Page 7 of Tailwhip
Since leaving Denver, everything has been great. A giant weight has lifted off my shoulders. We rode at Salt Lake City, with Nick and I both taking 1st place in our events. Nick is even starting to ride the vert events. We are currently on the road to Phoenix, and after that is the wrap up of the tour in Texas. We hit three major cities: Austin, San Antonio, and Dallas. These are some of my favorite stops because the event is not only massive, so are the individual events. The park and dirt for BMX is off the charts and street and vert for the skateboarders is also crazy huge. I decided after Mika and I split to travel the good old fashion way in a tour bus with other riders and skaters. Motocross does their own thing with these tours, sometimes thinking they are better than us, but who cares–to each their own. Arriving in Phoenix, we're greeted by the blistering heat. Fortunately, for this stop, everything happens in the early or late evening to avoid the worst of it, if this city can even cool down at all. How does this place even exist? It feels like we're on the surface of the sun.
Once checked into our hotel, Nick and I head out to find a bar for a few drinks. I don’t usually care for bars, but it’s been nice going out a bit more and not having to worry if Mika will be upset with me or not. At this point, who knows what that one would have even been mad at. At the bar, we get our beers and take a booth in the back, so no one recognizes us.
Nick starts talking, telling me about his night in Denver with Neha. “Man, I didn’t tell you this, but after you left the bar in Denver, Neha invited me back to her hotel room! She is into some kinky shit. I was blown away!”
All I can do is shake my head and tell him, “You know, I am sure Neha wouldn’t appreciate you filling me in on your bedroom adventures together.”
He laughs and says probably not. I haven’t really thought much about Denver since leaving. I was having one of my best moments with Ashlynn, and then it was ruined. I do remember the look on her face, though, when Mika jumped on me. It almost shattered me. She just turned around and walked in line as if we weren’t talking. I can’t blame her for that, though. I don’t know how I would have reacted if the roles were reversed. Fuck, I don’t even want to think of her with anyone other than me.
I start talking again. “So, are you going to keep in touch with her? You both still had the attraction.”
I don’t think his smile could get any wider as he says, “I am going back to Colorado once we are done and going to spend as much time as I can before I head back out to film for another video for one of my sponsors.”
I tell him, “That’s cool man; is she still in Colorado Springs?”
Shaking his head, he says, “Her and Ashlynn moved up to Frisco a couple months ago. Those two are like two peas in a pod.”
I smile at that. Ashlynn always talked about moving up to the mountains, especially Frisco. That was always her favorite small mountain town. It is funny the little things that come to mind when just her name comes up.
At the arena, the next night, I am riding my bike around the BMX section of tents and near the few riders I have talked to about me sponsoring them for the flow teams. I haven’t quite found a rider for the pro team yet, but am always on the lookout. There is always plenty of talent in the new cities. Hearing the announcement overhead for the vert event and that it is getting underway, I manage to make it over there in record time to catch Nick drop in. I’ve always known Nick could ride vert, but damn, he is killing it and ends up taking the whole event once it is done.
Heading over to the dirt jumps after watching Nick, I stop again in my tracks because ahead of me is a short, curvy girl. But it ends up being someone else. I don’t know why I thought it would be Ashlynn coming to Phoenix, but once the girl passes me, it's definitely not my Ashlynn. My Ashlynn–what the hell am I saying? We aren’t even together and haven’t talked since Denver, but no matter what she is my Ashlynn, always has been and always will be whether she knows it. I decided to only do one event in Phoenix and save my double ones for Texas, since those crowds will be a lot bigger. No doubt it has been fun here, but I am ready to move along. Getting in the van, we stopped for some food from Whataburger, which is one of my favorite places to eat! We are a big group of rowdy guys in the restaurant, and I have a feeling they want to kick us out until one of the employees recognizes a few of us. After taking a few pictures and signing a couple autographs, we all head back for the night.
Once back at the hotel, I crash instantly. This heat is killer and riding in it makes it even worse. Waking up about an hour later, I notice Nick is on the phone, more than likely talking with Neha. If I am not mistaken, it sounds like they are having straight phone sex. What in the actual fuck? Groaning and rolling over, I grab my earbuds and play my music. I don’t want to hear any of that shit. I pick up my backpack and realize that I have a box in there–the box with all the things from my relationship with Ashlynn. For some reason, Mika brought it with her to Denver and left it behind. Box Car Racer starts playing, as I open the top and start going down memory lane. I just smile at all the pictures we have together and re-read all our notes from high school. We had very intense feelings for one another, that is evident from all the notes and pictures. To say I was crushed when she broke up with me is putting it mildly. However, I don’t want to dwell on that anymore. Maybe I can somehow reconnect with her, and we can get to know each other again. I wonder if she even has the same cell phone. I put everything away, and roll on my back; listening to the music, I feel my phone vibrate with an incoming text message. As soon as I see her name, I instantly smile and can hear my heartbeat in my ears.
7
Ashlynn
Pachuca Sunrise – Minus the Bear
Since getting back from Denver, work has been nonstop. I have had two long freelance writings to complete: one suspense and one romance. I surprise my agent Heath when I finish both quicker than what the deadline was supposed to be. He is currently working on getting additional writing for me, but really, I am financially stable from the past jobs I have been doing to be able to take some time off for a bit. However, I don’t really know what I would do if I took time off. So, I request more freelance work. He has come back with a few new thrillers to write, which are right up my alley. I love the suspense of these stories. Not knowing what is happening and then having your mind blown when it ends up being something completely different from what you tried figuring out.
It has also been a few weeks since I texted Anthony on the number I have written down and never got a response. I concluded that it was, in fact, no longer his cell number. I hope I didn’t irritate whoever’s phone it is. I tell myself that this is all for the best that it went unanswered. At least I don’t have to feel humiliated by this, in case it was still his, and he just decided not to respond.
It is a warm September day in the mountains, and I have been slacking on my daily walks. Instead of being my introverted self, I decide to take a walk through the small city center and get a chai tea to drink while I look at the shops. As I make my way back home, I round the corner and I notice an unfamiliar car sitting in front of the house. It has Colorado plates on it, so I don’t think much of it. Walking up to my door, bringing my keys up to the lock, I see movement in my peripheral.
“Holy shit Anthony, you scared the crap out of me,” I say, jumping.
Pushing off the pillar he was leaning on, he says. “It’s good to see that you still scare so easily!”
Rolling my eyes at him, I ask, “What are you doing here? Isn’t the tour still going on?”
He just gives me a crooked smile, “I got your text message–thought I would drop-in on you.”
Eyes wide, I say, “You know you could have just responded back to me, if you wanted to.”
Coming closer, he says, “Yes I could have, but I thought coming here would be better and also I want to take you to lunch.”
All I can think is this is not happening. He is here, standing on my porch, and apparently responding to my message in person! Crazier things have happened, I guess. He quickly grabs my hips and pulls me into a big hug, and it feels good to be back in his arms, even if it is for a moment. I finally get the door unlocked to go inside.
I ask him again about the tour. “So, is the tour still going or are you done with it?”
Clearing his throat, he says, “The tour is still going, and the next three stops are through Texas and will be wrapped up after that.”
Thinking about this, I do remember seeing the tour wrapped up in Texas. I try to be casual, asking him more, “So, if the tour isn’t done, shouldn’t you be there?”
He tells me, “We are in between cities right now.”