(Thanks again to Shawhollow's editing)
(Yes, this tale is supposed to be somewhat humorous and outrageous too. While not always comedic I'd like to think it is mostly a good-natured romp.)
(The gang gets motorcycles)
Rio, of course, heads to the biggest, meanest hog on the lot. The Big Ole Boy/Dealership owner, who has the makings of an aged outlaw biker himself, walks over to Rio.
"Why don't we look for something more your speed little lady," he grins with tobacco stained teeth.
"Do you keep your balls in a baggie around your neck or does your old lady keep them in a box at home for you?" Rio glares malevolently. "After all, you clearly don't use them in the aggressive art of sales." Before the guy can take actions to avenge the insult Valerie steps up.
"What he's trying to tell you, Rio, is that you pick a ride you can push off on your own, or lift to a standing position," Valerie explains.
"I've never had that bad a spill but my Mom did. Before I was born she was out riding around, slipped off the road and crashed. She broke her leg pretty badly and she was alone. The thing was she could, and did, right her ride and get to a gas station fifteen miles away because she had a bike she could handle, not necessary the one she wanted because it looked cool," Valerie tells us all; an individual lesson aimed at Rio would be taken the wrong way by her - guaranteed.
"Fine, fine," Rio gripes, "But if he shows me a pink motorcycle with tassels on the handlebars I'm going to burn this place to the ground."
"I sell Harley Davidsons, not tribute rides to the Power Puff Girls," he growls. Seeing our somewhat stunned looks the dealer takes a deep breath, "I have daughters, damn it."
After that things proceed much more smoothly. I sort of wish my ride is as macho as Valerie's well-seasoned HD Fatboy but she'd been riding since she was twelve and lived off her bike since she was fifteen. I'd driven a scooter twice in Thailand but I opted to not have the other bikers mock me by informing them of this fact.
"Did your Mom's leg heal properly?" I inquire as the buying goes along.
"What are you talking about...oh, Zane, my Mom rides bikes the way the Comanche ride horses," Valerie gives me a secret grin. "As far as I know she's never spilled a bike or even knocked one over in her life. I made that up for Rio's sake."
"Thank you for that Valarie. Well, at least the dealer dissuaded her of the 'my bitch rides in the sidecar' scheme," I sigh.
"I did it for you both, Zane. I like the pint-sized hormonal psycho," Valarie grins. "Besides, once he informed her that mounting a machinegun on it would no longer make it no longer 'street legal' she soured on the whole idea, but I'm starting to think the old bastard is taking a shine to her."
"Of course it has nothing to do with him showing her the kickstand assembly and her bending over while scratching her ass," Barbie Lynn snuck up on us. "I should warn her and Mercy that when that they've triple-rolled their skirt's waistbands up and forgotten to roll them back down. Maybe not," she sucks on the tip of her finger and gives me a wink, "it isn't like you can see their underwear when they are standing up - barely."
Barbie Lynn is a mixed blessing. Yes, we get serviced super-quick but the mechanics nearly had a brawl trying to get to her first. Belle had to invoke her mystic bad-ass-ness by taking off her sunglasses and looking at them. They know who she is, and how many dorks she's put in the hospital and this stops them faster than a Police Academy ring at a drug buy (Belle gave me that one because it happened to her).
Speaking of which, Willa, unbidden, has decided to hover close to Iona because my little Brainiac still hasn't completely become used to the concept that the world can be a very dangerous place. Some unknown biker, not associated with the dealership, tried to get Iona into the office in the back of the showroom to talk about 'warranty plans'. Willa glided up on him and asked if their tool replacement policy covered a ratchet wrench shoved up his ass. He took a bathroom break and was not seen again. I was keeping an eye out, but I still owe her.
I don't have any of those problems. I am not only the guy – I am the Dude. I am the Dude who has multiple partnerships with different babes every night. I try to explain that these are merely snippets of my life and that I do a variety of other things – none of which holds the slightest interest for them.
"Dude! You can still walk after that much sexy? You are the Man!" is the general response to their recognition of me – except for the dealer who I caught trying to hide a picture of his daughters; two seem to be very hot and the right age – what the hell am I thinking!?
"Oh Zane," Paige scrambles up to me. "They have leather halter tops and micro-miniskirts here; can you get some for me?"
"You have to promise to model them," I demand. Paige puts her hands on her hips, spreads her legs and gives me a deadly serious look.
"You are treating me like a sex object," she accuses me. I reach out and stroke the side of her head, from the tip of her chin to her right ear.
"Yes," I murmur, "Yes I am."
"Well, if that's the only way I'm can get them," she huffs, rolls her eyes, and skips away. The second she is out of sight, Valarie smacks me on the back of the head. I turn to protest to Valarie and Belle smacks me on the same spot. I spin away so I can keep an eye on both of the biker chicks.
"Oh, come on," I protest. "That's just a game we play. I really do respect her, ya know?"
"Oh, we know you respect her," Valarie nods sagely.
"It's because you are drawing yet another psycho into your orbit, you moron," Belle adds with a smile.
"Oh come on, she's not that bad," I defend the albino...psycho.
"Zane, she's nuts about you, but not in the 'she does your laundry without asking' way but in the 'drugs you and chains you to a bed while forcing you read her a love story of your own creation' bat-shit crazy way," Valarie explains.