a deal. I said. Nia, let’s get out of here so Haley can get herself ready,” Max replied. Nia stood up, and we all walked to the door. I watched Nia put on her helmet as Max started the bike. He pushed down the rear pegs for Nia’s feet then climbed on the bike first and held out his hand for Nia, to hop on the back. As they pulled away, he tooted the horn, and Nia raised her arm to wave good-bye. An hour later, Max was back and ready to take a ride. I walked outside and stood patiently as Max checked the strap on my helmet as I zipped up my jacket.
He zipped up his jacket threw his leg over the seat and maneuvered his body around until he was comfortable then motioned for me to step on the rear peg and hop on. I leaned my breast on his back and placed my arms around his waist. He stood the bike up and kicked up the side stand, knocked the bike in gear then slowly pulled off down the street. We jumped on the parkway and headed toward Manhattan. We flew down the Grand Central Parkway then looped onto the Long Island Expressway and rode through Midtown Tunnel with the greatest of ease. Max was an excellent rider. In fact, he was better than anyone else I had ever ridden with. We rode through the west village and decided to stop and grab a bite to eat at a diner. He pulled up to the curb and backed it in. Max pulled off his helmet and turned off the bike. When we got off the bike, he turned to me and unsnapped my helmet. He stood close to me and caressed my face and gave me a warm smile. I thought that he was going to kiss me and was relieved when he didn’t. “Are you ready, beautiful?” he asked. “Yes, I am, are you?” I said, laughing.
After eating a couple of burgers, we decided to go window shopping and walk around for a while. Two hours later, we decided to head back to the bike and go home. We grabbed the helmets off the back of the bike, zipped up our jackets mounted the bike and took off. As we drove down Houston Street, I rested my head on his back and squeezed my arms tightly around his waist. I was so comfortable and confident in his driving skills; I decided to close my eyes, bask in the moment and held on tight. The next time I opened my eyes, Max was pulling into my driveway. He turned off the bike and got off first, then he held his hand out and helped me down. He waited for me to untie my helmet then secured it on the rear seat of his bike. “Uh, Haley, if you’re free tomorrow, would you like to have dinner with me?” Max asked. I turned to Max smiled and replied with a yes. He kissed my hand and said good night. Then he mounted his bike and rode off into the night. Hobbs greeted me as soon as I opened the door. He motioned for me to let him out and ran to the back door. No sooner than I kicked off my shoes and fixed myself a bowl of ice cream, Hobbs was at the door and ready to come back in. I turned off the lights and turned on the alarm then raced him up the stairs.
Beep, beep, beep, damn, this traffic has got to go, I thought to myself. I had one more exit on the NYS Thruway to go, and I’d be at the state capitol. My boss and I were on our way to the state capitol for the next few days, and I was exhausted from the long drive. Our first series of meetings was scheduled for ten-thirty, and we had arrived in plenty of time to unwind before they started. The senator insisted on going to his office first to catch up on a few calls. That gave me time to check-in at the Marriott Hotel and get myself settled before my day started. We were scheduled for two meetings that afternoon followed by a dinner engagement at 8 PM.
Just before the meeting, I received a call from Max. He wanted to know if I had arrived in Albany safely and to say hello. “Listen, Max, I’m staying at the Marriott in