an almost three-hour ride, and it’s two thirty.”

  Elly put on her helmet; it took her two tries to get it on and sitting right. She buckled the chin strap and pushed up the visor. Alex held the handlebar of the bike and Elly paused, trying to figure out the best way to get up on the bike without slipping.

  “Foot on the peg and swing your leg over,” Alex said, pointing to the footpeg.

  Elly stepped up onto the footpeg, swinging her leg over as Alex had said, then shifting back onto the pillion seat. She felt high up and exposed, and she suppressed a shiver. She zipped her leather jacket right up to her chin and checked that her pockets had been zipped after she put on her gloves.

  Alex started the engine and Elly gripped the bars at the sides of her seat. They rolled out into the road and Alex let out the clutch and turned the throttle. The bike zipped forward and Elly’s heart pounded as she slid forward, then back, on the seat. They pulled to a stop at the corner while Alex waited for a space in the traffic. Elly took a deep breath, adjusting herself on the seat.

  Just breathe. It was safe.

  Alex looked back at her. “If you need me to stop for any reason, tap my shoulder. All right?”

  “Got it.”

  “Enjoy the ride. Once we get clear of the city traffic, it’ll be much better.”

  Alex turned into the free space and joined the line of cars going west. It took over half an hour to get out of town, stopping and starting through traffic lights, but once they hit the highway, their speed increased.

  Elly gripped the bars tight as she could. The wind buffeted her torso and she tensed, trying to keep from moving too much. She hunched over a bit, tucking herself behind Alex, lessening the pressure. Alex patted her knee, holding it a moment before she put her hand back on the handlebar. Reassurance? Maybe. Elly felt warmth blossoming inside her and knew her cheeks had gone pink behind the visor. Then she let her gaze move away from the back of Alex’s head to the stretches of grassland at the sides of the highway, the fences and power lines stretching to the horizon. And she forgot her nerves.

  It was beautiful. She’d never quite appreciated it like this, driving to and from the farm in her car. Usually she was impatient to get where she needed to go. But the wind brought the scents of the grass and of the nearby farms through the vents in her helmet, and a sense of peace filled her. These scents were home, family. She closed her eyes for a moment.

  The bike growled under her and jerked, speeding ahead. Elly’s eyes snapped open and her heart skipped a beat. Alex veered out into the other lane, passing an older large sedan, the sort her father used to call a land yacht. An old man, probably the age her father would be if he were still alive, was driving, and he shook a finger at them as they passed, looking furious. Alex zipped back into place, and they left the land yacht behind.

  They reached the outskirts of Okotoks, but instead of going straight through into town, Alex turned aside, much to Elly’s relief. Alex was right—highway riding was better than being in the city. She could relax on the bike, let her legs rest loosely on the footpegs, her hands equally loose on the bars. The speed was constant, predictable. Elly smiled to herself. If she didn’t know any better, she’d think she was getting used to this.

  They went through the town of High River, Alex slowing to match the traffic, but doing it so gradually that Elly found herself naturally adjusting to the reduced speed. It would be Nanton next, and Claresholm, and then Fort Macleod. She knew this drive like the back of her hand. At a red light, Alex looked back, pushing up her visor. Elly pushed up hers.

  “Okay so far?” Alex asked, grinning.

  “Yeah.” She grinned back.

  “Great. We’ll stop in Fort Macleod so I can fuel up, and we can stretch our legs. That okay?”

  “Perfect.” Elly shifted on the seat. Her butt was starting to get a bit numb, but it wasn’t too bad yet.

  The light changed and Alex faced forward again. Elly braced herself against the footpegs, her knees pressing Alex’s hips as the bike accelerated. She could get used to this.

  *

  Alex stopped in Cardston as well, having felt Elly shifting uncomfortably behind her since they’d left Fort Macleod. She pulled into the parking lot at the grocery store and parked the bike.

  Elly leaned forward, pushing up her visor. “Why are we stopping here?”

  “I needed another break,” Alex said, a slight lie. She could have gone for another hour or more, but having Elly shift around on the back was throwing off the balance of the bike and becoming irritating. “And I figured we should pick up something to eat, unless you still have food at the farm, or if you want to stop at one of these little restaurants. You don’t, do you?”

  “I hadn’t thought of that,” Elly replied. “I don’t know what there’ll be at the farm.”

  Alex dismounted and held the bike as Elly slid off. “We have space for a few groceries, though not too much. A bag’s worth…ish.”

  “What do you like for breakfast?” Elly asked.

  “A beautiful woman,” she replied, patting Elly’s ass. Even though the chaps were loose on her, they still made her look delectable. She couldn’t wait to get them off her once they reached the farm. Elly pulled off her helmet and Alex saw the blush on her cheeks.

  “For breakfast. Food,” she emphasized, laughing a little.

  Alex shrugged. “Cereal, toast, whatever. I’m easy.” She hooked her helmet in one hand and put her arm around Elly’s waist. “Get what you want.”

  They strolled into the store and Elly moved away to grab a basket and put it over her arm, awkwardly juggling it and her helmet.

  “I’ll take that,” Alex said, taking the helmet from her. “You shop.”

  The store must have been familiar to Elly, because she moved purposefully down the aisles, plucking out a box of healthy cereal, a loaf of bread, some pastrami, lettuce, cheese, and a two-liter jug of milk.

  “Sandwiches for dinner okay?” Elly asked, glancing at her.

  “Works for me.” Food was food, she wasn’t picky. Her stomach growled. “As long as we can eat when we get there.”

  “I’m hungry too.” Elly grabbed a chocolate bar from the rack near the cash register. “Grab one, Alex, it’s your dessert.”

  Alex perused the selection and finally chose the peanut bu
tter cups.

  “My favorite,” Elly said.

  “Then why didn’t you get them?” Alex asked, tossing the cups into the basket.

  “Because I decided to be adventurous.”

  “Riding the bike isn’t enough?” Alex teased. She hadn’t expected that from Elly, the quiet farm girl. Maybe it’d be worth keeping her around.

  “Well…” Elly smiled, and it lit up her face, her blue eyes twinkling. “I suppose that is more adventurous than chocolate.” She began placing the groceries onto the small conveyor belt.

  Alex dug into her pocket for her wallet, placing her helmet on the conveyor belt momentarily. “I’ll get those.”

  “No, I will,” Elly said, covering Alex’s hand with her own, her fingers warm and soft. “You paid for the gas, after all. It’s only fair.”

  Alex decided not to press. She had paid for the gas, but it wasn’t all that expensive, not in comparison to what it would have cost to fill the tank on Elly’s old car.

  They headed back to the bike, Elly carrying the groceries. Alex followed a step behind, purposely slower, watching Elly in the chaps, smiling to herself when Elly had to hitch them up again. They’d have to get her a proper pair that fit, if she came riding a few more times. At least the helmet seemed to fit her, though. Replacing that would be more expensive than chaps, and Alex didn’t have much use for her spare helmet. Her Shark helmet suited her just fine.

  She set the helmets carefully on the bike’s seats, propping them so they wouldn’t slide, and stowed the groceries in the hard-case saddlebag at the back of the bike. The groceries fit, though she had to lay the jug of milk on its side. Elly grabbed her helmet and put it on, and Alex noticed how she’d done it the first time and was now buckling it with the ease of a pro. Almost, anyway. She fumbled a bit with the snap, but that was minor.