A Fitted Date

To Get to a Fitted Date

The bike ride out of town was not hard. Granted, mostly uphill, Bret was accustomed to this ride. He was able to zip up and out of town without much difficulties. The peak of the ride had him perched on a very high hill, more like a mountain, that overlooked the desert below where he was planning to impress Lacey.

From his high altitude stance, he could see at the edge of the horizon the billowing clouds of smoke from an SUV rapidly crossing over the immense dry dusty land. The black SUV looked comfortably at ease chewing up the dunes and undulations.

The descent Bret had ahead of him was not an easy one. On foot, it would have easily taken an hour plus. Once at the bottom, another forty minutes of brisk walking across tough desert sandy conditions to arrive to their date spot.

Being very comfortable with extreme downhill mountain bike racing, Bret knew he could descend quickly while getting a huge dose of adrenaline.

Adjusting his helmet, after sending an update text to his buddy about his whereabouts, Bret tightened his grip on his bike and launched himself down the path.

If one could picture this as a movie, Bret was traversing very dangerous winding path down a mountain side as a luxury SUV was cruising with ease his way. Both watching the clouds of dust being kicked up at the edges of their respective horizons wondering if they both were seeing each other.

The most challenging part of the journey was two sets of narrow crossings between large sets of boulders. Speed was not one’s friends while crossing these paths. Bret’s plan was to use his speed to jump over a series of boulders, as if on an arena cross race track. This would save him immense amount of time by affording him the chance to “skip” over the slow zig-zags he’d have to do below the boulders. It was risky and few ever attempted.

Lacey on her end would have to slow to a crawl to cover the narrow crossing that was best handled by a smaller more nimble off-roader. To her disadvantage was the sheer weight of her large full-size SUV with tires better suited for asphalt than sand or rocks.

At the crossings, both Bret and Lacey turned their attention to making it through the crossings. Bret had the advantage of knowing the lay of the land. Lacey trusted the fidelity of her GPS to keep her on track. After a bit of wiggling and barely inching by, Lacey finally crossed the narrows and was now on flat open desert land. The last few miles would lead her to the mini-hotel spot that would be the rendezvous point to start their date. With a devilish smile, Lacey squeezed the pedal and launched forward.

Bret had managed to cross 90% of the pass by skipping over boulders before his momentum had vanished. Hopping down to the trail landed him with a jarring hit that reminding him of all the gear on his back. All this risk for slim prospects made no sense, however, now was not the time to question the plan. It was time to hurry through the narrow pass and get out onto open desert. The sound of a roaring V8 was starting to break into audible range. Bret could not be late. He had to hurry.

Some time later…

Lacey arrived to the location of their date. Her hopes had been tamed during the drive over. The narrow mass was seriously challenging. At one of the corners, she had lost traction and was getting worried that she would not make it out without scratching up the paint of her beloved SUV. It had taken nearly everything she had to keep her composure to wiggle the truck through the pass… reminding her of her struggle earlier to get into her jeans.

If Lacey had needed to abandon her Suburban in that moment, she would have had to get out of the rear, as the doors could not open in such a narrow passage. The scars of sheet metal being destroyed were evident all over the surface of the rock. The darkened rubber lines suggested many drivers had struggled to make it through like she had.

But, that was all behind Lacey. She was looking at what could only be described as an ancient small hotel that had maybe two rooms inside. No one had been there in a long time.

Checking the GPS, it was the exact place Bret had said he would meet her. It had not been search-able on Google Street View for a good reason. No one would have driven out to take a photo of this place.

There were scattered bones of various carcasses of beasts that had died from who knows what with strange artifacts of people who had once frequented this area many decades in the historic past.

The thought of turning back welled up in Lacey’s throat. If Bret was hoping to impress, this was setting him back a ways. The fear factor was nearly off the charts. No one would ever hear her if she cried for help. Her curiosity won out just enough for her to maneuver her SUV such that her headlights could peer into the doorway.

Just then, someone walked up from behind a counter and made their way towards the entrance. With a sigh of relief, Lacey relaxed a little to see a familiar face. The mechanic from the garage was coming up to her. He was sharply dressed in a tuxedo and had a platter in hand. His smile was radiant, eyes filled with adventure, and hair slicked back and well trimmed.

Pulling up to her window, the mechanic removed the gleaming silver cover to reveal a plate that had an envelop in the center. Lacey wound her window down and greeted the mechanic while taking the envelope. He returned her greeting with a warm hello and reassuring words that she was not only safe but that there was cellular reception in the entire area where Bret had planned the date.

Reading the content of the envelope, Lacey read the charming poetry that invited her to join Bret in the luxurious dinning facilities of the ancient motel.

To her surprise, after seeing the mechanic take off on a scooter the same direction she had come from, the place was cozy and cool on the inside. A light cross breeze felt refreshing compared to the scorching heat outside. The lobby led to two places. The two rooms to the left and the entrance to a bar like room on the right.

At the center of the room, well decorated with flowers, ice sculptures, and desert appropriate art, was a lone table with Bret standing with a chair pulled aside waiting for Lacey to arrive.

His smile disarmed her. Lacey felt drawn to the security of the sincerity she read off his face. No one had taken the time to create a unique experience for her like this before.

As Lacey took her seat, her attention caught certain details in the place setting. Well crafted half handcuffs etched the edges of the plates, silverware, and stitching on the cloth. Even the details on the back of the chair matched.

Bret smile increased in warmth as he watched the recognition in Lacey’s eyes. The icebreaker for their conversations was working. Either Lacey was going to address the obvious or he had the freedom to ask about it. But before the small talk, Bret allowed his eyes to register the beauty of her figure just long enough to remain polite. His mind would play it back in super slow motion later. Lacey was built perfect.