Motorcycle Lessons

Amiyah heard the motorcycle before she saw it. She already knew who it was. Pushing her chair slightly back from her desk, she craned her head over to her window and looked down. There he was, her neighbor Liam. She let out a small sigh. She couldn’t help herself, the way he looked always made she catch her breath; especially now, with the streetlights casting a golden glow on him.

She watched as he pulled up beside her building and stopped his bike. He hopped off gracefully and walked toward the building. Glancing up, he saw her looking down at him, he smiled, giving her a small wave and she pulled her head back, embarrassed that he had seen her watching him.

When Amiyah had moved to D.C. a year ago for her new job, she was happy to have found such a nice place to live. Her neighbors were quiet but nice. She would chat with them when she ran into them in the hallway or down in the laundry room. It made the transition easier for her. But there was one she was nervous around and that was Liam. When he would try to talk to her, she only gave one word answers, not meeting his eye. It wasn’t that she didn’t like him, quite the contrary, she absolutely adored him. The fact she couldn’t talk to him stemmed from her shyness around him. She hadn’t felt like this since high school.

She had first met Liam the day she moved in. She was trying to carry one of her side tables up the stairs when it slipped from her grasp and fell on her foot. She hopped around in pain and cursing and that’s when she saw Liam pop his head out of his apartment.

“Uh, everything okay?”

“Mmm-hmmm,” she said, massaging her foot.

“Doesn’t look like it. You, uh, you need some help?”

“No, no, I got it. Thank you.”

Amiyah limped over to the table and bent down to grab it, but Liam had gotten there before her and lifted it up easily.

“Show me where it goes,” he said, walking towards the open door of her apartment. She led him into her place, showed him where to put it, and he put it down.

She couldn’t help but to gaze at him when he straightened up. Tall and broad with a killer smile; beautiful blue eyes and golden hair. She felt her heart hammering.

“Anything else?”

She mentally shook herself. “Um, yeah, in my truck. The movers brought in all the big stuff.”

“Okay, let’s go then.”

Liam led the way out to her truck, making small talk. “I’m Liam by the way. Sorry I didn’t introduce myself earlier.”

“Amiyah. And thank you for the help,” she told him, still a little star-struck by this handsome new neighbor.

When she was walking towards her truck, she passed his motorcycle outside her building.

“That’s nice,” she said, stopping to admire it. “Whose is it?”

“Oh, that’s mine.”

“Really? What model?”

“Harley-Davidson Street 750.”

“Wow.”

“Do you ride?”

“No, but I’ve always wanted to learn how to.”

He flashed a smile at her. “Maybe I can teach you one day?”

Amiyah stared into his blue eyes again, then looked at the ground and mumbled. “Yeah maybe.”

Since that day, she had so desperately wanted to take Liam up on his offer, but she couldn’t bring herself to knock on his door and talk to him. There was something about him that made all her confidence disappear. Every time she tried to talk to him, she’d stumble over her words and make a complete fool of herself, or so she felt. And it wasn’t as if she could completely avoid him, since they lived in the same building. So, she just opted to not talk to him that much. That way, she figured, she wouldn’t embarrass herself.

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That Friday morning Amiyah passed Liam in the hallway while she was on her way to work. He stopped when he saw her coming out of her apartment and waited for her.

“Hey, Amiyah. How are you this morning?”

“Good, good. I’m good.”

After a slightly awkward pause he asked her, “So, uh, headed to work?”

She looked up at him and was surprised to find that he looked slightly embarrassed.

“Um, yeah, but thank God it’s Friday right?” She silently cursed herself for how ridiculous she sounded.

“Yeah, right.”

“Well, see ya around.”

Without waiting for a reply she headed down to her truck. She had some trouble getting it started; for the past few months it had been giving her a lot of problems and had been in and out of the shop four times. She knew she would need to just go ahead and buy a new one, but she was putting it off, hoping that it would miraculously last.

After work she was in a good mood, it had been a good day. Her boss had praised her for the work she had done on a project and she felt that soon she would be getting a raise. She turned up her radio in her truck and sang along.

After a few minutes she felt her truck jerk, then it started to shudder. She cursed out loud and pulled over to the side of the road, which was just in time, because once she pulled over, it gave one final jerk and died.

She hopped out and, slamming her door, she kicked one of the tires.

“Goddamnit,” she cursed and took out her phone. It was dead.

She let out a groan and kicked the tire again, knowing it wouldn’t help but it did make her feel a bit better. She leaned against the truck and closed her eyes trying to calm herself.

“This cannot be happening today,” she said to herself pushing off the truck and trying to decide which way to walk to go somewhere to find a phone.

Before she took two steps she heard it. She knew that sound better than anything. Looking around she saw Liam coming up on her. She waved him down to stop and he pulled over behind her truck.

“Hey, what’s going on?” He asked, getting off his bike and walking over.

“My truck died. It’s such a piece of shit.”

“Isn’t this this the third time this happened?”

“Fifth,” she corrected him. “I’m just going to have to buy a new one.”

“Yeah. Did you call anyone?”

“Phone died. I was just about to walk somewhere when you pulled up.”

Liam dug his phone out of his pocket and handed it to her. She thanked him as she dialed her garage, she knew the number by heart now. They told her that they’d be there with a tow truck in ten minutes.

Liam offered to wait with her and give her a ride home. She thanked him again and leaned back against her truck.

“And today was going so well too,” Amiyah sighed to herself.

“Really?” Liam asked.

She nodded and found herself telling him about her day. This had to have been the longest conversation she’d ever had with him, and for once she wasn't stumbling over her words or shying away from him. He leaned against her truck next to her, and the two chatted until she saw the tow truck pull up.

“Hey, Jimmy,” she said to the driver as he hopped out.

“Hey, Amiyah, what happened this time?”

She told him about how it just stopped on her as she watched him hook her truck up.

“Yeah, we can fix it. But I’m gonna be honest with you, you need to bite the bullet and buy a new car. There are some good used ones out there.”

“Yeah, yeah I know.” She sighed again. “I’m gonna start looking.”

“Alright, do you need a ride?”

“Nah, Liam’s gonna take me.” She pointed over to him where he had gone to wait by his bike.

“Okay, well give us a call and let us know what you decide to do.”

She nodded and walked over to where Liam was.

“So what did he say?”

“I’m either gonna have to pay out the ass for a fix or just buy another car.”

“What are you gonna do?”

She shrugged. “Haven’t decided yet. But I’ll figure it out.”

“Well, if you need my help, let me know.”

“Thanks,” she told him.

“So, you ready?”

Amiyah nodded and watched as he climbed on his bike. She followed, settling herself behind him.

“Okay, hold on to me.” He started it up, and pulled off with a slight lurch.

She wrapped her arms around his middle, loving the feel of her body against his.

“So, you never did take me up on my offer to teach you how to ride,” he said suddenly, bringing her out of her thoughts.

“Oh yeah, I guess I forgot.”

He didn’t say anything, and the two rode in silence for a bit before he pulled over.

He turned his head slightly to her and said “Okay, lesson one.”

“Wait, what?” She watched him hop off. “Liam, what are you doin?”

“I’m gonna teach you, now scoot up.”

She did what he said and he leaned over telling her where to put her hands. She nodded, trying to remember everything he said, but still slightly distracted by his closeness.

“Okay, you got it?”

“I-I think so.”

“It’s okay, I’m gonna be right here.” He climbed on behind her and placed his hands around her waist.

“Okay, lets go.”

She started it like he showed her and pulled off slowly. She was doing well for a bit, until he put his hands over hers and showed her how to accelerate. She started to swerve a bit, but he steadied her and she kept on.

“So, I have to ask you,” he said in her ear. “Why don’t you like talking to me?”

Amiyah shook her head. “I do like talking to you, it’s just that… I don't know, I guess you make me nervous and I’m afraid of embarrassing myself.”

“I make you nervous?”

She nodded, still focused on the road.

“Well,” Liam said after a pause. “If I’m being honest, you kinda make me nervous too.”

“I do?”

“Yeah, cute girl moves next door, always sweet and flashing that beautiful smile. I didn’t think you were even interested in me.”

She was so stuck on him calling her cute that she barely heard what he was saying.

“You shouldn’t be afraid of embarrassing yourself, Amiyah.”

She was about to reply, but she saw their building up ahead. She felt Liam's hands move over hers again to show her how to decelerate and she pulled over and stopped in front of their building.

Liam hopped off and then, holding his hand out for Amiyah, helped her off.

“So, how was it?”

“Not bad,” she admitted while smiling up at him. This time she didn’t look away.

He nodded and grabbed her hand steering her towards the entrance. “Good, so I’m thinking that for our next lesson, we head outside the city.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, I know this great place to have lunch.”

She looked over at him as they walked up the stairs to their floor. “Lunch?”

“Yep, lunch. You’ll like the place I’m sure.”

When they reached their floor, she stopped and leaned against her door. “Okay, how about tomorrow then?”

“So soon?”

“Yeah, I wanna make sure everything you taught me today is still fresh in my mind.”

He thought for a minute, then nodded. “Okay, tomorrow. It’s a date.”

“Great,” she unlocked her door, smiling at him again, and headed inside. Once her door was closed behind her, she did a little happy dance.

“It’s a date,” Amiyah repeated Liam’s words to herself, not even the least upset about her old truck anymore.