Page 29 of Ripper
“This is beautiful.”
“I come out here a lot when I need some time to think. Come to think of it, I’ve never ever really seen anyone else out here. I thought we could use some time alone and away from the busyness for a little while,” he said.
“I completely agree.”
He opened up the compartment on his bike, pulling out a small bottle of wine and two glasses. He handed them to me and I smiled. We made our way to a level spot, and I watched him spread out the blanket he brought, setting out two incredible burgers from the Tavern.
“Wait here,” he said.
I watched him gather some dry twigs and leaves, placing it all in a pile before me, setting it on fire with the lighter in his pocket. The warmth felt incredible and he slid next to me, handing me a burger wrapped in wax paper, while I rolled up my sleeves.
“You really know how to win a girl over, don’t you?” I asked, swallowing the small bite in my mouth.
“Ah, so burgers on the edge is the way to your heart, is it?” he teased.
“It just might be.”
He smirked at me, lowering his lips to mine. The kiss felt different this time. The fire inside me was starting to burn a little brighter now, and it was clear I'd fallen for him. I’d fallen for him harder than I’d ever fallen for anyone before. We finished the rest of our burgers and he opened up the bottle of wine, which exploded a splash of red all over his white T-shirt.
“Ah shit,” he said, with a chuckle.
I grabbed one of the napkins tucked away in the folds of the blanket, helping him clean up the mess, but I couldn’t help but laugh. It wasn’t long before I was covered in it too, but that didn’t stop us from clanking our glasses together, drinking what was left of the bottle. I watched as he stripped off his wet T-shirt and I got a good look at all of those incredible tattoos of his. He got up, outstretching his hand, and I wrapped my fingers around it while he led me to the edge of the canyon.
I felt the sand between my toes, my sense of awe growing, and I felt his arms around me. He held me steady at the rim, and I trailed my fingers down his perfectly chiseled chest while he leaned down, kissing me softly. The sun was setting, lowing beneath the red-brown stones in the background, nearly distracting us from each other with its light show, but there was absolutely nothing that could ruin the moment. We spent the rest of the night enjoying the evening air until our hair was windswept and it was finally time to call it a night.
“I should be getting you home, sweet pea. It’s late,” he said.
“I wish we didn’t have to leave.”
“We can always come back. Besides, there’s a lot of fun left out there. I’ve got a million spots I still haven’t shown you yet,” he murmured, pointing at the empty, open road.
“Yeah? Seems like you’ve seen an entirely different side to Mascid than I have.”
“That’s what happens when you’ve lived here your whole life. Sometimes, there’s enough adventure right here at home, you know?”
“Yeah, I do,” I said with a smile.
“Come on, you’re gonna freeze out here.”
He drove with me all the way back to Uncle Axle’s house. He walked me up to the front porch, planting another kiss softly on my lips before I headed inside. I peeked through the curtains as I heard his bike engine tear through the empty street, and I caught a glimpse of him right before he disappeared. It was a night I’d never forget. I bit my lip, smiling brightly, and I rode the high for the rest of the night.
***
I checked the time on my phone screen as I waited at the bus stop on Maple Ave. It was surprisingly chilly out, and while I kept looking around expecting Anna to show up, I couldn’t help but imagine what kind of job this was really going to be. I thought about delivering packages, dog-walking, tending to some gardens for some folks in the suburbs, but none of it felt quite right. Anna was short about what it was, only telling me that it was best I used my bike for this one because we’d be on the move a lot, but even so, I just couldn’t figure it out. A few moments later, I heard the sound of a bike engine revving, and I looked to my left to see Anna barreling down the street toward me. She slowed down as she got closer to the bench I was sitting on, my bike pulled into the corner so it would be out of the way.
“I’m sorry I’m a little late, Ronnie. I hope you weren’t waiting for too long,” she said.
“No, no. It’s fine. I’m curious, Anna, what exactly are we going to be doing here?”
“We’re just going to pick up a package and drop it off. It’s like a courier service, only I’m very selective about who I do this for. Think you can handle that?” she asked.
I tilted my head, narrowing my eyes as I stared at her, but I could already tell that she wasn’t about to take no for an answer. I gulped, nodding.
“All right then, let’s get a move on. I’m going to need you to follow my lead. I just hope you can keep up.”
She revved her engine again, and I got onto my bike, starting it up, slipping my helmet over my hair. I followed her for a while, taking a long trip down the winding highway, and I watched closely as she eventually moved off toward the exit. Soon, we were back on side streets, and before I knew it, she was pulling her bike into an alleyway behind a dumpster. I had no idea where we were, but just from the looks of it, it was definitely a bad area. There were abandoned buildings with boarded-up windows and overgrown grass all around. Some of the stores that were there barely even looked like they were in operation, and it all made my stomach turn violently. Suddenly, I was anxious, worried that I got myself wrapped up in something I definitely couldn’t handle, but I could use the money.
I took a deep breath, waiting for her to tell me where they were picking this package up from.
