Jade lifted her head as she heard the beloved sound of a Harley Davidson motorcycle pulling into the yard. She stood up and wiped her hands on the rag tucked in her pocket. She knew that Gary would ask her to work on it. She had a special way with Harleys. It was almost mystical. At least thatâs how Gary put it. From the sound of the engine she could tell exactly what was wrong with it. It wouldnât take her too long to fix it as long as they had the parts in stock. Knowing Gary as she did, she knew the parts probably werenât here.
Mark Calloway, better known in the world of Sports Entertainment as the Undertaker, walked into the office of Garyâs Garage. Before he trusted these people with his baby, he wanted to meet the owner. He walked up to the desk and rang the bell. A short man in blue-gray coveralls came out of the office door located behind the desk.
âGood eveningâ he said pleasantly, âWhat can I do for you?â
âAre you Gary?â Mark said in his usual gruff voice.
âYes, yes I am. Iâm Gary Mac Elroy,â
Mark slowly reached up and pulled his black sunglasses off his face. He looked a Gary intently.
âOh my god!â came Jimmyâs shocked voice, âItâs the Undertaker!â
âWho?â Gary asked,
âThe Undertaker, one of the biggest, baddest, professional wrestlers in the sport todayâ
Mark gave a small smile as the young man stared at him. Jimmy continued to stare it awe.
âJimmy donât you have a Yamaha waiting for you?â Gary pointed out. He didnât like people to feel at all uncomfortable in his shop. Jimmy nodded and scooted into the back.
âI need to have my ride checked out,â Mark said as he stared hard at Gary.
âWhat kind of motorcycle is it?â Gary asked as he made notes in his ledger.
âItâs a Harley Davidson.â Mark said.
âWell youâre in luck sir. I have THE best Harley Davidson mechanic in the entire United States working for me. Weâll have your ride up and purring like a kitten in no time at all.â
âI canât hang out here and wait,â Mark pointed out.
âWell, if you can leave a number where you can be reached, I can give you a call when sheâs fixed,â Gary said.
Mark looked at Gary carefully. He knew that he could trust this man and his people with his bike. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a scrap of paper. He wrote down the number to his hotel room and the arena.
âIâll be in the area for the next 5 days. Weâre doing a couple shows at the local arenas,â Mark said, âYou let me know the second my ride is up and running.â
âNot a problem, Mr.?â
âCalloway. Mark Callowayâ
âThat wonât be a problem, Mr. Callowayâ Gary smiled, âJade works miracles with Harleys.â
Mark left Garyâs Garage with confidence that his bike was safe. Triple H and Stone Cold would not be able to say the same thing.
Jade spread the tarp down and began to work on the Harley Davidson that had come in that morning. It was one sweet machine. She had already figured out what the problem was and if she ever found out who had done this, sheâd beat the shit out of him or her.
She had been right about the parts not being in stock. They would not be in until that afternoon at around 6:00 p.m. In the meantime she could work on the minor inconsistencies with the engine. When she was through with this baby, it was going to run better than new. This guy took care of his Harley and that was something that Jade could respect in a man. This Mark Calloway loved his Harley almost as much as she did.
Mark walked into Garyâs shortly before 7:00 p.m. that evening. It had only taken them the day to fix his bike. This Jade person was really good on time, but heâd have to postpone judgment until he saw the quality of his work.
Gary greeted him as he walked through the door.
âGood Evening Mr. Calloway,â Gary said.
âEveningâ he said, âYou said my bike was done?â
âYup. Jade is just finishing up. Has a way with the paint. Youâre not even going to be able to tell anything at all happened to herâ
âWhere is she?â Mark asked, âGo right through those doors. Jade is in the back lot with your bike. Likes to work on paint jobs and waxing in natural light,â
Mark walked through the doors and stopped dead in his tracks. His eyes first took in the long, thick brown braid and then down the slender arch of her back as she ran her hands, holding the chamois cloth, slowly up the curve of the gas tank. Her strong legs balanced the bike easily as she ran the clothe over the handlebars. There was something sensual about the way she stroked his bike. It was as if she were stroking him. The tension built in his lower belly. He heard footsteps behind him. Gary stopped once he reached Markâs side. He watched Jade as she worked.
âIt is a shameâ Gary said, âSuch a passionate woman wastes her passion on machinesâ
âPerhaps she just hasnât found someone worth spending that passion onâ
Mark said as he watched her dismount the bike and lower the kickstand. She wiped her hands on her rag and studied the bike for anything she missed. When she was satisfied that everything was as it should be, she sighed. Jade tilted her face to the sun and heaved another sigh. She had been working on this particular bike all day. She loved her work, but it was hard work. She slowly unzipped the top of her coveralls and pushed the sleeves off. Tying it around her waist, she used another cloth to wipe the sweat from the back of her neck and chest. She turned towards the garage and stopped dead in her tracks. There was a man staring at her. He was at least seven feet tall and he was big. His hair was red and curling over his shoulders. Black sunglasses hid his eyes but his black leather vest revealed heavily tattooed arms and a broad chest. Tight jeans encased his long legs and hard thighs. Jade felt an aching in her lower stomach. He had an aura about him that sent her senses humming.
âJade!â Gary called, motioning her over with his hand. She walked over to him, her eyes never leaving the huge man standing next to him.
âThis is Mr. Callowayâ Gary said with a smile as he noted the intense look in her eyes. She usually reserved that look for a Harley.
âHiâ she said. He nodded, not trusting his voice just yet.
âMr. Calloway owns that Harley Davidson that youâve been working on all day,â Gary said.
âItâs a beautiful machine,â Jade said.
âYeahâ Mark answered, âThatâs my babyâ
Jade laughed. She knew that feeling. She loved her Harley as if it were her child too. She reached out and offered her hand. Mark enveloped her hand with his and shook it. Mark returned her smile and then he walked over to his bike. Carefully he examined it, looking for any signs of the damage that had been done. He couldnât find any.
âDamnâ he whispered
âWere you hoping to find something I missed?â Jade said tightly.
âIâm impressedâ Mark said, âThey did a number on my ride and not one scratch showsâ
âYeah? Take me to them and Iâll teach them never to abuse a Harley like that againâ Jade snarled.
âI told you she had this thing for Harleysâ
âIâd rather push my Harley than mess with one of those foreign things that Jimmyâs always messing with,â Jade said.
âYou did a great job,â Mark said, âThanksâ
âYouâre welcomeâ
âWhat do I owe you?â Mark said as he straddled the bike. Jade gasped softly as she watched that strong machine being hugged by those hard thighs. That man was more than enough man for that machine. Jade felt her mouth go dry as his hands lovingly caressed the handlebars. Jade felt it as if it were on her own skin. Jade quickly went inside. She hadnât felt these things since Randy. She wasnât sure she wanted to feel desire, passion again. Not after the pain Randy put her through.
âThatâs one hell of a mechanic you have there Garyâ Mark said as he watched Jade walk away.
âYeahâ Gary agreed, âSheâs one hell of a woman as well, Takes after her mommaâ
âKnew her family did you?â
âYou could say thatâ Gary said, âSheâs my nieceâ
âIs that a protective note I hear?â he asked
âI gave up trying to protect Jade a long time ago,â Gary laughed, âShe does what she wants when she wants and does it especially if I tell her not to. Her parents died in a fire. She barely managed to get out. Sheâs a rebel and an angel all rolled into one. I love her as if she were my own childâ
Mark simply nodded. He heard what Gary was saying beneath the words that he chose. Jade is special. Somehow Mark knew that already. He settled his account with Gary and figured heâd just have to appease this ache Jade caused some other way. He owed her a lot more for the extra work that she did on his bike.
Jade sat on the barstool with her best friend Jasmine. They were in their usual haunt. Jade was just reaching for her Kahlua when something on the TV caught her eye. It was Mark.
âHeyâ Jade called to the bartender, âTurn that upâ
âWhat is it Jade?â Jasmine asked.
âThatâs the guy I was telling you aboutâ she said.
âThe guy who owned that sweet Harley you worked on today?â
âYeahâ
âHon do you know who that is?â Jasmine asked tossing her braids over her shoulder.
âNo. Who is he?â Jade said.