The Man on the Motorcycle

Catching His Attention

He was standing at the counter chatting to the owner Bobby about his new Harley when she walked in. Clad in her biker leathers, with short cropped hair that was longer at the front on one side with a streak of red through it. She looked around shyly as she felt eyes on her, briefly locking eyes with him from across the room, and he gave her a charming smile causing her to blush a little before she moved toward the counter with purpose. She was greeted by the younger guy Jason as she approached, and he silently watched the exchange between the two.

"I got a call that the part I ordered for my Crossbones had arrived" she spoke quietly, but with a twinge of confidence.

"Oh right, I know the one" Jason replied in his southern accent, before he turned to rummage around on the shelf behind him. "Arrived just this morning" he said as he placed a box on the counter. "Are we fitting it for ya too?" he asked.

"No, I can do that myself" she replied somewhat proudly and the young man nodded in reply and began to ring up the sale.

"You know bikes then?" Jason asked.

"Been around them all my life" she replied with a shy smile.

From his spot across the room, the man looked at his friend Bobby with a raised eyebrow, as if to say 'you know this girl?'

"Must be new in town" Bobby told him. "Knows her stuff though, spoke to her the other day when she placed the order" he said.

"My kinda girl" the man smiled as he left Bobby and began to follow after the young woman who had just finished paying and was heading out the door.

"She's beautiful!" a deep voice called out from behind her and she turned to see the tall, ruggedly handsome man from inside approaching. "I can see you take good care of her" he smiled. "2010 Harley Davidson Crossbones right?" he asked.

Usually she wasn't one to talk to strangers, but it wasn't very often that a handsome man who knew motorbikes struck up conversation with her. "Yep... she's my baby" she replied, that shy smile gracing her face.

He smiled back at her, a charming sort of smile that you could tell was sincere by the way it light up his whole face. "You know... a woman that knows bikes is quite a rare thing around here" he told her. "But I can tell by your accent, that you're not from here are you?"

"I'm pretty new in town. Although I have been in the country for a couple of years" she replied.

"You're from New Zealand right?"

"Correct" she said with a smile. "Most people would have guessed I was Australian" she laughed. To her it was easy to tell the difference, but a lot of people in America seemed to get the two confused.

He laughed in response. "So you do all the work yourself?" he asked, pointing towards her bike.

"Sure do" she grinned proudly.

"That's awesome" he said, impressed.

"So which ones yours?" she asked, nodding towards the row of bikes lined up outside the shop.

"The Night Rod Special" he said as he pointed to his Harley. "But I also own a Crossbones too" he smiled.

"Nice!" she exclaimed. "I see you have good taste".

"I'm Jeffrey by the way" he said as he held out his hand.

She took it and gave it a gentle shake. "Ruby" she replied.

Before they knew it they had been talking for almost half an hour, discussing everything about motorcycles.

"I uh... I better let you go. Looks like you got some work to do" he smiled as he gestured towards the box she was still holding.