Chapter 1: Iroquois Tears

California highway traffic was terrible at the best of times. But midafternoon wasn’t too bad, and Jesse found it easy to navigate as he made the pleasant trip to the Hobby Lobby downtown. His conveyance was his recently rebuilt Norton motorcycle with the attached sidecar occupied by his BFF Fug. Fug was a blue and fawn-colored mutt of a mixed breed. Predominantly English mastiff with traces of Great Dane and some Shepard mixed in. Fug stood for Fugly or fucking ugly. But despite his less-than-charismatic appearance, Fug was an easygoing fellow that got on well with most and simply ignored the rest. He loved riding in the sidecar — though it was a tight fit. Jesse wore a scratched-up, but serviceable old black half helmet and thick round goggles. Fug tolerated the yellow-tinted bubble goggles his owner tailored to fit him. Nothing could contain the sloppy tongue that hung from his face as they motored down the road. They took their time in the right lane, ignoring the stares of motorists who zipped around them. For his part, Jesse wore a pair of faded jeans, old boots, and an old unlined army surplus jacket. He covered his thick unruly hair with a blue bandana beneath his scratched-up black half helmet.

Arriving at the hobby store, Jesse parked by the entrance and went inside after leaving Fug with the unnecessary order to stay put. Heading back to the paints, he searched the aisles fruitlessly for a shade of blue that he had run out of and alas, so had the store. Frustrated, he contemplated his options and glanced through the inventory. Nothing met his fancy, so he left and sat atop the Norton sighing with disappointment. A pair of bikers thundered into the parking lot and pulled up next to him. One was an older fellow with long gray hair, a spotty beard, and old tattoos from his wrists to his neck. The other bike carried a similarly dressed younger guy and his glammed-up biker gal. All eschewed helmets for bandanas and all wore ‘American Steel’ riding vests. After shutting down their rides the quiet seemed oppressive, broken by the bored pants of Fug who glanced up at the trio with passive interest.

“Sup man, that’s one bad-assed ride you got there,” the oldest spoke. He reached tentatively over to be sniffed by the giant dog, then proceeded to pat him with a fingerless gloved hand. “Norton, right?”

Jesse stood casually and nodded, glancing back and forth among them. “‘38. Just finished getting it put together last month. I still need to detail her, but the important part is done.” He kept glancing back at the woman who struck him as a little old but strikingly beautiful with black hair and sharp angular features. She reminded him of Cher.

“Did you do it yourself? That must’ve been quite a project,” asked the younger guy, who introduced himself as Chris.

“I did. My grandpa gave her to me as a graduation present. It did take me 4 months, but I was obsessed with it and honestly would do it all over again if I could.”

The woman, Dolly, spoke as she smacked her gum. Her voice was high-pitched and nasal. “You ain’t graduated! You’re just a kid. Right?” Jesse didn’t like her tone.

Before he could reply, the oldest cut her down. “Mind yer own Doll. This is men’s talk,” he winked back at Jesse, “you did a beautiful job with it. Congrats. When are you gonna paint her?”

Jesse shrugged, “I dunno. Depends on how I decide to go. The classic military would be easier, but I’d like to maybe go more contemporary. I’d need to chrome the fenders and wheels and such, though. I’m good with an airbrush but the chrome...” he lifted his shoulders, “I was actually here for some paint for another job, a tribal piece for a Grand AM hood. But they don’t have the shade of blue I need.” He glanced back at the lady again and despite his misgivings, he found himself staring at her fingernails of all things. Were they turquoise? Teal?

Holding out his hand the older guy said, “I’m Mike. I can hook you up with a good chrome shop when the time comes. Let me give you, my number.” He pulled out a cell phone.

Jesse looked down briefly and then reached into the sidecar past Fug’s torso, “I don’t have a cell. Here let me write it down,” producing a pad and pen, he jotted down the number Mike shared. “Thanks a lot. That is great to know. I’m still new at this rebuilding stuff.” He glanced back at her nails again.

“No problem, Jesse. It was good to meet you. I hope we cross paths again.” Mike settled back onto his ride and put his shades back on.

“Excuse me, ma’am?” Jesse stammered as the black-haired Dolly turned her head and stared at him coolly, “can I see your nails?” After he asked, he felt a wave of embarrassment wash over him. She raised her eyebrows at him and glanced at her bewildered partner before she reached out to him and spread her fingers.

Ignoring his flushing cheeks Jesse leaned forward and studied the iridescent blue-green. He swallowed and glanced up at her nervously. “Um. Those are nice. That is exactly the color I am looking for.” He saw her face change from astonishment to wonder. “A ... um. What color is this and where did you get it?” he stammered, “if you don’t mind?”

“Well thank you sugar,” she replied with a grin, “I don’t know what it’s called but I had my nails done at Gorgi’s in the Mall.” She smacked her gum again and further conversation was lost in the noise of both bikes starting up at the same time.

Jesse watched the group ride off with a wave and then considered this information. Looking around he spotted an Ulta Cosmetics across the parking lot. What did he have to lose?

Leaving his helmet on and pulling his goggles up onto it, he stepped up to the automatic doors and entered the store. He was instantly assaulted by the overwhelming scent of perfume. Or perfumes. It made his eyes water as he stopped and looked around. A very pretty girl in her early twenties approached him and smiled radiantly. “Hello! Welcome to Ulta. How can I help you?”

Jesse shifted uncomfortably and felt himself remembering his awkward encounters with the girls in high school. He swallowed nervously and glanced about, “I’m um ... looking for your nail polishes.” He felt his face flushing again. Of course ... this was California, so he was probably considered quite normal for asking.

“Of course! You will find them right over there past the Hair products. Just walk past the information kiosk and turn to your right,” she pointed with her entire arm, and he thanked her as he stepped away.

Finding the nail polishes quickly he immediately bent over the counter and began scrutinizing the hundreds of color choices. He sensed the approach of the salesperson across the counter from him, but he was too absorbed in his quest to look up.

“Can I help you find something you like?” asked a musical voice.

He continued to survey the rows upon rows of nail colors for another few seconds. Not wanting to appear rude he gestured to the wide range of blues. “Um. Sort of turquoisey and teal mixed, with an iridescent finish,” he mumbled as he studied the colors before him.

A soft musical giggle. “Turquoisey huh? And teal?” The mirth in her voice was disarming, and he nodded eagerly without looking up.

“Yeah! Exactly. I just saw it on someone else’s nails, and she said she had them done in the mall. I was hoping you would have something like it here.” He squinted his eyes and leaned further over the counter to get a closer look.

A small delicate hand with bright clashing nails appeared in his field of vision and reached under the glass for a very close comparison to what he wanted. “How about this one? Iroquois tears,” her voice was so ... enchanting.

“Er ... Maybe. Let me...” he reached out looking up at the same time ... and froze. His eyes widened in astonishment; his heart lurched, and his mouth went suddenly dry as he gazed at the beautiful vision before him. ‘Wow! Her eyes were so green! How could they be that green?’ He was too stunned even to gasp as he blinked repeatedly. ‘Oh God! She can’t be real! It’s magic.’

She stood barely 5 feet, yet every inch of her was beautiful beyond words. Her small oval face was framed perfectly in bright red hair cut short and cropped pixie-like. Small, hooped earrings dangled from her ears supporting tiny bells that chimed so softly, they were barely heard. A small stud pierced her left nostril and lent an eloquent almost fae accent to her already elfin features. Her small mouth with lips painted a soft rosy tint, formed a bright smile that sent tremors through his body. A sky-blue tank top with an Egyptian print adorned her chest and supported her small but perfectly sized breasts. She wore no bra as evidenced by her slightly protruding nipples. A peak of tanned skin appeared beneath her shirt and disappeared below the counter.

Moments loomed into hours, as he stood before her managing only to open and close his mouth before she raised a single eyebrow most provocatively and asked, “Well?”

“Um.” his mind was blank. He struggled to regain his composure, but she had robbed him of all thought. Her smile got even brighter as she beamed knowingly back at him. She took a patient slow breath and hummed to herself as she reached forward with her empty hand. She snapped her fingers right in front of his face and he started, blinking, and breaking the spell.

“Hello,” she called softly in that sweet musical voice. Her grin was radiant and in no way off-putting.

He gulped nervously and nodded his head vigorously. “Uh. Yes, I think that is just what I need,” he looked back down at the small bottle and frowned, “Um. How many do you have?”

Her eyes widened and she giggled unexpectedly. “Just how much do you need?”

Focused once again, Jesse studied the bottle before him. “This is about, what, 13 ml?” he asked.

She nodded beaming, “13.5 to be precise. Very Good,” she leaned forward at looked deeply into his eyes. Her fragrance struck him, and he couldn’t place it. He thought of the cool outdoors, a soft breeze blowing through a forest of aromatic trees. He almost froze again but she saved him. “What exactly are you doing with it?”

He blinked and took a breath. “Actually, um. I need it for detailing the hood of a ‘78 Grand Am.”

She giggled again and shook her head. “Are you serious? How do you even know how much you will need?”

“Well, I will thin it for my airbrush, so I can make do with about 30-40 ml,” he explained, “can you brush a small sample on something for me? So, I can see how it dries.”

She was laughing now, and her mirth was infectious. He felt totally at ease around her for some reason, and she eagerly agreed, shaking the bottle vigorously. “Airbrush huh? That makes sense I suppose,” she giggled again as she twisted the cap off, “I was trying to imagine you painting your design with tiny, little brush strokes,” she demonstrated by placing her left hand flat on the counter and delicately applying a steady coat of the teal/turquoise over her middle nail.

Jesse watched her with rapt attention and found himself leaning closer over the counter as she worked. She expertly placed the brush back into the bottle and tightened the cap. She raised the damp nail and blew gently on it before reaching towards him for his inspection. “Hard to do that with an airbrush, eh?” she prompted.

Jesse studied the drying nail closely and shrugged, “You would be surprised. I could blow your mind with an airbrush,” he replied softly as he gauged the iridescence in the finish.

“Oh really? That sounds like a challenge I might take you up on,” she replied with an even bigger smile.

He was focused on her fingertip and missed the suggestion. “I’m always up for a challenge,” he scoffed in response.

“Fine! Let’s go mister airbrush man...”

He blinked and looked up into her lovely smiling face. His confusion was evident. “Wha?”

She pulled back her hand and bent over the counter to retrieve 3 more bottles. “You heard me, let’s go. Buy your nail polish and show me what you got. You have a car?”

‘Oh God! She is serious. She can’t be serious?’ he had never in his life picked up a girl and the thought of it simply defied logic, ‘could she?’

After a moment of awkward silence, she once again drew him back to reality by softly clearing her throat.

“I’m sorry. What did you ask?” he stammered.

“I asked if you have a car?” she smirked at him with a knowing look.

“Um. No ... actually. I have a bike.”

That raised eyebrow again. “A bicycle?”

‘Oh God!’ He groaned inwardly at how stupid he felt. “No!” he exclaimed. With a breath, he explained that it was in fact, a motorcycle with a sidecar. She became excited and bubbly, but he raised his hand “Um, actually the sidecar is already taken.” He cringed at her disappointment. “But you can ride behind me!” he blurted in desperation. She brightened and appeared to consider his offer. He realized he didn’t mention his passenger and smirked. She noticed and looked at him expectantly.

“What?” she asked.

“Nothing.” he beamed back at her, “nothing at all. So, are you coming or what?”

Her eyes narrowed as she pondered his sudden behavior. Then she snatched up the bottles and strode over to the register, beckoning him to follow. She bent her nose as she rang up the charge and stared at him as he paid her, with a silly grin. She bagged the bottles and handed them to him. Their fingers touched and Jesse gasped as he felt a static-like impulse flash from their contact.

“Wait here, I’ll be right back,” she said with a sweet smile. She turned away and darted back into a small cubicle. She returned with a small bag with back straps. With no hesitation, she placed her right arm into his left and glanced up at him with a glorious smile. “Lead on.” He noticed that the rest of her outfit consisted of a pair of short cut-offs. Her feet were bare.

“So, you are okay just walking out of work?” he asked.

“Oh, sure. My aunt manages the store, and I help her out just to stay busy. She is used to me coming and going all the time.”

Exiting the store, she halted in mid-step as she spotted the ancient motorcycle with the sidecar full of ... She squealed in delight and jumped up and down excitedly. “Oh, Goddess! He’s amazing!” she cried out with delight and rushed up to Fug and embracing him in a crushing hug. Jesse was amazed at Fug’s simple acceptance. He even gave her a good-natured lick across the face which caused another delightful squeal and a return kiss of her own.

“Lucky dog,” he muttered.

“I heard that,” she replied grinning at him with eyes full of mischief.

“Here, you can wear my helmet, and I will keep the goggles,” Jesse said, removing his cap and handing it to her. While she strapped it on, he helped Fug with his ‘fish eyes,’ prompting another laugh. Once he was seated, he helped her climb on behind him. She eagerly wrapped her arms around him and gave him a tentative squeeze. He lifted his foot to kick start and then hesitated.