Turn Me Bad

Chapter 3

”You want to go for a walk around the lake, with me?“ Violet had asked, with a hint of the incredulous invading the tone of her voice.

”If you’re up for it?“ Benjamin had asked, again in that casual manner that gave nothing away other than what he wanted to do.

His reasons for wanting to spend time with her still escaped her comprehension, but she only allowed herself to ask the question once. There was something about repeating it, or pressing the point, that would have been insulting to her self-esteem. Even though she still thought she must be missing something and on route to disappointment. She could not dare to think that, among all the other women present, that she was really the one he was most interested in just because he had set eyes on her first. Violet must still have been missing something – but who was there to impress at the lake? (A lake he had never been to before?)

Unable to think of a reason for not playing along, Violet only nodded before their conversation was cut off by the next band striking up. This third act had a heavier sound and they must have shared a desire to not strain their voices anymore, leaning back to soak up the first couple of tunes. After the second applause, Benjamin suggested they make an exit.

Having still failed to level her thinking with her new acquaintance, Violet followed Benjamin out of the bar a little lightheaded. The drink and fatigue from the week no doubt made their contribution to this as well and it was only once they were standing at the bar’s entrance that she remembered the bike. Violet had never been on the back of one before and had no idea whether or not the experience was going to terrify the life out of her. Suddenly backing out felt more embarrassing than crying with terror every time they turned a corner, however – unless she wet her panties in the process – and so she merely accepted the helmet he handed her, proceeding to squash the accessory past her ears. It was a process that made her feel paranoid that her ears were more stick-out than she knew. She was also pondering what state her hair would look like when it came to taking it off, before realizing this would be the least of her troubles.

”Let’s go then,“ said Benjamin, revving the engine; the bike now even more fearsome in her mind now that she was required to straddle it.

Benjamin, for his part, was not the kind to stand on ceremony. What was a major step to her was effortless to him. There was no asking her if she had ever been on a bike before or knew whether to hold on properly. He made it look as normal as stepping onto the bus and so she would have felt ridiculous to voice how out of place she was going to feel.

It was precisely because the evening was getting away from her that, once they had got going, she noticed the blunder. Her ride was not wearing a helmet. He had given her the only one he had brought along and Violet was mortified. She was not the kind of person to take health and safety lightly and wouldn’t have dreamed of letting them set off like that had she not been so distracted by the whole process. Of course by then it was too late. She just had to sit tight and pray nothing terrible happened.

As a professional, Violet was very much of the persuasion that if something could go wrong it definitely would. Seeing how confident and assured Benjamin remained, as he swerved from the main roads in the direction she pointed, only annoyed rather than impressed her.

”What on earth are you thinking?“ she shouted over the hum of the bike once they had pulled up in front of the water. Violet had been so put off by his recklessness that she had hardly paid attention to what being on a motorcycle for the first time actually felt like, or looked at the lake at all.

”What’s that?“ asked Benjamin, glancing round as he turned the engine off.

”You gave me your only helmet,“ she said, pulling the thing off her head as she attempted to give him a scolding. Unfortunately, she had forgotten her fears that her hair would then be in a state. The serious face she then wanted to pull for his benefit was seriously hampered by an inadvertent Cousin It impression.

”Didn’t you want it?“ he asked.

”I can’t believe you’d do that, it’s so dangerous,“ she said, wanting to go on, but she realized that her fair head of hair was suffering from the effects of static. Putting it right with her one free hand just proved an impossible task.

”I’d rather you have it than I,“ he replied. ”Besides, I think I ride better without it.”

”How can you be so nonchalant?” she asked, so keen to get him to see sense but then she heard him laugh. There was no mocking tone to his humor; otherwise, she would have felt offended. Rather what he saw genuinely tickled him and she had to give in.

“Please take this off me,“ she pleaded, eager to get both hands free to deal with her wild head of hair. Instead of complying, however, Violet felt two fingers stroke her forehead, drawing her ruined fringe apart like a pair of curtains. Then there he was, looking into her eyes with a loveable grin that could not help cause her to smile back in return.

They might have been two opposites as far as risk taking is concerned, but it felt good to be the focus of his attention, even if it was because of her silliness. Consequently, she became grateful for the messy hair or else he would have seen that she was blushing.

”Are you under there somewhere?“ he asked.

”There’s a price for growing hair this long. You wouldn’t know,“ she replied, half giggling while trying not to cry at the same time.

”I think you have beautiful hair,“ he told her. ”I’d still like to see your face again though.”

”So you can be sure you brought the right girl along after all?”

”You’re not an imposter, are you?”

”No, here I am,“ she was able to say at last, drawing her hair back as if looking to turn it into a ponytail. ”I guess I’m not cut out to be a biker girl.”

”Nonsense, I didn’t have to fight you at all. You’re perfect in fact; doesn’t matter what your hair ends up like.”

”Fight me?”

”Often people who have never been on a bike before end up trying to lean in the wrong direction when taking bends. They’re too worried about it falling over.”

”I didn’t think about it. I just hung on and trusted you.”

”That’s the way to do it. You’re a natural.”

”Huh! Nice try, but I don’t think I’ll ever be in charge of something like this.”

“That’s OK, you’ve got me to do the riding. You can just sit on the back and make me look good.”

”Now you really are having too much fun at my expense,“ she told him but, though they were smiling at each other and, to any onlookers, would have quite blatantly looked like young lovers, she still could not bring herself to ask why he was spending time with her.

They had reached the destination he had expressed curiosity about. Now that she had time to catch her breath and take a look around, she realized how wonderful the evening really was.