RIPP. “I don’t know dude, it’s just weird,” I looked out of the patio toward our bikes.

“I think she’s really pretty. She’s not arrogant acting like I thought she’d be. I like her,” Kace hesitated, “well maybe you really care for her already.”

“No shit, Shorty. That’s what I’m saying. I’m trying to say it seems weird feeling like this. I’ve never really been gaga over a girl. And hell, we ain’t even fucked yet,” I raised my bottle of beer and took a drink.

“Now that’s weird,” Dekk laughed as he patted Kace on the shoulder.

“No dude, listen. It ain’t the not fuckin’ that’s weird. It’s the fact we ain’t fuckin and I’m completely okay with it,” I laughed.

“Yeah, seems strange for sure,” Dekk wiped his mouth with a napkin and pushed his plate to the center of the table.

“We, uhhm,” he finished chewing his sandwich and continued, “we going to ROT this year?”

“Fuck yes we are. I ain’t said nothing to Vee yet, but I’m hoping she’ll go. They’re sayin’ there’s gonna be a couple hundred thousand people this year. Should be fun,” I nodded.

“I’m so excited, I’ve never been,” Kace grinned.

“Yeah, should be a good time,” I nodded.

Austin’s ROT rally was a gathering of motorcycle riders and enthusiasts over the course of five days that was full of drinking, outdoor music concerts, venders and tons of testosterone. A few hundred thousand people converged in the city and at the fairgrounds to share one common bond, motorcycles. ROT - Republic Of Texas. People came from every state in the USA and even in from other countries. It was becoming what Sturgis was back in the day. In time, we were certain to pass up Sturgis. We were, in fact, Texas.

“Kelsey said he’s going to do a fundraiser deal for it. He’s going to try and get some money raised to rework the gym. He’s thinking about having people sign a waiver and fight over the weekend, maybe have five or six a night. He’s talking about selling tickets and he’ll use me being there as a draw for the crowd. Maybe put fliers up at the Rally,” Dekk shrugged his shoulders and leaned back in his chair.

“Sounds like a recipe for a drunken biker brawl. Hell, count me in,” I laughed as I finished my beer.

Normally, spending time with Shane and Kace made me feel normal. Typically, I would go from my day-to-day running and being a whore to sitting down with them, relaxing and recharging my mental batteries. Now, sitting with them and talking to them, if Vee wasn’t present, irritated me. Seeing them together made me want to be with Vee.

“I got some questions, Kace,” I said as I waived my hand at the waitress and held my finger in the air.

“Okay,” she said as she looked at her watch.

“Well, it’s about all of the sex shit. I been looking those books over you told me to and it’s just hard to believe people like doing all that shit. Is it just book bullshit, or is it real?” I asked.

“Oh lord,” Shane sighed.

“Stop it, Dekk. I’m serious,” I said as I leaned the weight of my upper body onto the table and looked at Kace.

“Well, yes and no. Women in general? No. That stuff’s not for them. Some women, yes. But being submissive isn’t an invitation for a guy to order a woman around and make her do stuff, Ripp. Some women like the stuff in those books, some don’t. But the stuff in them, the sex?” she hesitated, looked at Shane and turned to face me.

“The sex is just sex. Women who aren’t submissive might enjoy all that stuff. And a woman who is submissive might not enjoy any of it. From my understanding, and all I know is what I’ve read, being dominant is about caring, understanding your partner, and providing structure. The submissive woman wants to do what it is you enjoy because it pleases you. That’s what pleases her, pleasing you. So, you tell her what you want, and she does it to please you. There are rules and requirements, and everyone’s relationship is different. But it’s about desires and communicating those desires. And then, it has got to have structure. I’m going to get you different books. You’re not getting it,” she sighed.

“I’m getting it. I just don’t want to fuck this deal up,” I pushed myself away from the table and looked at Shane.

Strangely, he was comfortable enough he had his hoodie down and was sitting back in his chair listening intently. Shane was one of those people who could be a closet freak and you’d never know it. He didn’t offer any of his experiences and I didn’t ask. The thought of Kace doing anything weird made me feel squeamish.

“Communication. You have to communicate. You won’t mess it up if you communicate. She isn’t just going to pull the trigger one day and say, okay now we’re in a sexual relationship, and you only have one chance, Ripp,” she chuckled as she looked at her watch again.

“I have to get back to work. I don’t want Mr. Martin disappointed because I’m late,” she said.

I stood from my chair and gave her a hug. Kace was a great girl, and I couldn’t imagine living life without her. She was good for Shane and she was good for me. She brought my life balance, and lord knows I could use a little of that.

“Bye Ripp,” she said as I released her from my arms.

“See ya, Shorty,” I said as I sat down.

“I’m going to walk her to the car, be right back,” Shane said as he pulled his hood over his head.

“I’ll be right here,” I said as the waitress handed me another beer.

“Bring me the tab,” I said to the waitress.

“One check?” she asked.

“Yeah, business meeting,” I nodded.

As she walked away I watched her ass wiggle in her shorts. Normally, I’d be trying to get her to let me take her home from work or fuck her when she got off of her shift. But now I could seriously look at her and say she was attractive and leave it at that. I had one thing on my mind and one interest when it came to women.

Vivian Simon.

“You believe in love at first sight, Dekk?” I asked as Shane returned.

“What’s that?” he asked as he pulled down his hood.

“Love at first sight. You believe in it?” I pressed my forearms onto the table and rubbed my hands together.

“Oh, I doubt it. I believe in attraction at first sight, I suppose. I think we can be attracted to someone by seeing them. But to say that we’re in love after looking at someone? I doubt it. It just doesn’t make sense, Ripp. Take Vee for instance. What if she would have said, nice to meet you I’m married. Would you have lived the rest of your life loving her? No. What if she would have said, I don’t like big, tattooed, mean, muscled up pricks? Or, I’m gay? You’d have walked away and in two weeks you’d have forgotten about her. Because in two weeks, you’d have fucked two different women,” he shook his head, “nope.”

“How long you suppose it takes love to build up? Develop or whatever?” I asked.

“Well, I imagine it would depend on the person. Weeks. Months. Hell some people date for a year or so and never get engaged or married. They’ll move on and find another person and repeat the process,” he scrunched his brow and stared at his empty plate.

“I suppose it matters what the two people want and how ready each one of them is for a relationship. You take two people who are compatible, ready and willing?” he waved his hands in my direction.

“I don’t know bro, maybe a few weeks,” he chuckled.

“I’m serious, dude. It’s just fucking weird. She’s all I think about. I mean I think about her when I lay down to go to bed. Normally, I fall asleep in like thirty seconds. Lately, I lay there and think about her. Dumb shit. Like, I don’t know. For instance what it’d be like to go get ice cream with her. Or what she’d look like eatin’ spaghetti. Maybe how she’d look in a bikini down at the beach. Hell I even wondered about how she’d act in front of my parents at dinner,” I opened my hands and turned my palms up, waiting for an explanation.

“Dinner? You’re thinking about taking her to dinner? You’ve never taken a girl to dinner at your parent’s house, have you?” he leaned back in his seat and widened his eyes.

“Nope,” I smiled.

“And you’re going to?” he slowly opened his eyes a little wider as he waited for me to respond.

“Thought about it, yep,” I pressed my chest into my forearms and smiled.

“You been smiling a lot lately. Like more than normal,” he said.

“Dude, I’m happy,” I leaned back and looked toward the parking lot.

I turned from staring at the bikes to looking at the table as I saw the waitress approach. As I pulled my wallet from my pocket I looked at Shane and smiled. The thought of all of us going to the ROT rally together seemed like a lot of fun. I wondered what Vee would think about being on the back of my bike and whether or not she’d enjoy it.

“Let’s get out of here,” I said as I placed my beer bottle over the money and bill.

“Dude, your beer’s full,” Shane reminded me.

I looked at the condensation on the outside of my fresh bottle of beer, “Yeah. I don’t want it. Let’s run out to the Harley dealer. I need to see about getting a new seat for the bike. Something more comfortable,” I said as I stood.

“How long you and Vee been seeing each other?” Shane asked as he stood up.

“About a month,” I shrugged.

“That question earlier about falling in love? The one about how long it takes?” Shane said over his right shoulder as he pulled his hood over his head.

“Yeah?” I responded.

“Takes about a month, bro,” he said as he slapped my shoulder.

As we approached our bikes, I pulled my key from my pocket. A month, huh? Well, it’s just about time I get that girl a pair of Chuck’s.

She’s sure gonna need ‘em.