Read Online Fool Me Once (Privateer Tales) by Jamie McFarlane - Free Book Online

the scene. It’s right by the University, good energy. You game?”
    “Absolutely.” I said it with more confidence than I felt since Alexander was still looking for me.
    “Ever been on a bike?” She asked.
    “I don’t think so. What’s that?”
    “Grav-bike. I’ve got an Indian, you’ll like it. C'mon.” She exited the room. “Mom, we’re going to grab some dinner. I’ll call tomorrow.”
    Kathryne was at the front of the shop. If she heard her daughter, she didn’t acknowledge it. I followed Tali out the back door. Sitting in the alley was what I recognized as a motorcycle grav-bike. I hadn’t originally put it together, since I'd only seen them in videos. The grav-bike looked similar to an old-earth motorcycle. The styling was such that everything had a swept back appearance. It didn’t really look big enough for two people.
    She threw her leg over the seat of the bike. There was a space no wider than five centimeters behind her. “Sit down tight behind me and wrap your arms around my waist. Try not to lean one way or the other, but hold tight. Closer is better. Don’t worry, I won’t bite.”
    In for a penny, in for a pound. This was about to get real personal, real quick. I slung my leg over the back of the bike and slid down behind her. The pitch of the seat forced my hips forward into her. I tried to lean back and put some distance between us.
    “Sorry Lena, I know it’s close, but lean forward. Otherwise you’ll throw us off balance,” she said.
    I wasn’t comfortable being close to another person yet, but this was different. She wasn’t trying to get something from me. The warmth of her body made me realize I hadn’t touched another person this personally without being forced or threatened, in a long time. I'd wondered if that part of me would ever be okay again. I relaxed and leaned into her, wrapping my arms around her waist and laying my head against her back.
    “Put these on. Make sure you get your earwig inside, the wind can pull it out if you’re not careful.” She handed me a pair of wrap-around goggles. “We should probably wear helmets, but bikes are all about being free.”
    “Can you hear me?” Her voice came through my earwig.
    “Yes.”
    “The goggles link us so we can talk. Don’t take this the wrong way, but you smell nice.”
    I wasn’t sure what the right way was, but I took it as a compliment. She smelled faintly of rosemary, I liked it.
    “Whatever you do, don’t let go. If we get into any trouble, try to stay as close to me as possible. We won’t, but just in case. Ready?” She asked.
    “Yes.” I probably sounded hesitant to her but I wasn’t sure what I was getting into.
    The bike thrummed to life, subtle vibrations transmitted through the seat into my legs. The bike didn’t make any noticeable noise but its power was intoxicating.
    “Here we go.” My stomach lurched as we launched forward. I pulled into Tali and closed my eyes hard. We were goners. The wind rushed by us at an alarming rate and it picked up her hair, which fluttered back on me. The goggles kept it out of my eyes, which was small comfort.
    After a few moments we stopped accelerating, the wind was a constant battering force around our bodies. We were flying. It felt nothing like traveling in space. Wind, gravity and the constant push of the grav-bike beneath us, it was both terrifying and exhilarating.
    “Any chance you could loosen up a little?” Tali asked.
    I was chagrined to discover I had her in a bear-hug. It was a wonder she could breathe. “Oh, sorry.” I relaxed my embrace.
    “No worries. If you haven’t been on a bike before, it’s a lot to experience. You should try to open your eyes.”
    How could she possibly know my eyes were still closed? She was right though, so I opened one eye in a squint. We were flying low at a couple hundred meters above ground level, not far above the tallest buildings. I opened my other eye and saw vehicles rushing past us. I loosened up a