Trent & Mary

I pulled into the parking lot of a small, seedy bar and turned off my motorcycle. I stuffed the keys in the pocket of my jeans and went in.

Inside it was dimly lit, as was the norm for bars, at least as far as I had ever seen. About a dozen people were there. I sat down at the bar and ordered a beer.

I twisted off the cap and turned around on the stool. A number of women were there. One in particular caught my eye. She was quite tall for a woman, about six feet, meaning she was only slightly smaller than myself.

She had shoulder-length dark brown hair and a ruddy complexion. She wasn't exactly pretty, but she was handsome for a woman. She was wearing a red button-down shirt and black jeans, and had a handkerchief holding her hair back, tied into a bow. She had a narrow, almost sharp nose, and wide eyes. Her lips weren't thin, but they weren't full, falling somewhere in the middle. She was drinking some brightly colored beverage with an umbrella. She noticed me looking at her and smiled. She had beautiful dark brown eyes.

I got up and went over to the booth she was at. "May I?" I asked.

"Be my guest." She said. Her voice wasn't as deep as I had expected. It was actually rather light for someone her size, even a woman, but very rich. I slid into the seat across from her.

"I haven't seen you around here before." She said.

"That's because I've never been here before." I said.

She smiled, enhancing her appearance. She was rather pretty when she did that. "So what are you doing here now?"

"I came in to get a drink." I said.

She put her elbows on the table and laced her fingers together, then rested her chin on the backs of her hands. "You're kinda cute." She said, still smiling.

"So are you." I said.

"Oh!" She leaned back, blushing. "Do you really think so?"

"Of course I do."

She bit her lower lip and grinned, looking into her lap, where her hands were clasped. "What's your name?" She asked, peering at me behind her eyelashes.

"Well, what do you think my name is?" I asked.

"Um…" She studied me for a moment. "You look like a Trent to me."

I chuckled. "Okay, my name is Trent. What's yours?"

She put her hands back on the table and raised her head. "What do you think my name is?" She asked, exactly the same way I had.

I considered for a moment. "You look like your name is Mary."

She giggled. "Okay, my name is Mary. Nice to meet you, Trent." She held out her hand. I took it in my own and kissed the back.

She blushed again. "So why did you come in here to get a drink?"

"It was on the way." I said. "I'm headed to California."

"So what are you doing in Colorado? The nearest airport is a hundred and fifty miles away."

"I'm not flying, I'm riding."

She nodded. "I thought you might be a biker. After all, not a lot of people around here wear leather jackets."

I shrugged. "It keeps the bugs off."

"Why are you headed to California?" She asked.

"I've never been there, and I'd like to see it." I said.

"So you just ride around and go wherever you feel like going?"

I nodded. "Pretty much."

She studied my face for a few minutes. "How old are you?"

"Twenty-three. What about you?"

She grinned. "Don't you know that you're never supposed to ask a woman that?" She said.

"Sorry."

"I'll answer anyway. I'm twenty-three too."

I took a drink and thought for a minute. "You live here?"

She nodded. "I've lived here my whole life. As far back as I can remember, I've always wanted to get out."

"So why don't you?"

She shrugged. "I don't really know. Just lack of initiative, I guess."

"You don't have anything tying you down?"

"No, not really. I don't have a husband or kids, and I'm an orphan, so my parents can't keep me here. I don't have any brothers or sisters, either."

"Well… do you want to come with me?" I asked.

"With you?" She asked, surprised. "Really?"

I shrugged. "I don't see why not. I've always wanted to see the rest of the country, but I hadn't counted on being so lonely."

"Do you have a sidecar on your bike?"

"No. You'd have to ride behind me." I said. "I have plenty of money for food and hotels, though."

She thought for a minute. "I don't know. After all, we just met."

I shrugged. "It was just a thought."

"I would like to, but I'd have to have some more time to think about it."

"I can wait in town for a couple of days. I'm not on a schedule or anything."

She thought for a few minutes. "Well, why don't you stay with me while I decide?"

"Really?" It was my turn to be surprised.

"Sure. You seem harmless enough. And besides, it'll save you money on a hotel. There's only one in this town, and they overcharge."

I considered for a moment. "Okay, why not?" I said. "Is it far?"

"No, only two blocks."

"Okay." I said. "Let's go."

"Just a second." She said. I stood up, and she finished off her drink. "Okay, I'm ready." She said, standing up. She was less than two inches shorter than me. Her breasts were medium, bordering on large, but they would have been almost obscene on a smaller woman. She had nice wide hips, but her waist wasn't very narrow. I could barely tell it narrowed at all.

We left the bar and got on my motorcycle. We went to her place, which was in a small apartment building.

"I don't have a guest bedroom, so you'll have to sleep on the couch." She said as we went in.

"Sure. I can sleep anywhere."

"Can I get you anything?" She asked. "I like to cook."

"I haven't had a real meal since I left home. That was four months ago."

"Make yourself at home. I'll fix dinner for us."

She went into the kitchen. I hung up my jacket and sat down on the couch. Her apartment was nice, though it was sparsely furnished. She had a well-worn but still comfortable couch, a twelve inch TV on a wooden crate, and a desk against one wall. There were other crates in the room, serving as a coffee table, a leg for the desk, and bookshelves.

I browsed through the books, not seeing anything I had read. One of the crates was full of romance novels, while another held mostly science fiction and fantasy novels.

I glanced at the desk. There were a few pages with writing on them. I picked one up and read it. It seemed to be part of a romance story.

"Do you write?" I asked, setting the page down and going in the kitchen.

"Sometimes. I'm not very good, so I don't write a lot." She said. She was seasoning two steaks.

"Well, if you don't write, you can't get any good at it. You have to practice writing, just like everything else."

She shrugged. "I know, but inspiration is awfully hard to come by."

"You need any help?"

"You can make the salad." She said.

I helped her prepare dinner. We talked as we ate.

"So where are you from?" She asked.

"A tiny little town in Kansas called Kiowa." I said. "It's not entirely unlike this town."

"Why did you leave?"

"Small-town life was driving me crazy, so I left." I said. "I graduated when I was sixteen by working through the summer on my schoolwork, then I got a job and saved up until I could afford to get a bike and had enough to travel for about four years."

"Do you have a family?"

"My parents are still alive, and I have a sister, but I'm not married and don't have any kids."

"Oh. So what are you going to do when you run out of money?"

I shrugged. "I suppose I'll get a job and an apartment in whatever city I happen to be near.

"So you don't want to start a family?"

"I haven't really thought about it. I suppose if I met the right woman, I'd have a lot more inclination to settle down. But for right now, I don't have any plans for doing that."

She nodded and was silent for a while. "I've made up my mind." She said after a bit.

"And?"

"I'm going with you. I really like you. We're a lot alike, I guess. I think being on the road with you would be really interesting."

"Okay then." I said. "I usually get up early."

"I'm always up early." She said. "I still need to pack."

"I don't have a lot of room on my bike. There's room for a few changes of clothes and a couple of books, but that's about it."

"I don't have much anyway." She said. "I can get my friend Nancy to look after my apartment while I'm gone."

The radiator, which was in the same room, made a rattling noise. Mary got up and bent over it, giving me an excellent view of her behind. "Damn."

"What is it?"

"The radiator broke down again. It just got it fixed two weeks ago!" She stomped her foot. "That repairman cheated me."

She turned to me. "It gets pretty cold here at night, and I only have the one blanket. You'll have to sleep in my bed with me, so you don't get sick."

I shrugged. "I don't have a problem with that."

She sat down again. "Do you have anything to sleep in? Besides those clothes, I mean."

"No."

She thought for a moment. "Well, I have an extra pair of sweats and a T-shirt you can use for the night. We're about the same height, so they should fit you pretty well."

"Sure, no problem." I said.

We finished eating. Mary picked up the dishes and put them in the sink. "I'll help you with the dishes." I offered.

"Thanks." She said.

We did the dishes together, then went to the living room and sat on the couch.

Mary took off her shoes, but left her socks on, and drew her legs up under her. "How did you like dinner?"

"It was very good." I said.

"Thanks. I appreciate you helping me with the dishes."

"Well, you made me dinner and you're letting me stay here for the night, so I thought I should do something to repay you."

"So… were you planning on leaving by a certain time tomorrow, or…?"

"I prefer to travel by day, since I don't have to have my lights on and drain the battery. I like to see the scenery, too."

She glanced at the clock. "It's kind of late. I'm usually in bed by now."

I shrugged. "Okay. I'm tired myself."

She went into her bedroom and came back a minute later, wearing gray sweats and a dark blue T-shirt. She still had the handkerchief in her hair. From the way she jiggled as she walked, it was obvious she wasn't wearing a bra. She gave me a pair of sweats and a T-shirt.

"You should take a shower before you go to bed." She said.

"I was about to ask about that." I replied. I got up and went into the bathroom. I set the sweats and T-shirt in the sink and started the shower.

I showered and dressed. It was almost midnight by the time I got out. She had been right; up in the mountains, with no heater, it got cold quickly. Even in April.

Mary was laying in bed, reading one of her romance novels when I went into the bedroom. "Come on, get in." She said, patting the bed.

I lay down on the left side of the bed. Mary closed her book and turned off the bedside lamp, then pulled a heavy comforter up around us. She lay on her side, facing me, and went to sleep.

My eyes closed as well. Mary had been an unexpected entry into my life, but not at all an unpleasant one.

********************

I woke up later as I felt something warm move next to me. After a second, I realized that Mary had cuddled up next to me in her sleep. We were both laying on our right side, and her body was pressed quite firmly against mine. Since she was only a couple inches shorter then me, that meant the back of her head was in front of my face, and her rear was pressed against my crotch.

She shifted slightly, rubbing against me. I couldn't see very well in the dark, but the friction was arousing. I closed my eyes and tried to ignore it.

A few minutes later, she shifted her weight, rubbing against my crotch again. I briefly considered going into the bathroom to alleviate my condition, but I realized I wouldn't be able to get up without waking her. I sighed and again attempted to ignore her from pressed against mine.

Mary slowly got out of bed a bit later, trying not to wake me up. I kept my eyes closed.

She went into the bathroom and turned on the light. The clock on the nightstand said it was just past four AM.

Mary didn't close the door, so I could easily hear her urinating. She flushed, but didn't come out. I heard her begin to breathe heavily after a moment, and she began softly moaning.

I angled my head so I could see into the bathroom. She had her sweats and panties around her ankles, and she was rubbing her breasts with her left hand. Her right hand was in her crotch.

I immediately closed my eyes. I respected her too much to watch. Not that I didn't want to.

She moaned a bit louder. A few seconds later, I heard running water, then the light in the bathroom went off. Mary got back into bed.

I waited a few seconds before I spoke. "Have fun?"

"Oh!" She exclaimed. "I, I thought you-"

"I didn't look." I said.

"Oh. Um… Thank you." She said. "Did I wake you up?"

"When you got up."

"Oh. I'm sorry."

"It's okay."

"You really didn't look?"

"Well, I looked at first to see if you were okay, but when I saw what you were doing, I closed my eyes."

"Oh. Um, thank you for respecting my privacy."

I shrugged and closed my eyes. Mary was silent for a while, then said "Trent?"

I opened my eyes. "Hm?"

"Did you want to watch?"

"Yes."

"Oh." She was silent for a moment. "Um… do you mind…" She began, but trailed off.

"What?"

"Would you mind cuddling with me again?"

"Of course not."

She moved next to me again, facing me this time, and we put our arms around each other.

"Thanks for letting me come with you." She said. "I appreciate you taking me."

"You're welcome."

She lifted her head and gave me a kiss on the cheek, then lay her head on the pillow again. I closed my eyes. She sighed deeply, causing her breasts to press against me. After a moment, she slowly moved my hand down to her rear. I gently squeezed. She giggled.

I moved my hand back to it's original position. I could tell she wanted more, but I didn't have any contraceptives, and I doubted she did either.

She snuggled even closer to me. Had she been any closer, she would have been laying on top of me. She sighed again, and soon we slept.

********************

I awoke again as Mary got up. She stood and stretched, then went to her dresser and got a few sets of clothes. She put them in a backpack, then went into the kitchen.

I got up, stretched, and got dressed. I sat down on the couch in the living room and put my boots on. Mary came in and handed me a cup of coffee. It was cold in here, and I could see Mary's nipples pressing against her shirt. She set her coffee down on a crate and went into the bedroom, and came back out wearing a dark blue sweater.

Mary sat down next to me. She pulled her legs up under her and sipped her coffee. I wanted to say something about the night before, but I didn't know what.

I finished my coffee and put my mug in the kitchen. I went back into the living room and sat down on the couch. "I'm ready to leave anytime you are." I said, pulling on my boots.

"Okay." She replied. She finished her coffee and put her mug in the kitchen. She went into the bedroom and came out a few minutes later, wearing her shoes, gloves, and coat in addition to her sweater and sweats. Mary called Nancy and told her she was leaving, and to look after the apartment.

She picked up her backpack and turned to me. "Okay. I'm ready to go."

"Are you sure you want to leave?"

She nodded. "Yes."

"Okay then."

We went out to my motorcycle and got on. Mary put her backpack in the compartment under the seat. I got out the helmets and handed one to her, as well as my spare pair of goggles. Both helmets were open-faced, so the goggles were necessary. She put the goggles on and picked up the helmet.

"Hold on." I said. I took two bandanas out of my pocket and handed one to her. "Put this on so it covers your mouth and nose."

She did so, then put on her helmet. I put on my goggles, gloves, bandana, and helmet, put the seat back in it's original position, and sat down. "Get on."

She threw her leg over the seat and sat down behind me. "You'd better hold on. This thing gets pretty fast on the highway."

She scooted forward so the she was pressed against my back and wrapped her arms tightly around my waist. She rested her chin on my left shoulder and rested her feet behind mine on the platforms. "Okay, I'm ready."

I started the engine and pulled out of the parking lot, back onto the highway. I had been heading west when I got here, so I turned right and continued going west.

Mary was unsteady as I began to speed up, and she squeezed me tighter as we began our descent from the mountains.

As we rode, I couldn't help but notice Mary's body pressed against my back. She was wearing a heavy coat and a sweater, and I was wearing my jacket, but I could still feel her breasts pressed against me. The vibrating of the bike, especially on the rougher roads, caused her flesh to jiggle, despite the pressure. I did my best to ignore it.

We reached the Nevada state line three and a half hours later. Mary had overcome her uneasiness by then, and she had relaxed her hold on me slightly, though she still had to hold on to keep from being bounced off.

I turned into a restaurant parking lot a little after one. I pulled into a parking space and turned off the engine.

Mary released her hold on me, and we got off. Mary was a bit unsteady on her feet. "Legs numb?" I asked once I had removed my headgear.

"Yeah." She took off her headgear, and we put it all back under the seat.

"You should stop noticing that by the end of the week."

"Okay." She said. She took off her gloves and put them in her coat pockets.

We went in and sat down at a booth. There were already menus on the table. A waitress came around a few minutes later. We gave her our orders, and she went back into the kitchen.

Mary had her hands in her lap, and was staring at them. "Mary?"

She looked up at me. "What?"

"You're uneasy about leaving, aren't you?"

She looked at her hands again. "Yes."

"I felt like that when I first left." I continued. "I didn't have anywhere specific to go, and I didn't have anything I had to do."

She continued staring at her hands. I went on. "But that's exactly why I left. I wanted to be able to choose my own path. I always had someone telling me where to go or what to do. I'm too much of an individualist, so I left."

She didn't respond.

"I understand that it's hard to leave everything you've known your entire life. I went through it too. But you'll get used to wandering."

"I don't know. I want to go back." She said, looking up at me.

"I felt like that the day I left. I wanted to go back. I even turned around and started back. But then I realized that if I went back, that little sinkhole was going to dig it's tentacles into me and never let me go. So I turned around again and never looked back."

She dropped her head again. "You're right. But I'm scared."

"So was I." I said. "But I kept going."

I reached across the table and took her hand. "Give it a week or so. If you still want to go back after a week, all you have to do is say so, and I'll turn around and head directly back to your place."

She squeezed my hand and nodded. "Okay. A week."

The waitress came back with our orders. She set the plates down on the table, along with the check. We ate, I paid the bill, and we left.

We got back on my bike and continued west after Mary removed her sweater. It would be getting hot, even at sixty miles an hour. We had left the mountains of Colorado behind, and we were now in the relatively flat desert of Nevada.

I pulled off to the side of the highway as the sun set and turned off the engine.

"Why did you stop?" Mary asked.

"It's getting dark. Do you want to stop here, or do you want to head to the nearest town and see if we can rent a room?"

"Well, I've never slept outside before. I don't want to get dirty, though. It's really up to you; I'm just along for the ride."