Chapter 10: Epilogue

Thursday was not a terribly productive day for me. Personally, I didn’t worry about it for one minute. My world was spinning on a new axis and I relished the feeling it gave me. I realized I’d not introduced Gabrielle to Mike, even though he knew who she was. We’d agreed that she’d meet me at the store after work and we’d go to the outfitter from there.

She arrived just before four o’clock, a surprise, but a pleasant one.

“Mike, this is Gabrielle Lamont. Gabrielle, this is Mike Trask, long time friend and majority business partner.”

They greeted each other.

“I was wondering when I was going to meet the mythical Gabrielle,” Mike said with a smile. “You’re as beautiful as Kyle described you. I’m delighted to meet you. You’ve single-handedly brought Kyle’s working hours down to something sensible.”

“I’ve heard he made workaholics look lazy,” Gabrielle chuckled. “I’m trying to give him new things to be interested in.”

“I think you’ve got his attention,” Mike laughed.

“Hey you guys, I’m right here,” I said in mock disgust. “Come on, Gabrielle, let’s get over to the outfitter.”

“Aren’t you going to show her the bike?” Mike asked.

“What bike?” Gabrielle wondered.

“Didn’t Kyle tell you about the bike he named in tribute to you?”

Gabrielle turned to me with a questioning look. “No ... he didn’t.”

“Come on then,” he said as we marched into the shop.

I followed along, not sure how she would react to my personal project, but knowing that it was inevitable anyway.

Mike pulled the cover off the motorcycle and stood back.

“Oh, my, that’s something,” she said, moving closer to examine it.

“Once upon a time that was a pile of wreckage. Kyle must have spent a year putting it back together. You’ll notice the paint job and the inscription,” Mike said.

“The color chosen for the bike was Nissan Mahogany Pearl,” Mike said. “The lettering is rich gold.”

The lettering was simply “Gabrielle” in script, with a silhouette of a woman’s windblown head at the front. She turned to me.

“You did this long before we got back together?” she wondered.

“Yeah,” I admitted.

“The color looks familiar. It’s the same as my old car used to be, isn’t it?”

“Yeah,” I nodded.

“So, this is some kind of tribute, is it?”

“Yeah,” I said again.

She stepped to me, wrapped her arms around me and kissed me the way she had when we were making love. Out of the corner of my eye, I could just see Mike grinning.

“You never forgot, did you?”

“Not for a second,” I said.

“I’m going to marry this guy, Mike. He got away from me once, but never again. He’s mine now,” she said, turning back to me and renewing her kiss.

“Good for you,” Mike said happily. “He’s been much more cheerful since you arrived this week.”

“Yeah, well, I’m going to keep him that way too,” she grinned, looking me in the eyes.

“You going to give her a ride on that?” Mike asked, pointing to the bike.

“I guess I’d better,” I smiled. “I’ll get the helmets,” I said, moving to a cabinet behind the motorcycle.

“Even the helmets are painted the same as the bike,” she noted.

“Have you ever been on a motorcycle before?” Mike asked.

“Yeah ... when I was a kid. My brother had a dirt bike and I got to ride that now and then.”

“This bike is different,” I said. “It used to be a Honda Gold Wing, but aside from some of the running gear, most of it is custom built. I had to swap out the motor for a four cylinder and I dumped some of the electronics I didn’t think I needed. The fairing is a custom design by a friend of mine. It’s a nice smooth ride and big enough for my oversized frame. I promise I won’t scare you on it.”

I pushed the bike out of the shop onto the showroom floor, and then out the front door. It started at the push of a button and the liquid-cooled motor purred to life as quietly as a conventional sedan. I didn’t have to encourage Gabrielle as she slipped into the saddle behind me. I looked back and she was smiling, holding me with her arms around my mid-section. I tapped it into gear and we rolled away slowly before joining in with the light traffic on the street.

It was barely a five-minute ride, but that was enough for Gabrielle to offer an opinion.

“Since it’s got my name on it, I think I should be allowed to ride it,” she announced.

“Not until you’ve had some proper lessons ... and not from me,” I said forcefully.

“Chicken,” she snickered.

A half hour later we had a good quality pair of hiking boots for her as well as a pair of cargo pants that would protect her legs during the hike. She already had a nylon shell for upper body protection. We took a little longer route back to the office to pick up her car and my truck. The bike would go back into the shop and under cover once more.

“Why isn’t that at your home?” she asked.

“Our home,” I said forcefully once more. “I’ve been fiddling with it, just to remind myself of why I built it. I guess it’s time it came back to its rightful place.”

“You’re darn right,” she said. “I want to show it off to my friends. Where can I get riding lessons?”

I laughed. “I’ve got a card for the best school around. We’ve been using them to train the kids. You’ll be in good hands with them. Remember, this bike weights over 700 pounds, while the little scooters are between 250 and 350 pounds. That’s a huge difference. If it falls on you, it’s going to do some serious damage.”

“I guess I’d better get into a weight training program to deal with it, eh?” she grinned.

“I’d say that was probably a futile gesture. I don’t know anyone who could pick one of these up off the ground. I know I can’t. Otherwise, it’s a pussy cat to handle. Smooth power, soft suspension, lots of torque. It’s a cruiser, meant for the highway. I’d never take it on the freeways with all the trucks and crazies out there, but it’s fine on the local state highways.”

“What are you going to ride when I take this over,” she grinned again.

“I’ll just sit behind you and let you do the work,” I chuckled.