“Will it be difficult?” The voice startled him.

“It’s too soon to tell.”

“When will you know?”

For Jeremy, he kept telling himself, it was all for Jeremy.

“Give me a few days at least.”

“As long as it takes,” the voice disappeared.

“As long as it takes!” he spat out the words like poison on his tongue.

“Well it’s certainly taken a long enough time!” He shouted the words up at the sky, hoping for a reaction.

He didn’t get one.

The way he saw it, this was the last duty he’d ever have to serve. Then, he could finally move on, not only from this world, but also from the guilt that forever followed him in it.

Kylie walked out of school with an attitude that could burn holes through a titanium wall. Not, she noted, a good attitude to have before going to work. If that’s what you wanted to call it. She wasn’t even being paid for it! She blew out a huff of pure teenage angst. What made him think he had such nerve? Not only that, but Jodie too! Her flirty little eyelash tricks and her flighty giggles certainly didn’t fool Kylie.

“Why don’t they just go, and ----get married!” Yelling aloud always helped.

Perhaps not while in the midst of judgmental teens, but she didn’t care about there skeptic looks right at the moment. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed his car no longer occupied the space next to hers. Another angry gust escaped from her trembling lips. Fumbling with her keys, she somehow managed to unlock her car. She didn’t even try turning on the radio. Thinking to herself, she decided that taking the long route to Banks Moto Depot might just get her mood back on ground level. Opening the sunroof, Kylie cranked up the cold air and let her thoughts take the wheel.

Feeling much more stable upon arriving, Kylie noticed that she was being waited on. Rocks grinded and the dirt crackled as she pulled into the drive. Eli stood leaning, arms crossed, against a tanned picket sign that read: “If You Can Ride Em’ We Can Sell Em’”. Only, if only, Jodie was here. Kylie rolled her eyes at the thought. Before getting out, she slapped on her silver aviators, and with a nod, decided they suited her mood well enough.  She opened the car door.

“Nice to see you waited for me.”

Eli’s eyebrows soon became lost behind his curly black hair.

“You know if you hold that look long enough it’ll stick that way.”

She bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing. Eli held out his hand and gestured for her to come closer.  Slamming the car door behind her, she walked towards his unwelcoming posture. He kept his voice at a civil tone.

“What time did I ask you to be here?”

His eyes were closed and his tanned face was inclined to the sun. His farmers tan was slightly visible behind the sleeves of his ripped fox wife beater.

“Fou---“, he interrupted.

“Yes that’s right! Four o’clock!” His tone was growing less civil by the second.

“And what time is it now?”

Kylie looked down at her bare wrist.

“I don’t have a watch.”

“Oh you don’t have a watch? You don’t have a watch!” He was yelling now.

“Well maybe if you did have a watch you’d realize that you are an hour late, an hour late Kylie! You said you’d be there for me!”

She didn’t understand.

“Well, what time is it now?”

“It’s five fifteen.”

He’d moved his view from the sky, to his feet, and finally, Kylie noted as her insides shivered, to her face. Her heart fell into her ankles, the “cool off” drive she’d taken had lasted much, much longer than she’d thought.

“Eli, I don’t know what to say, I have no excuse.”

“At least, tell me where you’ve been.”

The angry tint of his eyes morphed to one of worry. Kylie, too, looked down at her feet.

“I just, went for a drive.”

He stared back at her while she continued.

“I had a really long terrible day and I don’t know. I needed to clear my head.”

He sighed before answering.

“Alright whatever, just please, call next time alright?”

“Absolutely, it will not happen again I swear to you.”

The pause was almost unbearable, but he swung his arm in the direction of the door, shaking his head side to side. Kylie laughed, ran, and tackled him into a hug. He kissed the top of her head,

“You owe me big now you know that right?”

“I’ll clean your bike for at least a month.”

“Well you’re sure as hell cleaning it tonight.”

He laughed while opening the door, the smell of rubber smacked her in the face. 

“I let Devon take it up to Ocotillo Raceway.”

To groan would be an understatement. Devon George had a certain knack for the eccentrics. Ocotillo Raceway was the type of place that reaped opportunities for him to explore. Eli’s Yamaha YZ450 would be trashed.

A phone rang in the distance and Eli left her to answer it. Kylie took in the stores atmosphere, having done so frequent times before. It seemed like she’d grown up in this place, she thought. She remembered helping set up the wall of tires that surrounded the entire width of the interior, and lining the ceiling with black and white checkered flags. The floor plan contained aisles of various parts, gear, and equipment. The large area in the center, displayed the rows of gleaming models. All of which, stood surrounded with black velvet rope. Elis favorite however, was the life size Travis Pastrana mural, which appeared to be jumping out of the wall behind the check out counter. 
 
“Kyl, quite standing around, I need you to work the front desk.”

“Yeah, because it’s so busy.”

Eli scowled at her from his office window in the back. 
 
“I’ll be out back. You’re off at seven. Have fun.”

The smile he flashed proved his insincerity, and she stuck out her tongue in response.  

Several customers came in throughout the hour, but other than that, the store was dead. Kylie entertained herself by playing solitaire on the company computer. After forty-five minutes of constant clicking, she began to thoughtlessly toy with the rubber ball trapped within the mouse.

“Victory!”

At last, she freed the little monster and sent it bouncing off behind the desk. Patting herself on the back, she stretched beneath the desk to retrieve it. Bending her body in an extremely uncomfortable position, she felt around for the ball within the grimy darkness.

“Anything I can help you with?”

“Wha—Ow!”

The muffled laughter that echoed from beyond the desk was all too familiar.

“What is this, a nightmare?” She yelled crawling out.

Adrian stood with his hands in his pockets, rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet. Staring at her with a face of blissful amusement.

“Well now, nightmare might be a bit harsh really.”

Kylie stood, wiping the dust from her faded black jeans. She cocked her head to the side.

“Do you have an accent?”

She’d never noticed it before but his voice had an odd twang about it. Not the usual Arizona twang that is. The brief look he gave made her feel a bit invasive, but it was gone as quick as it had come.

“You’re very observant you know. And yes, I do have a bit of an accent if you will. Irish actually, that’s where I’m from originally. Sligo, Ireland.”

That explained the good looks. Had she ever actually seen anyone from Ireland? Most likely no, but she imagined they would look something like he did. The way his hair fell over his eyes contrasted with his sharp cheek bones, made him look a bit dark really, but very attractive nonetheless. His arms were positioned in such a way that you could see the ripples of muscle that were present throughout his entire body, she assumed anyway. What did the Irish do? Grow potatoes? Maybe that’s where he got them from, potato farming. Right. Why was she even looking at his muscles? Message to hormones: calm down.

“Wow, Ireland that’s cool.”

Wow, Kylie could you be any less dull?

“Yes, cool.” He chuckled to himself

“Now I’ve come to see if I may speak with your supervisor?”

Elijah would get a kick out of being called Supervisor.

“Umm, Elijah’s out back right now, he should be done in about fifteen minutes however.”

She thought she was something odd come across his face when she’d mentioned Elijah, but he hid it well if there was, because it swiftly faded.

“Would you mind if I went out back and spoke with him myself?”

“Umm, alright, I’m going to have to go with you though.”

This, of course, was a complete lie. Anyone could go back to the track if they pleased. Kylie was merely curious. She gestured for him to follow as she weaved around the counter, and through a door on the left.

Passing Eli’s office, she opened the shale screen door and headed out towards the muffled sounds of exhausts. As they neared the course, Kylie saw Elijah surrounded by a group of kids about the age of eleven. She took Adrian to the small row of peeling white bleachers that overlooked the track.

“Do you mind waiting here? It looks like he’s almost done.”

“Not at all no.”

The two sat and watched as Eli talked to the kids, his hand movements and gestures displaying that he was fully into the lecture. Occasionally an eruption of laughter would fill their ears, as Elijah did his best to entertain. Finally, he made a motion towards the course and the children all moved towards their bikes stationed in the grass. Elijah noticed the pair and headed in their direction.

She stood and waved, then ran down the bleachers to greet her brother. Adrian stood, but remained standing where he was.

“Who’s that?”

Elijah reached Kylie with an unusual look on his face. Kylie gestured for Adrian to join them. As he neared, Kylie introduced the two.

“Elijah, this is Adrian, Adrian, this is Elijah.”

“It’s a pleasure.”

Adrian extended a hand. Elijah glanced towards Kylie inquisitively, then took Adrian’s hand and gave it a quick shake.

“Pleasures all mine, and what can I do for you Adrian?"

“I’m actually wondering if it’s a possibility for me to apply for a position here. I’m a very big fan of your past work in motocross and I’d love to help here in any way I can.”

“That’s very kind, I don’t deserve the credit, but as far as a job for you is concerned…”

He paused rubbing his chin with his index finger.

“I think I have just the thing.”

Adrian beamed.

“That’s fantastic! When can I start?”

“Well, let me explain what I’d like you to do first. Then we’ll see how soon you want to start.”

Eli gave Adrian a pat on the back and gently nudged him towards the class. The two began walking away.

“Hey Kylie why don’t you get on that bike cleaning business we discussed earlier.”

He didn’t even turn around. Just a wave of the hand.

“Of course.” Kylie grumbled

        “That’s a fine job if I do say so myself.” Kylie stepped back, brushing off her hands, to admire her work. The bike, she’d noticed, hadn’t been as trashed as she’d thought Devon capable of. The cleaning had only taken her, what, half an hour maybe. She took it by the handles and walked the now shining bike to the front of the store.

The sky was dimming. All that remained of the sun was a bright orange bulb. Blue and black clouds dominated the rest of the sky, and Kylie guessed it to be about seven thirty. Looking to the east, she saw the desert stretched out like a baron wasteland, cacti dotted the horizon and off in the distance Kylie could see the outline of small powdered brown mountains.

Reaching the front of the store, she rolled Eli’s bike to the barn that lay across the small parking lot where all the extra bikes and parts were held. She began to open the door when she heard a noise from inside. A voice? Setting the bike down gently, she carefully peeked into the window.

“Blugh, nasty!”

A batch of cobwebs had entangled themselves in her hair and she hastily tried to swat them away. In the process, she ended up tripping into the door and planting her face against the glass. Through it, she saw Adrian’s stunned face, soon transform to enjoyment as he saw her smashed expression. He opened the door and caught her as she fell forward, a foot away from the concrete.

“Thanks.” She muttered. “What are you doing in here?”

“Well your welcome, and how is that any of your business I wonder?”

That sparkle in his eye was back again. She ignored the flying sensation that had suddenly occurred in her stomach.

“Because this is my brother’s store and I have every right to know why you’re snooping around in here?”

She was all too aware that he still had his hands on her. His thick dark eyebrows rose.

“Snooping?”

“Mhmm, snooping.”

He positioned her so that she was now inches from his face, and moved his callused hands from her arms to her waist.

“Maybe,” his words were slow, and somewhat rough, “because I’m looking for trouble.”

Kylie thought her heart might pump out of her chest. She gripped his hands in attempt to take them off her waist but he walked her back into door that she had clumsily fallen through minutes before. He switched his hands to the wall, trapping her between his arms, and inclined his head toward hers. Her breathing was noticeably heavy and her knees were trembling. His eyes transformed from joking, to subtle seriousness.

“Maybe,” he looked down at her mouth, “maybe, you’re looking for trouble.” 

He leaned in. Kylies hand spun the doorknob so quickly that Adrian began to fall head first into the concrete barn floor. She promptly backed out of the doorway and turned, placing her hand on her chest, trying somehow to slow down her pounding heart.

“Listen, I don’t know if you were joking or what but ple---,” She turned to face him, but Adrian was nowhere to be found.

Had she heard him leave? No, that wasn’t a possibility she hadn’t been turned around long enough. Then again, her car drive earlier had lasted much longer than she’d thought.

Lately, her emotions came packaged with an awkward time continuum. She walked into the garage, expecting to see his smug face blinking back at her.

There was no one.