Let's Ride

Chapter 24

We were up, dressed and bike ready to go by 6:45, Jessica and her mom had a rather emotional "goodbye," a last hug, and we were on the road, back the same way. At Cassopolis, instead of turning right, I kept going straight, on Pokagon Highway, rolling through more green farmland. At Pokagon, I turned left and eventually came out onto the M-60 bypass, then it was straight across to pick up I-94 at New Buffalo. It was slightly after 8:00 when we exited onto I-94 westbound, and what looked like a nice day ahead. "Ready to do this all over again?" I asked Jessica." "Oh I guess, do you think you could teach me to ride a motorcycle like this sometime?" I smiled to myself, "Why of course Jessica, after you learn how to drive a car, I've got a friend who runs a motorcycle training course, they start you out on smaller bikes at first, but the principles are all the same." I stopped at the Michigan City Harley dealer, and bought two tee shirts, one for me, and one for Jessica, I got talking with a couple customers when they saw my "Saddleback chapter" H.O.G. rocker, one of them had been to Utah, and remarked on the scenery there, Jessica had her bike all picked out, it was a 110th anniversary custom Sporty, "We'll have you riding before you know it," I remarked. Going around Chicago was another madhouse, bunched up truck traffic, and cages driving too fast. Eventually we got through it, I had originally intended to stop at the Harley dealer in Tinley Park but traffic had picked up again so I let it go. It was around 10:30 when we stopped in Morris for gas, it was really starting to get hot out so Jessica And I put our jacket away and just went with our tee shirts, we rubbed tanning lotion on, Jessica even rolled her tee shirt up leaving her midriff bare. Back on the road, it was more boring miles rolling by.

We stopped at a rest area just across the Mississippi river in Iowa, a pee stop and picking up am Iowa map. Once back on the highway, Jessica asked me, "So what kind of rules will your dad want me to follow?" "I don't know, mainly just about helping to keep the house clean, keeping your room clean and straightened probably helping me with the cooking, just basic stuff really." "I don't really know how to cook," said Jessica. "Somehow I didn't think you did," I thought. "Relax, I'm not the world's greatest cook, but I'll teach you what I know, I'm a better baker than a cook, you ought to see dad and Greg scarf those cookies when I bake them." "So your boyfriend won't mind if I'm around a lot, or we go places together?" "No Jessica, Greg won't mind, I keep telling you he's a really understanding guy, the kind you hang onto." "Well, what about, umm, you know like when you guys wanna "do it" and I'm hanging around." "Don't worry about it Jessica, we'll deal with it when it happens." She was worried about being the "odd man out" the "bother" I had to make her feel totally welcome, or this wouldn't work, tonight at the motel, it was apparent another "heart to heart" was in order.

We stopped at the Iowa 80 Truck stop again for lunch, eating at the Taco Bell inside, they had a lunch buffet that looked pretty good, but I was watching the money, so we had to pass. For the next couple of hours we rolled across Iowa, we would always get a horn toot or a wave whenever we passed trucks, two "biker chicks" rolling west on a Harley, waving back. We stopped at a Motel 6 on the east side of Des Moines; it was only a little after three, but tomorrow would be a long haul. The motel had an outside pool, so we broke out our bikini's and took advantage of it, My suit was at the very bottom of the left sidebag, I originally hadn't planned on taking it but found a little nook where I could stuff it. Jessica had hers in her backpack, which we managed to jam into the helmet box behind her head, so we were able to relax, swim and cool off. For supper, we simply walked a block behind the motel to a Country Kitchen. Back in the room, I used the wi-fi to check on the route and weather ahead, send Greg a "dirty" e-mail. I called my dad, and updated him on our progress.

As we were getting ready for bed, I sat down with Jessica, "Jess, I just want to make it perfectly clear to you that you are definitely going to be part of our family, I don't want you thinking for a moment you will be "cramping" our style, I'm talking about Greg and I. When we get together, we tend to get a little "frisky" and sometime a little explicit, but if it makes you uncomfortable please let us know, but we will be going a lot of places as a three-some, you're going to be part of our life now, and I think you're going to have a lot of fun, there will be work as well, but also rewards, I reached over and gave her a big hug.