Chapter Three – Rick
Damn, he was better looking up close. When he pulled off his helmet, his hair stuck up in places and was wet in others. Rick could just imagine making him sweat in his bed. Whoa, need to back off before I get my ass kicked.
“So, do you race here all the time?” Rick asked. He didn’t think there were races all the time. This was more his cousin’s thing than Rick’s, so…
“Nah, I’m just burning time before my real races. I’m sure if my sponsor knew what I was doing, it wouldn’t be good for me.” The guy shrugged. “Don’t see anyone glaring at me except maybe Mason over there. I’m Coop.” He held out his hand to Rick over the handlebars.
Pulling his hand out of his pocket, Rick shook Coop’s hand. “Rick Stanton. So what’s next? Another race?” He looked around, trying to figure out what was happening.
Coop pulled his hand back and chuckled. “Not for me. I did this one race after I took a dare from a long-time friend. I’m all for a challenge, but I guess I’m not getting one here.”
Time to test the waters. “Like a challenge, do you?” Rick asked, raising an eyebrow. He’d give him a run for his money. He didn’t need to drive home until noon or so tomorrow.
Nodding with a smirk, Coop answered, “Yeah and I think you’ve got the challenge I’m up for.”
It was all Rick could do to not pump his fist in victory. Seemed it was his night. How to get Coop to himself now without being obvious. “You must have burned a lot of calories racing. Want to go grab something to eat?”
Rick closed his eyes. Did he really just ask if the man wanted to go to dinner? Maybe a chasm would open up and he could fall in. Hearing Coop’s quiet laughter, he opened his eyes.
“I could eat.” Coop was barely holding in his chortles.
“Sure, laugh,” Rick groused. “You need to check in with someone before we head out? Do you have a car here? Riding your bike? There’s a Waffle House over on Memorial. About ten minutes from here. Want to follow or meet me there?” Rick offered.
“I think I’d follow your ass just about anywhere.
Need to take care of my bike first. Looks like Vick’s gone off and left me to deal with everything.
Give me fifteen minutes, then I’ll follow you over.
That way, you don’t have to bring me back to my shitty hotel room.
” Coop winked at Rick before kicking his leg over the bike and starting to push it toward the trucks off to the right.
He bobbled his helmet before it crashed to the ground. “Shit.”
Rick moved up and grabbed the headgear off the dirt. “Doesn’t look worse for the wear. Let’s get this all taken care of. Suddenly, I’m starving.”
Holy shit! How had he caught this guy’s attention?
He wasn’t built or anything. Just a grunt who was getting a degree and officer rank.
College hadn’t been a forgone conclusion for him until he talked to that recruiter and got the scholarship.
His family couldn’t afford to send him to college, well, maybe the community one.
Shaking his head, Rick looked in his rearview mirror and saw Coop’s truck on his ass. Yeah, that’s a position he could get behind or in front of or…Rick focused back on the road. It wouldn’t take long to get to the restaurant.
Glancing in the mirror again, he saw the outline of Coop’s bike in the truck bed and felt spiders crawling up his back.
Like when he jumped for the first time. Yeah, it was like leaving your stomach behind on a rollercoaster but not.
He’d been nervous during jump school last summer.
He’d love to go to Air Assault after graduation.
But there was no way he’d get selected. He was pretty sure he was opting for Infantry so someday he could earn his second set of wings.
Having that slot in jump school last summer was a godsend.
He’d be going to his first unit with something on his chest.
Pulling into the lot, Rick watched Coop park next to him. When Coop started toward Rick, he quickly got out and met him at the front bumper.
“Ready to eat?” Coop asked.
Rick felt shy all of a sudden and damn if those spiders weren’t back. Why couldn’t he have butterflies like a normal person? Was he channeling Ron Weasley? Shaking his head, he gestured with his right hand. “After you.”