3. Oliver
Oliver
"You don't have to give me a ride, you know," Trinity said as she kept pace next to me.
"Of course I do." I glanced over. "This isn't the kind of place you want to be walking around alone."
She let out a laugh. "It's not even nine. I think I'll be okay."
She'd be smart to be worried. Even though I loved the bustle of the city, it still made me a little nervous to be surrounded by so many buildings, so many places for someone to hide. "Are you from around here?"
"Kind of."
"What does that mean?" In my experience, you either were or weren't. I’d been born and raised in the same spot, on the same farm that my father’s family had lived on for generations. Instead of tall brick buildings pressing down on me, I’d lived among wide open pastures.
When I glanced toward the sky, I could see from one horizon to the other, not the tangles of power lines and streetlights that currently rose above me.
"Has anyone ever told you that you're nosy?" She squinted at me.
"Don't you think 'curious' is a better word?"
"If you say so." Trinity shrugged. "I grew up in Branford, a few towns over."
I shot her a smile. "That wasn't so painful now, was it?"
She met my grin with a dramatic roll of the eyes, reminding me again of my little sister. "My turn. Where are you from? Australia?"
Putting my hand to my heart, I mocked being offended. "Ouch, that hurts."
"Your accent. I don't recognize it."
"New Zealand. A tiny town you’ve never heard of on the eastern side of the South Island."
She nodded to herself. "That makes sense. So you're here for school?"
"Finishing up my MBA. I graduate in May." Saying the words out loud made it more real, more immediate. Made it more imperative than ever that I figure out a way to stay.
"And then you'll go back to New Zealand?"
"We'll see."
She glanced up at me, a question in her eyes. We’d almost reached the bar. I was supposed to be getting a better idea of her plans, not the other way around.
I reached for the handle of the door. "Let me grab my keys and tell Wyatt I’ll be back in a bit."
She nodded. "I think I'll wait out here."
I didn’t blame her. After her initial run-in with Wyatt, I could imagine she’d rather steer clear until my boss had a chance to cool off.
The music drifted through the doorway as I ducked inside.
In the short time I’d been gone, business had picked up but was still pretty light on a Tuesday night.
I still ought to be able to run Trinity home.
With a quick nod at Lindsey, who’d taken over behind the bar, I ducked into the office to grab my keys and the helmet to my bike.
Wyatt sat in the chair behind the desk, his phone to his ear. "You’ve got to be shitting me." He shook his head. "Are you sure?"
I waited for a chance to get his attention.
"Yeah. Thanks." He set the phone down in front of him and cradled his head in his hands.
"You okay, mate?" I asked.
Wyatt glanced up. "We're fucked. That was my attorney. Unless Hopkins or that chick?—"
"Trinity," I interrupted. For some reason it rubbed me the wrong way that Wyatt couldn’t be bothered to remember her name.
"Whatever. Unless one of them changes their mind before tomorrow, it looks like we’ve got ourselves a new landlord."
"What about the expansion?" Convincing Wyatt to hire me on full-time, especially with the expense of sponsoring my work visa, was a long shot to begin with. Without the option to expand the bar, the odds seemed to shrink on the spot.
Wyatt stood. "What about it? Hopkins said she’s planning some artist shit next door. No chance of us getting that space to expand our operation now."
The air thickened. I tried to fill my lungs. Even with the odds stacked against me, Wyatt and Tapped had been my best hope of remaining in the States. But there had to be another way. "How about finding a new place? I keep seeing for rent signs around down?—"
"I’ve checked them all. Nothing has the configuration we need. There are a ton of other buildings for rent. But none of them will work for what I want to do except the space next door."
I bit my tongue to prevent myself from reminding him he’d had a chance to buy the building first. But Wyatt was a cheapskate and figured he could wait it out. And now both of us would pay the price.
"I’ve got to run a quick errand. Think Lindsey will be able to handle the bar for a bit?" Now probably wasn’t the time to mention I’d be running Trinity home. But if I could pump her for info during our time together, maybe I’d find a way to make the best out of a bad situation.
"Yeah, go ahead." Wyatt waved me on, his attention already consumed by the mess of paperwork in front of him.
I made my way back to the bar, stopping on my way to double check with Lindsey.
She typically waited tables, but as Wyatt’s wife and co-owner, she’d fill in wherever she was needed.
That’s what business owners did. That’s the kind of responsibility I wanted.
But on my own terms, not terms that seemed to be laid down for me before I was born.
By the time I caught up to Trinity, I was surprised she hadn’t fled on her own. "You ready?"
"What's that?" She gestured to the helmet I handed her.
"You okay on the back of my bike?"
"As long as you're okay on the front of it." She smiled. "You do know how to ride, don’t you?"
I held her gaze. "Yes. But I’ve only got one helmet, and I’d prefer you wear it." I spun my keys around on my key chain. "Need help getting that fastened?"
"No, I’ve got it." She donned the helmet, tightening the strap under her chin.
I hadn’t had a passenger on the back of my bike before.
I held it steady as she tossed one leg over, straddling the seat.
It hadn’t made sense for me to invest in a car, but I couldn’t pass up the motorcycle I’d seen posted online.
Now, as I was about to nestle myself between Trinity’s thighs, I was glad I’d invested some of my savings in the bike.
I took my time getting settled, enjoying the way her legs wrapped around my hips.
She put her hands on my shoulders, barely gripping on.
That would change when I got up to speed.
"Where are we going?" I tossed over my shoulder.
"You know Fremont? Down along the river?" she asked.
I nodded. "I’ll head that way. Just let me know when we get close."
"Okay."
"I won’t bite, you know."
Her fingers tightened slightly around the edges of my shoulders.
I balanced the bike between my legs and fired up the engine.
We wouldn’t have much of an opportunity to chat on the way.
The roar of the wind and rumble of the engine would make sure of that.
I wasn’t even sure where to start with the questions.
But as we rode through the empty downtown streets, I tried to come up with a plan.
Buildings flew past as we wound our way toward the river.
I took a wide right down a side street then turned onto Fremont.
The leftover scent of the earlier thunderstorm hung in the air.
We left the crowded downtown area, racing parallel to the river.
I hadn’t spent much time in this part of town.
The older buildings gave way to more modern construction.
As I eased the bike to a stop at a red light, Trinity leaned close, her chest pressing against my back.
"It’ll be up here on the left." She reached around my shoulder, her arm brushing mine, to point at a sleek condo.
"That's where you live?"
"No. That’s where I’m staying."
The light changed and I put it in gear. A few moments later, I eased to a stop at the curb. Before I had a chance to cut the engine, she’d hopped off the back, her fingers already working on the chin strap of the helmet.
"Thanks for the ride."
I tucked the helmet she handed me under my arm and used my foot to pop the kickstand.
"You don’t have to see me in or anything. I promise I can make it safely from here."
I waited for the inevitable eye roll, but she smiled instead.
The corners of her mouth curved up and not for the first time that night I wondered what it might feel like to kiss her, to tease that soft, full bottom lip with my own.
Before I let myself get carried away, I had to start thinking of her as a barrier standing in the way of my future.
I’d been caught up in those mesmerizing green eyes, sandwiched between her long legs.
As much as I’d enjoyed it, I couldn’t let it get in the way of gaining some info.
That had been the whole point of bringing her home.
"So when are you moving in?" I tried to stall her.
She adjusted the strap of her bag on her shoulder. "I’m not sure yet. But probably soon."
"Do you have a lot to move? Wyatt said something about you starting an art gallery?"
"Not exactly." She twisted her upper body, pointing toward the door. "I’ve got to go. Thanks again for the ride."
"Yeah, anytime."
She cast her gaze my way one last time before disappearing down the paved path leading to the front door of the building.
I waited, some small part of me wishing she’d come back so I could get the answers I wanted.
.. the answers I needed. As I fiddled with the helmet, adjusting the strap before fitting it onto my head, my patience was rewarded.
Trinity reappeared. "Looks like my friend has a few people over. Do you want to come up?"