Finally, the ground leveled out and the trees thinned. I realized we were on a cliff as Bones pulled the bike over into a patch of grass. I dismounted, pulling off my new helmet as my attention was drawn to the astounding view. The ocean stretched out in front of us and I found myself walking toward the edge of the cliff until I stood a few feet from the drop-off, looking at the waves crashing into the rocks below. It seemed to be the only sound other than the cicadas in the nearby trees, their loud singing seeming to fall in sync with the water below. The moon was full tonight, as it reflected in the water, the shimmering image captivating.
“Can you back up a couple of feet?” Bones asked from behind me. “You’re making me nervous.”
I turned to see Bones had pulled a thin white blanket out of one of the leather saddlebags hanging off the side of the bike and was spreading it out on the grass. I walked toward him a couple of steps to ease his mind, watching as he pulled more things out of the saddlebags. A wine bottle with a cork and two plastic cups, a white plastic bag with the logo of a diner in town, and a small black speaker.
“Is this … a picnic?” I asked, amazed that this tough-looking biker would plan such a thing.
“Are you surprised?” he asked, smiling as he sank down on his knees and turned on the speaker. He connected it to his phone and started playing a familiar song.
“What is this?”
“Diary of a Madman by Ozzy. I pulled up my classic rock playlist. Is that okay?”
“Sure,” I said, taking a seat on the blanket beside him.
He turned down the volume of the music so it would be background noise.
“Now, for the important question, what are we eating?” I asked.
Bones opened the plastic bag and handed over a hinged to-go container. “I went with fried chicken and macaroni. Not exactly health food, I know, but I figured I’d go with a classic. After all, who doesn’t like fried chicken?”
I smiled as I opened the container and saw a breast and leg inside. “My dad didn’t like fried chicken.”
“No shit?”
“He said that he was sick of it because his grandma used to make fried chicken every single Sunday when the family would eat together after church. By the time he was an adult, he couldn’t stand to eat another piece of the stuff.”
“That’s not a bad problem to have. An aversion to a food that came from a lifetime of family meals? I kind of wish I had problems like that.”
“I hear that,” I agreed, taking a glass of red wine from him.
We ate in silence for a while. The chicken tasted delicious, even though it wasn’t quite hot.
After we ate, Bones pulled two smaller containers out of the bag.
I let out a squeal of happiness when I saw that it was a piece of chocolate cheesecake with a dark chocolate ganache and a chocolate whipped cream. It was a piece of perfection and I couldn’t hold back a loud moan as I took my first bite.
Opening my eyes, I saw Bones staring at me. He hadn’t touched his dessert yet, which was a shame. “If you don’t eat that, I will steal it,” I told him with a teasing smile.
He picked up his cheesecake and gave me a stern look, but he showed a hint of a smile on his lips. “You’ll have to fight me for it.”
By the time I was finished with my dessert, my stomach was full. I drank my glass of wine but declined a second one. I didn’t want to accidentally end up drunk again. I was still embarrassed by my behavior last time. It all worked out, but I still didn’t like feeling as if I wasn’t completely in control of my actions, which was how drinking made me feel.
I placed our empty food containers aside and laid flat on my back on the blanket, looking up at the stars. Bones laid beside me, even though he was so tall that his legs stretched out into the grass. His hand found mine, and we interlaced our fingers.
“It’s amazing how well you can see the stars here,” I commented, my eyes wide as I stared at the clear sky. “In Vegas, there’s nowhere that you can see the night sky with so much clarity. The lights of the city prevent it.”
“Sometimes, I take for granted how beautiful it is here because I’ve lived in Holbeck my entire life. But when I come here, I always find a new appreciation for my home,” Bones said.
I turned my head to look at him as he was talking. He kept staring at the sky, so I tried to memorize his profile, burning it into my brain so I would always remember this moment, even when the relationship had run its course. He was just so handsome, even in the low lighting. Everything about him was masculine, with his straight nose and square jaw. The stubble beard drew attention away from how full his lips were and I wondered if that was on purpose.
“Have you brought other women here?” I asked. The question just slipped out and I wished I could take it back, especially when I heard how jealous I sounded. Things between us were supposed to be casual, and part of that was not asking about other women unless I prepared myself to not like the answer.
“No,” he said, his face turning my way. “You’re the only one. I usually come here alone.”
“How did you find this place?”
“Just riding around. When I need to clear my head, one of my favorite things to do is just hop on the bike and go. No destination in mind. Nothing off-limits. A few years ago, I ended up on this road, and it led me here.”