Ride It Out Read Online Free Page A

man? Because you staring at us is really starting to piss me off.”
    Affronted, the waiter adjusts his arms, crossing them over his narrow chest. “Yeah, you’ve been here for over an hour. You need anything else, sir?”
    I take a look around. The place is not even full. “Look fucker, we’ve ordered food. Didn’t know there was a time limit on how long we could be here. Just bring the check and we’ll pay when we’re ready to leave.”
    Anne looks around, and I can tell she’s getting upset. Her posture is tense and she’s pulled away from me altogether.
    “You, got it Sir .”
    “Blake, calm down he’s just a high school kid. He’s not worth the headache. Let’s just pay and leave.” She sounds quiet, almost urgent.
    Just at the moment the waiter comes back. “Here’s the check, you can leave it here with cash or pay at the front. Soon.” He turns to leave and I hear him whisper. “Dude’s faking a handicap to get in her pants.”
    Furious, I push away and wheel faster than he can see me coming, and trip him just right for him to land flat on his face.
    “Damn it, I didn’t mean it!”
    I reach down to him, pull him up by the back of his shirt and bring him up close. “You little fucker, you need to learn some respect. These wheels aren’t for decoration. A drunk driver hit me while I was riding my bike, and no, not your ma’ams bike.”
    “Let me go!”
    “You’ve ruined lunch for my girl. I think you’ll be covering our bill, isn’t that right?”
    “Whatever dude. Just let me go!”
    I push him back down hard onto the floor. “Anne, let’s go. Our friend here is paying our bill. Isn’t that nice?”
    Wheeling slowly around him, she looks down and shakes her head. “Sorry, Blake has a little bit of a temper. His accident wasn’t that long ago. Please learn from this, hun. Oh and thanks for lunch.”
    Did she really just call him hun? I have to get out of here before I lose it further. Out the door I take a deep breath and try to calm down. Anne slides her hand slowly up my arm, it instantly soothes me.
    “Blake, let’s go back to the cottage. I’m getting tired.”

Chapter Four: Blake
    The roll back is quiet, but that's okay, because I’m lost in my thoughts. What am I doing here with Anne? The same question bothered me earlier and I came up with no answers then either. I came here to get away from everything, not hook up with some chick. Yet, something about Anne draws me in. She's not like anyone I've met before and I need to know more about her. Hell, who am I kidding? I need to know every damn thing about her.
    Huh, the roll back didn’t take as long as getting there did. Before I know it, we reach her front door. Anne searches for her keys while I watch. She turns to look at me shyly. “Would you like to come in?”
    I hesitate for an instant. “Sure.” Coming in for a few minutes doesn't mean anything. Polite. She's just being polite.
    Her hands shake and she drops her keys before I can catch them. Picking them up, I unlock the door for her, and move back a little to let her go in first. Damn, she's fast—rather, her chair is.
    The living room is arranged to accommodate her, with plenty of open space, and she turns and stops right in the middle, watching me roll in more slowly. She’s nervous, tapping her fingers again, and I can't tell what she's thinking.
    I decide to focus on something else. Being there in her personal space provides an opportunity to learn more about her and I’m not above taking advantage. Every available surface hold framed photos to give me a little glimpse of her life. Her brother was always at her side, watchful, protective. I can't find fault with that.
    My shoulder aches from the longer than usual roll so I make my way to the couch. She's still watching me with those big eyes, like she's half afraid of me. Only a minute has passed, but I realize I'd better put her at ease quickly and take her mind off that fear or she'll ask me to