Shelby Nichols Consulting

The only thing I don’t like about winter is that it’s too cold to go for a motorcycle ride.

But the days are getting longer and the temperatures are rising. Maybe that’s why I like spring so much. This last week was unusually warm, with the temps climbing up into the sixties. So naturally, I decided to be prepared yesterday when I went to Thrasher Development for a meeting with Uncle Joey. I made sure I had my leather jacket, along with some warm, black leather gloves in the back seat of my car. I even threw a scarf in there… just in case.

At the end of my meeting, I walked out to find Ramos leaving to run an errand for Uncle Joey. I ran to stop him, and breathlessly asked if he was taking the bike.

“Uh… it’s a little cold for that,” he said.

“It’s in the sixties… I just checked the weather app on my phone. That’s not too cold. I could go with you.”

His brows rose and he was thinking that I had no idea how cold I could get, but he could tell that I was desperate, and he kind of liked it. “Okay. But only if you brought something warm to wear.”

“You know I did.”

He shook his head. “All right. I need to get my gloves and coat. I’ll meet you in the garage.”

Barely containing my excitement, I hurried to my car to grab my things. I slipped on my leather jacket, wrapped the scarf around my neck a few times, and slipped on my gloves. Ramos came out of the elevator and stepped toward his motorcycle. Instead of his leather jacket, he wore a black parka. He also wore a pair of outer pants over his jeans, and he carried a pair a black leather gloves that fit halfway up his forearms.

As he pulled the cover off his motorcycle, I joined him, and he glanced at me with a critical eye. “I thought you had something warm to wear.”

“I do. See? I brought my jacket and gloves, and a scarf.”

He shook his head. “I don’t think that’s enough.”

“Sure it is. It’s sixty-four degrees outside. I’ll be fine.”

He sighed. “Okay… but it’s not my fault if you get cold.”

“I’ll be riding behind you. It will keep me warm enough.” I almost said, I’m always hotter when I’m with you, but I kept that part to myself.

He popped the trunk of his car, and handed me my helmet before grabbing his own. Ready to go, he rolled the bike out of the space and started it up. Extending his arm toward me, I took hold of it, and swung my leg over the back to settle into the seat behind him. He made sure my feet were on the pegs, and my arms arounds his waist, before pulling out of the parking garage.

Just like always, a little thrill shot through me, and I couldn’t help the big smile that crossed my face. We pulled onto the street, and Ramos expertly maneuvered through traffic until we made it out of the busy city. He turned onto a frontage road and we stayed on it for several miles with only a few traffic signals to stop our progress.

That’s when I realized I had no idea where we were going, or how long it would take. Still… it hardly mattered since I was right where I wanted to be. Pretty soon, my nose started running, and I had to keep sniffing since I couldn’t wipe it. Not long after that, I noticed my toes were going numb. But that was nothing compared to my knees.

I took turns holding one hand over my kneecap while holding Ramos with the other. I did this several times, but it didn’t seem to help. How far were we going anyway? Pretty soon my eyes were watering from the cold, along with my nose, but under the full-sized helmet, I couldn’t wipe them. If we didn’t stop soon, I’d be a freezing cold mess.

Luckily, Ramos slowed and pulled onto a different road that led to a private airfield. It was another ten minutes to the airfield office, and I had begun to shiver. We finally came to a stop in front of the building, and Ramos helped me off the bike. I staggered a little and had to grab his arm to stand.

After he dismounted, he pulled off his helmet and glanced my way. “You okay?”

I nodded, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to pull my helmet off since I wasn’t sure how presentable I’d be.

“Let’s go in and warm up.”

I nodded again, and waited until he turned his back before I pulled off my helmet, and wiped my nose. I grabbed a tissue out of my purse and cleaned up my face, hoping I didn’t look too bad. Ramos held the door open for me and I could barely get my legs to move. I’d never been so stiff in my life.

Inside, Ramos greeted the manager who seemed surprised we’d ridden in on the bike. “Come on into the break room,” he said. “And have a cup of coffee. Looks like you need some warming up.”

He was looking at me when he spoke, thinking that, without the helmet covering my face, I would have frostbite for sure. I shuffled into the break room while Ramos took care of the business part of our visit. After pulling off my gloves, I poured a hot drink into the first mug I found, and wrapped my hands around it, reveling in the warmth.

Soon, Ramos joined me, pouring a cup and taking a few swallows. “Are you going to drink that?”

“Yes… I’m just getting my fingers warm first.”

He smirked. “Colder than you thought huh?”

“Yeah. I thought it was warm enough outside… guess I was wrong.”

“Yeah… it’s easy to underestimate.”

“What about you?” I asked. “Are you okay?”

“Sure.” He took my hands in his, surprising me at their warmth.

It gave me an idea. “Hey… do you mind putting your hands on my knees?”

His brows rose with surprise, but he did as I asked. “Holy hell. They feel like ice.”

I closed my eyes. “Oh… that feels so good. Thanks.” He held my knees for a few more minutes before the manager came in. The manager thought we looked funny sitting there with Ramos’s hands on my knees, but I didn’t care. I stifled a groan when Ramos let go to take the folder from the manager.

After sliding it into his messenger bag, Ramos glanced at me, hoping I was ready to go. Besides needing to get back, he was getting hot sitting there in his warm clothes. With a shake of my head, I finished off my drink, feeling marginally better. Standing, my frozen legs even held me up, and I could almost walk normally.

The ride back was a test of endurance. Ramos had offered me the use of his outer pants, but I’d refused, knowing he would take most of the brunt of the breeze. I tried tucking my knees in closer to his body, and that helped, but they were still nearly frozen solid by the time we got back.

After I staggered off the bike, Ramos shook his head, feeling sorry for me. He slipped our helmets into the trunk of his car, and glanced my way. “I tried to warn you.”

“I know. It’s not your fault.”

“Go home and get warm.” I nodded, but before I could move, he pulled me into a hug. His warmth felt amazing, and I couldn’t get over how he wasn’t freezing like me.

He let me go and I smiled up at him. “Thanks. I feel better now.”

“Good. Maybe we’d better wait until it’s a little warmer next time.”

“Yeah… you’re right.” I picked up that he regretted taking me, and he hoped it hadn’t put me off going on motorcycle rides with him. I chuckled. “Oh… you don’t need to worry about that. Sure, it was freezing cold, but I still enjoyed it.” He sent me that sexy smile of his that turned my insides to mush and I grinned back. “See you later.”

After I got home, it took two hours before my knees warmed up.

Still… I would do it again… only I’d be sure to wear warmer clothes… and snow pants on my legs.

But… with spring just around the corner, next time I wouldn’t have to.