“It’s a beautiful view, isn’t it?”
Amanda sprang up from where she sat, not expecting anyone to be out along the falls. She often walked along the wooded path that opened along one side of the river, and ended where it crossed the top of the massive waterfall at the top of the lake it flowed into. From there, it dropped severely, crashing against the rocks that littered the stream below.
The sound of the rushing water is what had hidden his footsteps on the fall leaves behind her. She stood facing him, recognizing him instantly from the bar. Her heart pounded in her chest. What was he doing here? The idea that he might have been following her frightened her, as she had not seen him since last night.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, forgetting all sense of civility.
“I come here all the time. What are you doing here?” he asked.
“I’ve never seen you.”
“I’ve never seen you, either,” he pointed out.
“Fair enough. I’ll let you get on with things then,” she replied.
Amanda pulled her jacket around her a little tighter and began to walk away. She wasn’t thrilled about being so far out with no one around if things went sideways. She had only taken a few steps when he called out to her.
“You forgot something.”
Amanda turned to look at him. He was holding up the book she had left lying on the ground beside her. She had been intent upon reading for a while but had gotten lost in thought instead. A part of her told her to run, but something about him drew her back. She slowly made her way over to where he stood and reached for the book, but he snatched it away. Amanda’s heart beat wildly in her chest.
“I’ll trade it to you for your name.”
“Amanda Miller.”
It was all she could muster. She hadn’t been this frightened since the encounter with Carson in the alley before she had left. It had been the final straw that sent her in flight toward safety. Now, here she was on the edge of a waterfall with no one around except a biker who towered menacingly over her.
“Amanda. Very good. I’m Aspen. Aspen Lowery.”
“May I have my book now?”
Amanda felt no easier knowing his name. For all she knew, it wasn’t even his real name. All she really wanted to do was get as far away from here as possible. Though she still felt an attraction to him, she also sensed that he was a serious source of danger. The last thing she needed was to get mixed up with some sort of bad boy biker type.
“You may. Do you work tonight?”
“Yes,” she said tentatively, knowing she would only look foolish if she said no and then he came by to find her behind the bar.
“Then I will see you tonight when you aren’t terrified of being alone by the woods with a big bad biker type.”
Amanda tried to disguise the astonished look on her face as he handed back her book with a massive grin on his face. Could he really have known what she was thinking or was it just a good guess? Either way, it was quite unnerving. She took the book and made a hasty retreat, once again. There was no hesitation on her part until she made it clear of the woods and back to her car, hurriedly climbing inside and locking the doors before starting it up and heading toward home.
By the time work rolled around, she was fraught with anxiety. A part of her was excited at the prospect of seeing him again, but she was also nervous. It was far too soon to even consider a relationship with someone new. She wasn’t ready. It was settled, as far as she was concerned. When he came in, she would be polite, but not inviting. She’d keep him at a distance, and he would lose interest in favor of someone not quite so difficult to get to know.
The moment he walked into the room, her thoughts took on an entirely new tone. He strolled toward her wearing stone washed jeans, a crisp blue and white striped button-down, black leather jacket and polished boots. There was a smile on his face as he sat down on a stool in front of her at the bar. He looked positively fuckable. There was just no other way to say it and, for the first time, it occurred to Amanda that she could do just that. There didn’t need to be a relationship for her to get laid.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“Absolutely fine. Why?”
“You just seem a bit flushed is all.”
“Just a bit warm in here tonight.”
“Ah, didn’t notice. Much cooler outside on the bike.”
“You seem a bit more dressed up than when you were out riding yesterday,” she observed.
“I guess I am. I was hoping I might have a date later.”
“Hoping?”
Amanda felt a bit dejected. She had considered that he might be a bit more dressed up to impress her, but it was an effort for someone else, it seemed. The momentary heat she had felt at the thought of letting her inhibitions go and spending a hot night with a stranger was dashed.
“We’ll see.”
“What will it be then?” she asked.
“Ginger ale,” he replied.
“Ginger ale? Really? You do know this is a bar?”
“You do serve soft drinks, don’t you?”
“Well, yeah, but usually with alcohol in them.”
“I’m driving. Can’t drink.”
“Weren’t you driving last night when you downed all that Jack and Guinness?”
“Nope. I was riding.”
“Riding? You came in alone.”
“Yeah, but I didn’t have to drive home.”
Amanda looked at him curiously. She hadn’t seen him leave with anyone and if he had come alone, how had he gotten here? She wasn’t sure what she found more curious, these unanswered questions or why she wanted answers to them. The man’s interests obviously lay elsewhere. He had a date later - “maybe” - and it wasn’t with her. The meeting at the falls had just been a coincidence and he was only here killing time waiting for someone to join him. She would guess that it was the same person as from last night.
“So, about that ginger ale,” he said, jarring her from her thoughts.
“Right. Ginger ale.”
Amanda retrieved a cold bottle from the cooler and sat it on the bar, along with a clean glass, before heading down to the other end to wait for a customer who had just sat down. He was a regular, named Harkin.
“That guy bothering you, Amanda?” he asked.
“No, not at all. Glass of Bud?”
“You know it.”
Amanda went to get his beer, trying to look anywhere but down the bar where Aspen sat sipping on his glass of ginger ale. She poured the beer and returned to sit it down in front of him, leaning in as he motioned for her to do so.
“You need to watch the likes of him, Amanda. Those biker gangs are bad business. I’ve heard stories.”
“What sort of stories?” Amanda asked.
“Things I wouldn’t share with a nice young lady like you,” he told her.
Amanda smiled and nodded. Harkin was in his upper sixties, a widow. He spent most of his nights in the bar, surrounded by yuppies and college kids from the town nearby. It was a popular dive among not only the locals but those in the outer counties, as well. Aspen was very much out of place in his biker gear, but he didn’t seem to care. It made Amanda wonder, once again, what he was even doing here.
She made her way along the bar, serving other customers before finally making it back to Aspen. He seemed to be oblivious to anything around him. Instead, he appeared lost in thought as he ran his finger around the edge of his glass and stared off into the distance. Amanda found herself once again wondering who he was supposed to meet tonight. What would she look like? Would she be some cheap floozy in leather and tattoos?
“Have you been stood up?” she asked as closing time grew nearer and he still sat there, periodically making small talk with an older gentleman beside him.
“Stood up?”
“Yes. I thought you were waiting on someone to join you.”
“I am.”
“Got here way too early then?”
“No, I don’t think so. I’m enjoying waiting.”
Amanda looked at him, puzzled. It dawned on her that perhaps he didn’t have a date and was just waiting for someone interesting to come along. She looked around the bar. There were several attractive women, but she hadn’t seen him attempting to talk to any of them. He was going to have a hard time hooking up if he was just waiting for one to fall into his lap. Still, it wasn’t her business. She shrugged and moved back down the bar to refill a drink.
It was all she could do to keep her eyes on of him. There was something about him that just drew her in. Settling for quick glances in his direction to check his drink level, she mostly pretended he wasn’t down there just begging for her to flirt shamelessly. Still, she wasn’t about to do such a thing. No matter how hot he was, he was still some sort of biker that she knew next to nothing about.
Soon enough the bar began to thin out and she made the last call for the night. A few takers were relishing a final drink before wobbling home, but most of the people that remained seemed focused on settling their tabs and heading out. Except for him. He continued to sit, just sipping his ginger ale.
“You want a fresh one?” she asked, eying his half-empty glass which no longer held any ice and was bound to be incredibly watered down.
“Nope. Guess I should pay up.”
“We don’t charge for designated drivers who drink nothing alcoholic.”
“Nice of you. Guess I’ll just tip the lovely bartender then.”
“Tip jar is down there.”
Amanda nodded toward a glass jar that sat on the other end of the bar and moved away from him, picking up glasses and beginning her nightly ritual of closing the bar. The owner, a crusty old vet, named Roy Dander, was in the back and would be out as soon as they were officially closed to help and count the money taken in. He rarely came out unless there was a problem, trusting her to handle things even though she hadn’t been working for him that long. He said he had “a feel for people” and deemed her trustworthy. He wasn’t wrong, but it seemed a bit risky to her for him to allow a stranger so much latitude.
Finally, everyone was gone but Aspen Lowery, who sat in the same place he had been all evening. Damn, he was disarming. It was time to close up and go home though. He couldn’t stay any longer. She was about to say something when Roy came out and spotted him. It was obvious that he recognized him from the way he began to scowl in his direction.
“Bar’s closing buddy. Time to hit the road,” he said.
“No problem, Roy,” Aspen said.
He seemed unfettered by Roy’s rudeness. Amanda had the feeling that whatever the two men knew about one another went back a very long way. As Aspen walked toward the door, she followed him to lock it behind him.
“I guess that date didn’t pan out, huh?” she remarked as he stepped out.
He turned to look back at her, his face lit up by the neon glow of the Blue Moon sign that hung beside the door. He was smiling happily as he made eye contact so intense that she wanted to jump him right then and there.
“Night isn’t over yet,” he told her.
Amanda watched as he walked toward the only customer vehicle left in the large parking lot, a black and chrome Harley. For the first time, she noticed the large wolf that adorned the back of his jacket. Above it, the words “Silver Wolf MC” were printed in bright red embroidered letters. She was shaken from her momentary paralysis by the sound of Roy calling out to her from the bar. Locking the door, she went back inside.
“When did he start coming in here?” he asked.
“Last night. Why?”
“As long as it is just him and he doesn’t start any trouble, he can come in, but if he starts bringing his buddies or starts any fuss - ban him.”
“Why? Who is he? What has he done?” she asked.
“He’s just bad news. Him and that whole motor club of his. This town would be better off without them.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Stick around, and you’ll learn soon enough. They bring trouble when they come around. I don’t want it in my bar.”
Amanda could tell he was getting a little upset, though she had no idea why. She decided it was probably best to just let it go. Rather than pushing the issue, she went about her work while he began tallying up the register. She finished up and collected the contents of the tip jar, along with the cash he paid her each night from the till. It probably wasn’t necessary. She was far away from the ex, but it made her a little hard to find, just in case he did get any ideas. Collecting her tips, she told him goodnight and let herself out, locking him inside to finish his work.