One Night in Montreal

Roman wasted no more time in removing the tire, replacing the damaged inner tube with one of his spares, inflating it, and remounting the tire on the bike. He flipped the bicycle upright and checked the brake levers. He discovered there was too much slack on the cables, so he got out his tools and gave each cable a good tightening. He showed Julie how little she'd have to squeeze to get the brakes to engage now and she clapped her hands for him with a happy smile.

Next, he took out his Allen wrenches and found the right one to lower the seat. He dropped it down a good seven centimeters. "Give that a try," he suggested, and she nodded as she swung a leg over the bike. She sighed in relief as she kept the bike from rolling downhill with a light squeeze of the brake levers.

"This is so much better, Roman! Thank you! You are indeed skilled with the tools!" she gushed.

He chuckled seeing her happiness and nodded to her.

"How can I repay you for your repairs?" she asked as he put his tools back in his backpack.

Slipping his arms through the straps, he turned to smile at her. "Are you riding with anyone?"

She looked down the hill for a moment then held his eyes with a smile as she shook her head.

"This is my first Tour la Nuit. Would you share the experience with me?" he asked hopefully. He turned his bike's LED lights on, and the blue and white lights lit up the sidewalk around them. He saw her looking at him in surprise as a slow smile slipped onto her lips.

"Interesting colors you are displaying tonight," she said as she lifted her bib.

He finally paid attention to the jersey, and the red and blue lights on her bike took on new meaning. "You're a Habs fan?!?" he blurted.

"And you, a Leafs fan?" she returned.

Roman found he couldn't look away from her cheeky smile and discovered himself returning it. "I won't tell if you won't," he said conspiratorially.

She gave him a playful grin then nodded. "Agreed."

One of the volunteer mechanics stopped next to them and asked a question in French. Julie answered and handed him the screw that had been in her tire. The man's eyebrows rose then said something else to her and nodded to them both. He pulled his bike up onto the sidewalk and rode back up the hill.

Roman looked to Julie who smiled at him.

"He is going to look for more screws," she explained.

"Ah! Good! Shall we go?" he replied, gesturing for her to precede him.

With a nod, she glanced up the hill and pushed off to join the stream of cyclists. Roman slipped out right behind her after ensuring the way was clear for him as well.

When he looked forward, his eyes were trapped by the sight of Julie's perfect apple bottom, resting atop the saddle and squeezed into her spandex bike shorts. He pulled his eyes away and rolled up beside her. The red lights on her bike frame were casting a warm glow on her face and chest. He struggled to keep from staring, as her riding position allowed her breasts to swing forward and press against the jersey's front.

"So this is your first Tour la Nuit," she said.

"Yes! I've ridden in the Tour de l'Ile the past three years with a friend of mine, but this is the first year we signed up for the night ride."

"Oh! You're here with a friend?" she asked in surprise.

Roman shook his head. "No, Angelo bailed on me at the last minute to get back together with his ex-girlfriend."

Julie's smile stretched wide. "Ah! He is having the make-up sex!" She giggled at Roman's surprised expression. "It's the best kind, yes?"

He struggled to keep up in the conversation.

"I- I wouldn't know. My last girlfriend left me to find herself in Europe and never returned," he muttered.

"Did you love her?" Julie asked.

Roman was definitely feeling off balance, but he answered with honesty as he had no clever words to use. "No, I think we were only together because our friends all had partners and we didn't."

"So, friends with benefits?" the cute French Canadian asked sweetly.

Roman thought about that for a moment then smiled sadly and nodded.

When he reflected on their relationship so honestly, he realized he couldn't call Cindy a girlfriend. So he'd had no girlfriends. At all.

He looked over to see Julie glancing at him with a worried expression while biting her lip.

"I'm sorry if I made you sad. I sometimes say the wrong things and can't stop," she said softly.

He snorted as, even worried she was so damn cute. "It's ok. Let's talk about you now since you opened me up so wide. It's only fair."

She gave him a little nod. "What would you like to know?"

"So many things!" Roman thought to himself, but he controlled his grin. "Earlier you said you weren't riding with anyone, but you hesitated and looked down the road. What was that?"

Her smile lit up her face, and he was dazzled again. "You caught that?" she said peering at him from the corner of her eyes like she was embarrassed. He nodded. "I was riding with four women, roommates of my friend whose bicycle I'm riding. She asked me to take her place tonight. The roommates found four men to chase them. I did not feel welcome, so I let them ride ahead."

Roman nodded as he intimately knew how it felt to be alone at a party. Still, it worked out this time!

"Then you fell into my arms," he said with a grin. "Is there someone else in your life whose arms you fall into?" Once the words were out, Roman wished he could take them back as they sounded so incredibly needy and lame.

"Ho ho! So I'm not the only bold one!" Julie chuckled. "Such boldness deserves an answer as a reward. I do not. My last boyfriend left me when I told him I was coming to Montreal to go to school."

"So, you're in University?" Roman asked, relieved she hadn't taken offense at the embarrassing delivery of his question.

"Yes, I'm studying to be a nurse," Julie answered as she watched his expression. He just gave her an impressed smiled and nodded. "What about you Roman? Are you going to University too?"

He shook his head. "No, that wasn't on my life path. I'm a stone mason. I work with my Dad in the family business. I've been training at his side since I could lift a trowel."

She looked at him curiously. "Trowel?"

He nodded. "The tool for working with the mortar between the stones."

"Do you enjoy this?" she asked.

He nodded. "I do! It's very satisfying to work with stone and my hands!"

"You have powerful hands!" Julie blurted then looked away in embarrassment. It was his turn to enjoy her expression.

"Thank you," he said with a grin.

"What else do you do to stay in such good shape?" Julie continued and bit her lip as the words slipped out.

Roman's smile widened. So he wasn't the only one admiring physiques. "My work can be physically demanding, so I get a bit of a workout from that. For fun in the summer, I cycle as much as I can. And rollerblade! In the winter I play hockey."

"Like your beloved Leafs?" she quipped, having recovered from her loose tongue.

He laughed. "Nowhere near that good! I'm not very graceful on skates, and I'm not a fast skater. Still, it's fun to play with my friends. We're poor amateurs at best." He looked at her. After her positive reaction to his last question, he felt comfortable with being a little bolder than he normally would be. "What do you do to look that good?"

She gave him one of her megawatt smiles and nodded, acknowledging the points he'd scored. "I like to cycle, dance, hike in the woods, and skate during the winter. I don't play hockey, but I do like to watch and cheer for the best team!" She pointed to her jersey, and he snorted with a grin.

"You're lucky I'm the least fanatical Leafs fan in my family. My Dad might disown me if he ever found out I was fraternizing with the enemy," Roman said with a grin.

"You think of me as the enemy?" Julie asked with a cute pout.

"Never! I think you could be a very good friend... with dubious taste in hockey teams!"

She gave him a fake look of shock and playfully slapped his hard bicep. Then a satisfied smile slipped onto her lips. "I also think you could be a good friend... if you consider you might be wrong about which team is best!"

Roman nodded thoughtfully. "I've never been accused of being stubborn. I'm always willing to listen to and consider opposing viewpoints, no matter how crazy they may be!"

"You are a cheeky one!" she gasped happily.

They left the neighborhood roads to exit back out onto one of the main thoroughfares. Most businesses were closed, and Roman assumed this was due to the reduced traffic caused by the road closure. People were out on the sidewalks though, cheering at the cyclists who'd gone through the effort to light their bikes artistically. Some were noticing their opposing team colors and calling out to them. Roman wasn't sure what was being said, but Julie was happy and called back to them so he'd wave as well.

"They think they are witnessing a miracle! A Leafs fan and a Canadiens fan getting along peacefully!" Julie finally explained.

He glanced back at the last group who cheered for them then to Julie. "I can get behind that message!" he said.

The route took them back into the quieter and darker streets of the neighborhoods, making the lights on the bicycles that much brighter and more colorful. They grinned at each other, soaking in the positive energy of the night.

They watched a group of kids race by with flashing lights all over their torsos. Roman saw they'd wrapped strings of battery powered Christmas lights around themselves. He and Julie shared impressed smiles.

In the distance, they could make out the tower of Montreal's Olympic Stadium, and it gradually got closer. "Looks like we might be getting an up-close look at the stadium," he said.

"Have you been inside?" she asked.

He shook his head. "No, I'm not a big fan of baseball, football, or going to concerts- I like music, just not the concert experience."

Julie was nodding in agreement. "I've been to a couple. Much too loud and too crowded."

Roman couldn't agree more. "What kind of music do you like? Who did you see in concert?"

"I like music that lifts my spirits. I don't have a specific type I like. The last concert was so unpleasant; I can't recall the name of the singer. One 'slap the bitch' and I lost interest. I wouldn't have gone, but my friends invited me." She shook her head with a frown. "Not my scene."

"Same here," Roman agreed.

They rode on and turned into the parking lot next to the stadium to find themselves slowing dramatically to ride up a narrow ramp. They crept around the massive building to its south side. There, the crowd of cyclists was squeezed down to funnel into a down ramp.

Roman looked over at Julie incredulously. "What was the point of this? Why force so many cyclists to go through such a tight route?"

She shrugged as she shuffled along next to him. Then she bumped his arm with her shoulder playfully. "Maybe it's to get us closer together!"

He glanced at her in surprise then nodded with a smile.

Sure enough, with the tight route, the shuffling movement, and so many people on bikes, someone lost their balance, tipped over and crashed into the cyclist next to them. Roman was tall enough to see over the cyclists ahead of them, so he described the issue to Julie as they waited to move forward again.

Finally, they made it to the ramp and rolled down to cruise across the street into another neighborhood.

"Ahhhh..." Roman contentedly sighed as they rolled along on the relatively spacious road.

"You are spoiled by having the road to ourselves! Now you will expect to have all of the lane!" Julie teased.

"That doesn't sound too bad, you have to admit," he said fixing his gaze on her.

She gave him a slight nod and smile. "Yes. It does sound wonderful."

They rode on through the city streets, enjoying the positive vibes from the other cyclists, the volunteers cheering them on at each turn, and the spectators as well. Every once in a while, they'd spot some creative soul whose bike, helmet, or body was lit up in some unique and spectacular way. They would cheer for this cyclist, or group in one case, to show their appreciation.

Roman and Julie pulled their bibs to the side, so the team emblems were visible on their jerseys. This led to their getting more attention. Most were very positive, and even the negative was just in good fun.

The route turned northwards, taking them back towards the park on the east side of the mountain. The ride was almost over, and Roman found himself trying to think of a way to delay its end. He didn't want to say goodbye to his cycling partner.

He caught Julie looking at him and smiled shyly. "I'm having so much fun, I don't want it to end," he blurted.

Her smile widened. "Me too! I want to continue riding! Do you have somewhere you need to be tonight?" she asked.

His smile widened as he looked at her hopefully. "Not at all. I'm all yours!" His face fell as he heard the words leave his lips. "I mean-"

"No! You cannot take those words back! You are all mine tonight!" She chuckled with a wicked grin.

He couldn't stop the relieved snort from escaping, and he gave her a happy grin.

They relaxed as the night was no longer ending at the finish line. They were able to enjoy the last few blocks though there was a fair amount of climbing to get back up to the park.

The crowd at the finish line was loud and boisterous, with a brass band playing and volunteers shouting directions through megaphones. Roman could only imagine what it must be like to live in one of the houses facing the park. Cyclists dismounted and walked their bikes into the park where a fairground with rides was set up as well as a few stages for music and shows.

"We should get a picture taken of us to prove we completed the ride," Julie suggested. When Roman nodded, she flagged down one of the ride volunteers and asked her to take their picture. Roman and Julie handed their cell phones to the young woman who gestured for them to get closer together.

Roman was overly aware of how soft Julie felt against his side as he put his arm around her. She didn't seem to be shy about pressing her body against his at all.

He smiled for the picture then held still as the girl switched to his phone. He felt Julie's hand slide down to cup his ass. He looked down at her in surprise and saw an impish smile on her lips. His hand moved on its own to slide from her hip to rest just under her breast, his fingers supporting its weight. The flash went off just as Julie squeaked in surprise.

Julie stepped away but only after she gave his ass a quick squeeze. "Cheeky fellow!" She struggled to hide her grin.

"Me?!? You're the one grabbing my ass!" he responded with a smile.

Julie grabbed Roman's hips and turned his ass towards their photographer who was giggling at their antics. "How could I not squeeze such a muscular ass in tight shorts!" The flash went off again as Julie got a double handful and squeezed.

"Who's being the bold one now?" Roman laughed as he spun around to pull Julie's back against his chest with his arms wrapped around her. His palms rested under her full breasts. He couldn't bring himself to squeeze them as that felt like he'd be stepping over a line, but it felt so good to be holding her in his arms against his body. The flash went off again as their photographer continued to giggle. Their helmets were keeping their faces from getting too close, but he could tell she was smiling. Her arms were wrapped around his, and she wasn't trying to pull away.

"Take one with my camera," she called out to the girl, and they smiled for the next photo.

Roman was beginning to react to the feel of her body against his as her perfect ass was grinding ever so slightly against his growing erection.

The young woman had to leave so she approached to hand back their cell phones. Roman and Julie had to release their hold on each other to take them.

"Cheeky," he sighed as she turned and glanced down at his shorts with a small smile on her lips.

She nodded. "I think we can say we're both guilty of that."

They smiled at each other, both feeling the pull of their attraction.

"Would you like to get a drink?" Julie asked suddenly.

"Sure. Do you have a particular place in mind?" Roman asked

"Someplace close by. Cheap and good. Let's go," she replied with a grin.

They walked their bikes through the busy park until they reached the bike path that ran beside the road they initially climbed to reach the start line. They rode down the hill and followed the bike path down to the main thoroughfare of Sherbrooke Street.

"McGill is a short distance from here!" Julie called out.

"My hotel is across the street," Roman returned, and Julie paused to look.

"Noted," she said with a twinkle in her eyes and headed west on Sherbrooke. Roman followed and did his best to keep an eye on the traffic, not just her amazing ass.

As they rode past the university, she pointed out where she went for classes, and he looked where she pointed.

They turned down Peel to coast down the hill a short distance past Saint Catherine Street to the Peel Pub. Julie found a place to lock the bikes together. Yvonne hadn't given her a lock, so she was grateful Roman's lock fit around both of their bikes. They left their helmets locked to the bicycles as well, and Roman finally got to see Julie's lovely strawberry blonde hair that was straight on top but fell in waves to her shoulders. She ran her fingers through it to fluff it up after being trapped under the helmet.

As they walked back to the pub, Julie reached out and took Roman's hand. They smiled as they realized they were both still wearing their gloves. They pulled them off, and he put them in a mesh pocket on the outside of his backpack. Then Julie's hand found his once more. He liked that.

When they reached the pub, they saw a table opening up in the patio seating set up on the street. With an excited yelp, Julie released his hand and rushed ahead to stake her claim on the table. Roman followed more slowly and gratefully sat in the chair she gestured towards.

A harried busboy arrived and cleared the table for them. He half-heartedly snapped something, and Julie said something back and pouted at him. With a snort, he walked away with the dishes in the small tub he carried.

"What was that?" Roman asked curiously.

"Apparently, there's a waiting list for tables out here," she replied.

"Oh! Should we leave?" he asked beginning to stand.

"No!" she waved him back into the chair. "I told him I was a friend of Claudette, one of the waitresses."

The door pushed open abruptly, and a tall and slim woman wearing a pub apron stepped outside to peer at them. Roman saw her long black hair was pulled back in a ponytail, she was wearing dark eye shadow, and her eyes weren't showing the warmth of recognizing a friend. He looked to Julie questioningly as he was wondering how good of a friend this waitress was. "This is Claudette?" he asked and saw Julie nod slightly.

He watched the woman stride towards them, and he still wasn't picking up any friendly vibes. Julie appeared to be shrinking back into her chair.

Just before she arrived, Roman took his wallet out and pulled out a fifty. The bright red of the plastic bill caught the waitresses' eye immediately as he rolled it under his fingers on the table. She perceptibly slowed as she reached them. Out of the corner of his eye, Roman saw an older woman move to stand in the doorway to watch them with a suspicious scowl. The manager? Best to assume it was.

The waitress leaned closer to speak to Julie. "You're the friend dropping my name to take a reserved table?" Julie smiled up at her hopefully. Roman casually slid his hand along the table top to put the waitress between it and the manager. She palmed the fifty then leaned down to press her cheeks against Julie's. "You have a very smart friend," she said into her ear. She stood back up and looked to Roman. "What will it be?"