Midas Touch (12 page)

Laura laughed again and sniffed. “Would it provide me with enough money to give up my consultant work and concentrate full time on creating new recipes?”

Not with the way you buy groceries.”

Sandra did not tell Laura that she had, in fact, named her as beneficiary for half of Tate Enterprises, or that at present value, the company’s worth amounted to more than Laura could spend in three lifetimes.

“Can I spend the night?” Sandra asked to change the subject.

“Only if you brought your own toothbrush.”

Later that night, they lay curled together in Laura’s only bed.

Laura yawned loudly. “Why do you think we never became lovers?

We’re best friends, and we’ve done everything else together.”

“Because you insist on being straight and I’m not a man,”

Sandra said as she closed her eyes.

“Oh, yeah,” Laura mumbled sleepily. “Do you remember the wild dream you had when I first met you?”

“Which one? Becoming President of the United States or marrying Mrs. Peal and living happily ever after?”

“Neither. The one about buying a motorcycle and riding all over the country.”

They both drifted off to sleep.

Sandra sat in bed, twisting the gold ring off and on her finger, as she watched a flock of sparrows invade the bird-feeder. Her thoughts were too ridiculous to put into words. Margaret would surely have her committed. What would Laura think? She gazed at her best friend’s face, now softened with sleep.

She recalled Laura’s question of the previous night. For a moment, she indulged in a fantasy. What would it be like to wake up beside Laura every morning? She glanced around the sparsely decorated room. They would probably be able to live together peacefully, and Sandra did love her.
As one loves a sister,
she mused.

Laura would be an amiable partner, but Sandra needed more.

She wanted a relationship with passion.

Before she could settle into a relationship, she had to find out who she was. She squirmed with impatience; she wanted answers.

She never liked questions in her life, but had carried one around with her for as long as she could remember. Maybe it was time to find the woman who gave her life and ask her why she abandoned

her child.

“Sandra,” Laura moaned in a voice heavy with sleep. “I’m not a morning person, in case you’ve forgotten. Please, tell me why you’re sitting in the middle of my bed at the crack of dawn, huffing and puffing like a marathon runner.”

“Did I wake you?” Sandra teased. Laura’s bark was much worse than her bite.

“No,
mija.
I always wake up before the sun comes up. It gives me time to feed the chickens and milk the cows.”

Sandra snorted. “You wouldn’t know which end of a cow to milk.”

“Oh, and I suppose you would?” Laura gave up the pretense of sleep and propped her back against the headboard.

“No, but since milk comes from a female cow, I bet I could figure it out faster than you.”

Laura grimaced. “If you are going to be crude, I’m going to shower. Then, I’ll fix breakfast.”

“I have a better idea,” Sandra said, beginning to fidget.

“What?” A look of mock horror crossed Laura’s face. “Oh, no. Please tell me you aren’t going to suggest you cook breakfast?”

Sandra stuck out her tongue. “Let’s go in to the city. I’ll buy you breakfast, and we’ll go shopping.”

“Shopping! You? You hate shopping,” Laura exclaimed.

“You’re the person who used to do my math homework for a whole semester just so I’d go once a year to buy you a couple of shirts and a pair of jeans.”

Sandra crawled off the bed. “I wasn’t thinking about shopping for clothes.”

Laura frowned. “What do you want to shop for?”

“Promise you won’t laugh.”

“Okay, I promise.”

“A motorcycle.”

Laura’s mouth fell open. She stared at Sandra for several seconds before speaking. “Are you serious?”

Sandra smiled and nodded.

“You’re really going to do it?”

Sandra kept nodding. ‘After talking to you last night, I got to thinking about the dream I had of buying a motorcycle and driving off into the sunset.” She shrugged. “I’m not interested in driving off into the sunset anymore, but I have a lot of free time to fill before going back to work. I think maybe it’s time I had some fun.”

“You’re really, really going to do it!” Laura shrieked, leaping over and grabbing Sandra in a bear hug. “Damn, Tater, I’ve waited twenty years for you to loosen up and do something wild.

I knew you had it in you.”

Sandra grinned as Laura pulled her from the bed and danced her around the room.

“It’s been about that long since I let anyone get away with calling me Tater,” Sandra said.

“Come on,” Laura urged. “Let’s skip breakfast and go buy it before you change your mind.”

“Don’t you think we should pick up some literature first?”

Sandra hedged.

“Agghh!” Laura shook her. “Just once, Tater, go with your gut instinct and do something just for the sake of wanting it. You’re filthy rich. If the damn thing breaks, buy another one.”

They moved apart. Sandra picked up her shoes. “All right, Ms. Spontaneity. Let’s go. I’ll buy the first bike I see that I like,”

Sandra promised as she pulled on her shirt. She stopped fiddling with her collar and looked at Laura frowning. “Should we stick to brand names?” she asked and ducked as Laura threw a pillow at her.

They were at their eighth dealership, Dee’s Bike and Repair Shop. Laura spied the small, unassuming place as they drove along the interstate. Sandra and Laura walked into the showroom, which paled in comparison to the previous dealerships they had visited. Sandra was about to suggest they go elsewhere when she saw the bike. It was red and white with an abundance of gleaming chrome. “That’s it,” she breathed in awe.

Laura turned to where Sandra was pointing. “Isn’t it kind of big?”A tall, muscular woman with short black hair approached them. “Good morning. I’m Dee Salazar,” she said, beaming what Sandra now thought of as a dealership smile. “What can I show you today?” Her gaze slid over Laura.

Are you the owner?” Sandra asked, reading the hand-painted sign on the far wall. Dee nodded proudly.

“She’s interested in the red and white one over there,” Laura broke in.

“Great choice. That’s a 1997 Honda Valkyrie. Come on.

Take a closer look.” Dee’s hand touched Laura’s arm briefly as she steered them to the bike.

Sandra saw the gesture and suppressed a smile as Dee began her spiel.

“She’s like brand new. She has six cylinders, six carburetors, and hot cams. If you’re going to be doing any driving through neighborhoods, you’ll really appreciate the quiet shaft-drive and tuned six-into-six exhaust. She has a close-ratio five-speed transmission, maintenance-free hydraulic clutch, electronic ignition, massive 45mm inverted fork, adjustable dual rear shocks, large-section radial tires, triple disc brakes and she rides like a dream.”

Sandra walked around the bike, ignoring Dee’s list of specifications. She was already in love. She didn’t care about carburetors or performance. She didn’t even glance at the price tag Dee tried to show her. She was already imagining what it would be like to be astride this beauty on the open road. Dee and Laura were talking, but Sandra ignored them. It had taken her six months to select her Jag. She read dozens of specification brochures and went to three different dealerships before buying it. Today her heart was buying this Honda.

“I’ll take it,” Sandra said, interrupting an astonished Dee in mid-sentence.

“Ah, great,” Dee stuttered. “Would you like to take it out for a spin first?”

Sandra shook her head. “I can’t drive it, and besides I don’t have a license.”

Dee rubbed her chin and then slid a hand through her hair.

“Maybe you should start with something smaller, lighter. We have a…”

“I want this one,” Sandra interrupted again.

“Can you ride?” Dee asked Laura.

“Only if it comes with a saddle, four legs and knows the meaning of whoa,” Laura assured her.

Sandra could tell Dee was having a problem. “What’s wrong?”

she asked.

“Well,” Dee said, looking up as the door to the shop opened.

A short, thin woman waved as she came in. Dee waved back. “My mechanic,” she explained. “We do repair work also.”

Sandra sensed Dee was stalling. “The bike,” she prompted.

It’s sort of complicated.” Dee put her hand into her jacket pocket and pulled out a handful of candy. “I’m trying to stop smoking,” she explained, and offered them a piece of candy.

As they unwrapped the sweets, Dee continued. “Motorcycles have really come under a lot of governmental scrutiny during the last few years. Some people believe they’re too dangerous to be on the road and,” she glanced at Sandra, “without the proper caution and equipment, they can be.” She motioned around the showroom. “We take our commitment to the safety of our customers seriously. So before you buy this Honda, I think you should learn to ride on something smaller, easier to handle.”

“I’ve already been to eight dealerships and no one mentioned what I should buy,” Sandra said, curious as to why this woman would jeopardize a sure sale.

Dee took a deep breath and straightened her shoulders. “I have to live with my conscience. If I sell you this bike knowing it’s unsuitable for you and you get yourself killed, I’d have to live with that. If you want something like this,” she patted the bike,

“you’ll have to go somewhere else. I won’t sell to you.”

Sandra stared at her in amazement and said, “You’d lose a sale for,” she looked at the price tag and whistled softly, “this kind

of money, on a principle?”

Dee crunched the candy harshly. “As bad as it hurts, yeah I guess I would.”

Sandra looked around at the small tidy showroom. “You’ll never grow beyond this, with sales practices like that.”

Dee looked offended. “Maybe not, but I’ll still be able to face myself each morning. Good-bye.” She shook their hands and started off.

Devastated, Sandra stared down at the beautiful bike. Laura shook Sandra’s arm and hissed. “Do something. You want this one. Spontaneity Tater!”

“Teach me to ride it,” Sandra called after Dee.

Dee stopped and turned, shaking her head. “Sorry. The bike’s too much for a beginner.”

“I’ll buy whatever you tell me I need. You have two weeks to teach me to ride and then you sell me this bike.”

Dee walked back to them frowning. “You can buy a bike similar to this one in a dozen places around the city. What’s with you?”

“I want this one,” Sandra insisted.

Dee’s eyebrows rose. She smiled coyly. “And are you accustomed to getting everything you want?”

Sandra looked at the bike and shrugged before turning back to Dee. “I’m not sure I ever wanted anything this badly before.”

They stood staring at each other for a long minute while Sandra barely breathed. She wanted this bike. Dee had to sell it to her.

“Here’s what I’ll do,” Dee said at last. “I’ll teach you to ride.

We have some smaller, used bikes that will be great to start with.

I’ll give you a list of equipment you’ll need—a helmet, some safety pads, etc. You buy those. I’ll give you the name of a great shop.”

Sandra glanced around, wondering why Dee didn’t sell the safety equipment.

As if sensing her thoughts, Dee began to explain. “I don’t carry accessories for the rider. There’s too much overhead

involved with the different clothing sizes. I prefer to specialize in customized bikes, so I stock accessories for the bikes themselves.”

Dee waved her hand as if to dismiss the sidetracked conversation.

“Anyway, back to our deal,” Dee said. “I’ll teach you everything I can in two weeks. There’s a vacant lot behind the shop where you can practice. You’ll have to practice riding a lot on your own time, but I’ll make sure there’s a bike available for you to use.

And then, if you pass your driver’s test and can convince me that you’re capable of handling this bike, I’ll sell it to you.”

“What happens if I don’t convince you?” Sandra asked.

Dee shook her head. “You’ll have to go somewhere else.”

“What about payment for the lessons?” The businesswoman in Sandra was emerging. She didn’t want any loose ends that might cost her the bike.

Dee pulled out her stash of candy and offered it again. “At the end of two weeks, I’ll give you the name of my favorite charity and you make a donation in any amount you feel adequate for what you’ve learned.”

Sandra held out her hand. “When can we start?”

“As soon as you get the safety gear.”

“Give us a list,” Laura said, practically jumping up and down.

Sandra and Laura found the items on Dee’s list at the recommended store. With the back seat full of packages, Sandra drove Laura home.

“Stay with me for the next two weeks,” Laura prompted as she got out of the Jag and leaned through the window. “It’ll be closer to your lessons and I have a feeling.” She stopped and looked away.

“What?” Seeing the look on Laura’s face, Sandra moaned.

“You’re not about to get morbid and psychic on me, are you?”

“No. I’m not worried about you dying or anything, but I think things will change.” Her gaze held Sandra’s. “I don’t think you’ll ever need me the way you have in the past.”

Sandra turned the ignition off and got out of the car. Laura met her halfway around it. “You’re the best friend I’ve ever had,”

Sandra said, taking Laura’s hands. “I’ll always need you.”

Laura hugged her tightly, before she pulled back to kiss her. Rather than the friendly kiss Sandra expected, their lips held and tentatively explored. Sandra pulled her closer and the kiss lingered. They pulled back and stood staring at each other searching. Suddenly, they both burst into laughter.