Ride Me Right

by Michele De Winton

  Lucy tried to figure what the right answer would be but gave up and went for the truth. “I do have a job. Being a housekeeper at a hotel nearby. I’m not afraid of hard work.”

  “Waste of your skills.”

  “Yes.”

  For the first time Joy smiled. “Good. Like I said, I like it that you don’t mess around. So why aren’t you working as a mechanic?”

  Taking a deep breath, Lucy decided sticking with the truth was the only way forward. A truth with the edges slightly polished, but the truth—she was going to have to get a reference from Gav anyway if she wanted to stay here. And she really wanted to stay here. “There were quite a few young guys in the shop. I don’t think they appreciated me being there.”

  “Showing them up, you mean?”

  Lucy didn’t say anything, but gave the tiniest nod that could have been interpreted in a number of ways.

  “I get it.” Joy softened and put a hand on Lucy’s arm. “You’ve been fighting a long time, haven’t you?”

  Suddenly tears pricked at the back of Lucy’s eyes. What? Tears? Now? This could not be happening. She never cried. Never. And yet, faced with a few gentle words and a soft smile she was going to go to pieces? First Jake, and now in a bike shop? Get a grip, Black.

  “Don’t worry about it.” Joy either saw the tears or was more perceptive than was humanly possible. Because she stood and held out her hand. “I think you’ll like it here. If you do the work like you said, no one is going to give you grief here. And if they do you let me know. Start Monday and get your references soon as you can. Clint will talk you through your fees, but I guarantee it’ll be more than your housekeeping job.”

  “Won’t be hard.”

  “Exactly.”

  The tears started pricking again. What if Gav’s reference screwed everything up? “I—”

  Joy held up her hand. “Do the work and everything else will sort itself out.”

  * * *

  Heading back to Wilde’s, Lucy’s head spun. Just when everything seemed to be falling down around her, life threw this out of the blue. Someone was definitely looking out for her.

  The money wasn’t as much as the Reapers of Menace were offering, but it was more than she’d gotten at Gav’s and Clint had been straight up about it being a starting wage. It was plenty to get going too. If she stayed at Wilde’s for a couple more weeks while she found an apartment she’d save enough to get by. But the biggest thing was finding somewhere she might actually fit in. Joy was a revelation. A woman who not only gave a shit, but was prepared to fight in her corner after only just meeting her. And to see the way Clint was with her, Lucy gave herself a little hug. They supported each other.

  Maybe the fire had been a sign. Something to shake her out of her funk and make her look outside her tiny world for a second.

  Thinking about Joy and Clint, and then the fire, Lucy’s mind turned to Jake again. Would he look at her the way Clint did? Support her like that? A tiny part of her wanted to think he would. That there really was love for everyone like the Hollywood films promised.

  As she walked back into Wilde’s she decided she had nothing to lose finding out and headed upstairs to Jake’s room. But when she knocked on the door there was no response. He was out. If there had been a chair nearby she would have slumped into it. Suck it up. This is about you anyway. There would be time to talk this through with Jake. Straightening, she headed back downstairs, trying not to let the disappointment settle in her organs. Katie. That’s who she should be calling anyway.

  Texting Katie as she stalked down the stairs, she hoped her sister would call her straight back. When her cell trilled just as she hit the bunkhouse, the last of her disappointment changed focus.

  “Kiddo.”

  “Ha. You call me that, I get to call you old lady?”

  “No chance.” Lucy smiled.

  “Nice to chat. How’s your week been?”

  Lucy wondered how much to say and then decided that her sister could handle more than she could. Time to lay it all out there. “It’s been all kinds of crazy.”

  “Just the usual then?”

  “Ha-ha. Funny kid, ain’t you? No, this has taken stuff to a whole other level of crazy. I got offered a job with a biker gang, the Hell’s Boys found out, or actually, they didn’t find out, they thought they found out something else but couldn’t prove it and either way, a couple of them decided to set fire to my bike and it all got a bit out of hand. I tried to help put it out, but then it blew up in a huge ball of flames. Jake saved my ass about six times.”

  “Jake? I like Jake already.”

  “I tell you I almost got blown up and have gang troubles and what you get from that is Jake?”

  “You don’t usually use first names for dudes. He must be something.”

  Something. That he most certainly was, Lucy decided. Something.

  “So, who is he?”

  “Bri’s half brother. The long-lost variety. Stunt guy turned actor in films. His nickname was the Iceman.”

  “Was?”

  “Lost it in his last job. Girl got killed. He’s pretty haunted by it.” Her words were flippant but the reality of them wasn’t lost on Lucy. He was haunted, as much as she was running.

  “Everyone’s haunted by something.”

  Lucy had to stop a moment. “When did you get to be the wise one?” There was a pause and Lucy pictured Katie shrugging, her head tipping to the left as it always did when she was blowing something off. Usually something monumental like being super smart or perceptive like right now. Lucy told Katie the whole story.

  “Still, he might be too haunted to let me in. He saved me, then got really angry about it.”

  The exasperated sigh was well beyond Katie’s years. “Of course he did. Probably figured you had a death wish. Sounds like he’s got a hero complex as it is, and then you go running into the fire. Poor guy probably thought he was going to have a repeat performance on his hands.”

  “I guess.”

  “You don’t guess. You know. You’re just doing your I can do this on my own thing. I get it, Luce. Why would you bother trusting anyone after what happened here? Mom’s fine at the moment, by the way.”

  Head spinning, tongue tied to the bottom of her mouth, Lucy wasn’t sure what to say to the perceptive insight of a fifteen year old. “Right.”

  “So, when we finish here, go find him. Okay? And just talk.”

  “Um, okay.” Just talk? She could do that. Putting her head in her hands, she allowed herself to relax and sink into the bunk’s mattress. To contemplate having someone like Jake be there for her. She hadn’t had that in . . . well, the longest time.

  “So. In other news, I picked up my glasses.”

  “You what?” Lucy’s head snapped back up.

  “They said I can pay them off in installments. And you’d love what they look like with my dress. I’ll send you a picture. It’s silky stuff, or satiny stuff, I can never tell, with little capped sleeves and a fifties bodice. I borrowed it from Gina’s older sister. Oh and it’s purple ’cause my glasses are purple.”

  “Whaaaa? Do you think it’s a good idea? Mom’s gonna freak out.”

  “It’s okay, I don’t wear them at home and I’m getting dressed at Gina’s. I think Mom might know about the glasses anyway.”

  “Seriously?”

  “Yep. She’s on meds. Chilled out heaps.”

  “Meds? What kind of meds?”

  Katie’s pause was telling. “I don’t remember much from when I was really little, but I remember just before you left. I know she was bad, real bad. But Mom’s healing frenzy seems to have calmed down a bit. Like I cut my hand and she was okay about me going to the doctor. I don’t think she’s been to her cult meetings for a while either.”

  “Wow.”

  “I know.”

  “And she’s okay with you going to the prom?”

  “Oh, she doesn’t know about that. Thinks I’m having a sleepover.”

  T
he smile was gradual, but the warmth of it stroked Lucy from the inside out. “You know just how to work her. I don’t know why I worry. You don’t need me.”

  Katie’s laugh was bright. Easy. “I guess so. I’m sorry it was such a shitty time for you. And thank you for being here for me. But I am used to it now.”

  There was a pause.

  “OMG I totally haven’t told you the best part yet.” The youth in Katie’s voice suddenly shone through as her enthusiasm coated each word with glee. “I got a job. That’s how I’ve been paying off my glasses.”

  “You what now?”

  “A job. You know, where people pay you and stuff. I’ve been working a little over the summer but now a junior role has come up. Full time. In an accountant’s firm in Ogden.”

  “Wait? What? You’re still at school.”

  “It was only going to be for one more year. And my grades are good enough to get into college anyway. So I figure I work for a year, earn some real money, then I can decide if I want to do that, maybe go to Boston or maybe even Penn State if I can make that happen, or keep working, or do something completely different.”

  Lucy’s mouth opened and closed, but no words came out. Her little sister was all grown up. Grown up and in control of her life like Lucy had never been at her age. “Well I guess we both have good news then, ’cause I think I got a new job today too.” She told her all about Joy and Clint and as she said it, Lucy still couldn’t believe the universe had decided to start shitting rainbows instead of broken glass at her.

  The pause between them lengthened and filled with their shared history and the potential the future suddenly held, for both of them.

  “Well, I guess I should probably let you go,” Lucy said finally.

  “Yeah. I guess. So good to talk. Feels like it’s been ages.”

  It did. And it didn’t. Her life had been such a whirlwind, Lucy wasn’t sure if she’d be able to place the day on a calendar at the moment. Still, things were looking up.

  “Make sure you go find Jake after this and tell him I said you need to try and make a go of it with him because you need someone to love you as much as I do.”

  Lucy laughed. “I will do no such thing.”

  “Okay. Well, go and see him anyway. Who knows, maybe he’ll be the one declaring his love instead. Put on your best, I dunno, black jeans, and go find him.” Katie hung up.

  Picturing Jake, him pulling her onto his bed, kissing her, whispering about a future with her, deepened Lucy’s goose bumps. They did have something. Something special. With the rest of her life starting to shake itself down into a semblance of normalcy, maybe she could afford to let someone else in. Maybe she did deserve a little love. Only one way to find out.

  11.

  Pulling up to the movie lot, Jake gripped the steering wheel. His agent wasn’t happy with him pulling out of the job with Javier, but then his agent was the first to admit he sat in a safe, warm office all day. Pushing anyone in the stunt business too far too fast was a recipe for . . . well, for what happened to Sarah. Switching off the engine of his truck, Jake sat a moment, listening to the noise of the films in production through his open window. The studios were mostly silent, except for the steady flow of people in and out, but ahead, in the road lot, he could see a line of motorbikes ready to go, the flaming mess in the distance clearly their target.

  “Jake. Good to see you.”

  Jake spotted the head mech from the last film he’d worked on. Ed was an old-school guy, well over twenty years in the business. “You too.”

  “Glad you’re coming back. Always liked having you around.”

  Jake’s heart swelled at the compliment and he got out of the truck, stuffing his hands into his pockets. “Thanks. That means a lot. Been a while since I was last here.” The pause was a little too long and Ed slapped him on the shoulder.

  “I get it.”

  “You do?” Jake asked.

  “A break away is good for a guy like you. It’s easy to get caught up in this world. Start to think this is all there is. Start to think that this”—he waved at the bikes now revving through the fire on a second pass—“is real.”

  Letting out the huff of air in his lungs, Jake took his hands out of his pockets. He’d come here to tell Javier thanks but no thanks, but what about the next offer, or the next? “I don’t know if I am coming back.”

  “Figured.”

  The two of them stood silently for a moment, both looking at the melee of fire, cameras, broken cars, and motorcycles in front of them. “It’s a crazy job,” Ed said eventually. “But I get why you love it. Must be a huge buzz. Like flying. Not for me though.”

  Jake nodded, not trusting himself to speak.

  “My daughter thought about doing it for a while. Do you remember? But then she realized she was hooked on making engines, not breaking them.”

  “Like her old man,” said Jake and a lightbulb flickered on above his head. “She works in your shop now, doesn’t she?”

  “Yep. Her and the youngest. Girls make the best mechanics, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. I know I’m biased, but they have such a delicate touch, and the patience of . . . I don’t know, a patient person.” His laugh was warm, loud. “Working here when you guys are always wanting more torque or for me to fix some crazy crack in your gasket, my girls, well, they’re the best.”

  Jake thought immediately of Lucy. “I have a friend who’s like that. Figured she might fit in here, but she’s set on getting back into a mech shop. Finding it hard to catch a break though.”

  “Why?”

  “A lot of reasons, I guess.” Jake flapped his hand at the query, but what did he know about her really? She made his body sing, sure, but she was reckless, and he didn’t know if he had it in him to protect her from herself, let alone the hordes of bikers she seemed set on antagonizing. Yet he couldn’t get her out of his head. Not even here, surrounded by the ghosts of his past life.

  “If she’s good she’ll work the rest of it out,” Ed said and slapped Jake on the shoulder again. “Anyway, great to see you. Don’t worry about this crew. You’re good. People will want you back when you’re ready. If you’re ready.” He walked off.

  Was that all he needed? More time? Jake watched his ex-colleague walk away and tried to put himself back into this world with Lucy by his side. Would that make a difference? She kept him focused, that was for sure, and that helped when stunts required every ounce of focus.

  As if drawn to the drama, Jake started walking toward the set. A security guy put up a hand then recognized him and waved him through. The clapper board said RETURN FROM BROKEN BAY, a sequel to the film Jake had worked on when he was just starting out. High action, part thriller, tons of testosterone, the film had been a big part of what hooked him into this career in the first place.

  Jake watched as four guys and one woman circled the fire on motorbikes before the lead’s double, a guy, tall for a stunt guy, drove through the flames and under a wrecked car.

  The director called cut and Jake clapped along with the rest of the cast. It was a good setup. Solid. And the guy had pulled it off without being flashy about it, but with enough flair that it would look incredible on camera. Jake looked at his hands. No shakes. No adrenaline pumping through his veins. No sweat starting to break out on his forehead. His body had watched the stunt as passively as if the guy had stepped onto a bus and driven around the lot instead. That was good. Wasn’t it? Maybe he was being too hasty thinking he didn’t want to be here anymore.

  When the director called action again, and the team pulled the same stunt, this time Jake saw the faint pause in the lead’s takeoff. Enough of a pause that would have been seriously dangerous in a bigger move, with a moving car in the mix as well.

  What are you doing? He wasn’t sure. After standing there for almost an hour, he discovered he could see all of the faults in the moves the guys pulled, but saw none of the glory. Was this what happened when you were at it too long, or when you came face-t
o-face with the waste of a young life? Maybe both? Maybe working on a different type of film with different people would be good. Shake him up a bit. See if he could work out a different way of being on-set.

  Walking away from the fire-street set, he sought out Javier, now unsure of what he wanted to do next. But the actor was on a closed set, and even Jake’s previous experience couldn’t get him in. Heading back to his car, Jake looked around him again, trying to pretend this was it, his last time here. It didn’t fit right. The breakaway had been good, mostly, but never coming back here, he just couldn’t imagine it. Trouble was, there wasn’t much call for a stunt-ready actor who didn’t know if he could do any stunts. Jake knew he couldn’t just act, he wasn’t talented enough for that. Without the stunts he was nothing.

  Back at Wilde’s he walked through the bar and nodded at the dozen or so bikers already drinking. Whatever he did, Jake wasn’t about to end up at the bottom of a bottle of bourbon, not at 11 a.m. Time to shake it up a bit. But when he got into the office he found a note pushed under the door.

  YOU SHOULD LOOK OUT FOR YOUR GIRL. SHE STARTS WORKING FOR THE MENACE AND SHIT WILL GET REAL. WATCH YOUR BACK. AND WATCH OUT FOR BRI.

  The context of the note was clear. Maybe Martinez had been right and Lucy had done the break-in. But surely she wouldn’t go as far as working for the Reapers of Menace? That was beyond reckless. And stupid didn’t really cover it either. His blood heated so he could almost hear it pumping in his ears. Wait, you might have gotten it wrong. Get the facts sorted first.

  Walking out into the bar, Jake nodded to one of the guys settled with an early beer. “Just hypothetically, what would happen if one of your ladies went and worked with the Reapers of Menace?”

  For a moment, Jake didn’t think the other guy had heard him. Then, he turned his bloodshot eyes toward Jake. “Don’t be that guy. No one likes that guy.” The answer was more of a growl than a sentence.

  “What guy?” Jake asked, hoping he’d kept his face neutral.

  “You know how gangs work. Figure it out. Although fucked if I know why anyone would join the Menace by choice. They’re mean bastards.”