The Hot water felt good against his fur. His muscles ached. He leaned against the side go the shower, and removed his shades and closed his eyes letting the water roll down over his face. Throttle always used this time to think, to mull things over in his mind. Bathing was few and far between on mars, so to get the chance to get clean was a welcome change.
Throttle reached back behind his ears. He didn't want to get out of the hot water. A loud banging sound came from the door.
"I have a water bill you Know!" he smiled at the muffled voice of Charlie through the door.
He reached down and turned off the shower with his tail and pushed back the plastic shower curtain covered with Harley-Davidson motor cycles and stepped out on the little carpet. He grabbed his green towel, or as Charlie called them 'The mouse towels.' she was sick of getting grey, brown, and white fur on her towels. He rubbed through his hair and wrapped it around his waist. He looked at his eyes in the mirror, they were looking more pink these days, more real, and part of him liked that. He turned back to the shower and grabbed his shades. He was rarely seen without them, they were his sight.
Throttle turned giving his hair one last look, but he didn't care too much about his looks. Vinnie did enough of that for the three of them. He tossed his fingers through and then left the large mass on his head in an unruly state.
He opened the bathroom door and slipped down to his bunk. He turned the tip of his tail down and ran it between the carpet fibers, they were soft. He was never sure why he did it, just something he did walking down the hall; he did it all the time. He needed to quit doing it, Charlie would get upset with the little lines he was leaving in the carpets.
He turned into his bunk and shut the door. He grabbed his boots and Jeans off the small bed, and turned to the chair behind his door for his vest. He was just happy to be clean for the first time in months.
A sort knock came to his door. He quickly pulled up his jeans and buttoned them as he opened the door with his tail.
"Yeah?" Vincent stood with a smile. "What's going on Vencenzo?"
"Dinner's what's going on... and you're missing it bro." He smiled
"I'll be down in a bit." He smiled at his younger counterpart. It was take out night. Thai his favorite, though only Charlie, Modo, and himself would be enjoying it. Hot Dogs were good and all but he needed something different. You could not convince Vinnie of such things. With Vinnie it was Hot Dogs 24/7, 365.
He stepped forward pulling hid door closed behind himself. It was a good day to be a mouse. Sometimes his days felt a bit empty but all in all; life was good.
They were gathered around the table laughing hysterically. Charlie was bent over clutching her gut. Modo smiled "Oh MA'MA... is that guy funny or what!?"
"Oh man!" Vinnie was leaning back in his chair almost in tears.
"What did I miss?" Throttle walked in.
"Oh man you should have seen it they had this little dog, wearing a tutu on a bike!" Modo looked at him.
"I see..." Throttle looked down at the small foam box at his right full place next to Charlie at the table.
"You had to see it... so funny." Vinnie was trying to wipe his eye.
"This mine Charlene?" He sat down next to her.
"Yup Pineapple Pad Thai."
"Perfect." Throttle smiled picking up his fork.
The TV was showing stupid human, stupid pet, and stupid other stuff. Nothing Throttle was really interested in. He pulled the Sun-Times from the center of the table and flipped through. Something caught his eye. He picked at his food and continued to flip through the paper.
"Oh come on Modo!" Vinnie tossed a root beer can at him.
"What?" He grabbed the can in mid air and smashed it. "You were wrong!"
"Crap." he mumbled to himself. Throttle looked up, they had turned on the Grizzly's game. The lost the snap, and Vincent must have lost a small wager. Vinnie was reaching in his wallet for money. Throttle picked some more at his plate and made a decision. He closed the small container of food and stood stocking it in the fridge.
"What's up?" Charlie looked at him. "Is your food ok?"
"Yeah just got some stuff on my mind." He looked back at her and picked up the paper. "Nothing to worry about."
"If you say so." Charlie sat back.
"Where you off to in such a hurry?" Modo asked.
"I'm going for a little ride, Don't worry I'll be back." He smiled.
"Could you pick up some root beers when you decide to come back." Vinnie leaned his head backwards over the chair to see Throttle.
"You have two twelve packs sitting on the floor."
"Yeah I know Bro, but it's the GAME... that means they'll be gone in like... an hour." Vinnie smiled at him. "Please."
"All right." Throttle rolled his eyes and turned into the garage where his bike was. He had shut the door to the Garage behind him. He looked down at the paper. Something had made him want to leave and it seemed like a great idea to him. He placed the paper in his vest and grabbed his helmet.
Within minutes he was out of the garage and into the street. He was heading for Buffalo Grove, a Chi-town burb with some class. The mice went there for the IMAX mostly, but he was going for something else. Something More personal. It took him about 25 minutes to get across town due to construction on the I-90. Nothing to bad just two lane slow down for about four miles. He liked it when the fast traffic of Chicago slowed down.
He exited off of Golf road, near all the good shopping attractions. There was a Harley Dealer in the area and he was headed in that direction. He was planning something awesome in his head.
Early the next morning, Charlie was working on the paperwork for the week. She was playing with the week's tickets and adding them up on her small accounting record sheet. there was a knock on the office door. Charlie stood and set down her pen, wondering who it could be. She opened the door and sighed "We're closed."
"We have a delivery a um..." he looked down at the page on the clipboard. "for a Mr. Throttle."
"Yeah I'll sign for that." Charlie took the clipboard and looked out the door. Two men were unloading a Motorcycle. "Oh man." She signed on the line and took the keys from the delivery man. "I'll open the garage door for you gentlemen just put it inside." She noted a rather ugly dent on the right front fender. She was wondering what Throttle was thinking.
"No problem miss..." The delivery men had rolled the bike into the bay and placed it on it's kickstand. The man walked back over, took the clipboard and motioned his men back to the truck. "Have a good one."
"You too!" She pressed the garage door switch and turned heading inside. Throttle had made his way into the garage and smiled down that the green bike. "What is this?" She shook her head. "What do you think you are doing to me?
"an investment in love Charlene." Throttle leaned down and smiled at the green 1991 Harley Davidson FXSTS. "She was in a back garage at the dealer, doing nothing, no one wanted her."
"How much?"
"Two grand." He smiled. "She'll be my little road girl."
"What about your lil Lady sitting over there?" The bike sat still.
"She's still my number one gal," Throttle smiled. "But this is unaltered. No weapons, a no fills ride, and she needs someone's love." He smiled touching the seat. "She'll be my little project, keep me busy when I'm bored. I will only need help with body work if that's all right with you Charlene."
Charlie smiled at him. "ok, ok, lets get this front fender off and get it started first. That's an awful nasty ding."
"Hey Charlie!" she looked up to see Vinnie in the office. "You can help me with body work anytime!" He started to laugh until something hard hit him in the face. He toppled back. "Ow!"
"Serves you right!" Throttle was laughing. Charlie had tossed a muffler at him and hit him in the face. Vinnie's pride was hurt but he got up and mad his way into the garage.
"What is that?"
"That's my new project." Throttle was beaming.
"She's nice." he looked up at him. "Who is it for?"
"It's for me." He lied. "Saw her listed in the paper."
"Nice green color." Charlie smiled and wiped the dust away with a rag.
"Throttles favorite color Charlie girl, don't you know anything?" He smiled.
Throttle worked late into the night with the bike. Being away from Carbine was taking its toll on his heart. To get the frustration out would be nice once in a while. He would finish the bike, and take it to her. This was for his main lady, his beautiful Carbine.
This was his way to show his affection for her. She didn't like flowers, chocolates, or dinners. This would be his work, he would put all the effort he could muster out into this bike.
Throttle stood up and grabbed a few rags to wipe off the gas tank with. He looked down. He had something to do. He had to name it. He walked to Charlie's desk and pulled out a small paint brush and a small bottle of black paint. He had become very good at pin-striping.
Throttle planted the palm of his hand on the tank so it would not move and his lines would be straight and even. He was painting the stripes along the back side of the tank. The line continued forward and up over the gas cap. He stopped, and moved to a seated position on the bike. With his fine straight hand he continued his writing. 'Firearm' is what he would call the bike.
Carbine, a name of a firearm, so how apropriate that her bike be named for her. Throttle was proud of himself, but he still missed her. He missed her more then he would like to admit.