Ken left Miranda's house around 10:00 am and they both noted that the Harley started on the first try with no problems. She then cleared away the breakfast dishes before she stripped the sheets off the bed and put them in the washing machine with a few other items.
Back in the kitchen as she finished the coffee Ken had made her mind replayed the recent events. The bike had started after their brief breakfast stop and they had been running them pretty hard the past few two hours so the engine was really hot. Yet it would not restart in her driveway after the short ride to her place.
Then his suddenly knowing her nickname, no one, not even the club members knew it. She looked at the ceiling and said in a loud voice, "Boots, what the hell are you doing?"
Ken arrived home and decided to wash and wax his newest possession as the nights ride left it dirty and covered with splattered bugs. As he worked he recalled the events of the past day and night, they were too good to be believed. He met a beautiful woman that sold him this older but very customized Harley for a song, it could have fetched $17,000.00 plus. He had his first exposure to a biker bar and they shared a slow dance, then they spent a better part of the Evening riding.
Later as he applied the wax he thought about what had happened when he took her home, things like that didn't happen to him as a rule. As he buffed the waxy haze to a brilliant shine he spoke to the bike. "Why wouldn't you start? Did you want me to spend the night with her?" He of course got no answer. As he cleaned all the chrome engine parts and continued talking to himself and the bike. "Miranda is the most beautiful woman I ever met and I really like her. Why couldn't I be older and then maybe I would have a chance?"
A visit to a local department later that Afternoon store yielded him a pair of black jeans and later as he walked passed the tux rental store en-route to the parking lot he noticed a large HALF OFF SALE sign in the window, so we went inside.
He exited about 10 minutes later with his purchase, a used blood red tuxedo shirt. He could not explain why he bought it as this was not his style. He left his place probably too early and it was an effort not to speed to Miranda's door, but the desire to be with her was overwhelming.
She was waiting in the driveway as he pulled in and almost forgot to apply the brakes as she looked even better tonight than the night before. Skin tight black leather slacks with laced sides, a blood red silk blouse and her leather vest. She eyed his outfit and her smile let him know she approved.
"New shirt?"
"Yeah, the tux shop was having a sale and for the life of me I don't know why I bought it."
Again she withheld comment, Boots loved to wear old tux shirts under his leather vest whenever they went out. She then swung a slender leather covered her leg over the seat and placed her arms around his waist and away they went.
Dinner was great and so was the movie, but it was the ride home afterwards that was the icing on the cake. Ken took the long way home and Miranda felt more alive than she had since Boot's passing. The weather was perfect, she had the wind in her hair and she was on the back of a bike behind a guy she liked. She hugged his back tightly as they rode and resisted the temptation to nibble on his ear or kiss his neck.
Back at her house they said good night and shared yet another passionate kiss and once again she invited him in for a nightcap.Once again he said he better get going and once again the Harley refused to start. So he placed it in the garage before joining her inside.
This time they did not sit in the comfortable living room but remained in the kitchen.
She produced some beers and after taking a healthy gulp she started talking, her voice taking on a serious tone.
"Do you believe in the paranormal?
"Not really."
"Well you better"
"Why?"
Miranda then spilled everything she had remained silent about. His sudden skill at pool, the knowing her nickname, the purchase of the red tux shirt and the Harley refusing to start twice after bringing her home. Ken just sat there listening in disbelief.
"What a cock of shit," he said rising from his seat.
"Excuse me?" she answered also rising ."Do you have a better explanation for all that's been happening?"
"No not really. so is that the sole purpose of the spirit of you ex husband? He's making sure you get laid on a regular basis before you leave town and I get kicked to the curb?"
Her eyes flashed anger and the roundhouse punch she threw connected with the side of his jaw and he hit the linoleum floor. When he opened his eyes his vision was blurry so he shook his head a few time to clear it, but didn't help.
He then tried to stand up and splash some cold water on his face but found he couldn't move. When his vision finally cleared he saw why he couldn't move. William "Boots" Randolph standing above him smiling with his foot on his chest. He looked around and was still on Miranda's kitchen floor.
"Ha!, my girl knocked your punk ass out with one punch," the vision laughed.
"Who are you?"
"You know dammed well who I am, and that was a pretty stupid thing to say to her."
Ken started to speak and the vision told him to shut his mouth.
"Look kid, I was taken from her too early and I needed to find someone special to grow with her and take care of her and not just any guy that can straddle a bike.
Ken attempted to answer and the vision told him to shut up and listen.
"That's why I would not let just anybody start the bike, you have what she needs. You are both alone, have a lot in common and believe it or not you need each other. Her moving out of state will not solve anything."
"But I'm only eighteen, I can't even go into a bar with her."
"She was only seventeen when we met so age don't mean shit to her and by the way she is only twenty-three."
"I got nothing to offer her, I live in a cramped apartment above my parents garage."
"Your love and trust is all you need to offer."
"What if she doesn't feel the same way?"
"She does, but you gotta tell her how you feel or so help me you will never start that bike again".
Ken started to speak again and the vision interrupted him and raised his voice to a deafening level, "Tell her how you feel," it bellowed and the sound assaulted his eardrums.
"OK, OK," Ken answered.
The image of Boots removed his foot then helped Ken stand up.
"You remind me of how I was at 18, hell you even look like me."
He then he gave Ken a hug and a smile. "Best of luck to ya bro, hope you both have a great life."
The image was still smiling when it threw a hard right hook and he crashed to the floor again. When he woke up Miranda was kneeling next to him holding a cold cloth on his forehead.
"Oh Ken, I am so sorry," she said with tears in her eyes.
Ken sat up and took her in his arms yanking her off her knees and laying her across his lap. "Miranda I love you, I really love you. Please don't move away, we just got to know each other."
"Do you mean that?," she asked and began to weep as she increased her hug.
"I know that I'm younger than you and that we have only known each other for one day, but I have never felt like this before."
She stopped crying long enough to place a lovers kiss on his lips. Then he told her about the vision he just had and that Boots said you were only 23, her heart skipped a beat as she had never told him her age.
"See, I told you Boots must like you."
They remained on the floor holding each other and talking for the next two hours. The following day she removed her house from the for sale listings and unpacked the already filled boxes, Ken moved out of his place two days later and in with Miranda.
They work, they laugh, they ride and are enjoying life. Boot's spirit still inhabits the Harley and occasionally will not allow him to start it, usually its after they had a fight and his first instinct is to run and avoid discussing it. So a new road lay ahead for the couple with the haunted Harley.
Back in the kitchen as she finished the coffee Ken had made her mind replayed the recent events. The bike had started after their brief breakfast stop and they had been running them pretty hard the past few two hours so the engine was really hot. Yet it would not restart in her driveway after the short ride to her place.
Then his suddenly knowing her nickname, no one, not even the club members knew it. She looked at the ceiling and said in a loud voice, "Boots, what the hell are you doing?"
Ken arrived home and decided to wash and wax his newest possession as the nights ride left it dirty and covered with splattered bugs. As he worked he recalled the events of the past day and night, they were too good to be believed. He met a beautiful woman that sold him this older but very customized Harley for a song, it could have fetched $17,000.00 plus. He had his first exposure to a biker bar and they shared a slow dance, then they spent a better part of the Evening riding.
Later as he applied the wax he thought about what had happened when he took her home, things like that didn't happen to him as a rule. As he buffed the waxy haze to a brilliant shine he spoke to the bike. "Why wouldn't you start? Did you want me to spend the night with her?" He of course got no answer. As he cleaned all the chrome engine parts and continued talking to himself and the bike. "Miranda is the most beautiful woman I ever met and I really like her. Why couldn't I be older and then maybe I would have a chance?"
A visit to a local department later that Afternoon store yielded him a pair of black jeans and later as he walked passed the tux rental store en-route to the parking lot he noticed a large HALF OFF SALE sign in the window, so we went inside.
He exited about 10 minutes later with his purchase, a used blood red tuxedo shirt. He could not explain why he bought it as this was not his style. He left his place probably too early and it was an effort not to speed to Miranda's door, but the desire to be with her was overwhelming.
She was waiting in the driveway as he pulled in and almost forgot to apply the brakes as she looked even better tonight than the night before. Skin tight black leather slacks with laced sides, a blood red silk blouse and her leather vest. She eyed his outfit and her smile let him know she approved.
"New shirt?"
"Yeah, the tux shop was having a sale and for the life of me I don't know why I bought it."
Again she withheld comment, Boots loved to wear old tux shirts under his leather vest whenever they went out. She then swung a slender leather covered her leg over the seat and placed her arms around his waist and away they went.
Dinner was great and so was the movie, but it was the ride home afterwards that was the icing on the cake. Ken took the long way home and Miranda felt more alive than she had since Boot's passing. The weather was perfect, she had the wind in her hair and she was on the back of a bike behind a guy she liked. She hugged his back tightly as they rode and resisted the temptation to nibble on his ear or kiss his neck.
Back at her house they said good night and shared yet another passionate kiss and once again she invited him in for a nightcap.Once again he said he better get going and once again the Harley refused to start. So he placed it in the garage before joining her inside.
This time they did not sit in the comfortable living room but remained in the kitchen.
She produced some beers and after taking a healthy gulp she started talking, her voice taking on a serious tone.
"Do you believe in the paranormal?
"Not really."
"Well you better"
"Why?"
Miranda then spilled everything she had remained silent about. His sudden skill at pool, the knowing her nickname, the purchase of the red tux shirt and the Harley refusing to start twice after bringing her home. Ken just sat there listening in disbelief.
"What a cock of shit," he said rising from his seat.
"Excuse me?" she answered also rising ."Do you have a better explanation for all that's been happening?"
"No not really. so is that the sole purpose of the spirit of you ex husband? He's making sure you get laid on a regular basis before you leave town and I get kicked to the curb?"
Her eyes flashed anger and the roundhouse punch she threw connected with the side of his jaw and he hit the linoleum floor. When he opened his eyes his vision was blurry so he shook his head a few time to clear it, but didn't help.
He then tried to stand up and splash some cold water on his face but found he couldn't move. When his vision finally cleared he saw why he couldn't move. William "Boots" Randolph standing above him smiling with his foot on his chest. He looked around and was still on Miranda's kitchen floor.
"Ha!, my girl knocked your punk ass out with one punch," the vision laughed.
"Who are you?"
"You know dammed well who I am, and that was a pretty stupid thing to say to her."
Ken started to speak and the vision told him to shut his mouth.
"Look kid, I was taken from her too early and I needed to find someone special to grow with her and take care of her and not just any guy that can straddle a bike.
Ken attempted to answer and the vision told him to shut up and listen.
"That's why I would not let just anybody start the bike, you have what she needs. You are both alone, have a lot in common and believe it or not you need each other. Her moving out of state will not solve anything."
"But I'm only eighteen, I can't even go into a bar with her."
"She was only seventeen when we met so age don't mean shit to her and by the way she is only twenty-three."
"I got nothing to offer her, I live in a cramped apartment above my parents garage."
"Your love and trust is all you need to offer."
"What if she doesn't feel the same way?"
"She does, but you gotta tell her how you feel or so help me you will never start that bike again".
Ken started to speak again and the vision interrupted him and raised his voice to a deafening level, "Tell her how you feel," it bellowed and the sound assaulted his eardrums.
"OK, OK," Ken answered.
The image of Boots removed his foot then helped Ken stand up.
"You remind me of how I was at 18, hell you even look like me."
He then he gave Ken a hug and a smile. "Best of luck to ya bro, hope you both have a great life."
The image was still smiling when it threw a hard right hook and he crashed to the floor again. When he woke up Miranda was kneeling next to him holding a cold cloth on his forehead.
"Oh Ken, I am so sorry," she said with tears in her eyes.
Ken sat up and took her in his arms yanking her off her knees and laying her across his lap. "Miranda I love you, I really love you. Please don't move away, we just got to know each other."
"Do you mean that?," she asked and began to weep as she increased her hug.
"I know that I'm younger than you and that we have only known each other for one day, but I have never felt like this before."
She stopped crying long enough to place a lovers kiss on his lips. Then he told her about the vision he just had and that Boots said you were only 23, her heart skipped a beat as she had never told him her age.
"See, I told you Boots must like you."
They remained on the floor holding each other and talking for the next two hours. The following day she removed her house from the for sale listings and unpacked the already filled boxes, Ken moved out of his place two days later and in with Miranda.
They work, they laugh, they ride and are enjoying life. Boot's spirit still inhabits the Harley and occasionally will not allow him to start it, usually its after they had a fight and his first instinct is to run and avoid discussing it. So a new road lay ahead for the couple with the haunted Harley.
