“That’s a mom reason, and I’m talking about when I get older...when you won’t have a say.”
“Oh, you may not listen, but I’ll always have a say. That’s one of the many joys of being a mother. We always have a say.”
“Yeah. Well, I still want one.” Drawing me back into the conversation, Sean turned back to me and asked, “How old were you when you got your first motorcycle?”
“I was eighteen or so...right after my ol’ man died. Had always wanted one, so I worked, saved up, and got it.”
“Your mom let ya get it?”
“My mom didn’t have a say in the matter. She’d lost that right long before that.” I didn’t bother looking in Frankie’s direction. I knew she wouldn’t approve of my response, especially when I said, “I wanted it, so I worked, saved up, and bought it. Simple as that.”
“That’s what I’m gonna do, too. I’ll work and buy it on my own.”
“Well, if you do, you gotta be responsible and respect the power of the machine.” I checked to make sure the spare was secured, then lowered the jack and pulled it out from beneath the car. As I stood and started towards the trunk, I told him, “Otherwise, you might end up hurting yourself or someone else, and we can’t be having that.”
“No. That wouldn’t be good.”
“No, it wouldn’t, so put in the effort. Take a couple safety courses and read up on safety measures. Then maybe, just maybe, you can convince your mom that motorcycles aren’t as dangerous as she might think.”
Before Sean could respond, Frankie stepped up behind him and smiled. “I doubt it, but you can certainly try.”
“Sounds fair enough.”
“You don’t know my mom.” Sean looked up at Frankie as he sighed. “She’s even more stubborn than my dad, and that’s saying something.”
“I’m not stubborn.”
“Um-hmm.”
It was clear by the way the two spoke they had a good relationship—certainly better than the one I had with my mother. Frankie seemed to have a good head on her shoulders and was doing a good job raising her kid. It was a thought that had me wondering about her husband. She’d mentioned he was coming, but so far, the guy hadn’t shown. I glanced down at her left hand and saw she wasn’t wearing a wedding ring, nor did she have any kind of impression on her finger showing where a ring might’ve been. I knew then she wasn’t married. She’d just said it in hopes of getting rid of me. Not that it mattered. After tonight, I’d never see either of them again.
“Well, you’re all set.” As I closed her trunk, I looked to them both and said, “Took a little longer than ten minutes, but hopefully, you’ll still have time to go grab dinner.”
“We definitely will.”
“Guess that husband of yours is gonna be making a wasted trip.”
“Oh, about that. I kind of just said that because...”
“I got it.” I knew why she’d said it, and under the circumstances, I didn’t blame her. I motioned my head towards her tire as I said, “The spare isn’t in the best shape, so you’ll want to get that flat fixed as soon as you can.”
“Okay.” Frankie’s tone was warm and sincere as she told me, “Thanks for your help, Widow. We both really appreciate it.”
“No problem. You two be careful getting home.”
“We will.” As they started to get inside the car, Frankie stopped and looked back in my direction. She studied me for a moment, then gave me a quick wave of her hand. “Thanks again.”
I gave her a nod, then walked over and got on my bike. I’d just started to put on my helmet when Frankie’s car whipped out onto the highway and headed towards town. I was just about to start the engine when I noticed something on the ground where Frankie had been parked. Curiosity got the best of me, so I got off my bike and went to check it out. As I got closer, I saw that it was a wallet. Concerned it might belong to Frankie, I reached down and picked it up. Sure enough, as soon as I opened it, I saw her driver’s license and several of her credit cards.
I couldn’t just leave it there on the road, so I carried it back to my bike and tossed it into my saddlebag. Seconds later, I was on my bike and on my way home. I’d like to say that my unexpected encounter with Frankie and her son was quickly forgotten. It wasn’t. Seemed I couldn’t get either of them out of my head, especially Frankie. I think it was those mesmerizing, crystal-blue eyes. Damn. I could’ve swum in them for days, but I had no business even thinking about a woman like her. When it came to women, I didn’t do relationships. I just did sex—quick and dirty.