by Naomi West
The man who had been sent from the dealership—I couldn’t remember his name, only that he was the head salesman and claimed he was honored to be my chauffeur—was already seated behind the wheel. He blinked at her for a moment before he responded. “Well, I suppose not. I mean, I know that’s not what’s usually done, but I don’t see why not …”
“Wonderful!” She clapped her hands together and went around the front of the car to hop in the passenger seat. “Won’t that be lovely, dear? We can be right here together!”
I didn’t bother reminding her that if she rode with me, we would have to find a ride back to the other side of town to get back to her car. The man from the dealership would likely oblige, but it was rude to assume he would. Besides, I knew exactly why she wanted to be in the car, and it wasn’t for my sake.
Monique Bidwell had never been a beautiful woman, and she’d never had the chance to even compete for queen. I’d seen the pictures of her from back in high school and college. I could see how hard she’d tried, dressing in the trendiest clothes, constantly styling her hair, and wearing tons of makeup no matter what the occasion. But it just wasn’t in the cards for her. Now, as my mother, she thought she could live all her dreams through me. That was part of why it was so hard for me to say anything to her. I felt sorry for her, even though it was making my life miserable.
The parade began, and there was no more time to worry about it. I had a job to do. The crowd was packed beginning at the first block, and as I looked down the street I saw nothing but a path lined with people. They were packed at least five or six deep, waving and cheering. I knew, no matter what Mother tried to say, that they weren’t all there for me. They were there for the candy thrown from the floats, their friends and family who were participating, and the simple fact that the Peach Festival was the biggest event in town.
Still, I couldn’t help that I was letting them down even as small girls and old men waved and smiled at me. I should be thrilled that I was being celebrated, that I was so loved by the population. I should have felt pride lifting me up as we crept down the street, but I only felt shame. I had entered the contest because my mother had made me. I had worn the right dress and had the right hairstyle and said the right answers to the questions because my mother had coached me. She had poked and prodded and pushed until I was perfect. But I knew that wasn’t really me. I didn’t want to spend my weekends driving to fancy stores in the city or rehearsing my walk across the stage. I just wanted to curl up in a corner somewhere with a book or go out with my friends. I wanted to find a nice guy and go on a date. But I was stuck here in the back of a car, with a fake smile on my face.
I looked at the audience, barely paying any attention to them, when I saw a familiar visage grinning at me. In his leathers and denim, it was obvious he didn’t belong in Myrtle Creek. Tall and slim but well-muscled, he gave me a crooked smile that made my heart jump right out of the car and fall onto the road. My hand, which had been waving constantly since the parade had started, slowly fell to my side as I stared at him. Tattoos snaked down his arms to his knuckles, and his dark hair was slicked back. He wasn’t just watching the parade in general, he was watching me.
The biker raised his hand and wiped his face, gesturing at me to do the same. I lifted my perfectly-manicured hand to my cheeks, feeling the tears that had been slipping down. Brushing them away carefully, I looked down at my mother to make sure she wasn’t watching. She was too busy soaking up all the attention she imagined she was getting. When I looked back up, the biker was gone.
Slackening my posture a little, I wondered what was wrong with me that I was looking for hope in the form of some strange bad boy whom I’d never seen before. But it confirmed what I had been denying for a long time: I didn’t like this life anymore. Maybe I never had. Mother had been pushing her agenda on me practically since I was born, and I just couldn’t do it anymore. I couldn’t leave right then. But as soon as the parade was over, I was going to take back my life.
I smiled and waved at the crowd once again as I envisioned the conversation that would ensue. I would explain that it was time for me to live my life for myself. I was nineteen now, and she had no control over me. Mother would brush me off at first, thinking that I was joking, but I would let her know I was serious. I would prove I meant it by going out and getting a job, even if it was just some part-time gig at a gas station, and I would save up until I could move out on my own. There were so many things I wanted to do with my life, and being fawned over by the people of my little town just wasn’t one of them.
We had finally reached the end of the parade in front of the courthouse, where the mayor presided over the entire affair. The convertible pulled over, and my driver helped me down to the sidewalk.
“Come on, dear. We have to shake hands with the mayor,” Mother whispered, still not aware that this wasn’t about her. “Make sure you look to your right and smile. All the news cameras are over there, and everyone will see you.”
The other pageant contestants had already had their photo op with Mayor Ward. Instead of getting back in their cars and dispersing, they stood to the side of his booth with brilliant smiles, hoping someone would notice them. But the cameras were on me. I didn’t want the attention, but I would take it for the moment if it meant I could keep it from them. Normally, I wasn’t a vindictive sort of girl. But it wasn’t right that they should treat me the way they did, especially when I hadn’t done anything wrong.
I approached the mayor’s booth with my head held high and my back straight. I was going to do this, and it would be the very last thing I did as queen. I wouldn’t be going around to the local elementary schools and telling all the little innocent girls how wonderful it was to be pretend royalty. I wouldn’t be helping out with any ribbon cuttings or participating in other city events. I would be gone, and they could take my crown if they wanted it.
A roar off to my left nearly made me trip over the hem of my gown. I clutched at my mother’s arm in order not to fall as I turned. The biker gang that had been plaguing the town came riding right through the parade! They had no regard for the law, and they rode straight up onto the sidewalk and into the grass. The other pageant girls screamed and jumped backward.
A shiny blue bike swerved to a stop right in front of me, cutting me off from Mayor Ward. I took a step backwards, but Mother was heading straight for the courthouse steps. She tried to drag me with her, but my feet were planted on the concrete.
The biker, the same guy that I’d seen through the window and from the car, looked over his shoulder at me with that same grin as he scooted forward on the seat. He was daring me, enticing me. There was room for me on that motorcycle, and I knew it. One dark eyebrow rose up on his forehead, asking the question for a second time.
I licked my lips, but my tongue was dry. There was a massive crowd there on the lawn in front of the courthouse, but it might as well have only been the two of us. I couldn’t take my eyes away from those dark brown orbs as they challenged me to do what I had always wanted.
“Bambi! Come over here! That man is dangerous!” My mother’s voice shrilled somewhere off to my left, but I could barely hear her.
It was now or never. I could leap, or I could stay rooted in the same place I had always been. My feet acted without my approval, slowly taking one step and then another until I was almost running. It was hard in those damn high heels and that awful dress, but I made it work. The slits in the skirt ripped up to my hips as I hopped on the back of the motorcycle, feeling the vibration beneath me as soon as I was seated.
The biker didn’t wait for me to get comfortable. He swerved out of the grass and back onto the road with a thump. I instantly wrapped my arms around his waist to keep from falling off. Even in that split second, I didn’t miss the hardness of his abs and the warmth of his backside as it pressed against me. My mother’s screams were drowned in the din of the crowd as he gunned the throttle. We shot down the road, weaving in and out of the parade traffic until we
were clear of the downtown area. The rest of his gang was behind us, their engines rumbling.
“What’s your name?” I shouted as the wind picked up and we shot through the very last stoplight.
He turned his face just enough that his voice floated back to me. “Snake.”
Snake. Just his name was the complete opposite of everything my life had been. This stranger was exactly what I needed. We passed the speed limit sign and he revved the engine as I reached up and grabbed my tiara. It was tangled in my hair from the ride, but I didn’t care. I tossed it behind me as we flew past the city limits.
Chapter 5
Snake
I smiled to myself as we headed into the next town. It was an impulsive thing to do, and if I’d had time to think about it, I wouldn’t have imagined that it would work. I was just some grubby biker, and she was a beauty queen. But as soon as I came to a stop in front of her and looked over my shoulder, I knew she was coming. I saw that look of desperation in her eyes, that need to do something different, something bad.
As soon as I had her sweet little body behind mine on the bike, I felt a heat spread over my skin. Her ample breasts pressed against my back and she wrapped her arms around me, and it felt like it would take forever to get into the next town. It wasn’t fair to have to drive and not be able to see her or touch her the way I wanted to.
Myrtle Creek had been an all right place, and Johnson City wasn’t much different. It was just another small southern town with a few fast food joints and a motel. I led the other members into the parking lot and pulled to a stop in front of the office. I reached back and put my hand on her thigh as I got off. It was warm and solid, but the muscles flinched under my touch. “You stay here. I’ll be right back.”
She nodded meekly.
The guys didn’t argue when I shoved my way to the desk first. After all, I had business to take care of. I arranged for a room without even hearing the jeers of the other men. When I returned to my bike, Bambi was exactly where I had left her. She sat stiffly on the back of the seat, her arms folded awkwardly in front of her chest. The ride had tattered the hem of her dress, the dirty gray of the road corrupting the stunning silver of the material.
I moved my bike down the parking lot so it would be in front of our room, and this time I gestured for her to come with me. I unlocked the door and shoved it open, standing aside to make room for her.
She entered the room stiffly, her brown eyes wide and her muscles tensed. She paused a few feet inside the room and stared down at the ancient carpet.
“Make yourself at home,” I said as I shut the door and latched the deadbolt. “We plan on being in Johnson City for a few days before riding on to the next place.”
“Oh, okay.” But she didn’t move. She just stood there, soaking in her surroundings.
I couldn’t blame her if she was disappointed, but these were the kind of quarters we usually got. Being on the road so much, we couldn’t afford some ritzy hotel with a hot tub and laundry service. Instead, we stopped at places like the Park Avenue Motel, which sounded nicer than it looked. The bed sagged slightly on one corner underneath its faded plaid comforter, and there was no telling when someone had cleaned the mirror last. The carpet crunched slightly underfoot, and I was sure the telephone next to the bed had been there since the place was built.
Still, there were fresh doughnuts and coffee in the office every morning, and the room didn’t cost much. We weren’t the types of guys who needed a lot of amenities or special treatment. We were used to living rugged.
“Just relax a little, Bambi. I don’t bite. Well, unless you want me to.” I raised my eyebrow at her.
She rubbed her arm with her hand and leaned away from me a little, looking like her namesake. “How do you know who I am?”
Grinning, I pulled the Peach Festival poster out of my back pocket and showed it to her. “You could say you’re a little bit of a celebrity in these parts.”
Bambi scowled at the paper and sidled a little further away. “Oh. I see.”
I watched her for a moment, feeling a little lost. I wasn’t used to women who were shy. She was playing coy. Okay, I could deal with that. I stepped toward her and put my hands on her hips, yanking her toward me and pressing her body against me. She was pliant in the moment of surprise, but she stiffened quickly. I looked down at her and tipped my head to the side. “What’s the matter, baby? Do I scare you?”
She didn’t respond right away, and I didn’t give her a chance. I pressed my lips to hers, bringing one hand up to the back of her head. Her hair was soft against my skin, and she tasted so good. Fresh. Clean. Not like the women I was used to, who smelled of old coffee and cigarettes. This was a girl from the right side of the tracks, a girl who had never run off with a stranger before.
Still, she relaxed into the kiss, her body finally pulling toward mine. Her lips were soft but determined as she kissed me back, parting at my insistence and allowing my tongue inside. I roved over the curves of her tongue and the ridges of her teeth, unable to get enough of this good thing.
We were finally on the right track, and I had waited long enough. I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her since I’d seen that damn poster, which was now abandoned on the dresser. This was no longer just an image on a poster, but a woman in my arms. I wanted her, and I needed her. Expertly, I reached behind her back and found the top of the zipper that fastened her dress. Slowly, agonizingly, I began pulling it down.
Bambi was out of my arms in a flash, and I didn’t see her hand coming until I felt the sting of her slap on my cheek.
I grabbed her wrist, unsated and angry. “What the hell was that for?”
Her lower lip, swollen from our kiss, trembled. “I’m not that kind of girl,” she insisted. Her voice was high and sweet, like an angel.
“You could have fooled me, since you were the one who got on the back of my bike.” I raked my eyes up and down her body, trying to decide just how far I wanted to push this. Up close, she was even hotter than she had been on the back of that convertible. Her dress showed off her amazing figure, from her luscious breasts to her tantalizing hips. I instantly imagined myself underneath her, grabbing her hips while her tits brushed against my face. “Now then, let’s pick up where we left off.” I pulled her toward me by the wrist.
She twisted away. I could have held on, but I didn’t want to break the delicate bones of her arm. I let go, and she stumbled backward toward the bed. “Just what do you think you’re doing?” Bambi’s eyes were wild, fearful.
“Well, I thought I was going to have an afternoon of fun with a beautiful woman. It seems that she’s changed her mind.” I kept myself placed between her and the door. I wouldn’t hold her captive, not really, but I wasn’t ready to let her leave.
She slowly sank onto the mattress, tears in her eyes. “Look, I’m sorry, okay? I was just trying to get away from my life and from my mother. I never should have come with you. I’ll just leave.” She stood and headed toward the door.
I intercepted her easily. “Not so fast. You were looking at me through that window. You were staring at me during the parade. You got on my bike. Now tell me how you can do all of that and then turn around and say it was a mistake?”
She pulled her shoulders in so that her arms hugged her body, unaware of the fact that it made the material of her dress show off a little more of her cleavage. “I said I was sorry. I just want to go.” Bambi reached for the door again.
It only took a little flick of my arm to stop her from grabbing the handle, not that she could have pulled it open with me standing in the way. “Hey, now. You wanted to come with me. Just what did you think was going to happen when you got on my bike?”
She shrugged, a lift of her pale shoulders that accented her frown. “I don’t know. I just wanted to run. You looked so … free.”
Realizing that this was definitely not the kind of woman I was used to, I laughed. “Yeah, I guess you could say that. I go where I want and I do what I
want.” The words made her flinch, and I laughed again. “At least, most of the time. You must be pretty gullible if you thought we were just going for a joyride.”
Her sadness and fear swiftly turned to anger. She crunched up her eyebrows and pursed her lips. “I’m not gullible!”
“No? A beauty queen in a small town who thinks a complete stranger is just going to be nice to her because she asks him to? A young lady who’s trying to run away from her mother and thinks the best way to do it is to get on the back of my bike and ride to the next town? Sorry, Bambi, but you’re too eager to believe the world is a nice place.”
“I know it isn’t,” she sneered, but she took a step backward to increase the distance between us. “Even the tiny little world I’ve been living in isn’t very nice. My mother doesn’t let me do anything I want, and she never leaves me alone. Even the other girls in the Peach Festival Pageant are horrible to me, simply because I won. The people of the town want to pretend that I’m so loved and adored just because I won a crown, but I’m just their little puppet.”
Leaning against the door, I grinned. “Yep, you’re just proving my point. You’re gullible. You’re too innocent. You’re never going to make it like that in the world.” I had been young and innocent once. I was only twenty-five, but I had learned a lot of hard lessons and most of them had come early. My stepmother had been sure to teach me the ways of the world when I wasn’t yet old enough. I didn’t mind at the time, but I knew now what it was to be taken advantage of. Since then, I’d kept everybody in my life at arm’s distance or even a little further.
