𝓛𝓮𝓸𝓷 𝓚𝓮𝓷𝓷𝓮𝓭𝔂| ɪᴍᴀɢɪɴᴇꜱ ʙᴏᴏᴋ 4

Biker at the Beach

AN: This one's inspired by something I see a lot when I visit my local beach. Basically, in the small town there's always a bunch of bikers that park by the waterfront and just hang out in the sun and talk. I thought it would be fun to write an imagine about a meet cute based on this!
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I sit on the grass near the waterfront with my friends, the sun shines warmly overhead, and the calming rush of the distant waves against the shore mix with the cries of seagulls, I feel blissfully happy. Laughter and chatter echoes around us as families walk up and down the paths beside us, children build sandcastles on the beach and teenagers loudly joke around as they rush from one building to another. The small costal town we're in has always been a popular tourist spot this time of the year, and since my friends and I don't live too far away we make it a tradition to come here whenever we can- winter included. I half pay attention to my friends' hushed murmurs, they're mostly talking about the bikers parked not far from us on the grass. A group of them gather often just to hang out and show off their bikes, it's one of the iconic things about this place. Their bike types and ages vary, from older men in their forties to younger ones in their twenties, it's a free for all when it comes to eye candy. 

There's currently around fifteen of them, all chilling in the sun like us and lowly talking to one another. Every so often a bike or few will come and go, their engines roaring down the long street leading in and out of the centre of town. I'm obsessed with them just as much as my friends are, hence we picked this spot to relax. My friends giggle, making me join in the gossip and game of making up fun backstories of these strangers until one particular bike comes racing down the street, drawing all eyes to the sleek black bike. A Ducati XDIAVEL. For some reason my breath hitches at the smooth manoeuvre the man does when pulling up to the other bikers, he's good at riding, probably experienced or has the confidence to make up for it. My eyes never leave the rider as he swings easily off of the bike, taking off his helmet to reveal the most handsome face that's arrived since we've been sat here. 

"Wow, that one's hot." My friend, Nicole, mumbles as she takes a swig of her cola. I nod in agreement with her. The stranger has a rugged kind of beauty, he seems rough around the edges but there's something about the way he nervously smiles and laughs with the other bikers that makes me wonder if he's as hard as he seems, or is he a secret softie donned in leather and hair products. As if sensing eyes on him the man turns towards the field, eyes searching the uninterested crowd until he spots my friendship group, I've hardly noticed that all my friends have pretended to move on until the man grins at me, sending a flirty wink my way. My eyes widen as I blush deeply and look elsewhere, but it's too late, I've been caught staring. 

"Oh my God, he was definetly checking you out. Did you see that wink?" Jenny, my other friend, practically squeals as she nudges me. I blush even harder from the attention, my pulse racing at the thrill of being noticed by quite possibly the hottest man alive. I roll my eyes, playing it off as I try to ignore the flutter in my chest. As if my eyes are magnets I once again find myself looking at the mysterious biker, only to find he's looking at me back with the same subtle awestruck expression. I refuse to hold back my smile, but when he man arches his brow in a silent dare for me to either give it up or come over I suddenly feel conflicted. "Go over to him!" Jenny pleads. 

"What?!" I laugh, feeling unsure but so close to doing it. The man's vibrant blue eyes are ingrained into my mind now, I know that if I pass this up I'll forever regret it, even if it's just a summer fling it'll be one hell of a story to tell the grandkids. "You know what, I'm going to do it." I nod more to myself, standing up and brushing grass from my outfit. 

"Good. We'll be here if you need us, or if things go good we can meet up later. Text us if you need us to shove him into the sea if he turns out to be an asshole." Nicole grins. I snort, nodding from the encouragement before beginning my trek across the field and over to the bikers. A few of the men glance at me, setting my nerves on edge even though the glances were harmless. Oh God, what am I doing, this is insane! I stop walking halfway, panic overriding as I begin to turn, but all of a sudden the biker comes walking over, meeting me halfway. Up close he's even more handsome, with a soft jawline and warm smile, plus the scent of his leather and cologne has my heart racing. 

"Hey." He smiles, tilting his head as my eyes widen to the size of saucers. 

"Hi." I murmur, awestruck and a little in insta-lust. We both laugh at our awkwardness, but it's a good sign since he's not all over me or being too forwards. "It's kind of weird, I know, but I thought you looked cool on your bike." Shit, mission abort, I can't speak-

"Thanks," The man chuckles, holding out a hand, "I'm Leon, what's your name if you don't mind?" 

I tell him, before he asks about what I've been doing and if I come here often. Somehow we easily slip into conversation, the background noise of revving engines and the sea disappearing underneath our friendly chatter. Leon makes it easy to talk to, asking enough questions for me to speak and giving enough information about himself for me to learn. I glance behind us at my friends I quickly remember about, seeing their grins and thumbs up. Leon smiles, leaning around me to wave to them, no doubt making them feel just as welcome as he has to me. The chemistry between Leon and I is undeniable, and I'm grateful when he suggests escaping the noise for a while. I quickly text my friends then join Leon's side as we begin our solo adventure away from the crowd. 

We make our way to the arcades first, where the air conditioning provides a temporary reprieve from the heat, and the neon lights shine in our faces, casting colourful glows whilst filling the building with quirky sounds. We take it in turns to choose games to play, starting off simple with shooting games before competing at air hockey (I win, I suspect because Leon let me), we then move on to the claw machines, where Leon wins me a small plushie and I win him a small bag of sweets. We laugh and grin, both agreeing to use the photo booth. We pull faces and crack jokes as the flash captures each moment, it feels like we've known each other for way longer than an hour or two.

Afterwards we head back outside to grab some ice cream at a nearby dessert stand, despite my protests Leon pays, shrugging it off as he begins devouring his three scoop cone with extra sprinkles. My eyes widen at his sweet tooth, but he doesn't seem to pay it any mind. We stroll along the promenade as the sun begins to dip in the horizon, casting the sky in pinks and oranges, we talk and eat, both feeling the creeping feeling of disappointment as our...date...comes to an end. I text my friends to meet back on the field before Leon and I climb back up the steep hill to where the bikes are all parked. Our smiles are painted on our faces at this point, both of us feeling the buzz of our successful time together. 

"I've had such a great time with you. Thank you." I say, shuffling my feet as Leon nods and leans against his bike. 

"Me too." He replies, eyes twinkling as he tilts his head at me. "Can I get your number, if it's not weird or anything? I'd love to do this again, but maybe somewhere a little more official date worthy." My shoulders slump in relief that we're on the same page. We exchange numbers, leaning close together until our eyes meet in a passionate glance, then as if in slow motion Leon leans down and kisses my cheek before backing away and putting his helmet on. I step back, grinning like a lunatic as he starts his bike and gives me a goodbye, telling me he'll text me later. I nod, watching as he backs the bike onto the road before revving it and speeding off, I'm sure he revs it a little extra down the road just for me. 

I float back to where my friends are waiting on the grass, all smiling and tugging me close to get the details, I love how supportive they are. "Sooooo, how did it go?" Jenny and Nicole ask in unison. 

"I think I'm in love with him." I giggle, only half joking at my giddiness.