from calling them back.
“What if I’m not pretending?” Ray takes a step closer to her, so he’s invading her space, making it impossible for her not to notice that he smells like soap and motor oil and something that’s uniquely him and uniquely arousing.
She looks up into his eyes and swallows hard. His chest is rising and falling, breathing hard as he watches her, waiting for her response, his jaw tight like he’s keeping a firm reign on himself.
Mia doesn’t trust herself to say anything so she keeps her mouth shut. She’s intoxicated by Ray’s presence. He’s so close to her that he makes it hard to think about anything other than him, anything other than what it would feel like to have his lips on hers, his hands on her body.
“I want to start over.” Ray sighs deeply, raking his fingers through his blonde hair. “I didn’t handle things well last night. I guess I was just so happy to see you.” He smiles disarmingly and Mia feels her heart clench inside her chest. “I want us to be friends.” He holds his breath, watching Mia for a reaction.
“Friends.” She says the word as if it were unfamiliar to her. It jerks her out of the fantasy she had been creating in her mind.
“Yeah, friends.” He ducks his head so that she has to look at him. “So can one friend ask another friend out for a drink? For old times sake?”
Mia blinks, unprepared for the turn the conversation has taken. “I – um, I don’t think…I mean I have to…” Her mouth works but no words come out and she’s left with the sensation that she probably looks very much like a goldfish.
“Don’t tell me you’re washing your hair.” Ray smiles winningly at her and then his expression darkens. “Or if you have plans with Eli…”
“No, it’s his poker night.” She shakes her head and watches as the sternness disappears from Ray’s face, replaced by a look of relief.
“Last Friday of the month. How did I forget that?” Ray says the words so quietly Mia isn’t sure if she’s heard them right.
“Sorry?” She wonders if she’s imagining the way he doesn’t meet her eyes.
“Nothing, just remembering something.” He waves it away as if it were unimportant. “So, that’s perfect then. Leave your car here. You can ride with me.” Ray gestures over towards the motorbike parked next to her sensible, although ancient, Sedan.
“Umm, I don’t know if that’s a good idea…” Mia starts to refuse the ride, refuse the drink, the whole thing but Ray cuts her off, standing close to her and filling her field of vision so that all she sees is him.
“What’s the matter, Mia? You scared of being on a bike? You’ve been on the back of my bike before, or don’t you remember?” He smiles wickedly at her and she feels her knees tremble a little at the memories he’s evoking.
“I remember.” Her voice is husky and Ray takes another step towards her, looking at her like he wants to remind her of a lot of things.
“Then let’s go. Take my helmet.” He hands over a black helmet with flames painted on the sides and straddles the bike, turning the engine over. It comes to life with a familiar roar that makes Mia’s pulse quicken.
In the past, she’d loved riding on the back of Ray’s bike, of being so close to him, feeling his heart pound as they sped through the streets, the whole world in front of them. She’d felt so free then and so happy. She’s filled with a sudden urgent desire to feel that way again. Without giving herself the chance to change her mind, she straddles the bike, glad she’d chosen her skinny jeans over a skirt this morning.
“You know the drill, Mia. Put your arms around my waist.” He doesn’t wait for her to comply, reaching behind him and placing one of her hands and then the other over his stomach.
She breathes in the smell of the leather of his jacket, tightening her hold on him as the bike
“What if I’m not pretending?” Ray takes a step closer to her, so he’s invading her space, making it impossible for her not to notice that he smells like soap and motor oil and something that’s uniquely him and uniquely arousing.
She looks up into his eyes and swallows hard. His chest is rising and falling, breathing hard as he watches her, waiting for her response, his jaw tight like he’s keeping a firm reign on himself.
Mia doesn’t trust herself to say anything so she keeps her mouth shut. She’s intoxicated by Ray’s presence. He’s so close to her that he makes it hard to think about anything other than him, anything other than what it would feel like to have his lips on hers, his hands on her body.
“I want to start over.” Ray sighs deeply, raking his fingers through his blonde hair. “I didn’t handle things well last night. I guess I was just so happy to see you.” He smiles disarmingly and Mia feels her heart clench inside her chest. “I want us to be friends.” He holds his breath, watching Mia for a reaction.
“Friends.” She says the word as if it were unfamiliar to her. It jerks her out of the fantasy she had been creating in her mind.
“Yeah, friends.” He ducks his head so that she has to look at him. “So can one friend ask another friend out for a drink? For old times sake?”
Mia blinks, unprepared for the turn the conversation has taken. “I – um, I don’t think…I mean I have to…” Her mouth works but no words come out and she’s left with the sensation that she probably looks very much like a goldfish.
“Don’t tell me you’re washing your hair.” Ray smiles winningly at her and then his expression darkens. “Or if you have plans with Eli…”
“No, it’s his poker night.” She shakes her head and watches as the sternness disappears from Ray’s face, replaced by a look of relief.
“Last Friday of the month. How did I forget that?” Ray says the words so quietly Mia isn’t sure if she’s heard them right.
“Sorry?” She wonders if she’s imagining the way he doesn’t meet her eyes.
“Nothing, just remembering something.” He waves it away as if it were unimportant. “So, that’s perfect then. Leave your car here. You can ride with me.” Ray gestures over towards the motorbike parked next to her sensible, although ancient, Sedan.
“Umm, I don’t know if that’s a good idea…” Mia starts to refuse the ride, refuse the drink, the whole thing but Ray cuts her off, standing close to her and filling her field of vision so that all she sees is him.
“What’s the matter, Mia? You scared of being on a bike? You’ve been on the back of my bike before, or don’t you remember?” He smiles wickedly at her and she feels her knees tremble a little at the memories he’s evoking.
“I remember.” Her voice is husky and Ray takes another step towards her, looking at her like he wants to remind her of a lot of things.
“Then let’s go. Take my helmet.” He hands over a black helmet with flames painted on the sides and straddles the bike, turning the engine over. It comes to life with a familiar roar that makes Mia’s pulse quicken.
In the past, she’d loved riding on the back of Ray’s bike, of being so close to him, feeling his heart pound as they sped through the streets, the whole world in front of them. She’d felt so free then and so happy. She’s filled with a sudden urgent desire to feel that way again. Without giving herself the chance to change her mind, she straddles the bike, glad she’d chosen her skinny jeans over a skirt this morning.
“You know the drill, Mia. Put your arms around my waist.” He doesn’t wait for her to comply, reaching behind him and placing one of her hands and then the other over his stomach.
She breathes in the smell of the leather of his jacket, tightening her hold on him as the bike
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