One Night Stand, Then My Mate

What’s Next? -Miles

The sun is rising as were trying to sober up from being drunk in each other’s love making. She makes me so weak. We load our thinks up into my jeep and we both stare at each other realizing we haven’t gotten any sleep tonight.

Caroline stares at the clock in my jeep and it reads that its 6:15 in the morning. She has to work today and so do I. At least at the shop I can hide out in the office, she has to doctor people, mend bones and stuff. I feel bad for keeping her up all night. I hope it was worth it to her. It was definitely worth it to me.

We arrive at her apartment so i can drop her off. We haven’t said much, but our hands haven’t left each other’s bodies. She’s so desirable. So perfect. Unflawed. I’m gawking over her. She has taken my breath away completely. I don’t want to tell her goodbye, but that’s just my selfishness sinking in.

“I really don’t want to let you go, but I know you need to rest before work. I would love to see you tonight when you get off, if you want me to.” Please say yes. I know I’m so submissive to her, but i can’t help it. She’s everything. She eyes me in the softest way, and mumbled “I would love to, but I don’t get off until 4:00am. I doubt you’ll be awake, but if you are, you’re more than welcome to come home with me.” I nod, trying to play it cool, “Then, I’ll see you at dawn” with a wink.

She closes the door and it seems like I’m counting down the hours until I can be in her presence, smell her scent, see her smile or stare into those emerald green eyes. I’m also in regret that I’m going to have to stomach all the lies I have to tell at the shop today.

I have to be at work in less than two hours. My days are usually filled with hanging out with Mack and Nathanil,, but since I’ve met Caroline, I haven’t spent much time with them. I typically spend all day in the shop, grab a beer at The Forest and then run around the woods and hunt with them. My days include them. They’re my pack. But I’m starting to realize maybe just Caroline is.

I head to my cabin to shower and relax before I have to spend the day hiding the most exciting things I’ve experienced this week. I think I may have found the one. I could fall so deeply for Caroline, but i can’t even tell Mack and Nathanil. It hurts me to hide this from them. But the thought of them ripping my body in pieces until I’m left to die hurts more. Who even came up with this rule?

DING! The toaster goes off and I snatch it out and slap some butter on the two pieces of bread. I have the coffee on and I grab my creamer out of the fridge. I want to look as well rested as possible to keep the questions away. Even though I know that’ll be impossible considering I haven’t seen the boys in a few days. I grab a napkin, my coffee cup and my toast and head out the door.

I reach the shop and i look into my rear view mirror. I forgot to trim my beard. It’s giving me a scruffy look that i usually don’t have. I’m a very clean cut man. As soon as I walk through the door I’m met by Mack first and I’m relieved. “Hey man, Nathanil won’t be in today, he’s sick, thinks he ate some bad meat.” I can’t help but feel a weight off my shoulders. Nathanil is more prone to prying, “oh that’s alright, I think you and i can hold it down for the day. I’ll reach out to him and see if there’s anything we can do for him until he gets back on his feet.” He nods and heads to get started on work.

I’m doing an oil change, then cleaning the air filters out of this 1971 Harley Davidson. I’m going to try to swamp myself with work so I don’t think about Caroline and how her fingers feel tracing my beard, down to my neck and then onto my chest, twirling the hair. I really think I’m falling in love with her. Something as little as her touch or the light in her eye makes me feel shaky.

“What do you want for lunch? I can run down to The Forest and grab us some phillys?” I get excited by the fact that I’m about to be here alone for at least an hour. “Sure man, whatever works for you.” I don’t look up because I’m trying to act engaged to this bike instead of married to the thought of seeing Caroline in a couple of hours. Mack grabs his keys and hops on his CRF 250.

I’m completely exhausted from actually doing work today and from pulling an all-nighter. I want to text Caroline, and tell her I’m ready to see her, but I think the way I said goodbye earlier was memorable. She’s probably thinking about those four works. “See You At Dawn”. I hope they’re tattooed to the back of her mind.

The thought of her accepting me gave me all the confidence in the world. I want to tell Mack and Nathanil, but i know what the consequences are. I know that it’s not allowed, but I’m hopeful that there will come a time when we can banish the rule. We live among the mortal, when can we be honest about ourselves and accept each other for who we are, the same way Caroline did for me.

Mack is pulling back in, I hear him from about half a mile away. I’m sure our food will be cold from the wind. I finished everything I needed to do on the Harley, so I started on 1924 Morton. Id be lying if I said I wasn’t scared to touch this bad boy. This hog is worth so much money probably more than this whole shop and business and older than I am.

“One for you and one for me. Do you want this pickle?” He asked handing me my lunch. “No haha that’s okay.” I scarf mine down in three bites. I haven’t ate anything but toast since yesterday morning when I went to bring Caroline food. Oh Caroline. Sweet sweet Caroline. Only 14 hours to go until I can see her.

We manage to finish the Morton and it’s about 3 o’clock. I look around the shop with no energy to finish anything else for the day. “Mack, I have a few things I gotta do so let’s close up shop at 4.” He looks at me confused because he knows I never close up early. “Ummm, sure thing. No problem.” Truth is, I want to go home and catch up on some sleep.

We put away our tools and pick up our mess from the day. I can’t wait to get out of here. I feel like even if i shotgunned five RedBulls I still wouldn’t have any energy. I lock the door and flick my hand up to mack signaling a goodbye. Now we go home. I head for the house when my eyes start getting heavier and heavier.

BAM!!!

I open my eyes and see a tree in front of me and paramedics all around. What the hell happened? My head hurts and I feel something beading down my forehead. I reach up to wipe whatever it is away and i look down at my fingers. It’s blood. I’m bleeding. “You’re going to be alright buddie, stay with me. Do you know your name?” The paramedic looks frantic, but calm in the same sense. I can’t speak. I close my eyes. My head hurts too much to keep them open. I’m so tired. I have to sleep.