Page 3 of Brandt's Rule

“Add one for me. And one of them bacon things, you know the wraps with the eggs and the potatoes in it.”

“The breakfast burrito?” Brandt asked with a smirk.

“Yep. But not the sausage one. The bacon one. And hurry up. I’m starving. Been waiting here for half an hour already.”

“You just got here,” he heard Remi shout from the background of Maverik’s call.

“Boy, shut up,” Maverik snapped at Remi.

Brandt shook his head and grinned to himself. “I’m coming, Mav.”

“Good. Drive safe,” Maverik said sincerely, ending the call on his end.

Brandt sighed and finally looked at the girl holding his card out to him. “Can you add another coffee, all the cream and sugar you can get into it and a bacon breakfast burrito, too?”

“Of course,” she said, winking at him. “Anything for you.”

Brandt forced a smile. “Appreciate it.”

A couple of minutes later, he was making his way to his truck with a cardboard flat of coffees and two bags; one filled with breakfast burritos, another filled with donuts. He used his shoulder to push the glass door to the coffee shop open, but halfway through, someone still hidden behind a black motorcycle helmet reached out and pulled the door the rest of the way for him.

“Thanks. Appreciate it,” he mumbled as he walked past the rider, hesitating only momentarily to take a look at the antique Harley the rider obviously arrived on, sitting next to his truck. This bike was pristine. Antique, yet barely used. If it had been restored it was done by a professional using all original parts and pieces. “Damn, that’s nice,” he said to himself.

His phone, tucked safely into his back pocket began to vibrate again, and he huffed out a sigh, having no doubt that it was Uncle Maverik again. He was one of those retired, yet unretired uncles that never quite stopped working. And he was also one of Brandt’s staunchest supporters.

Grumbling about impatient pain-in-his-ass uncles, he finally got into his truck and after stabilizing the cardboard flat carrying the coffees, and the food, he backed out and headed to the job site.

~~~

Tempest pulled up in front of what looked like a trendy coffee shop and brought her bike to a stop. She took a moment to scope the place out, and immediately noticed a tall male with dark hair and eyes, impossibly broad shoulders clothed in a paint stained denim jacket juggling multiple large cups of steaming coffee and a couple of bags of what she assumed was food. Hurrying to swing her long, lithe leg over the seat of her bike, she strode quickly to the door and pulled it open for him just as he managed to get it open.

“Thanks. Appreciate it,” he said. He hesitated when faced with her, but seemed to recover himself and shake off whatever had made him pause.

Tempest smiled at him, then realized she was still wearing her helmet which had a black face shield, so he couldn’t see her. She inclined her head and waited until he passed, then entered the shop herself. She walked up to the counter and pulled her helmet off, watching comically as the girl behind the counter leaned on her elbows and dreamily watched the man who’d just left as he paused to admire her bike.

“Maybe I should get a motorcycle. I bet he’d notice me, then,” the girl said.

Tempest laughed.

The girl looked up at her.

“If they don’t notice you without the bike, they’re not the one for you,” Tempest said.

“I suppose. But damn, what I’d give to take my shot at him.”

Tempest looked over her shoulder as the guy backed out and drove off. “He is pretty.”

“Isn’t he, though?!” She sighed, then looked at Tempest again. “You have the most gorgeous hair. Who does your color?”

Tempest smiled at her and ran a black leather gloved hand through her long tresses. “Born this way. And it won’t take color, no matter what I do, so, I’m stuck with it.”

“I’d kill to have that color. I gotta find someone to give me a new look. I’m so tired of looking just like everyone else.”

“I think you’re beautiful. Shame on him for not noticing. But I’m sure many others have.”

The girl looked at Tempest. “You think so, really?”

“I do. Just pay a little more attention to the rest of them.”

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