By the time he had left his hotel that afternoon, Bruce’s head was spinning, contemplating his next move. However, he was on his way to meet Melissa and he could not afford to show his emotions. Most likely, she would start asking questions. Bruce would have to tell her the whole story and reveal his secrets, secrets that had been haunting him for years. Under the blood-red sky of Las Vegas, her image reentered his mind. He liked her; she seemed like an honest girl, but he barely knew her. Bruce could not know whether he could trust her or not.

During his short ride to Bonanza Road, he enjoyed the scenery. He liked the uphill road, even though a couple of turns were quite steep, but, more than anything, he savored the sensation of the cool air against his skin. The day in the city had been extremely hot; neither he nor Matt would even consider getting out before sunset. However, the evening was rather brisk, ideal for long walks or long rides on his Harley. This one though lasted less than ten minutes. Bruce spotted Melissa on the right side of the wide road, sat on her electric-blue motorcycle, just outside the supermarket she had told him about.

“Hey you.” She sang. “How was the ride? It wasn’t hard to find, was it?”

“Hi. No, it wasn’t.” He said, trying to pull his helmet over his head.

“Keep it on.” Melissa suggested. “There’s a place I want you to see.”

“Lead the way.” Bruce gave her a smile. She returned it, slowly turned around, put her own helmet on and mounted her motorcycle. Her black leather outfit was tight enough to accentuate her curves. Even in that, Melissa looked very feminine indeed. Sadly for Bruce, he could not watch her for more than just a few seconds. The brunette started the engine of her Harley, as the sun quickly disappeared in the horizon.

“I was so stupid to leave last night. Where are you taking me, Melissa? What is it that you want me to see?”

Curious about what she had in mind, Bruce followed Melissa. For the first time in his life, he was riding with a woman. A beautiful woman. Something in her ways appealed to him. She lured him like nothing else in the entire world could. Bruce was not sure whether it was the fact that she rode a motorcycle, her amazing looks or the way she had treated him so far. It could be any of those things or all of them combined. But he would not bother to analyze it any further. Once again, he was feeling the cool breeze against his skin, as they rode on an uphill stretch of road. The busy Bonanza road continued downhill, giving him a chance to gaze at the dozens of taillights and headlights. The Frenchman mountains stood tall and proud against the clear, darkening sky.

“Freedom, baby.” Bruce thought to himself, as he rolled the throttle on his motorcycle. The speedometer indicated he was doing more than eighty five miles per hour.

“Something happens to you at about ninety miles an hour. All the noise drowns out all sound. You focus on the immediate. All of a sudden, you’re not on the road. You’re in it. You’re part of it. Nothing matters; traffic, scenery, people become nothing more than blurry images of things you’re just trying to avoid. I love that rush.”

The immediate at that point was Melissa and her long hair whipping against her back. The right indicator on her Harley flashed. Fifty yards later, she took a right turn. Bruce found himself onto yet another downhill road. This one however was gravelly and empty, surrounded by thick, dry bushes. Two hundred meters down that road, Melissa left it and went to the right. She rode across a rocky ledge, slowed down and eventually stopped, just a few feet before the edge.

“This is it.” She said, pulling her helmet over her head. Bruce’s jaw had dropped. The hill that they were on overlooked the city of Las Vegas. Thousands upon thousands of sparkling city lights lay ahead of them. Their numerous color variations added to the sheer beauty of the scenery. Several high-rises towered over the rest of the smaller buildings and could be seen from a distance.

“It’s fantastic.” Bruce voiced his mind in a mild tone, as he removed his helmet as well. The two of them dismounted their motorcycles almost at the same time. He left his helmet hanging on the left handlebar and put his hands in his pockets, as he lazily walked up to her.

“This is my favorite view of the city.” Melissa confessed, her voice low and sweet. Then, she turned her head to the left and faced Bruce. “You said you’re from Boston. What’s your favorite view of your city?”

“Charles River.” Bruce’s response was sharp. “It’s a great place for a walk, with amazing views of the city.”

“It sounds interesting.” She commented.

“You should see it someday.” He suggested, as his thick lips curled into a razored smile.

“There’s that grin again.” Melissa remarked, pointing at his face. “I swear to God, if I hadn’t seen you riding a bike, I would never think you’re a biker.”

“Why’s that?”

“Because you don’t act like one.” She explained. “You got…” Melissa faltered. “Manners. You’re not loud. You can actually talk. Most bikers I’ve met yell a lot. They’re pretty crude, if you know what I mean.”

“I know exactly what you mean.” Bruce spoke in an emphatic tone. “I was member of a motorcycle club.”

“Really?” She chirped. “How was it?”

“Well, it was pretty loud. We had lots of fun. You know, riding around, going to places. We were pretty close.” He replied.

“Then why did you leave?” Bruce dreaded Melissa’s last question. It put him in an impossible position. Not ready to reveal his past, he decided to try a different approach.

“Why are you so interested in me, Melissa? I mean, I’m a tourist. You know I won’t be here for long.” He said, as a breeze tugged at his short, black hair. Melissa rolled her eyes to the right and squeezed her lips, clearly saddened by his words.

“I’ve been alone for too long.” She whispered. “My phone was already buzzing in my pocket when you spoke to me. I got a pretty oppressive father. That’s why I was so rude to you.”

“I’m not buying that.” Bruce smirked at her. “You’re too beautiful to be alone. And what you said about your father doesn’t make sense. What does your mother have to say about this?”

“Well, thanks, but it’s true.” Melissa continued. “My mom died two years ago. Heart attack.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know.” He lowered his tone and got serious.

“Bruce.” She snorted. “You can’t. You just can’t be a biker. I think someone’s playing a joke on me.”

“I am. I got the scars to prove it.” Bruce spoke in his deep, manly voice. “I can show you if you like. Why do you say to that?”

“Please, don’t make me repeat myself.” Melissa requested.

“I really liked what you did last night.” He whispered, bending his head towards her. “I dumped you and you didn’t get mad at me. You wanted to see me again.” Sliding his right hand up her forearm, he looked deep into her eyes. She did not stop him; her big smile encouraged him. Bruce’s hand stopped on the side of her neck. The feel of her soft skin in his palm sent sparks up and down his body.

“You could have snapped at me when I said ‘nice try’. But you didn’t. That’s why I talked to you later.” Her high-pitched voice had lowered to a soft, sweet whisper. Bruce closed his eyes and gently pulled her closer to him. Melissa’s skin was very smooth, but it was her tender kiss that blew his mind. Her lips felt warm on his mouth, as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Sensing her hot breath on his skin, he held her near. The wind grew stronger; it began to whip her hair against her face, but she would not stop kissing him. Bruce caressed the back of her neck, entwining his other arm around her back. He trapped her upper lip in his mouth and kissed it one last time, before slowly pulling back.

“I’ve never seen anything prettier in my whole life.” He confessed, watching as the wind continued to whip her hair against her face.

“You’re really sweet, Mr. Boston.” She whispered.

“I’m just being honest.” Bruce added.

“Care to follow me again?” Melissa asked in a husky tone.

“Where to?”

“My place is two miles east from here.” She winked at him. With her scent still in his nostrils and feeling a little dizzy by her kiss, Bruce would not say “no” to her. Their date was going better than he anticipated. He couldn’t wait to be alone with her in a much more comfortable place than a rocky ledge. His heart was racing, as he mounted his Harley for one more time that night.

“Your place it is. It doesn’t matter if it’s up the mountains or in the desert. I really want to spend the night with you.”